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Bin Laden Joins Anti-Gay
Terrorist on Wanted List
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Osama bin Laden isn’ t the
only terrorist bombing suspect on the FBI’ s Ten Most
Wanted list. Right here at home, the bureau is still
hunting for Eric Robert Rudolph in connection with the
1996 Olympics bombing and other crimes.
And some of the parallels are striking: both are
trained soldiers and survivalists, accused of killing to
further extreme religious and political beliefs. Both
have eluded capture for years among sympathetic souls
in mountainous terrain, despite a huge price on their
heads. For nearly four years, agents have combed the
sawtooth ridges ofwestern North Carolinafor Rudolph,
an Army veteran and sometime carpenter charged with
four bombings, including fatal blasts at the Atlanta
Games and at an Alabama abortion clinic.
Rudolph was last seen in the area in July 1998 after
stealing supplies from a health store.owner. His truck
had been spotted there early that year. see Terror, p. 2
Iowa Rights Group Says
Add Sexual Orientation
DES MOINES, IOWA (AP) "The Iowa Civil Rights
Commission is recommending that the state’s civil
rights law specifically prohibit discrimination based on
sexual orientation. The commission voted 6-1 in September
to recommend that the Legislature add sexual
orientation to the wording of the law, marking the first
time it has gone on record backing that step.
Commission member Alicia Claypool said the move
makes sense, because there’s strong evidence of discrimination.
Republican legislative leaders have opposed
the step, saying the inclusion of Gays in the law
gives them special treatment.
A commission subcommittee that studied the proposal
said the state is facing a looming shortage of
workers and diversity is one way tO attract new people
to the state. "If we are to grow and remain a vital and
productive state, we must create a current and future
workforce that is stable, wall-educated and sees Iowa as
a viable place in which to grow up, live and work," said
a subcommittee memo.
The commission’ s recommendation likely will spark
a renewed round of debate over an issue that’ s been
around for years. The state’s civil rights law protects
people from discrimination in employment, housing
and lending based on age, color, creed, national origin,
race, religion, marital status, sex, physical disability, or
familial status:
Backers long have said that Gays and Lesbians face
discrimination as well andthat sexual orientation should
be added to the list. The Legislature specifically rejected
that step because Republicans did not want to
approve a measure they said gave special protection to
Gays. Gov. Tom Vilsack issued an executive order in
1999 that also would have banned discrimination based
Serving:Lesbian, .Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Out’Families.+ Friends
i Male on Male Rape at Webster
i Some Speculate Whether Anti-Gay Bias at Issue
¯¯ TULSA, Okla. (AP)-Two 14:year-old football players accused
of raping a teammate with a broom handle won’t be tried as
: adults, prosecutors said. The Tulsa County District Attorney’s
." Office filed rape by instrumentation charges in juvenile court
¯ against theWebster High School students. ¯
The boys are accused of forcing a 14-year-old freshman
: football player to a school locker room floor and raping him with
¯. a broom handle Sept. 21. An hour later, the students allegedly
_. spanked the same boy with a weight belt and pelted his genitals
with traffic cones. Students said no affults were in the locker room
¯ when the alleged rape occurred.
~ Tulsa Police spokesman Lucky Lamons responded that police
¯ detectives claimtherewas no anti-Gay verbal abusewhich could
indicate that this assault had aspects of a hate crime. However,
¯ several longtime community activists from TOHR and PFLAG
i speculated that the assault may have ties to issues of actual or
¯ perceived sexual orientation. Officer Lamons noted that detec-
¯ tives feel one ofthe motives may have been that victim was small.
¯: The accused have been releasedfrom ajuvenile shelter on bail.
¯ Their case will remain in thejuvenile system, where the focus is
: on rehabilitation rather than punishment, said Assistant District
: Attorney Rebecca Nightingale. She said the district attorney’s
¯ office will not seek adult certification for the teens. Prosecutors
¯ considered the boys’ sophistication and maturity, their record
: and history, the likelihood of rehabilitation in the juvenile sys-
¯ tern, and the prospects for protection of the public, she said.
: Fourteen student-athletes were suspended after the incident,
: and Webster’ s ninth-grade football season has been canceled.
: Five students received the maximum penalty allowed under
¯ the school district’ s code of conduct - suspension for the rest of
¯ the academic year. They also were banned from ever participati
ing in school sports in the district. The other nine students got
¯ five-day or 10,day suspensions.
¯" Superintendent David Sawyer warned coaches and school
district employees this week not to tolerate or ignore hazing and
: bullying;
i TOHR Drops State Bank
i overAnti-Bias Policy
: TULSA (TFN)-TulsaOklahomaus forHumanRights
." (TOHR) recently transfered its business from State
Bank and BancOne to Bank of Oklahoma because of
: BOk has an dear non-discrimination policy which
¯ includes "sexual orientation."
." Under the direction of the organization’ s treasurer,
AngelaBruce, letters were written toTOHR’ s former
i bank, informing them of the reason for the change.
¯ According to TOHR spokesman, Greg Gatewood,
¯ the move was really about doing business with those
: who support thecommunity_ and not doing business
¯ with those who do not. Gatewoodnoted that the funds
: were not an enormous amount but should have been
¯. enough to get the institution’ s attention.
¯ Bank ofOklahoma instituted a non-discrimination ¯
policy which includes "sexual orientation" a couple
i of years ago, and is the only bank in Tulsa which has
¯ included the Lesbian and Gay community in’ its
: marketing outreach. State Bank’s president Don
¯ Walker was not available for comment at press time.
¯ Candidate for US Congress at TOHR
¯ On Tuesday, NOvember 13, Democratic candidate
: for Oklahoma’s First Congressional District, Dong
: Dodd will speak at the Community Center at 21st and
¯ Memorial at 7pro. TOHR organizers note that Cathy
: Keating, one of three Republican candidates has also
: been invited to meet withTOHRand the community.
: Keating, unlike many Oklahoma Republicans, has
¯ stated that her campaign will exclude no one and
: while announcing her candidacy at the Tulsa Press
¯ Club, Mrs. Keating noted that she was not very
¯ familiarwiththeconcemsofLesbianandGayTulsans,
~ but she is willing to educate herself. And Dodd has
¯ stated publicly his opposition to a constitutional
¯ amendment to ban same gender marriages.
: Slow Come, Quick Go
i KS County Gives, Now May Drop Benefits
¯ WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Sedgwick County’s new
¯ insurance benefits for unmarried domestic partners
¯ may not last more than a week.
¯ County commissioners appear to have the votes to overturn County Manager William Buchanan’ s deci-
" sion to offer employees the option of extending their
; health coverage to gay or straight partners. Employ-
" ees were told of their option to cover domestic part-
"¯ hers in apacket ofmaterials outlininginsuranceplans
¯ for 2002. Commissioners put the item on their agenda after
¯: receiving numerous phone calls and e-mails from
.. constituents who say the policy gives official sane-
. tion to "sinful" unions.
¯ Commissioner Tim Norton said he originally was
¯ willing to defer to Buchanan and the county’ s human
¯ resources staff. But now, he said, he would probably ¯
vote to rescind the policy because that’s what resi-
: dents have toldhim they want. "I don’ t know that this
: is the right time, or the right place, for us to be
¯ stepping out and taking a leadership role on a social
¯ issue like this," he said.
¯ Commissioners Carolyn McGiunandBen Sciortino
: said last week that they oppose the policy because
¯ they think the county’s health benefits should be
: reserved for employees and their immediate families
¯ only. see-Wichita, p.]O
DIRECTORY
EDITORIAL
US & WORLD NEWS
Z ENTERTAINMENT+ MORE
¯ Rocky Horror Benefit, Oct. 27
¯ TULSA (TFN) - Tulsa’ s downtown Doubletree Hotel will host
: a new Halloween gala event which will benefit Tulsa Oklaho-
¯ mans for Human Rights (TOHR) and the Pyramid Project - the ¯
capital campaign to purchase a permanent community center.
¯ Helga’ s Horfibles will perform live their version of the Rocky
¯ Horror Picture Show beginning at 8:15, featuringHelga,Animal, ¯
Peaches Lennox, Anita Richards, Shirley Nott, Scott, Brenda
¯ Lynn Stewart, Patti, Crystal Meth and Johnny Cronin, all di-
¯ rected by Timothy Snapp.
: After the show, the Time Warp Masquerade Ball will go till
¯ midnight. Costumes are en,co.uraged, ID is required and tickets
: are $25 in advance (at Ken s Flowers, Salon 41, the Pride Store
¯" at the Center and on line at www.Pyramidproject.org) or $30 at
¯° the door. VIP tickets and tables are available. The event will offer
¯" a cash bar, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, party pies, valet
parking and a dj.
: Mr. Oklahoma Leather to Aid TOHRKulsa CARES
¯ The Mr. Oklahoma Leather contest which will be held atCW" s
: on Oct. 19-21 will benefit TOHR/the Community Center and
¯
Tulsa C.ARES. For more information, call CW" s at 610-5323.
¯ Other Community News
¯ On Saturday, Oct. 13, PFLAG is having a Come Out and Fly
¯ Your Kite event in honor of National Coming Out Day (NCOD)
¯ at a local park. Call PFLAG at 749-4901 for more information:
¯ . Annual AIDS Walk, Oct. 6, 9:00am
¯ Saturday, Oct. 6, TulsaAIDSWalk 2001 will begin and end at ¯
Veterans Park at 21st and Boulder (site of the annual Diversity
." Festival). Funds raised at the event help TCAP, the Tulsa Com-
¯" munityAIDS Partnership (TCAP). All funds will be increasedby
¯ 50% withmatching dollars from the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
TCAP helps to fund the following groups: RAIN, the
¯ Regional AIDS Interfaith Network, Tulsa CARES, theAmerican
¯ Red Cross, Red Rock Behavioral Health Services and HOPE
Testing Clinic. The Walk is now eight years old and has raised
: thousands of dollars for direct care and education/prevention for
HEALTH NEWS
on sexual orientation in state hiring, but legislative : HIV/AIDS. It is an all volunteer effort which has no administra_ : ~ GAYSTUDIES P. 10/~1
leaders successfully argued see Iowa, p.2 ¯ tive costs For more information, call 585-5551 ¯ --- ---- ~
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine
*CW’ s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Play-Mor, 424 S. Memorial
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*Schatzi’ s, 2619 S. Memorial
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*TNT’ s, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool Box I!, 1338 E. 3rd
*Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
*The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th
832-1269
610-5323
838-9792
744-4280
585-3405
745-9998
280-1316
834-4234
660-0856
584-1308
835-2376
749-1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 523 1 E. 41 665-4580
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15 712-1122
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21 712-9955
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale 494-2665
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria 743-5272
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria 746-0313
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E 1 lth 295-5868
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700
Tim Danid, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial
Ross Edward Salon 584-0337,
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main
Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906~E. 55th H.
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr.
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly
*International Tours
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th
*Jared’ s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd
Mingo Valley ~Flowers, 9720c E. 31
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo
*The Pride Store
Rainbowz on the River B+B, PUB 696, 74101
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning
Teri Schutt, Ellen & Co.
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counsding
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays & Lesbians
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, PUB 4337, 74101 579-9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black & White, Inc. PUB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 583-7815
B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th PI. & Florence
Church of the Restoration UU, 1314N.Greenwood 587-1314
*Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595
Coundl Oak Men’ s Chorale 748-3888
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
749-3620
744-5556
838-8503
369-8555
712-9379
592-0460
744-9595
610-0880
628-3709
808-8026
742-1460
459-9349
744-7440
745-1111
341-6866
712-2750
582-3018
747-0236
582-8460
599-8070
747-5466
585-1234
584-3112
663-5934
664-2951
838-7626
743-4297
747-5932
834-0617
834-7921,748-0224
481-0558
835-5563
743-1733
665-2222
592-0767
¯ 918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
." PUB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159, e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net
; Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal ¯ Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry
." Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom, Esther
Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw
." Member o! The Associated Press
¯ Issued around the 1 st ofeach month, the entire contents of this
¯ publication are protected by US copyright 2001 by Tulsa
¯ Family News andmay not be reproduced either in whole or in
¯ part without written permission from the publisher. Publica-
.- lion 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 Tulsa Family News. Each reader is entitled to 4
¯ copies of each edition at distribution points.
¯ Additional copies are available by Calling 583-1248.
: Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa- Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
: Episcopalians, PUB 701475, 74170-1475 ¯ 355-3140 *Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
." *Free SpiritWomen’ s Center,call forlocation &info: 587-4669
¯ Friend For A Friend, PUB 52344, 74152 747-6827 ¯
Friends inUnity Social Org., PUB 8542, 74101 582-0438 ¯ *Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E..Admiral 834-4194
." HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
¯ *HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstries,1517 S.Memorial 224-4754 ¯
*MCC United,-1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715 ¯ NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral P1. 748-3111
¯ NOW, Nat’l Org. forWomen, PUB 14068, 74159 365-5658 ¯
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), PUB 9165, 74157
¯ *OSU-Tulsa
¯ PFLAG, PUB 52800, 74152 749-4901
¯ *Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152 627-2359 ¯ R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
¯ *Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
¯ St. Aidan’ s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882 ¯
St. Dlmstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140 ¯ *St. Jerome’ s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
; Soulforce-OK, Rt.4,#3534,Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761
¯ *TulsaArea United Way, 1430 S Boulder 583-7171
" *TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225 ¯ Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105
¯ Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only ¯
¯ TulsaOkla. for Human Rights, Gay Comm. Center 743-4297
TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvocacy Coalition, POB2687,Tulsa 74101
¯ T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform]Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
¯. *Tulsa Community College Campuses
¯
*Tulsa Gay Community Center, 21st & Memorial 743-4297
¯ Unity Churchof Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
: BARTLESVILLE
¯" Bardesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
TAHLEQUAH
¯. Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
¯ Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church - 918-456-7900
¯ Green Country AIDS Coalition, PUB 1570 918-453-9360
¯ EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
¯ Autunm Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734
¯ Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main 501-253-7457
¯ DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 501-253-6807
¯ Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445
¯ Heart of the Hills B&B, 5 Summit St. 501-363-9203
." MCC of the Living Spring 501-253-9337
: Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, PUB 429 501-253-2776
.- Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332
¯ Positive Idea Marketing Hans 501-624-6646
: White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074
¯
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
¯ Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696
: * is whereyou canfindTFN. NotallareGay-owned butallare Gay.friendly.
Authorities say they also ran across some of
his camping sites and found garbage or
buried debris connected to him.
Now,a taskforce coordinating the Rudolph
search has dwindled from 200 agents to just
afew. "No question that the focus rightnow
for the immediate need of agents for time
and resources" is to investigate last week’ s
terror attacks, said Patrick Crosby, a spokes~
man for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta.
But Crosby added: "Nobody’ s dropping
anything on Rudolph or the investigation."
Rudolph, for whose capture an award of $1
million has been offered, is believed to adhere
to Christian Identity, a white supremacist
religion that is rabidly anti-Gay, anti-
Semitic and anti-foreigner. Sdme of the four
bombs Rudolph was charged with planting
included messages from the shadowy"Army
of God."
Western North Carolina has long had a
reputation as ahavenforright-wing extremists.
Many there mocked the government’ s
inability to find Rudolph with bloodhounds,
infrared-equippedhelicopters and space-age
motion detectors- and some said they would
hide him if asked.
Bin Laden, a wealthy Saudi who helped
push the Soviets out of Afghanistan, has
likewise become an almost mythic figure in
Islamic militant circles. His protectors have
not been swayed by a $5 million bounty.
"These are both men who are pursuing
their personally received messages, supposedly
from God, and who are ruthless as a
result," said Mark Potok, who tracks domestic
terrorists for the Southern Poverty Law
Center in Montgomery, Ala.
"presumably, there’s a litde more national
will involved in the bin Laden case,"
he says. ’¢Fhis is a sdckin the eye ofAmerica
inaway that the Rudolph attacks really were
not."
i Cummins Ends
¯ Support for Scouts
in court that he had exceeded his authority.
Vilsack challenged lawmakers to take that
step on their own, but the issue hash’ t been
debated since the legal battle. Republican
legislative leaders have refused to bring the
measure up for debate.
Subcommittee members said the numbers
alone argue for protecting Gays and
Lesbians, because estimates are that up to
4% of the state’ s population is Gay, roughly
114,500 people. That’ s a larger population
than the 2.8% of the state that is Hispanic
and2.1% African-Americanpopulation, they
said.
¯ COLUMBUS, Ind. - Heavy engine manu-
¯ facturer Cummins Inc. almonnced Sept. 18
¯ it plans to stop sponsoring an event that
¯ raises money for the Boy Scouts ofAmerica
¯ because of the organization’ s ban on Gays
¯ serving as troop leaders, according to The
¯ Associated Press.
¯ Cnmmins has beenamajor donor to scout-
¯ ing programs, in Indiana’s Bartholomew
¯" County. seeScouts,p.11
by Rich Tafel
Everything in America has changed since the attacks of
September 11,2001. While.Americans return to work and
theirdaily lives, Washington-based special interest groups
are struggling to figureout where to go from here.
The Sierra Club, which earlier this year saw an increase
infundraising fromils attacks onnewly-inaugurated President
George W. Bush, has sent a memo to their leading
members instructing them to stop bashing the president.
Other groups preparing to spend millions onad campaigns
to fight the "lfckbox" budget wars have gone silent.
Democrats and Republicans are working together.
Gay organizations are not sure how to respond. The
debate in Washington. now revolves around a central
question - do Gay groups move ahead with the "old"
agenda items? Dothey put Gay-specific issues on hold?
Or, do they rise to meet the new challenges fa,c.ing Gay
Americans in this new period, even ifthey don t fit what
-these groups have long argued was "the Gay agenda"?
Tome whathas ehangedmost since September 11 is the
rubric for debate. Throughout the years, Gay activists
have relied on a paradigm of "victimization" to formulate
their agenda for advancing our community’ sinterests. A
divergence of reality began to take place, where our
political leaders argued our lives were getting worse and
worse while, in reality, we were gaining greater acceptance.
In the end, Gay.politics became dominated by a
"virtual victimization, with our own sogiety full of enemies
oppressing us. Obscured by this paradigm was the
reality that, while we still have barriers to dear, life for
Gay Americans has never been better.
The "virtual victimization" paradigm may have fit the
time. But there was a cost. Gay Americans who bought
into this paradigm were left to believe that the power to
live life on their own terms 4s outside their control.
"Virtual victims’" become increasingly alienated from
society, moreinward-driven, and less connected to a sense
of personal responsibility about how their lives tnm out.
We’ 11 look back on the 1990’ s with an almost embarrassing
realization of just how self-absorbed we were. The
same Gay community whose political leaders demanded
employment anti-discrimination laws and hate crime protections
was travding on RSVP cruises, packing warehouse
circuit parties, and filling black-tie dinner halls to
hear keynote addresses from Hollywood celebrities.
If the attack on September 11 shocked our nation back
to reality, it might do the same for the Gay movement. At
LEF’s July leadership conference, entitled "Redefining
the Gay Agenda," syndicated columnist Hasting Wyman
made an observation about why Vice President AI Gore,
the 2000 Democratic nominee for President, didn’t do
better among Gay voters even though he supported what
was knows as the Gay agenda: "... I think this raises an
interesting question and I say a question, not a conclusion.
...A lot of the Gay agenda, while it may be right or it may
be wrong, it’s not terribly relevant to the average Gay
person."
Hastings is right, and as we examine what is real and
relevant in our lives after September 11. Now is the time
to reject the "virtual victim" paradigm and, maybe for the
first lime ever, think of ourselves as fellow Americans,
united with the rest of the nation, confronting a common
enemy. I think Gays and Lesbians get this, even if our
leadership doesn’ t. One thing is clear as I walk through the
Gay neighborhoods of Washington, where the American
flag is draped from hundreds of windows, and as I read of
a conservative Republican Senator eulogizing Mark
Bingham as an American hero who save the U.S. Capitol,
Gays and Lesbians are part of the greatness of America
and they know it.
What unique role can Gays and Lesbians play as we
unite against the terrorists? First, Gay and Lesbian leaders
can stop the incessant negative backbiting against President
Bushand his administration. Like every other American,
we need him to succeed in this mission. Throw away
those "He’ s Not My President" t-shirts. Gay organization
leaders need to stop referring to him as the "enemy" - we
¯ have a clear enemy today, that is absolutely bent on our
¯¯ collective destruction, who brutalizes women, murders
Gays and sees a free society as the world’ s greatest evil.
: Now is not the time to attack the President. This will be
¯ the hardest for groups whosefundraising has depended on
¯ demonizing him, butnext time they doit,weall~eed to ask
¯ them to refrain. That doesn’t mean we cannot disagree
¯ with President Bush or abrogate the freedoms we are truly ¯
fighting to defend, but as fellow Americans we have a
: common moral duty to rekindle-a tone of respect for the
¯ office of the presidency, and for the burden on the man
¯ who sits there today.
"Gay organizations are not sure how
to respond. The debate in
Washington now revolves around a
central question - do Gay groups move
ahead with the old" aCenda items?
Do they put Gay-speciflc issues on hold?
Or, do they rise to meet the new
challenges facing Gay Americans
in this new period, even ff they don’t fit
what these groups have long argued
was "the Gay agenda’S."
New, more pressing issues have come to the forefront
and need our attention. Gay couples and families have
been ripped apart in the attacks. We must be vigilant in
ensuring that those left behind are not cut off from survivor
benefits and legal rights that they deserve. We as a
community should take notice of the vital importance of
partner benefits andresponsibilities in light of this tragedy
and ensure we have provided for our loved ones should
anything happen to us.
Donating blood surfaced as an issuein the days after the
¯ attacks. The RedCross policy on donating bloodis dearly ¯
out of date and harmful in how absolute its exclusion of
¯ Gay men has been since the 1980’s. The only response
¯ from Gay leaders thus far is still ringing of victimization, ¯
or has just been silence for fear of raising an issue that
: makes us all sound selfish.
¯ However, there is a "united we stand" approach to
¯ giving blood. Again, sad as it is, there will likely be need ¯
for more blood before this war is over. We should respect-
" fully, without fanfare and action alerts, approach the Red
~ Cross and explain that Gay men would like to hdp the
¯ effort. While we do understand that Gay men are more ¯
likely to be HIV positive then the general public, we
¯ should not confuse sexual orientation with health status,
: and the policy should be consistent in its approach to
¯ sexual behavior. For instance, heterosexuals with mul-
¯ . tiple partners are not screened outin thesame way as aGay
¯ man who has had sex once since 1977.
; During times of war, scapegoats are often sought out in
¯ every society. Will Gays and Lesbians become targets of
¯ greater hate crime activity? I doubt it. But I do believe that
: Arab Americans or anyonelooking like them will be. The
¯ greatest weapon against intolerance is educating our-
" selves, so we should be role models.
¯ In the "unitedwe stand" paradigm,we can explain to the
¯ public that we know what it is like to bejudged, discrimihated
against and even physically beaten because of who
: weare. Thoughweknow many Islamicleaders inAmerica
: have shown little tolerance for Gays and Lesbians, we as
¯ acommunitylove andrespect ourfellow Americaus under
¯
attack. We support them and their civil rights, so that we
: never again make the mistake of how we treated Japanese
¯ Americans in World War II.
¯ The overall paradigm of the Gay civil rights movement
¯ must change, see Change, p.ll
" Welcome to Our Reality
: by Tom Neal, editor &publisher
¯ Hate crimes have beenmuch onmymind in theseweeks ¯
since the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. This
: horror has brought out the best in so many Americans but
it has also brought out the worst in a few.
Some of those few have used this mad event as an
¯" excuse to express their prejudices, theirracism, their anti-
" immigrant bigotry, and their homophobia, around the
: country as well as here in Tulsa.
¯ In Tulsa, we’ ve seen the beating of a Pakistani man and
: apparently, according to Barbara Moore of the Asian-
" American Society, others who are perceived as "foreign"
¯ have been harassed.
No one in th.e Gay communities has missed the shameless
opportunism of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson,
perhaps the greatest disgraces to contemporary
Christendom, at trying to incite violence against Lesbians
and Gay Americans and others in the wake of the terrorist
¯ attack.
: My comment to our Muslim and Asian sisters and
¯ brothers is welcome to our reality of violence, prejudice ¯
and hatredin Tulsa. What you’re experiencing as,new has
: been our ongoing reality. What you’re experiencing as a
: new sensation of lack of safety has long been our experi-
¯
But while attacks on you are decried by Tulsa’ s pro-
: foundly hypocritical "do-good" organizations: NCCJ,
¯ Jewish Federation, Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry, Tulsa ¯
Interfaith Alliance, those same groups have been shame-
: fully silent when Gay men were brutally beaten like the
¯ Tulsa Pakistani man.
¯ It’ s not that they didn’ t know that the attacks happened.
¯ Tim Beauchamp and Tony Orr’ s beating on Brookside a
few years ago was well reportedin this newspaper as well
¯ as in The World. Beauchamp and Orrlater testified before
¯ the US House of Representatives about their beating, a ¯
fact also reported by The WorM. ¯
I personally told Nancy Day ofNCCJ of themost recent
¯ beating ofaGay man which this newspaper reportedin our
¯ August issue. But neither Ms. Day nor NCCJ, nor any ¯
other of these organizations has felt it incumbent to
¯ express for Gay Tulsans what they fall over themselves to
¯ do for Muslim Tulsans.
¯ Clearly themessage here is that NCCJ, Jewish Federa- ¯
tion, and possibly TMM and Tulsa Interfaith Alliance do
¯ not consider the attacks on Gay Tulsans to rise to the same
level of concern as the attacks on other minorities. Or if
¯ perhaps their values are slightly more humane, then they ¯
are cynically utterly unwilling to expend any oftheir effort
¯ or "capital" in acting upon them.
¯ As horrible as it to contemplate, for some time I have
been convinced that the only thing that would get these
: groups off dead center would be for Tlffsa to have our own
¯ Matthew Shepard murdered- as much as I pray that such
will never happen.
¯ What is it about this city that it is so profoundly morally
¯ bankrupt that only the veritible cruxcifiction of an iuno-
¯ cent might, and only_ might, move them to acknowledge
¯ the right of Lesbian and Gay Tulsans to live unassaulted ¯
and with even a fractiOi~ of the civil rights and other legal
: protections other residents, including other minorities,
: take for granted?
¯ Indeed I am glad to see that attacks against Muslim and
¯ others are condemned. I also am glad to see new networks
¯ formed to address hate crimes but I am deeply troubled
: that this new effort, again, starts by excluding Gay and
¯ Lesbian Tulsans and describes hate crimes only as race, ¯
religion and ethnicity when those who hate, attack race,
¯ ethnicity, rdigion and sexual orientation equally, and
¯ sometimes us first. ¯
¯ The latest Tulsa anti-hate crime network did invite our
Nancy McDonald, PFLAGfounder, butit’ s not at all dear
¯ that she was invitedinher role as a more acceptable proxy
¯ for Gay folk but rather in her role as new co-convertor of ¯
the Say No to Hate Coalition.
¯
see Hate, p. 10
Czechs Seek Partners
Recognition
PRAGUE, .Czech Republic (AP) - Czech Gays and
Lesbians soon could become the first in a former
communist country to be allowed to register their
partnerships. Prime Minister Milts Zeman’ s Cabinet
has thrown its supportbehind a draftlaw grantingGays
equal rights with the rest of the population. And
backers ofthelegislation say they’ ve neverhada better
chance for passage of the measure.
The bill gives Gay and Lesbian couples the same
fights as those of heterosexual ones in areas such as
inheritance and health insurance. Couples would be
¯ allowed to seal their partnerships at local government
offices, and severing a union would require a courtapproved
divorce. The draft, approved by the Cabinet,
however; bars couples from adopting children.
Legislation that would allow homosexual unions
already has been turned down twice by the Czech
parliament, in 1997 and 1999. But this time will be
different, Gay activists say. "Public opinion has
changed," said Jiri Hromada, an activist. "Any deputy
should listen to that."
A May survey by the state-sponsored CVVM polling
agency said only33%of those polled opposed such
a law, compared to 42% in 1999. The margin of error
was 3%, To pass, supporters of the law need only a
simple majority in the 200-seat chamber. Since the
ruling party holds 74 seats, supporters say they only
need just over two dozen votes to make the measure
pass.
Several other European nations already extend legal
fights to same-sex partners. Denmark granted legal
rights in 1989, a move followed later by other countries,
including Swedenand the Netherlands. Germany
recently began to allow Gay couples to register their
unions, and in the United States, Vermont became the
first state to recognize same-sex unions last year.
The Czech Republic wouldbe the firstpost-communist
country, however, to approve such a measure.
Most post-communist societies, burdened with massive
economic troubles, have largely neglected such
social questions.
Opponents arebracing for afight. TheRomanCatholic
Church, which has long opposed such unions,
sponsored a petition to pressure the parliament to
reject the measure. Petition organizer Josef Zeman of
the Brat-based group National Center for Family says
72,000 have already signed. Some 2.7 million people
in theCzechRepublic say they are Roman Catholic: "It
will have an irreversible impact on those young people
who still are not clear about their sexual orientation,’"
Zeman warned.
The draft law should be discussed in the lower
ch~amber, the House of Deputies, by the end of this
year.
Cleveland United Way
Drops-Boy Scouts
CLEVELAND (AP) - The Clevdand chapter of the
United Way has decided to stop funding traditional
Boy Scouts programs that discriminate against Gays.
The money will instead go to Boy-Scout-affiliated
programs such as Learning for Life, a program that
does not prohibit Gay menfrom being leaders.
-. Earlier this month, United Way Services of Greater
Cleveland shifted $268,000 in Boy Scout donations to
the Learning for Life program, said Mike Benz, president
Of the local United Way organization. The program
will be taught in Cleveland, Bedford and Lakewood
public schools and teaches children to apply
classroom lessons in their everyday life.
Last year, the United Way Services gave about
$90,000 ofits Boy Scout donation to Learning for Life.
This year, the group considered cutting support to the
Boy Scouts entirely but decided instead to shift all of
its donation to~ngfor Life.
." Susan Lewis, spokeswoman for the Greater Cleve-
." land Council for the Boy Scouts of America, said
¯ shifting the money to a Boy Scout-affiliated program
: was a good compromise. She said her chapter will try
: to shiftaround other donormoney tomake upforlosing
¯¯ the United Way funding, which accounts for about
14% of t!~ir budget. Nearly 50 United Ways across the
¯ country and a dozen corporations have quit giving
¯ money to Boy Scouts of America since ihe U.S. Su-
¯ preme Court last year upheld the Scouts’ right to reject ¯
homosexual leaders.
_" Jan Cline, an Eagle Scout and associate director of
¯ the Lesbian Gay Community ServiceCenter in Cleve- ¯
land, said he wanted United Ways to stop funding the
: Boy Scouts altogether until they stop discriminating.
: "If I give to United Way, I don’ t want one cent to go
¯ to Boy Scouts," Cline said. "There’ s no betterplace for ¯
boys tolearn citizenship, personal fitness and camping
¯ skills. But by enforcing a membership standard that
: teaches young Gaymentheirfeelings are second-class,
¯ they’re teaching bigotry and discrimination." ¯
None of the Northeast Ohio United Way organiza-
¯ tions,including UuitedWay Services ofGreaterCleve-
¯ land, has employment policies that prohibit discrimi- ¯
nation against Gays.
Finland Recognizes
Same Gender Partners
HELSINKI, Finland (AP) - Lawmakers passed a goveminent
proposal recently that makes Gay partnerships
legally binding but stops short of letting Gay
couples adopt children or use the same surname. The
bill, which comes into force next year, was approved
99 to 84, with 17 abstentions or absentees.
The new law says Finns who are at least 18 can
register a same-sex union in a civil ceremony comparable
to matrimony. It also give~ Gay couples the same
rights as married heterosexual couples when inheriting
each other’ s property and in cases of divorce.
TheFinnish Lesbian andGay AsSociationwelcomed
the law but said it wished it went further. ’q’his at long
last gives Gay couples the rights they deserve," said
Rainer Hiltunen, the association’s secretary-general.
"But it’ s a compromise, and we are disappointed that it
doesn’ t secure the rights of chil&en in a Gay marriage
because they can only be registered to one parent."
The Finnish Evangdical Lutheran Church, to which
85% of the 5.2 million population belongs, has opposed
giving Gay partners the same rights as married
couples. However, Archbishop Jukka Paarma has said
that the legal position of homosexual and Lesbian
couples should be improved.
The new law is in line with similar legislation in the
other Nordic countries of Sweden, Norway, Denmark
and Iceland, where Gay partnerships have been legalized.
Denmark and Iceland permit adoptions by Gay
couples in certain circumstances.
Houston Partner
¯ Benefits Up for Vote
¯" HOUSTON (AP) - Houston, voters in November will
¯ consider whether the city should offer health and other
~ benefits to same-sex parmers of its employees. The
: Houston City Council approved for the Nov. 6 ballot a
¯ referendum that, ifpassed,-wouldprohibit the cityfrom
¯ providing same-sex benefits. The city doesn’t offer
: thosebenefits now, but had been considering changing
¯ its benefits policy to include them.
¯ The council approved the ballot addition by a 9-5
vote after City Secretary AnnaRnssell validatedenough
¯ signatures on petitions to call for a vote. Petitioner
¯ Dave Wilson, who,opposes offering same-sex ben-
. efits, led an effort to gather 21,028 signatures on those
¯ petitions. City law requires 20~000 valid signatures
." from registered voters in Houston to force a vote on a
¯ change to the city charter.
"1623 N. Maplewood (918) 838-1715 mcctu/saOaoLcom
Community
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
at Community ofHope
2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595
A Welcoming Congregation
HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6prn
1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754
The Open Arms Project
Young Adult Support Group
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
918-584-2325
Mingo Valley Flowers
9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145
918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-44d-5934
Family Owned & Operated
Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW
Child, Family, Individual & Couple Psychotherapy
(918) 743-9559
2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518
The Pride Store
21st Street & Memorial
Tulsa Gay Community Services Center
743-GAYS (743-4297)
6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday
12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center
Heart of the Hills
Bed & Breakfast
5 Summit, Eurel~a Springs, Arkansas
501 - 363 - 9203
Come Stay Us for the Next
Diversity Celebration, Nov. 2 - 4
Red Rock Tulsa
Free Confidential HIV Testing
Walk-in Cgtnics
Tues. & Thurs., 5 -8 pm
at the Center, 1307 East 38th
Daytime appointments available.
Call for more information:
918-584-2325
d
i
Ame.rlcan Red Cross
American Red Cross
Tulsa Area Chapter
10151 East Eleventh
Tulsa 74128
Dannette Mclntosh
Diversity Co-ordinator
838-1100
OPENARMS
OPEN MINDS
OPEN HEARTS
Saint Aidan Saint Dunstan
4045 N. Cincinnati, 425-7882 5635 East 71st, 492-7140
Saint John Trinity
4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381 501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128
The Episcopal Church Welcomes You
CouncilwrmanAnniseP~rker, thecity"srnly openly
Gay elected official, voted against adding the referendum
to the ballot, claiming that Russell missed errors
orirregularities on !, 101 signatures. MayorLee Brown
said he intends to oppose the referendum and that
authorities should investigate any possible fraud. Harris
County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal said his
office would investigate if a complaint is fried. Wilson
said he knew of no problems with the petitions or
signatures.
Houston voters in 1985 nullified a nondiscrimination
ordinance approved by the council. Earlier this
year, the council approved.a similar ordinance protecting
Gays and Lesbians from discrimination, and the
Nov. 6 referendum does not address the ordinance.
Gay Adoption
Considered In Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - As the state Supreme Court
prepares to hear a case that could decide ifGay couples
have the right to adopt children, groups on both sides
are weighing in on the dispute. Thehigh court is to hear
the case next week of a Lincoln Lesbian who wants her
lover to be able to adopt her 3-year-old boy.
The case already has generated so-called "friend of
the court" briefs from scores of organizations, including:
theAmerican Psychological Association; the Family
Research Institute; the Alliance for Children’s
Rights; The National Organization for Women; the
National Adoption Center; and the Lambda Legal
Defense and Education Fund. The Nebraska Catholic
Conference, the Family Research Council, the Nonpartisan
Family Coalition and Family First also have
weighed in.
The boy, called "Luke" in court papers, was born to
"B.P," in 1997 through artificial inseminataon. The
boy has lived with his mother and her lover, "A.E.,"
since birth. The two women were joined in a commitment
ceremony in 1995, according to court records.
Such ceremonies are not recognized as marriages in
Nebraska, where voters last year approved a measure
to keep same-sex marriages from being legally recog-
B.P. already has custody of her 9-year-old son from
a previous marriage. While Nebraska law contains no
specific provision prohibiting adoptions by Gay
couples, Deputy Attorney General Steve Grasz said
does not mean it is legal. He also said A.E. has no legal
rights to adopt the child, even though she has helped
raise him. "Such caregivers, unlike parents, possess no
substantive liberty interest in the child," he said in
briefs filed in the case. "No fundamental constitutional
right has been accorded in the law to individuals such
as foster parents, grandparents, caregivers or ’partners’
of parents even though they have a deep emotional
attachment to the child."
Amy Miller, a lawyer with the American Civil
Liberties Union, dismissed those arguments. "The
state’ s bias is based on its discomfort with A.E. and
B.P.’ s relationship, but is irrelevant asthe real issue is
Luke’ s interests," she said. "The law only inquires into
the best interests of the child to be adopted.
Court Rejects Gag on Play
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) - A federal appeals court
has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to block a controversial
student play, ruling that the issue is moot since
the play has already been performed. The 7th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago last week rejected
the complaint filed by opponents of the play "Corpus
Christi" who accused Indiana University-Purdue University
ofusing taxpayermoney to support an attackon
Christianity.
Theplayfeatured aGay, Christ-like characternamed
Joshua and 12 other male characters, most of whom
had the names of Christ’s disciples.
In a one-page orderissued Sept. 19, the court said the
;" issues raised on appeal do not merit’fotther consider:
¯¯ ation because theplay has already been performed. Six sold-out performances took place Aug. 10 to 18 in a
¯ theater on the university’ s Fort Wayne campus.
¯ Opponents led by former Republican gubernatorial
: candidate John Price had argued that staging the play
¯ on the grounds of a state university_violated the consti-
: tutional separation of church and state.
¯ Attorney Stephen R. Pennell represented the univer-
¯
sity in thelawsuit. He said school leaders were pleased
¯ by the court’ s action. "The play has been performed, so
¯ there is no longer any relief the court could grant that ¯
would be effective in any way, so the point is moot,"
¯
Pennell told The Journal Gazette.
The same appeals court ruled Aug. 7 in favor of
¯ allowing "Corpus Christi" to be performed while the ¯
appeal was pending. The decision upheld a July ruling
¯
by U.S. District Judge William C. Lee, who said
: issuing a preliminary inJunction against theproduction
¯ would cause more harm than allowing the play to
: proceed.
¯ Patricia Corbat of Fort Wayne, one of the three
¯ plaintiffs participating in the appeal, was not sure
¯ whether there are any other ways to pursue the com-
. plaint.
¯° She said the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks put the churchstate
relationship in a new perspective. "We don’t
¯ allow prayer in government at all, but all of a sudden
¯
everyone in government is praying," Corbat told the
¯ newspaper. "I just think that, all of a sudden, we’re
: trying to get back in God’ s graces.’"
Maine City OKs Civil
Rights Bill
BANGOR, Maine (AP) - Bangor became the 1 lth
¯
Maine city to enact a Gay civil rights ordinance when
¯ the city council approved the law by a lopsided vote.
¯ The law, approved by an 8-1 vote, bars discrimination ¯
based on sexual orientation in housing, public accom-
¯ modations, credit, education and employment. It is
." similar to measures that have been enacted by the
¯ Legislature, but overturned by Maine voters.
¯ The Bangor council’s passage came a week after a
¯ three-hour public hearing on the measure. Supporters
¯ said such a law is long overdue 17 years after a Gay
i
youth named Charlie Howard died after being thrown
off a downtown Bangor bridge by three local teen-
" agers.
¯ But opponents cited religious objections, and said it
¯ is an unneeded extension of the Maine Human Rights
¯
Act that_ should be decided by voters. Some asserted
¯ that the-law confers special rights on a specific group.
¯ Maine voters last November turned down a law that
would have outlawed discrimination based on sexual
¯
orientation. Similar bills had been rejected by the
: Legislature for two decades until 1997, when a mea-
¯ sure was enacted and signed by Gov. Angus King. ¯
Voters repealed it in 1998, and lawmakers responded
¯ by sending a new bill back to referendum.
~ While the state’ s voters repealed the Gay civil rights
¯ question in 2000, a majority of voters in Bangor ¯
favored the state law. After Monday night’s council
¯ vote, about two dozen spectators broke into applause.
¯ "Equal rights and equal dignity are not special rights,"
¯ said Councilor Joe Baldacci, who sponsored the pro-
" posal with Councilor Judy Vardamis.
: An opponent, Bangor Baptist Church Pastor Jerry
¯ Mick, said he believed a planned effort to repeal the ¯
ordinance could be successful.
¯
Challenges to Gay civil rights laws in other Maine
: cities have had mixed results. In 1992, Portland voters
¯ rejected a proposal to overturn the city’s Gay civil
", rights ordinance. But Lewiston voters repealed their
: city’ s ordinance a year later.
Los kn0olos May ment would prevent the city from provid-
Host 2006 Games
LOS ANGELES (AP) -Anonprofitgroup
will send a delegation to SouthAfricanext
month to lobby forthe city to host the2006
Gay Games, an Olympics-styl_e~l. event~that
draws Gay and Lesbian athletes trom
around the world. Los Angeles faces three
other finalists - Chicago, Atlanta and
Montreal - in its bid to host the games,
which have been held every four years
since 1982: As many as 15,000 competitors
take part in the games, drawing upward
of 250,000 spectators.
The Federation of Gay Games will begin
the selection process in Johannesburg,
South Africa on Oct. 21, with the winning
city announced four days later. The Gay
Games include more than 30 sports, from
aerobics to sailing to wrestling. The event
was founded by Olympic decathlete Tom
Waddell after enduring jokes and harassment
on the sports circuit.
The two-weekGay Games VII wouldbe
the largest single event inLos Angeles in
the next five years, according to the Los
Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The games could generate as much as
$400 million for the city.
San Francisco has played host to two
previous games. Los Angeles has bid on
the games, but has never been selected.
LOs Angeles als0 is seeking to host the
2012 summer Olympic Games. Tt{~’summer
Olympiad previously was held in the
city in 1932 and 1984. Members of the
nonprofit Los Angeles 2006 Inc. group
that is seeking to draw the Gay Games said
many Olympic venues would be used during
the event.
Michigan City to
Vote Against Gays
paign is under way here in the campaign
over an anti-Gay civil rights proposal on
the Nov. 6 city ballot. Both sides pledge to
keep debate civil. But city voters could
face an onslaught of door-to-door campaigns,
yard signs, telephone polls, radio
talk show forums and church debate.
"We feel there is a great deal of discrimination
in the impetus to getting this
ballot initiative. It just r’eally stinks," said
Robert Dempsey, campaign manager for
the group fighting the proposal.
It has been more than a year since City
Manager Pat DiGiovatmi enacted a policy
allowing Gay city employees to cover
their parmers under health insurance. Opponents
immediately moved to put before
voters a broadly worded charter amendment
that bans the city from adopting any
ordinances or policies that give special
preference based on sexual orientation.
"We plan to explain to people why this is
a bad amendment," said Dempsey, of
Kalamazoo Against Discrimination.
" The Michigan branch of the Tupelo,
Miss.-based American Family Association
is aiding the group seeking the
Kalamazoo Gays-rights b~a. The group’ s
Michigan president said he is hopeful for
its passage because the public is returning
to spirituality. "Churches are full. People
are returning to a faith in.God," said Gary
It is unclear whether the charter amending
employee benefits to Gay couples.
City attorneys say the policy does not
mention sexual orientation and therefore
maynotbevoidediftheamendmentpasses.
So far, "very few" of about 900 city employees
have applied for same-sex benefits,
said City Attorney Robert Cinabro.
Kalamazoo is among three cities in
Michigan and 17 communities nationwide
that will vote on Gay civil rights measures
in November. Huntington Woods and
Traverse City also are voting on human
rights measures.
"The whole country will be watching
the three communities in Michigan," said
;can Kosofsky, director of policy and victim
services for the Triangle Foundation, a
Detroit-based Gay civil rights organization.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force in Washington, D.C., last week announcedit
will give $10,000 to Kalamazoo
Against Discrimination.
Meanwhile, American Family Association
is supporting Kalamazoo Citizens
Voting Yes For Equal Rights Not Special
Rights, which is promoting the proposal.
That group has about 50 volunteers, about
half of whom live outside the city, the
Kalamazoo Gazette said Sunday. Among
themis the group’ s spokesman, Kalamazoo
County Commissioner Jack Hoogendyk
Jr. of Portage. "I have interest because I
work in the city," Hoogendyk said. "Most
people rig,h,t now have no clue what the
issues are.
Massachusetts
May Add Benefits
BOSTON (AP) - Gay, Lesbian and unmarried
state workers would be able to get
health insurance for their domestic partners
under a bill approved by a key state
Senate committee late in September. The
bill, approved by the Senate Ways and
MeansCommittee, would also let cities
and towns decide to offer domestic parmer
benefits as a local option.
¯ A domestic partner is defined by .the bill
¯ as someone of the same or opposite sex
¯ who shares financialresponsibilities and a
¯
home with a state employee. They must
¯ also say that they are in a relationship of
¯ "mutual support, care and commitment"
and plan to live together indefinitely.
: The Senate has approved two similar
: bills in recent yb,ars. None became law. "I
¯ approach it as a matter of basic fairness,"
¯ said Senate President Thomas Birming-
¯
ham, D-Chelsea.
¯ The full Senate is scheduled to vote on
¯ the bill soon. It is also expected to vote on
¯" bills that would allow Cambridge and
¯ Brookline to extend domesticpartner ben-
" efits to their employees.
Opponents of domestic partner benefits
¯
say they places homosexual relationships
: on the same level as heterosexual mar-
" riages. They also say that giving nnmar-
¯ ried heterosexual couples the same ben-
" efits as married couples weakens theinsti-
¯ tution of marriage.
¯ In 1998, the Legislature passed a bill
"- allowing Boston to provide the benefits -
¯
known as a"home rule petition" - but the
¯ bill was vetoed by former Gov. Paul
Cdlucci.
Conne .
Kelly Kirb.y, CPA,
Certified Public Accountant
a professional corPoration
Lesbians and Gay men face many special
tax situations whether single or as. couples¯
Electronic filing is available for faster refunds.
747-5466
SOuth Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135
:¯ HIV ACtiViStS Educate Online
¯ ~AMI (AP) - Lighted by the blue glow
¯" of a portable computer, Marc Cohen is
¯
blazing a new trail in AIDS awareness. He
: logs on to the Intemet, surfs into a busy
chat room and uses his screen name -
¯
hivoutreachmiami@aol.com- to answer
¯ questions aboutAIDS, hepatitis and other
¯ sexually transmitted diseases.
"Awareness Alert," he types in bold
¯
letters. "Miami is now secondinthenation
¯ for syphilis infection. Wilton Manors has
¯ hadan outbreak, too. STDand HIV screen-
, ings can be done free of charge."
"We are not the sex police," said Cohen,
¯ president of the United Foundation for-
¯ AIDS, a South Beach-based group-that
offers counseling; HIV screening and
¯
therapy to people with the AIDS virus that
¯ causes AIDS.
¯ With the AIDS epidemic in its third ¯
decade, Cohen and a cadre of national
¯
AIDS prevention advocates are invading
: chat rooms to get the attention of those
¯ most at risk of HIV infection. It’ s an ap-
: proach that counselors and health Officials
¯ from San Francisco to South Beach be¯
lieve is working. Finding new ways to
reach the (principal) at-risk groups - de-
" fined as young Gay and Bisexual men,
¯ especially blacks - has been a focus of
¯ AIDS awarenes~ conferences. ¯
As chat-room counselors, they answer-
" questions about HIV, hepatitis and syphi-
¯ lis that many would feel uncomfortable
¯ asking in person or on the phone. The ¯
Internet provides anonymity. "We treat it
~ as an opportunity for in-depth individual
education," said Joseph Interrante, execu¯
tive director of Tennessee’ s Nashville
CARES, an AIDS organization with staff
¯ members dispensing information in chat
¯ rooms. "The education actually becomes
¯ an online counseling session." ¯
Increasingly, warnings andAIDS statis-
¯ tics have fallen on the deaf ears of a
¯ younger, more reckless generation, health
officials say. This summer, the U.S. Cen-
¯
ters for Disease Control and Prevention
¯ reported that among young men who have
¯ sex with other men, 4.4% - about 1 in 25 ¯
- get HIV. That’ s the same infection rate
: asin the 1980s, before AIDS prevention
¯ methods andresearchtookroot. In Florida,
¯ blacks accounted for almost six of every
: 10 new cases of HIV infection in the past
¯ four years.
: Another trend: syphilis outbreaks in
¯ Wilton Manors, South Beach and Liberty
-" City. Health officials say thegrowing num-
," bers are a signal mean thatGay and Bi-
: sexual men are encouraged by news of
¯ powerfully effective drug cocktails and
longerlife spans and are less worried about
", HIV infection.
¯ "The oldmodds do notwork," said Jeff ¯
Wilkinson of the South Beach AIDS
¯
Project, where staff members cruise chat
: rooms as sobequest @aol.com. They an-
¯ swer questions and ask others to share ¯
what they learn. "The more the pebble hits
¯
the pond, the more it ripples out."
¯ Cohen says he spends at least 25 hours a
¯ week online as hivoutreachmiami on
: America Online. His online profile gives
¯ information about syphilis, how itis trans-
" mitted sexually., symptoms and telephone
numbers to call for testing. He logs on in
the afternoon and during peak chatting
times, after 7 p.m. till until as late as 2 a.m.
Since Cohen started the online campaign
in June, he has seen the number of
people who ask for HIV tests grow from a
handful to a dozen or more a night. He
takes their phone numbers, calls them and
walks them through explains the process.
He is training two volunteers to help.
"So much that went on in bathhouses and
publicparks now takes place in chatrooms,
where people meet to engage in unsafe sex
from the comfort of their living room,’"
Cohen said. "It’s opening a tremendous
dialogue in this town."
Some Blood Donors
Get Surprise
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Shocked by the
terrorist attacks in Washington and New
York, thousands havelinedupthepast two
weeks to give blood.
Now, some of those donors are the ones
asking for help. Because many people are
donating blood for the first time, more
people have learned that they have viral
diseases such as hepatitis, syphilis and
even AIDS.
Since the mid-1980S, blood has been
tested for viral diseases such as AIDS and
hepatitis, andprospective donors have been
screened for risky behavior such as intravenous
drug use. Now, with so many more
people learning they are infected, disease
hoflines have experienced an increase in
calls from donors seeking help. "They’re
really panic-stricken. They have no idea
what it means," said Thelma King Thiel,
chairman of Hepatitis Foundation International.
More than 22,000 units of blood have
been donated in the Carolinas blood services
region of the American Red Cross
since Sept. 11, spokeswoman Debbie Estes
said. The organization collected twice as
much blood as normal the week of the
attacks and donations are running about
20% to 30% more than usual every day,
Estes said. Offices are staffed 24 hours a
day and donors have been asked to make
appointments for later this fall.
Since the attacks, more than 330,000
people nationally have donated blood to
the American Red Cross, said Dr. Peter
Page, senior medical officer for the Red
Cross. The Red Cross, which supplies
about half the blood in the country, was
collecting two to three times more blood
than normal the week after the attack and
about 11/2 times more last week.
Just over 1% of donors test positive for
infections, Pagesaid. Onein20,000 wholeblood
donors to the American Association
of Blood Banks will test positive for antibodies
to HIV, said Sara Foer, spokeswoman
for the American Association of
Blood Banks in Maryland. One in 2,500
will test positive for hepatitis B and one in
500 for hepatitis C, she said.
ButThiel says itmay be goodfor donors
to find out they are infected. ’’The tests and
screens in tiff s blood drive are a good thing
for them," Thiel said. "Otherwise they
may go blissfully on their way not knowing
~ey are infected, spreading the disease.
by TFN entertainment editor
Tulsa’ s Theatre Arts will present Lionel
Bart’ s"Oliver!" outin the country atTulsa
Community College’ s PACE Theatre at
81st Street and Highway 169 from December
14th - 22nd. The production will
be directed by Jon Grodeski of NYC and
will star as "Fagin," Jamie Farr wall
known for playing
"Klinger"intelevision’ s
M.A.S.H. series.
Tulsa Family News is
delighted to note that
TFN writer and former
entertainment editor,
James Christjotm, has
been cast in the characterof"
Mr. Sowerberry,"
the undertaker that
Oliver is sold to before
he ends up in London as
Fagin’s prot~g6 pickpocket.
And on December
6th, Theatre Arts will
host "An Evening With
~Iamie Farr," at the PACE at 7pm, where
the actor will speak about his life and
career, and take audience questions. Please
call 595-777 for ticket information.
Charles Dickens’ novel,"OliverTwist,"
is the basis forLionel Bart’ s musical Oliver!
Dickens began the novel as a magazine
serial that ran in a London.monthly for
more thantwo years beginning in 1837. Its
popularitywas so greatthatDickensrushed
it to completion for publication - in three
volumes ~-in 1838. Still, the serial continued
to run for more than six months after
the publication of the book. Some wellknown
songs from the show include
"Where Is Love," "Consider Yourself,"
"Who Will Buy," "As Long as He Needs
Me," and many others.
The story of Oliver Twist begins in. a
seedy workhouse where he and the other
orphans are kept by Mr. Bumble and
Widow Comey. When Oliver asks for
morefood, Bumbleis enraged and decides
to sdl the boy. Mr. Sowerberry, the undertaker,
buys him, but Oliver is terrified of
the man and his coffins and runs away.
TheArtful Dodgerandhis gangofyoung
street thieves find Oliver woandering the
"...Tulsa
Family News
is delighted to
note that TFN
writer and former
entertainment editor,
James Christjohn, has
been east in the
character.., of the
undertaker..."
." streets of London and take him to the
¯ master pickpocket, Fagin. That training
~ quickly lands Oliver in jail, where he is
" rescuedby Mr. Brownlow,arichold gentle-
[ man who takes the boy into his home.
¯ Meanwhile, Fagin and his cohorts - Bill
¯
Sikes and Nancy - fearful of being in-
[ criminated by thelad, plot his kidnapping.
Nancy abducts him but
then is overcome with
guilt and attempts his
return to Brownlow.
Suspecting her kind
(and traitorous) intentions,
Sikes kills Nancy.
He grabs Oliver but is
foiled by the amval of
the police Finally,
Oliver is safely returned
to the arms of his benefactor,
who proves to
be his own grandfather.
Oliver! (the
name shortened for
Broadway) became a
partof themusical stage
¯ repertoire in 1960, written in total by the
¯¯ multitalented Lionel Bart, who crafted the book, the music and the lyrics. With Ron
¯ Moody. as Fagin and Georgia Brown as
¯ Nancy, Oliver! opened in London on June
: 30, 1960,and ran until September 9, 1966,
¯ foratotal of2,618 performances - making
¯ it the longest-running musical in British
¯ theatre.
¯ This production marks Christjohn’ s re-
" turn to the stage after a long absence.
¯ "Therewas apoint that I thought the talent, ¯
the gift, the ability hadleft me. SoI shut. the
¯ dooronthatdream."Ironically,thatdream
¯ began as a young boy, when he was taken
¯ to his first liveproduction- aperformance ¯
of "Oliver!" at Theatre Under The Stars
; (TUTS), in Houston, Texas. Christjoha
¯ notes, "I remember seeing the little boy
¯ singing "Where Is Love," and identifying
; completdy. I also was filled with wonder
¯ at’the ’magic’ of seeing London appear
; when they sang ’Who Will Buy?’, and
¯ seeing the city literally fly in from left,
¯
right, andabove. Andlknew then I wanted
¯ to be a l~art of that, to help make the magic
¯ happen. And I wanted the applause that
kid was getting!" Info: 595-7777.
Tulsa’ s Performing .Mas Center Trust
celebrates its 25thznniversary season with
a number of great performers. At the end
of October, on the 30th, the usually staid
and fairly stodgy Chapman Music Hall
will host nothing less than a circus!
Quebec’ s Cirque Eloize (that’ s said,"elwas")
and the Tulsa Philharmonic will
combine classical music with circus spectacular:
aerials, haru~s work,and feats of
strength (and I’m sure men and women in
fights,, could Lesbians and Gay men want
anything more.’?).
Cirque Eloize began in 1993 as part of
the "Cirque Nouveau" movement that
sprung from Quebec. Seven then recent
graduates of Montreal’ s National Circus
School began thecompany which drew on
¯ the Eurotx~tn, animal-free style of circus ¯
combining theater, music and dance.
¯ Cirque Eloize quickly gained acclaim
¯ forits acrobatics, and choreography. After
." touring Canada and the US, then in the
." United Kingdom, France and Ireland, Cir-
- que Eloize garnered rave reviews from
¯ London’ s Sunday Times, "... hauntingly
¯ heart-catching.., conjur[ing] up the spirit
¯ of a medieval fair..." and from The
." Scotsman in Edinburgh, "pure dead bill-
" liant.., this is circus with atmosphere,
¯ poetry, humor and above all, hear~..." ¯
The music ranges from Rimski-
: Korsakov, Sibelius, Grieg, Saint-Sachs,
¯ Rachmaninov and more. This is a don’ t
: miss performance. Call 596-7111 or800-
¯ 364-7111 for information or tickets.
The Twilight
of the Golds
What happens when a young couple finds
thru’ genetic testing that their unborn child
might be Gay and how their conflict about
whether to keep the child affects
the young mother’s Gay brother¯
Oct. 26th- Nov. 4th
Broken Arrow
Community Playhouse
Only 1,487 miles offBroadway
In the Main Place, 1800 South Main
258-0077 for tickets and info.
THE GILDED AGE
Treasuresfrom the Smitbsonian American Art.MuSeum
SEPTEMBER -- 4 .NOVEMBER 200I
THE PHILBROOK MUSEUM OF ART
2727 SOUTH ROCKFORD ROAD
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - For a while,
entertainer Ha Ri-soo seemed to be everywhere:
in a film, in a music video, in ads
for makeup and wedding gowns. Television
talk shows couldn’ t get enough of the
sex symbol and her sensual dances. People
gabbed abouther athome andonthestreet,
in offices and coffee shops.
No wonder. Ha, 26, is a transsexual.
While sex change operations are old
news from the United States to Thailand,
they’re a novelty in
South Korea, where
Confucian ideals of illial
piety and a maledominatedhierarchyare
strong. So it was starfling
when Ha surged to
thetopofSouth Korea’ s
entertainment industry
this year.
"I think the society
and cnlture is changing
in Korea and it should
change," Ha said in an
interview at a beauty
salon, her hair in curlers
as makeup artists
dabbedherface with lipstick,
eyeliner andpowoperations
are old
news from the United
States to Thailand,
they’re a novelty in
South Korea, where
Confucian ideals of
filial piety and a
mah-domlnated hierarchy
are strong°. 2
character is a transsexual woman who
works as an express delivery worker by
day and moonlights as a singer. The movie
title alludes to the bleached blond look that
some young South Koreans adopt to be
rebellious.
"I chose the fi~m because I went through
a lot and I wa~ed to look back on those
days," Ha s~d. "I wanted to break the
stereotype of transsexuals - the demureness
and extreme weakness with which
they are often portrayed."
Ha’s autobiography,
~’From Adam to Eve,"
also failed to make the
best sdler list.
She got her sexchange
operation several
years ago in Japan,
where she studied hairstyling.
While in high
school, she had taken
female hormone injections
and was exempted
frommill tary service on
grounds of "mental illness."
South Korean
men must serve 26
der. "Transsexuals haven’t killed or
cheated anyone. Why should they be mistreated
when they haven’ t done anything
wrong to others?" She said.
Many South Koreans agree, but their
fascination with Ha reflects .as much prurience
as tolerance for the maverick. In a
country where women flock to clinics for
cosmetic surgery, Ha fits right in.
"I think she is popular because of her
charm and looks,, said Jeon Dong-ki, a
male university student. "It doesn’ t.mean
that people’ s prejudices against Gays and
transsexuals have changed as wall."
Ha’ s overheated presence inpop culture
has cooled some recently, and she’s had
mixed success. She appeared in "Ydlow
Hair 2," a movieabout people on society’ s
fringes that failed at the box office. Her
¯ months in the armed forces, a precau-
¯¯ tion in the event of conflict with communist
North Korea. ’¢Fhink about it: What
¯ would happen to the. military’ s discipline
¯ if a man with breasts went into the mili-
~ tary?" Ha said, laughing.
¯
Her sex changewas toughonherfamily,
¯ particularly in a society that covets male
¯ offspring. Ha said she played with dolls as
¯ a child, and her frustrated father eventu-
¯ ally accepted her femininity.
¯ Ha’ s career took off in January with a
television ad for cosmetics, but it’s un-
." dearhowlong she’ 11 stay in thepubliceye.
¯ Some religious leaders have denounced ¯
her. "It makes me angry that the media is
-." trying to make something ’abnormal’ ap-
¯ pear normal," said Lee I-Iee-ja, a 58-yearold
housewife.
Saturday, October 20, the historic town
of Medicine Park will host the first annual
DrumFest. Organizers hope to attractmore
than 800 drummers to this eventinhope of
breaking the current Guirmess Book of
World Records.
Medicine Park is located at the main
entry to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife
Refuge, the second most visited wildlife
refuge in the country - hosting almost 2
million annual visitors. The community
has a rich and colorful history. Originally
founded on July 4th, 1908- Medicine Park
was Oklahoma’s first planned tourism resort,
Medicine Park was once the "playground"
of the state’s rich, famous and
notorious. Folks would come to town for
the weekend and leave their "work-a-day"
world, troubles and reputations behind
them. Outlaws and horsethieves mixed
with noted politicians and businessmen,
families and socialites. The pages of the
¯ town’s colorful history are filled with the
¯ -likes of Teddy Roosevelt, Will Rogers,
¯ Wiley Post, Frank Phillips, Bob Wills, A1
¯ Capone, Col. Jack Abernathy, Lil Hardin,
Bonny & Clyde, Pretty Boy Floyd, Les
¯ Brown, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and
¯ countless others.
: Ok Spoke Bike Rides
¯ All these rides begin at Ziegler Recre-
¯ ation Park, 3903West Fourth Street, at the ¯
parking lot. All rides are open to GLBT
¯ people and those who are Gayffriendly.
¯ OnOct. 6andOct. 13,there will bea20-
¯ 25mile rides beginning at 7:30am, helmet ¯ and water bottle required. Lateron the 6th,
¯ there is also 5 mile ride along the Sand
¯ Springs Trail beginning at 2pro. And on ¯
Oct. 13, therewillbea5mileridealongthe
¯ Arkansas River Trail starting at 2pro.
For more information, contact
¯ Okiebicycle@prodigy.net, orwrite to POB
9165, Tulsa 7~157.
by LamontLindstrom : the not-unhappy looking bin Laden.
The Internet slowed to a crawl on Sep- ¯ Whether F.rnpire State Building as phaltember
1 lth. People crowded the system ¯ lus, or middle finger as phallus, these folk
with messages and postings about that : imagesconceivemale-on-maleintercourse
day’ s death and destruction. We turned to ¯ as appropriate revenge. Osama-"screws"
email,chatrooms,lists,dis- ,, America; we screw him
cussion groups and clubs
to discuss, mourn, be angry
or be reflective about
the attacks: The older media
- newspapers, telephones,
radio, television -
still carry the bulk of our
words andimagery. Butthe
Internet further speeds and
spreads national (and international)
conversation,
intensifying this exchange.
.. And exchange still continues.
Since September
1 lth, I have been collecting
folk-produced images
that respond to the attacks.
These, like the Interuet’ s
bothersome chain letters
and bad jokes, are still
bouncing from site to site,
person toperson. Computer
imaging software (Photoshop
and the like) and the
WWW facilitate this outburst
of creative reaction.
Years ago, one of my
anthropology professors,
U.C. Berkeley folklorist
¯ . . equations d sex
and vlolenee are so
familiar, so
embedded in our
language and
culture, as to be
unremarkable. But
we should remark
them, at least
occasionally.
First, if we can think
it we can do it - this
is anthropology’s
message about the
power of cultural
understandings to
shape behavior..."
Alan Dundes, along with Carl Pagter published
a collection of Urban Folklore from
the Paperwork Empire (1975). Such "paper
folklore" consisted of joke letters,
memos, cartoons, drawings, and the like
that people produced and circulated using
an earlier technology -the office copy
machine: As soon as photocopiers became
a standard business appliance, people copied
and recopiedjoke memos and cartoons
that spread from office to office, and cubicle
to cubicle. Today, the Internet, like
the photocopy machine, spreads our responses
to the everyday world, and to
tragic national events.
Much of the attack-related folklore
flooding the Internet is patriotic, affirming
the goodness and the spirit of Ainerica.
Images of U.S. flags, pictures of candles
andribbons, upliftingpoems, and recycled
Canadian newspaper columns lauding
American generosity probably filled your
email boxes, as they did mine.
Other imagery, less warm-hearted, portrays
anger and revenge. Two of the folk
images that ended up in my email box
particularly caught my eye. Both strum
American cultural chords that blur violence
with sex. The first depicts a reconstructed
World Trade Center. Instead of
the Twin Towers, however, this features
five towers in a row, like fingers. The
middle tower sticks up highest into the air.
This folk image rebuilds the WTC as "the
bird," flipping off m~icious Osama bin
Laden and his terrorists.
The secondimageis ruder. In this "jpg,"
Osama’ s turbaned head is superimposed
on a nude, muscular body that bends forward.
Coming in behind is the Fxnpire
State Building. Its pointy tower sodomizes
right back.
Theserepresentations of
skyscraper as phallus (or
dildo) are no metaphorical
accident. Beyond the
deaths of 6500 innocents,
some of ,amaerica’s rage
certainly stems from this
symbolism. Osama’s hijackedplanes
ftrst appeared
to circumcise both the
mighty shafts of the WTC,
slicing into theirheads. But
then, ~brribly, the towers
collapsed completely and
New York, and America,
suffered an awful castration.
Actually, the WTC had
already lost its Big Man
claims. Since 1998,the tallest
buildings in the world
are the twin Petronas Towers
in KualaLumpur, Malaysia.
Their edifice is bigger
than our edifice. But
luckily, New York has in
hand a backup tool - the
Empire State Building
¯ (once again the tallest in the city) - that,
symbolically, can stick it to Osama.
¯ Mass murderers need be brought to jus-
¯ tice, but what does it mean when werepresentjustice
(or perhaps revenge) as homo-
" sexual anal intercourse? The penis, more
¯ than a tool , becomes awcapon. Andsexual
". intercourse, .rather than an act of love,
¯ becomes one of rape or war. I penetrate
¯ you, and thereby I dominate you.
~ These equations of sex and violence are
¯ so familiar, so embedded in our language
¯ and culture, as to be unremarkable. But we
¯ should remark them, at least occasionally.
¯ First, if we can think it we can do it - this
¯" is anthropology’ s messageaboutthepower
¯
of cultural understandings to shape behav-
¯
lOt.
¯¯ Currently, two 14-year-old boys are in
custody here in Tulsa. They, along with
". other members of their freshman football "
: team, anally raped one of their young
¯ teammates with a broom handle in their
high ~chool locker room. This is Tulsa’s
: teenaged version of the Abner Louima
: case. New York cops likewise wielded
¯ broom as dildo to prove their manliness. ¯
(The Empire State Building, presumably, -
¯ was unavailable.) Our folk fantasies of
¯ homosexual rape are far more likely to be
¯ realized here in America than in Afghani- ¯
start.
¯ Second, all those "sex = war," and "pe-
¯ uis = weapon," metaphors are danger-
. ously slippery. What, exactly, are we say-
" ing when we admit a desire to sodomize
: Osama? Where does violent hatred end
¯ and erotic desire begin? Dildos also are
: toys, and sex (of whatever sort) is play
¯ more often than it is aggression. Are we
: then to pleasure Osama to death?
Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for justice
& equality for Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
Weekend and evening appointments are available:
IOTA member
Call341. 6866
International
TourSio,mo,e nio on.
TULSA COUNTY
DEMOCRATIC
PARTY
Country Club Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8:5:30, Sat. 8-5pm
College Hill
Presbyterian Church
In response to God’ s Love,
College Hill Presbyterian Church
is a community of God’ s people
called to tell others the
Gospel of Jesus Christ
through worship,
service, and evangelism.
To nurture our faith, we gather for
w.orship~ prayer,
study and fellowship.
Trusting in a living, loving God,
we seek to become a compassionate
voice for peace andjustice.
Our congregation welcomes all
persons who respond in trust and
obedience to God’ s grace
in Jesus Christ, and desire to become
part of the membership and ministry
of Christ’ s church.
Membership is open to all people
regardless of race, ethnic origin,
worldly condition, marital status, or
sexual orientation.
Sunday Worship, 1 lam
712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800
(One block west of Delaware and the
University of Tulsa Campus)
Tulsa’s only
professional
body-piercing
is an alternative worship
experience that
celebrates the mystery
and wonder of life,
without telling you
what to believe.
Soulful
Sundown
combines live music,
inspirational readings,
video, and audience
~articipation to create a
rand new experience.
Soulful
Sundown
happens at All Souls
Unitarian Church at
5:3oPM on Sundays. Join
us. on Oct. 7, 14, 21 and
3oth.
All people are welcome!
All Souls Unitarian Church
z95z S. Peoria, 743-z363
And it’s only 20 years now that our
oldest community organization, indeed
Oklahoma’ s oldest non-religious community
non-profit, Tulsa Oklahomans for
Human Rights, TOHR, has been around.
Any one want to bethow many more years
it will be until these groups figure out that
we exist?
It is in the end this: you are either part of
the solution, or you are part of the problem.
AndTulsais filled with those who are
not part of the solution. ~Ihey are our
mayor and most of our city councilors:
certainly they are Tulsa’ s business elite:
the ChamberofCommerce staffand board
and especially some of Tulsa Area United
Way’ s board and staff for whom I have
little doubt that Dante notes a special place
in hell; and they are TU’s unrepentent
bigot president and those prominent
Tulsans who selectedhim despitehis documented
prejudice. And it will take all these
individuals deciding that they are going to
be part of the solution rather than part of
the problem for Tulsa ever to be that which
it hopes to be.
In the meantime, I hope that Muslim
Tulsans will be safe and if God really
moves their hearts that Tulsa Muslims
might actually take their horrible experience
as being this moment’s America’s
hated "other" and will try to be do for Gay
and Lesbian Americans that what they
would have done for themselves.
Average Gays and Lesbians feel much
more in me with the American people in
the spirit of "united we stand."
For those weaned on identity politics, it
will be hard to verbalize or imagine an
America where they can speak from a
"united we stand" perspective, but this
new period will require it. We still have
challenges as Gay Americans, but the terrorist
agenda of America’ s enemies is far
more dangerous to Gay Americans than
anything we face within our own society.
These terrorists have come to our country
to murder us, and hope to eradicate our
way of life in all its forms. The Taliban of
Afghanistan, who is harboring these terrorists,
believe that homosexuality is a
crimepunishablebya sadisticdeath, which
is meted out with pride in their society.
More than ever, we should welcome the
chance to serve in defense of liberty. We
should document carefully the success of
Gay soldiers. This act of patriotism, of the
willingness to die for our country, is precisely
why the current military policy is
wrong. Our determination will be hugely
educational to an American public who
views our motives on this issue with suspicion.
We will demonstrate with action the
moral absurdity of the old policy and it
will cave-in under that moral weight.
Steve May, the hero who fought the
"don’t ask, don’t tell" policy and won, is
on message now. He said recently that it is
an obligation ofevery Gay servicemember
to acceptthe country’ s call to serve. United
we stand today, and the military’ s policy
on Gays has divided us as Americans.
We now can look at new, real heroes.
I’m g!ad Mark Bingham was such a strong
man m body and soul. He took brave
action with a small group of men and
womenwho answered the call ofservice in
that moment of crisis, sacrificing their
lives to save maybe thousands of others to
thwart the murderous actions of those who
want to destroy our country.
Can we find a maturity and resolve
inside ourselves that we have neglected
for so long, and defiaonstrate that unity
means equality? Surely, as we look
squarely at ourenemies, and see the face of
brutality and hatred that stares back at all
of us, that hates freedom and liberty in any
form and would annihilate Gays and Lesbians
at the first opportunity, the answers
to these questions become dear.
Buchanan has said that he approved the
domestic partner policy in order to keep
the county competitive in recruiting and
retaining the best employees possible. He
was not required to get the commissioners’
approval beforehand, although he did
discuss it with them.
Domestic partner benefits are common
among many of Wichita’ s major employers,
such as Boeing Co. Such benefits also
are routinely offered by government agencies
on both coasts. However, in a stretch
of the country from the Mississippi River
to Arizona, domestic partner benefits are
offered by local governments in only four
metropolitan areas: Denver; Albuquerque;
Austin, Texas; and Iowa City, Iowa.
"Nationwide, it’ s been going on for a
good while," Norton said. "But in the
Midwest, we’re probably a little far up on
the curve. Whether you call it Midwest
values or Moral Majority or whatever you
call it, I think that’ s what you have to deal
with in the Midwest."
Commissioner Tom Winters said last
week that he would back Buchanan’ s action
because it was within the manager’s
area ofresponsibility tomake suchchanges.
Commissioner Betsy Gwin said Monday
that she initially saw the policy as a
business decision to make the county a
more attractive employer and to "show
some sort of compassionate understanding
for all people." Now, she said She is
undecided after receiving about 50 phone
calls and e-mails, all but one in opposition
to the policy.
One event raises about 4.4% of the annual
budget for the Hoosier Trails Council. A
Boy Scouts spokesman told The Republic
that scouting programs in the county may
have to be scaled back if they cannot find
a replacement for Cummins’ funding.
But a company statement said that the
en.gine, manufacturer’s executives were
revzewmg their contributions to reflect the
corporation’ s values. This was not the first
time the company has confronted criticism
regarding its policies. Last year,
Cummins’ decision to extend partner benefits
to employees’ same- and oppositesex
partners was met with anger by some
employees and shareholders.
Helga’ Horribles present the
Rocky Horror
Pictu re Show
followed by the
Time Warp Ball
Saturday, October 27
8pm midnight
Doubletree Hotel Downtown
616 West Seventh
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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[2001] Tulsa Family News, October 2001; Volume 8, Issue 10
Subject
The topic of the resource
Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
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Tulsa Family News
Source
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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October 2001
Contributor
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James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, September 2001; Volume 8, Issue 9
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English
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/617
"Oliver!"
9/11
adoption
AIDS
AIDs Walk
American Red Cross
Bank of Oklahoma
Blood Donation
Boy Scouts
businesses
churches
Cirque Eloize
Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Cummins
Czech Republic
Domestic Partnership
Doug Dodd
Finland
gay-friendly businesses
hate crime
Helga's Horribles
HIV
HIV Education
HIV testing
House of the Holy Spirit
Houston
Iowa Civil Rights Commission
Kelly Kirby
Korea
Los Angeles
Maine
Massachusetts
Medicine Park Drum Fest
Metropolitan Community Church United
Michigan
Mr. Oklahoma Leather
Nebraska
OK Spoke
Openarms Youth Project
Osama Bin Laden
Partner Benefits
Pride Store
rape
Red Cross
Red Rock Tulsa
restaurants
Rigoleto
Rocky Horror
The Twilight of the Golds
Tom Neal
Transgender
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Performing Arts Center
Tulsa Theater Arts
Webster High School
-
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119dfe938806a81283fc6659f7c47478
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869c9f2511afb42525b63e33cc6dde50
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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:9th Annual Feast For Friends i Was Death Sentence
: And Other Community Events i Based onAnti-Gay Bias?
¯
¯ TULSA (TFN) - September is shaping up as a mostly quiet : OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A federal appeals court
month with only The NAMES Project Tulsa Area Chapter’s ¯ upheld the death sentence of an Oklahoma death row ¯ annual Feast for Friends as amajor event on Saturday, the 29th. ¯ inmate convicted ofkilling four people during a 1984 ¯ The event features private dinners at homes as wall as larger " bank robbery. ¯
dinners sponsored by community organizations and churches " The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver
¯
where contributions are encouraged to support The NAMES ~ split 2-1 in upholding Jay Wesley Neill’s death sen-
" Project Tulsa Area Chapter’s programs. ¯ tenceforthemurdersduringtherobberyofaGeronimo
¯ After each dinner, guests gather for dessert at theGreat Hall of " bank. Thedissentingjudge,Carlos LuceroofAlamosa, ¯
the Allan Chapman Activity Center at the University of Tulsa, " Colo., said the penalty phase of Neill’s trial was not
¯ 5th Street and Gary Avenue, from 8:30 till 10:30. There will be ¯ fair because Comanche County District Attorney
: a silent auction, entertainment, information about The NAMES : Robert Schulte repeatedly toldjurors that Neill was a
¯ Project and portions of the Quilt as well. " homosexual. ¯
To register a dinner, call The NAMES Project Tulsa Area ¯ ’The prosecutor’s blatant homophobic hate mon-
¯ gering at sentencing has no pl~,,cein the courtrooms of
¯ a civilized society, and Neill s (original) appellate
¯ connsd’s failure to raise the issue.., constitutes clear
~ and plain prejudicial neglect," Lucero wrote.
¯ Schulte, of Lawton, said he presented evidence ¯
¯ about Neill’s homo,sexuality because it was .relevant
to how he and his co-defendant used some. of the
: $17,000 they stole. ’‘i do not recall emphasizing or
¯ calling for _th~,,,t penalty because of his homosexual ¯
relationships, he said. "It was because of the grue-
~ some nature of the crime." His statements about
efll s homosexuahty came m 1992 at a retrial. The
¯ first conviction was overturned because the two de-
" fendants were not tried separately.
¯ The appellate judges who formed the majority,
~ Deanell R. Tacha of Lawrence, Kan. and Bobby
¯ Baldock of Roswell, N.M., concluded that none of
The NAMES ProjectAIDS Memorial Quilt at the Fair Grounds. " Neill’s claims of misconduct by Schulte have merit.
¯
Chapter at 748-3111 or e-mail to info@TulsaQuilt.org Admis- : Tsahyeiynigsstuheadt aS2c7h-upl.ateg,es dceocmismioennftosr "thweesriex-rsetlaetveacnoturtto,
sion to the dessert extravaganzais free for dinnerhosts and quests ¯ both the (prosecution’s) case and Neill’s defense
and others are welcome see Feast, p. 8 " theory."
¯ Gay Tulsan In Military Exhibit " Agmn a Hope ForVaccine
." Poem of Kicked Out Sailor in Smithsonian Show " ATLANTA (AP) - The scientists trying to create a
." WASHINGTON (AP) - A Smithsonlan Institution exhibit on " vaccine to prevent AIDS suddenly seem optimistic,
¯ submarines includes apoemby asailorwhowas kicked out of the " even bullish, words that have not been heard much in ¯ Navy for being Gay. "It’s kind oflike a validation ofmy service," " this perennially gloomy field. For the first time, many
¯ said Tim Beauchamp, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who lives in ] researchers appear confident a vaccine is possible.
¯ Washington. ’’I was considering the Navy as a career." ¯ More than anything else, the monkeys are respon-
: Beauchamp, a yeoman who served in the Navy for more than : sible for the change in attitude. Scientists have long
¯ four years, wrote "Sub Sailor’s Views on ’Glasnost’ "in Decem- " used monkeys to test theories about AIDS treatment
~¯ ber 1987 on board the USS Henry Clay, a nuclear submarine " and prevention. But in two decades of trying, they
patrolling the North Atlantic. could not concoct a vaccine that would safely protect
¯ The poem is part of the exhibit "Fast Attacks & Boomers: : a monkey from dying of AIDS. Until now.
¯ Submarines in theColdWar" at theNational MuseumofAmeri- ¯ bloNnodw, 4t-hyeeraer-aorledmmoanckaeqyuselliikveinGgoidnotth,ealehvaenlds2obmioe-,
can History. A copy of it is displayed.on a sailor’s bunk in a part :
." of the exhibit dealing with daily life on a submarine, hazard containment facility at the Yerkes Regional
." Harkeuing back to the days of the ColdWar, thepoemindudes " Primate Research Center on the leafy fringes of
lines like, "Reagan and Gorbacliev back and forth volley while : Emory University. Just over a year ago, Godot got a
Nancy and Ralsa put on their best. Capitalist!Commuuist - " big dose of SHIV, an especially nasty lab-made
Political’folly! What does it matter? It’s East against West." amalgam of HIV and SIV, the human and monkey
Eight months after writing the poem, Beauchamp, now 36, ~ versions of the AIDS virus. Ordinarily, he would be
received an honorable discharge from the Navy after his superi- dead in six to eight months.
~,di’seovered,he’ was Gay. Before his discharge, Beauchamp " , A~.yone entering Godot’s living space must dress
oeen awaraea a Good Conduct Medal, a Sea Service Ribbon n.eao to toe in protective clothing, because SHIV
and a letter of commendation. ~ cxrculates in his bloodstream. But his curious, alert
’The fact that such a committed and rule-bound serviceman ~ .stare at visitors peeking through a window shows he
was kicked out of the Navy for no other reason than being Gay ." ~s outwardly unscathed. Godot is infected but otberillustrates
the stupidity and,wastefulness of our current policy wise healthy.
toward Gays in the military, saidRep. BameyFrank, D-Massa_ " Sevenmonthsbeforehewasinfected, Godotgotan
chusetts, an openly Gay member of Congress. 7 experimental new AIDS vaccine, see Vaccine, p. 2
When Beanchamp was in the military, homosexuals were "
prohibited fromserving. Under the current "don’t ask, don’ t tell,, ¯ Ill DIRECTORY P. 2 policy, homosexuals can serve so long as they do not engage in :
homosexual conduct or state their sexual preference. ~ EDITORIAL P. 3
: ~ US & WORLD NEWS P. 4 Beauchamp, whohas worked since his discharge as a computer -.
systems analyst and a writer, said he’d forgotten about the poem : ~ HEALTH NEWS P. 6 until he came across it in an old notebook from his days as a ¯
submariner. It was included in the exhibit after Beauchamp’s ; Z ENTERTAINMENT + MORE P. 8
partner brought it to the attention of the curator. ¯ ~ GAY STUDIES/R. LESBIAN P. 10/11
OKC Sets Up Censorship :
Because of Gay Banners ¯
OKLAHOMACITY (AP)- City officials willconsider :
regulating advertising messages on bus-stop benches
and .on. banners flying from city-owned light poles after "
receiving numerous complaints about a Gay-pride flag. ¯
A new law that will be brought before the City ¯
Council would allow only messages that would "pro- "
mote or celebrate the city, its civic institutions, orpublic "
activities or events in the city of Oklahoma City." This ¯
could prohibit messages promoting prayer, voting or "
drug-abuse prevention. Oklahoma City has 1,240 ban- "
her locations that are available for use by community -."
groups to promote activities. ¯
MayorKirkHumphreys and City ManagerJim Couch °
sought the new law after the city spar~ed controversy ."
earlier this year when it took down, triton put back up, ¯
banners promoting Gay pride. The banners, paid for by
the Cimarron Alliance Foundation, drew numerous ¯
complaints at City Hall. see Censor, p. 2 "
Murderer Now Claims
"Homosexual Panic’"
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A Mexican citizen on
Oklahoma’s deathrow is seeking anew trial after a state
psychiatrist recanted his testimony, saying new information
shows Gerardo Valdez suffered from brain
damage, paranoia and "homosexual panic" when he
killed another man in 1989.
Psychiatrist Cecil F: Mynatt said it is now his conclusion
that Valdez was unable to control his ownbehavior
or was "temporarily insane" when Valdez killed Juan
Barron. "Mr. Valdez suffers fromparanoia, specifically
triggeredin this instance by homosexual panic," Mynatt
said. "Additionally, he is brain damaged and was under
the influence of alcohol."
Mynatthadpreviously testified that Valdez was competent
to stand trial. He said he changed his mind after
reviewing information provided by Valdez’s attorney,
including opinions of two neurophsychologists and a
medical report.
Attorney Robert Nance is asking for anew trial based
~hn arecent deeisionby the International Court ofJustice
at deplored the 1999 execution in Arizona ofGerman
brothers Walter and Karl LaGrand. The court held that
the brothers were denied their rights underinternational
law to access thor consul after their arrest. Nance said
the world court s decision prevents domestic procedural
rules from interferin~ with judicial review of
cases involving international law violations.
The applicationwas filed with theOklahoma Court of
Criminal Appeals, on the same day Amnesty International
officials and other death penalty foes renewed
theirdemandthatGov. FrankKeating commute Valdez’s
sentence.
Keating has granted two stays, while rejecting Fox’~
request and a parole board recommendation of clemency
for Valdez, 41. Keating granted a second 30-day
stay for Valdez, see Valdez, p.2
¯
¯
¯
¯
¯ .
. .
Tulsa Clubs& Restaurants
*Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine
*CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Play-Mor, 424 S. Memorial
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica SCluare
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*Schatzi’s, 2619 S: Memorial
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*TNT’s, 2114S. Memorial
*Tool Box II, 1338 E. 3rd
*Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
832-1269
610-5323
838-9792
744-4280
585-3405
745-9998
280-1316
834-4234
660-0856
584-1308
835-2376
*The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 749-1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Assoc. in-Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis
665-4580
712-1122
712-9955
494-2665
743-5272
746-0313
295-5868
58120902, 743-4117
Community Clearfing, Kerby Baker 622-0700
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 "
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620 "
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556 ."
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503 ¯
Encompass .Travel, 13161H N..,~/I.emorial 369-8555 "
Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379 "
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 592-0460,"
Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria 744-9595
Four S~ar Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th P1. 610-0880 "
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. 628-3709 ¯
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026 :
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet. Coffee, 1758 E. 21 st 742-1460
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning 459-9349 "
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440 ~
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly 745-1111 ¯
*International Tours 341-6866 "
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750 "
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018 "
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering 747-0236 ¯
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening 582-8460 "
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15 599-8070 "
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 747-5466 ¯
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha 585-1234 ¯
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd - 584-3112 "
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E 31 663-5934 "
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664-2951,"
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo 838-7626
*The Pride Store 743-4297 "
Rainbowz on the River B+B, PUB 696,74101 747-5932 ¯
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617 ~
Teri Schutt, Ellen & Co. 834-7921, 748-0224 ¯
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558 "
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563 ¯
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling 743-1733
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767
www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays &Lesbians
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & O niversities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, PUB 4337, 74101 579-9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black & White, Inc..PUB 14001, Tulsa 74159
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6
B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr.
Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1.
Church of the Restoratio~ UU, 1314 N.Greenwood
*Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation
Council Oak Men’s Chorale
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31
587-7314
583-7815
583-9780
585-1201
& Florence
587-1314
747-6300
749-0595
748-3888
712-1511
742-2457
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
FOB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159, e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal
Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry
Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom, Esther
Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw
Member of The Associated Press
Issued around the 1st of each month, the entire contents of this
publication are protected by US copyright 2001 by Tulsa
Family News 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 Tulsa Family News. Each reader is entitled to 4
copies of each edition at distribution points.
Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa- Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, PUB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free SpiritWomen’s Center, call for location&info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, PUB 52344, 74152 747-6827
Friends in Unity Social Org., PUB 8542, 74101 582-0438
*Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
*HouseoftheHoly SpiritMingtries,1517S. Memorial 224-4754
*MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
NAMES Project, 3507 E Admiral PI. 748-3111
NOW, Nat’I Org. for Women, PUB 14068, 74159 365-5658
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), PUB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tulsa
PFI_AG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152 627-2359
R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882
St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
*St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
Soulforce-OK, Rt.4,#3534, Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
*TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105
Confidential H_IV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, Gay Comm. Center 743-4297
TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvocacy Coalition, POB2687,Tulsa 74101
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*Tulsa Gay Community Center, 21 st &Memorial 7434297
Unity ChurchofChristianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
BARTLESVILLE
Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-33%5353
TAHLEQUAH
Stonewall League, call for information:. 918-456-7900
Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
Green Country AIDS Coalition, PUB 1570 918-453-9360
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Autunm Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734
Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main 501-253-7457
DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 501-253-6807
Emerald RainbOw, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445
Heart of the Hills B&B, 5 Summit St. 501-363-9203
MCC of the Living Spring 501-253-9337
Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, PUB 429 501-253-2776
Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332
Positive Idea Marketing Plans 501-624-6646
White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696
* is where you canfindTFN. Notall are Ga_y-ownedbutallare Gay-friendly.
¯ torch with a rainbow flame over the
¯¯ foundation’s name.
The city’s staff granted a permit for
¯ Cimarron Alliance banners to be put on 44
: poles. City leaders decided to take the ban-
. hers down after receiving complaints, but
¯ they had to put them backup after attorneys
¯ representing the alliance threatened to sue.
: Bill Rogers, an attorney and a member of
", the Cimarron Alliance, said the banners
¯ were legally protected free speech. ’The
¯ city has provided a forum for speech and it
¯ must not prohibit speech unless there is a
~ compelling governmental interest in doing ’
¯ so," he said "It would be very difficult to
¯ demonstrate such an interest in these cir-
,* cumstances."
’, Humphreys contends the banners go be-
¯ yond the concept of public speech because
¯ the city requires.groups who want to use the ¯
poles to provide the banners and to pay for
¯ their installation and removal. He said many
advertisers choose not to carry certain rues-
"- sages, and that Oklahoma City can, too.
¯ The city has notrespondedto the alliance’ s
¯ request to hang banners on city poles for
Gay and Lesbian History Month, which
takes places in October, Rogers said. The
: group’s earlier banners finally came down
¯ in mid-July after the time the alliance had
¯ reserved for them ran out.
Besides promoting pride, they featured a
¯
while saying he had not changed his mind
¯ that the execution should go forward.
¯ Keating has apologized for a violation of
the article of the Vienna Convention that
: guarantees foreign nationals, upon arrest,
the right to contact their country’s consul.
~ Keating said that did not change Valdez’s
¯ guilt the slaying.
; An Amnesty International report said all
¯ 15 foreign nationals executed in the U:S.
since 1993 were denied theright to consular
¯ access.
¯, Valdez admits killing Barron after Barron
made advances toward him in abar. Valdez
~ took Barron home, forced him to strip, and
¯
shot him twice in the head before burning
¯ his body.
¯ one experts hopewill be themodel for a shot
to control the worldwide epidemic.
Two other variations of the same approach
have been tested on monkeys at
Harvard Medical School and Merck & Co.
," with similar results. The Merck vaccine is
" already in first-stage human testing, and the
-" Yerkes and Harvard versions should start
: within six months.
¯ Vaccine discovery has been a notoriously
~ discouraging areaofAIDS research, clouded
~ by doubts that such a thing is even scientifi-
¯" cally thinkable. Butoverthepastyear, thanks
¯
to this impressive series of monkey experi-
" ments, many researchers have grown up-
:beat.
An AIDS vaccine is still no sure bet, they
," say. But many believe they are at least on a
¯ rational path toward finding one.
: The chances of success? "Ve~. _good,"
cells by the billions, taking over their machinery, forcing
them tobuildnew copies ofthevirus and obliterating then~
- ~ in theprocess. Eventually, though, the killer cells awaken ."
’ and destroy most 6f the infected cells before they can "
: release more virusl Virus levels fall and then level off. : by Tom Neal, publisher/editor
!n~volving~eca Q.odor an,d _a__~t. 80..o.th.er, monkeys...Wl~.y? .: In the years that fsollotw,athelwear ismnearlyaa t.e.. : Well,maybe. You’ve got tofigure that The TulsaWorld
. us~ ot me mo,nKey,s: she says. ~re are not all tlmt , The body produces new hel cells almost as mckl as " has to love The Dail Okl " " "
dif~ __ . . . per . .. q . y . . y .ahoman, its sister rag in Olda-
~~erm.en~unk2~Yns; _ ~. ,., , : ~e-v.~..rams,~.em. ~ut ,g~.,,d.ually;, their levels slide too :homaC.ity. After all, anything The World does, nomatter
m~, m,~l~w u ~.~ Lrom monkeys ls Key. anaa : Iar._ _A_t tl~s point, .vtr~.s kilh,n~..arugs can restore the : ho..w ~ss-.ix?or a~_d.pro.vm~al it might be, is going to be
~veOf~~.anlong sclen,ttsts. So,,me,wonder ft. these . bal,,~ance; butoth_e~wise theresultls AIDS and dentla.., betterthantimtot wlmthasbeendeelaredAmericaYsworst
~ .:~~gtvenmega~aoses oi lao-~’ownvlri~: , . lne new :¢aceines are desi~.,ned tostart .the .ot~min~ .... news~aoer-Tbatbein,,.~id it’l~tillru~ %unt Wns mc a.y, f we hel -7 .World f bl :. So ,here homdwesmin this our
...................au ;.,~a,,,~,~o~,~ _ t_ --___,_~~ ¯ muem:towerieveL.. -~y. oomg reaanvety su0tle,thmgs .’-- (besides TFNtn ourmodest way and Lordknows,..we’re
~S-’-~’s,":"~7:"~,’=~°~’ki~’g’,,mb°th_m_.°~,m,~eyan,.,um~n~ i du ", ~thefirstho.urs~ to w_ee.ks of infection, wethinkwe : certainly a David to their Goliath)? .
~emnv~ne~e~u~_~_s ~ts_~n_,m_s ce.,ns, aert~.~aat.oranea)~t,the . .can havea, dramatic pay~off m allowing the body’s own : ’ We’renotreallypickingon them- someone’sgot toffy
,_ mtvuut¢unt:s..mmonkeys, mevaccme seems to munt ¯ ~mmuneres nseoverthelonehanltocontalnthisv’rzl , tokeen
tilt.s attack. M.a.yb.e.itwl!l in,,~,le. too-. ¯ mfecuon sa ......... " ¯ . - . , ,. , . y.s Le~twn. , , . .... , , . esO. and it ShOt as though The World doesnt criticize
: ~Sudde~l.Ythere~sasensef°r.thefirst:ttmcthatperhaps : Instead~ofdyingfromAIDS, vac~nated peoplewhoget :. , everyone else in theireditorialpages. " ,, . ,, - s .bLt t : liv,o,w!th vi ,s for decades or even a :, , My’favorite waste of newsprint is our local "society,
¯~.mv,~.~.,.,_~.,,,~.~uymm~_" 0t mr:. r~tv epl~mmlc, says.., -menme. ires como atso slow ~ svread of,the disease; . column the wo k¢~-l~
rmrvaro s L~r.Norman Letvm. ’~low there is an.absolute ¯ because when virus levels are low. ~ie are much les~ : but wonde~ ff M~V~i~o%~’~t ~’a’~’~’~r~e’~ ....v and all
predicts Dr. Harriet Robinson, who oversaw experiments
stampede to get these technologies into humans and ask : likely to pass .on HIV. ¯ ofthe rest of us, a whole lotof trouble ffinstead of listing
the question: Can we-translate these monkey findings into :
the human situation?" ¯ and Merck differ, but all involve the same strategy: First
Researchers hope to know soon whether these experimental
shots launch the same early immune system defenses
seem in vaccinated monkeys. This would be an
encouraging hint of the vaccine’s eventual power. Some
answers could beoffered at an international AIDS vaccine
conference in early September..
However, vaccine development is frustratingly slow.
Even if all goes flawlessly, Robinson estimates it will be
2905before large-scale experiments begin with her vacone.
Learning whether it truly prevents AIDS will take
another two years. Many estimate these vaccines are still
a decade or more away.
So with clear answers so far off, is all’this optimism
realistic? ’~I ask myself whether it is justified based on the
science," says Dr.. Peggy Johnston, assistant director for
AIDS vaccines at the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases. "And my conclusion is yes."
One reason is that scientists have lowered the bar. Until
now, all useful vaccines prevented infections. However,
the human immune system cannot mm back an HIV
infection, and no one knows how to make a vaccine that
accomplishes something the human body cannot do for
itself.
So thenew vaccines are designed to accomplish thenext
best thing- train theimmune defenses to hold an infection
in Check without preventing it entirely.
"For a long time, people assumed that the only successfnl
vaccine would completely prevent infection," says Dr.
Robert Schooley of the University of Colorado. ’The new
studies suggest that a vaccine might also have a moderab
ing influence on the disease process itself."
Scientists agree that blocking an infection requires the
production, of powerful antibodies. This is how standard
vaccines work: They show the immune system a protein
that is unique to the germ. If the bug ever gets into the
body, the defenses will blaze back with antibodies that
latch onto the protein, blocking the germ and destroyingit.
HIV, however, is amoving target. It mutates so fast that
it constantly changes the proteins on its surface. So a
vaccine that triggers an attack against one strain of HIV
may be powerless against another. Furthermore, the virus
covers its surface with sugar, whichhides its proteins from
antibodies.
When all of this became clear in the 1990s, scientists
went back to basics. How is it, they asked, that people
often live with HIV for eight or 10 years beforefalling sick
with AIDS? And why do some never seem to get ill at all? "
The answer turns out to be another line of defense ¯
against germs, the killer cells. Unlike antibodies, which "
guard against free-floating microbes, the killer cells rec- "
ognize infected cells and destroy them. ¯
HIV’s favorite target is a blood cell called the helper "
cell. This complicates matters enormously, since one of
the hel.per cells’ most important jobs is nourishing and :
managing the killer cells.
In the first days ofaninfection, HIV burrows into helper "
Details of the vaccines developed by Yerkes, Harvard
come injections of several HIV genes, which are taken in
by muscle cells that use them as blueprints to make viral
proteins. Next comes an immune system booster, such as
a smallpox virus that has been rebuilt to carry some of the
HIV genes. The ultimate goal is still a vaccine that will
block HIV infection. But in the meantime, many believe
wide use of the latest vaccines could reduce spread of th~
disease, especially in parts of the world where it is rampant.
Experts believe a vaccine is the only thing tlmt will
tame an epidemic that has already killed 20 million people
and infects 15,000 more daily.
Dr. Gary Nabel, director of the National Institutes of
Health’s Vaccine Research Center, says that even if the
first versions are only modestly effective, tinkering will
probably make them better. ’"vVe’ll start with a Model T
and hope to get to a Mercedes fast."
While much of the attention is on novel strategies, a
more traditional vaccine is already in final-stage testing.
The AIDSVax, developed by VaxGen, has been given to
7,900 volunteers in North America, Europe and Thailand
The vaccine is made from the outer wrapper ofthe AIDS
virus and is intended to trigger antibodies to prevent
infection. Many AIDS experts are skepti,c01, because the
approach has been disappointing in monkeys, and some
early volunteers contracted HIV after being vaccinated.
However, VaxGen’s president, Dr. Donald Francis,
says more promising data from chimp experiments suggest
it has as good a chance as any other approach,
Researchers will take their first look at the results in
November, but unless it proves surprisingly effective, the
experiment will condnue until at least the end ofnext year.
Next in development is an Aventis Pasteur vaccine. It
consists of a canarypox virus engineered to carry HIV
genes, followed by a boost with AIDSVax. The Walter
Reed Army Institute of Research plans to start testing on
16,000 volunteers in Thailand next summer.
Even ifaaone of these works out, other ideas are in the
development pipeline. The National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases, the biggest vaccine backer, is
financing two dozen different possible vaccines.
Still, a few dozen healthy monkeys like Godot do not
prove anAIDS vaccine is on the horizon. Somein the field
worry that the wishforonehas dissolved~bealthy scientific
skepticism.
"We tend to swing from momentous lows to momentous
highs in the AIDS field," says Dr. Mark Mulligan of
the University ofAlabama at Birmingham. ’’Wemaybe in
an Alan Greenspan time ofirrational exuberance, because
we need this so desperately."
~ all the people who attend Tulsa events, she would simply
:. say that all the usual people were there - since it is the
: same-cast of criminals in column after colunm That
: would that reduce her column to a size .appropriate to its
¯ usual level of content, as well as saving someone the
¯
trouble of typing in all those names, over and over.
¯ Actually, as much as I hate to admit it, I find Ms.
.. Walker’s colulnn somewhat useful, if vulgar. In a town as
¯ screwed up and elitist/racist/homophobic as Tulsa is, it
never hurts to know who among Tnlsa’s "social elite" is
¯ in bed with each other, figuratively speaking.
¯ Top World editor JoeWorley took umbrage about TFN ¯
calling The Worm a country club newspaper some years
" back. My response is just read Ms. Walker’s column, see
¯ how much space it regularly commands and try to argue
¯ with me. Imagine if The Worm devoted as much space to
¯
international news regularly as they do to Ms. Walker!
Another interesting aspect of Tulsa Worm "reporting"
is the flagrant disregard for professional ethics in some
~
cases. Recently The World published an article about a
¯ new image/fundraising campaign~oyq~ulsa~ s most pron~i-
¯ nent non-profit organization. The only problem was that
the information in the article had/has yet to be released to
¯ the public. The "reporter" was privy to the information
¯
because s/he serves on an advisory committee for the non-
" profit and took theinformation direcdy out ofanonpublic
meeting without permission. Even first year journalism
¯ students would recognize that this was obtained and used
¯ improperly - and The World reporter who did this should
¯ know better.
¯ But part of the incestuous nature ofTulsais that the non-
" profit will likely tolerate just about anything The World
¯ does because The World donates so very many dollars a
." year. Given this compromised financial relationship, it’s
little surprise that this non-profit only gets promotional
¯
newscoverage from The WorM. And incompetence at the
¯ helm of this non-profit has been covered up for years by all
¯ of Tnlsa’s news outlets. ¯
But shoddy journalism should hardly be a surprise to
¯
thosewho’vebeenrcading The World’sreligioncoverage
¯ for some months. Thefirst clue that The WorMhas thrown
¯ journalistic balance out JoeWorley’s window onto Main ¯
Street is that World religion "reporter" Bill Sherman
¯
allegedly is a "Promise-Keeper".
Being a member of this rightwing, misogyuistic and
¯ anti-Gay organizationwouldbe consideredradicallycorn_ ¯
promised as a journalist by most news organizations but
¯
not at The WorM, apparently.
¯ Since Sherman took over the religion post, stories about
¯ evangelical and fundamentalist groups have dominated
¯ Wormcoverage while newsworthy stories coming out of
other moreprogressive traditions.have been ignored. And
: Tulsa’s moderate and progressive religious leaders have
¯ given up hope for fair coverage from The World.
¯
But at TFN, we always hold out hope for redemption,
¯ and note that Shermanis asking for stories aboutmiracles.
¯ Here, we’re just hoping for fair and accurate reporting
from The World. Now that would be a miracle, indeed.
Newspaper, Chain Offers
Partner Benefits
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - Gannett Co., the nation’s
largest newspaper publisher, will soon offer full medical
benefits to same-sex partners who live together, the
company announced. The company also will offer
benefits to unmarried domestic partners of the opposite
sex. The benefits for partners will become available
inJanua~ 2002. Tobeeligible, partners mustfirst
havehad a 12-month relationship. They mustalso sign
an affidavit that declares there is financial dependence
between them.
Gannett spokeswomanTara Connell said there have
been several requests from empl,oyees for equal coverage
for domestic partners. "We ve been looking at it
for years," Connell said. She said the company’s rapid
growth last year slowed the process of revamping the
benefits. Gannett employs about 53,400 people at 98
newspapers in the United States. The company also
owns about 23 television stations.
Unlike married couples of the opposite sex, an
employee claiming the benefits will still have to pay
taxes on the amount used to insure his or her partner.
The IRS does not extend tax exemptions for medical
benefits to domestic partners.
Gannett’s decision was hailed by Gay and Lesbian
groups. ’q~o stay competitive youhave to provide good
benefits," said Sherry Boschert, a board member of
The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.
"It just makes good business sense."
Cincinnati Schools
AddressAnti-Gay Attacks
CINCINNATI (AP) - Public,school students who
xntimidate others because of sexual orientation or
disability can be suspended or expelled. The board of
education voted 6-1 to add those two provisions to the
Cincinnati Public Schools’ discipline policy. Board
lawyer John Concannon said principals and assistant
principals were trained to pr.operly enforce the new
policy during in-service sessxons two weeks ago.
Mindy Sandfort, a spokeswoman for the Gay, Lesbian
and Straight Education Network, urged the board
to teach educators how to recognize, prevent and
discipline harassment based on sexual identity, which
is not explicitly mentioned in the new policy. ’q~eachers
need to understand the difference between gender
identity and sexual orientationandhow to deal withthe
harassment that comes with both situations," she said.
Concannon said he believes gender identity is covered
under the current policy. The policy applies to
serious incidents ofharassment, intimidation or threatening,
he said. It does not apply to incidents that
involve free speech rights.
If a student says, "I’m opposed to homosexuality
because God says homosexuality is a sin," it is not a
violation of the policy, Concannon said.
Australian Gay Partners .
To Be Recognized .
PERTH, Australia (AP) -De facto partnerships, including
homosexual relationships, will be recognized
in the same way as marriages under new propertyrights
legislation to be introduced in a state parliament.
Western Australia state Attorney General Jim
McGinty said the legislatiqnwouldallow thoseheterosexual
and same-sex couples whose relationships .are
recognized by the state to have property disputes
settled through the Family Court rather than having to
go to the Supreme Court.
Australia has a vibrant and vocal Gay community.
Sydney each year plays host to the Gay and Lesbian
Mardi Gras, one of the largest international Gay pride
- festivals.
Under Australian law, when a de facto relationship
ends there is no specific legQ, right allowing a person
to claim a share of property. A significant and growing
proportion of couples living together in Western
Australia have no access to the Family Court if their
relationship ends," McGinty said. "Instead, they must
argue their case before the Supreme Court, resorting to
principles of equity that can be expensive, time consuming,
public and uncertain." McGinty said the legislation,
which will be introduced in Parliament this
week, would also ensure all de factor couples can ask
for alimony, just as married couples can.
The legislation comes after Prime Minister John
Howard said that he would not support homosexual
weddings and that same-sex couples should not have
the same legal status as married couples.
Teens Held in Gay Killing
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -Abeating and arson that killed
a 58-year-old Wichita man began with him making
sexual advances to two teen-agers now charged with
killing him, witnesses said. The co-defendants - 18-
year-old Zachary Steward and 17-year-old Brandon
Boone - blamed each other for repeatedly striking
Marcell Eads on his head, according to testimony
presented at a preliminary hearing.
District Court Judge Joseph Bribiesca ruled there
was enough evidence to charge the two with firstdegree
murder, aggravated arson, aggravated burglary
and aggravated robbery. The judge also ruled that
Boone, 16 when the crimes occurred, would be tried as
an adult. Innocent pleas have been entered for both
men. Trial was set for Oct. 8.
Early the morning of June 29, firefighters found the
body of Eads on the floor of his smoldering home.
Although Eads was beaten severely, it was the fire that
killed him, Deputy Coroner Jaime Oeberst said. Eads
was burned over 60% to 70% of his body and inhaled
smoke that left alethal level of carbon monoxide in his
blood, he said.
Testimony showed that sex and sexual orientation
appeared to be key factors in the motive. Police Det~-
tive Blake Mumma said Steward gave a statement m
which he said that Eads had made sexual advances
toward him and Boone - prompting Boone to start
beating Eads with a broomstick, and later with the end
of a table and a rock. Steward also admitted to striking
Eads, Mumma said. According to Steward’s statement
to police, the two teens returned to Eads’ house and
Boone started the fire.
Eads, a hairstylist, was openly Gay, said neighbor
Zusan Livingston. She said Eads toldherhewas having
an affair with Steward. Steward and his father had
come to Eads for haircuts. Steward grew up in Riverside,,
several blocks west of F_ads’ bungalow.
Rachel Mroczkowsk, Boone’ s 15-year-old girlfriend,
testified she heard Steward say the night of the killing
that he was angry because he had gone to aman’s house
andthe man,had grabbed the area around his genitals
and propositioned him. She said Steward used a slur to
.describe the man and said he wanted Boone to go with
him to beatthe man and steal things from his home.
Under Kansas law, if it can be shown that someone
was a crime victim because of his sexual orientation, a
judge can use that to justify a harsher sentence.
US Women Wed
In Netherlands
PROVINCETOWN, Mass. (AP) - Two women from
Provincetown were married last month in the Netherlands,
but it is unclear whether their marriage will be
legally recognized in Massachusetts.
Heather Wishik and Susan Donegan said they will
not fight for their overseas mamage to be legal in
Massachusetts, but Gay civil fights advocates predict
state courts may soon be forced to confront the issue of
same-sex couples who marry or are joined in a civil
union out of state or overseas.
MCC United
MetropolRan Coctmltardgy C~urch United is a cor-,gre~jaUon ofthe
Univer~a~ Fellowship of Metropcdita~ Community ~hurcl~,s
Sharing the
~oodness of the
Lord with our
community.=
Sunday Morning
Traditional
11:00 AM
Wednesday EvenJn,
Contemporary
7:00 PM
Rev. Cathy Elliott, Pastor
"1623 N. Maplewood (918) 838-1715 mcctulsa@aoLcotn
Community
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
at Community ofHope
2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595
A Welcoming Congregation
HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm
1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, lnfo: 224-4754
The Open Arms Project
Young Adult Support Group
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
918-584-2325
Mingo Valley Flowers
9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145
918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-A.A,A.-5934
Family Owned & Operated
Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW
Child, Family, Individual & Couple Psychotherapy
(918) 743-9559
2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518
The Pride Store
21st Street & Memorial
Tulsa Gay Community Services Center
743-GAYS (743-4297)
6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday
12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center
Heart of the Hills
Bed & Breakfast
5 Summit, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
501 - 363 - 9203
Come Stay Us for the Next
Diversi~. Celebration, Nov. 2 - 4
Red Rock Tulsa
Free Confidential HIV Testing
Walk-in Clinics
Tues. & Thurs., 5 -8 pm
at the Center; 1307 East 38th
Daytime appointments available.
Call for more information:
918-584-2325
e i
I v
r
American Red Cross
American Red Cross
Tulsa Area Chapter~
10151 East Eleventh
Tulsa 74128
Dannette Mclntosh
Diversity Co-ordinator
838-1100
OPENARMS
OPEN MINDS
OPEN I-IFAI~S
Saint Aidan
4045 N. Cincinnati, 425-7882
Saint John
4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381
Saint Dunstan
5635 East 71st, 492-7140
Trinity
501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128
The Episcopal Church Welcomes You
A lawsuit recently filed in Suffolk Superior Court
challenges the rights of same-sex couples to marry in
Massachusetts. Five’months ago, the Netherlands became
the first country to allow same-sex marriage.
"For us, our Dutch marriage is simply that - it’s a
Dutch marriage entered into for very personal reasons,"
Donegan said. "We did not get married as a
political or legal challenge to Massachusetts or to the
United States."
Mary Bonauto, staff attorney for Gay and Lesbian
Advocates and Defenders, said she had not yet seen
couples married in the Nefherlands or joined in civil
union in Vermont go to court in Massachusetts to
extend the legal recognition.
But Bonauto said she has seen same-sex couples
who went to Vermont for a civil union return to
Massachusetts and successfully negotiate employee
benefits with employers or family rates with clubs.
"It’s evolving in its own way," she said.
European Scouts
Do Accept Gays
During the last European Conference of Scouts and
[gift] Guides, at the initiative of the Belgian delegation
a resolution was approved not to consider homosexuality
as a discriminatory factor, neither inside nor
outside scouting. This resolution was a reaction by
Belgium to the recent troubles with the Boy Scouts of
America regarding the exclusion of gay members, on
account of which Steven Spielberg, among others,
resigned from the organization.
The European Conference of Scouts and Guides,
which took place from 7 - 12 July in Prague, was
attended by more than 400 representatives from
throughout Europe. Belgian delegates represented the
five Belgian scouts and guides organizations, which
have around 150,000 members.
Scouting and Guiding is active in 41 European
countries, with approximately 3.5 million boys and
gifts participating. Worldwide the organization counts
around 35 million scouts and guides in 216 countries,
and the Jamboree, to be held next year in Thailand, is
its most eye-catching international initiative.
The Belgian proposal to avoid discrimination based
on sexual preference opened with the charter of fundamental
rights of the child adopted by the European.
Unionin Nice in December 2000. Further, the amendment
pointed out evolutions in present day society and
the fact that scouting and guiding always follow the
tendencies of youth culture, put to the test of the
principles of the movement.
Following this it was stated that ’l~olebis" (the
Belgian abbreviation for Gays, Lesbians, and Bisexuals)
are to be universally accepted within European
society and that this cannot be used as an exclusionary
criterion by national (scouting) federations. The Belgian
proposal was approved by a large majority of the
conference representatives.
Turkey, Greece, Romania, Portugal, Cyprus, and
Malta voted against the initiative. The five Belgian
"scouts and guides organizahons (VVKSM, FOS, FCS,
GCB, and SGP) hope that the approval of this resolution
will have an impact on other regions of the world.
The American observer at the conference was "not
really happy" with the result [of the vote on the
initiative]. However, news is trickling out that the
scouting movement in the United States is.coming
under pressure from, among others, gigantic sponsors
such as Levis and Coca Cola, to revise its policy
against Gays.
Washington State Court
Upholds Partner Benefits
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The city of Vancouver can
keep providing health benefits to domestic partners of
Gay and Lesbian city employees, the Washington
¯ Supreme Court has ruled. The 8-1 decision will likely
¯ stretch beyond the city’s borders. Other cities, includ-
¯
ing Seattle, and the state have similar policies, along
¯ withlocal governmentsinatleastfourotherstates.The
¯ policy allows domestic partners, including same-sex
: partners, to receive health insurance benefits. It also
¯ allows employees to use theii sick leave to care for
¯ partners or partners’ children.
Vancouver resident Roni Heinsma challenged the
¯
policy soon after it was adopted in 1998, arguing that
: the city was creating akind of mini-marriage in viola-
. tion of the state law against same-sex marriage.
But thejustices agreed with the city’s argument that
¯ regulation of employee benefits is alocal matter. ’’We
¯ conclude that the city’s recognition of domestic part-
. nershipis limited and that the program does not uncon-
¯ stitutionally interfere with the Legislature’s ability to
¯ regulate familial relationships on a statewide level,"
¯ Justice Susan Owens wrote for the majority.
Heinsma’s challenge was argued by the Northstar
¯ Legal Center, a conservative nonprofit law firm m
Fairfax, Va., which challenged the city’s argnment
that the benefits were necessary to recruit and retain
good workers. ’The city or county that enacts this is
¯ saying that we do not agree with the state Legislature’s
decision to ban same-sex marriage," said Jordan
Lorence, the Northstar attorney who argued the case.
¯ ’q-his isn’t based on need, it’s based on a political
¯ agenda."
Similar polices in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver and
Broward County, Fla., have been upheld by other state
supreme courts, Lorence said. Policies in Minneapo-
¯ lis, Boston, and Arlington County, Va., were struck
¯ down. Courts are still considering cases in Philadel-
¯ phia and Montgomery County, Maryland.
¯ "Every time we get domestic partner benefits like
¯ this, the fight wing swoops in and raises some kind of
challenge," said Pat Logue, senior counsel for the
¯ Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, a Gay
civil fightsgroup. "I think the courts recognize that
: domestic partnership is not marriage."
¯ In Washington, King County and the cities of Seattic,
Olympia and Tumwater have similar policies.
: The Public Employees Benefits Board approved a
: similar policy for state workers last year at Gov. Gary
Locke’s request.
¯ Since Vancouver’s policy was initiated in 1998, ¯
about 30 domestic partnerships have been registered
and approved. The city paid more than $20,000 to
¯ cover the cost of the policy in 1998. "A lot of private ¯
businesses have similar policies," said Ted Gathe,
¯ Vancouver’s city attorney. "It was felt by the city that
¯. recruiting and retaining employees is important, and
this was one of the benefits that should be included in
: our package."
¯ Gay Friendly Governor
i To Run for US Senate
: NEWBURY, N.H. (AP) - Democratic Gov. Jeanne
¯ Shaheen, New Hampshire’s first female governor and
¯ the first to openly support abortionfights, took the first
official step toward running for Senate. Shaheen, a
¯ social liberal and fiscal conservative, filed papers
." creating an exploratory committee for a run for the seat
¯ now held by conservative Republican incumbent Bob ¯
Smith.
¯ Shaheen has signed bills protecting Gay civil rights
in housing, jobs and public accommodations and re-
. pealing a ban on Gay adoptions.
¯ "Democrats, independents and Republicans all have
told me that they want a U.S. senator who will be a
¯ champion for them in Washington and take action on
the real problems they face," Shaheen said in a state-
" merit. Democrats have held a 50-49-1 advantage in the
¯ Senate since Jim Jeffords of Vermont switched from
¯ the GOP to independent in June. Shaheen said she
¯ won’t officially decide whether to run until next year.
_" She is serving her third two-year term as governor.
So. Africato Provide
Free AIDS Drug
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -
The governmentmade a verbal agreement
with a German drug company to accept a
key AIDS drug for free in pilot projects
aimed at reducing the number of babies
born withHIV,company officials released
recently. The deal to provide free
nevirapine for the prevention of motherto-
child transmission of HIV at pilot
projects in the country was tentatively
accepted, said Kevin McKenna, technical
director ofBoehringer-Ingelheimin South
Africa.
The.company made the offer of free
Nevirapine to more than 100 developing
countries last year, provided it was part of
a properly managed, comprehensive
mother-to-child Transmission prevention
program. The government had been criticized
for not taking up the offer. AIDS
activists and doctors sued the government
demanding the immediate administration
of nevirapine nationwide.
About 200 babies are born with HIV
every day in South .africa and the drug
could slash that number in half. By refusing
to make nevirapine widely available to
HIV-infected pregnant women, the government
is denying women .and children
¯ their constitutional rights to health care,
the suit filed in the Pretoria High Court
claimed.
The government, which is reviewing
the suit, says it stands by its policy of first
distributing nevirapine on a small scale
¯ through pilot programs to test its effects~
Young So. Africans
Speak of AIDS
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) - In a
steady voice, 16-year-old Jabu tells how
her father raped her repeatedly, infecting
her with the HIV virus. Once too scared to
speak out, she encouraged others to fight
anti-AIDS discrimination in South Africa
at the first national meeting of children
who are either infected or who have relatives
with the virus.
An estimated 4.7 million South Africans,
about 11% of the population, are
infected with HIV. The country has
700~000 AIDS orphans. Those infected
are often stigmatized by a society who
considers it a shameful illness, Infected
children at the meeting spoke of being
shunnedby theirpeers,abandonedby their
own families and even blamed by health
care workers for contracting the virus.
Jabu, who asked to be identified only by
her first name, encouraged the young
people to speak out. ’%’ou don’t have to
keep quiet," Jabu told the group of about
90 children. The children, aged seven to
18, gathered from across the country in
this coastal city and read anonymous testimonials
out loud.
Participants told of having to leave
school to care for their infected siblings.
Rejected by their families, others spoke of
having to support themselves by collectl’
ng fi¯ rewood and tendi"ng cattle. "My rdafives
discriminate between me and their
children," wrote one of the children in a
testimonial. "It’s like I am a slave."
Monene, 14, lost her mother to the disease.
She said she frequently goes hungry
and does not have proper clothes to wear.
Monene, who asked to be identified only
by her firstname, urged the government to
build more orphanages. "If they don’t do
that, what are we going to become in the
future?" she asked.
TheSouthAfrican governmenthasbeen
ambasted for an inconsistent policy on
combatting AIDS and for refusing to provide
anti-retroviral drugs through the public
health system.
At the meeting, Dr. Nono Simelela, who
heads the health department’s AIDS program,
told the children the government
was doing the best it could. "It’s dear that
a~ore resources as going to be needed,"
Simelela said. "As far as humanly possible,
we are responding to these challenges,
(but) the processes are slow."
Partners agree to joint ownership of patents
for first AIDS vaccine specifically
designed for Africa
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Three partners
developing and testing thefirstHIV/AIDS
vaccine specifically designed for an African
strain of the disease have agreed to
joint ownership of the drug’s patents.
The three-year agreement settles one of
the hurdles that had earlier threatened to
delay testing the vaccine to combat the
viral strain most common in eastern Africa:
Kenyan trials of the vaccine started
several months later than expected, partly
because of wrangling over ownership and
patent rights.
’q~nis was a delicate matter, requiring a
lot of patience and compromise from all
parties," said Francis Gichaga, vice chancellor
of theUniversity ofNairobi. Gichaga
and Seth Berkley, president of the New
York-based International AIDS Vaccine
Initiative, signed the agreementin Nairobi.
Britain’ s Medical Research Council signed
it in England earlier last month. ’q~he task
force was guided by the principle of.fairness,
equal partnership and need to equitably
apportion credit and any revenues that
may accrue from this project," Gichaga
said.
The groups have been working since
November 1998 to develop a double vac,
cine, basing much of their research on
prostitutes from a Nairobi slum who appear
to be immune to the HIV virus that
causes AIDS.
The first component is a simple_DNA
vaccine that delivers the genetic information
on HIV. The second component,
known as MVA~ is a vaccine that delivers
the same genetic information but uses a
weakened smallpox virus to carry it to the
cells.
The DNA vaccine is in its first phase of
testingonbothKenyans andBritons. Tests
of the MVA vaccine are being conducted
in England and are expected to begin in
Kenya in September or October, said G_ilbert
Camathan, project manager at the
vaccine initiative, which is funding the
research. Trials combining the components
are expected to begin later this year
in Britain and in early 2002 in Kenya,
Camathan said.
There is no HIV virus in the injections.
The safety tests will determine whether
they have any toxic effects. Once the combination
vaccine has proven safe, it will be
Power
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128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
Weekend and evening appointments are available.
tested to see if it actually wards off AIDS.
The process is expected to take several
years.
Berkley will sign an agreement with the
Uganda Vaccine Research Institute soon
that will pave the way for testing there of
an orally administered version of the vaccine,
CamathantoldTheAssociated Press.
Tests so far have "not only been safe, but
also generated surprisingly good immune
responses," Berkley said.
Africa, the world’s poorest continent, is
ground zero in the fightagainstHIV/AIDS.
More than 24 million Africans live with
the vires butmost cannot afford expensive
drugs designed to slow its effects. Health
officials estimate that more than 2.6 million
Kenyans alOne have HIV/AIDS, and
700 more are infected each day. Other
vaccines-target strains prevalent in Europe
and North America.
AIDS Activist Sees
Less Harassment
SHANGHAI, China (AP) - The threatening
phone calls and summons by angry
officials areover. Governmentleaders who
once shunned her now smile and say hello
inpublic. Thereversal represents a victory
ofsorts forGao Yaojie, aretired gynecologist
who publicized the spread of AIDS
through illegal blood buying in rural villages
in the central Chinese province of
I-Ienan.
After years of official attempts to conceal
the deadly outbreak, the government
is acknowledging that hundreds of villagers
are infected and that dozens have already
died.
Gao said a deputy governor of Henan
even went out ofhis way last week to greet
her at an art exhibition. The government
still hasn’t broken down and told Gao she
was right. Butithas stopped treating her as
if she were trying to reveal state secrets,
Gao, 74, told The Associated Press by
telephone. ’‘itrs so quiet now," she said.
"A couple of months ago, I was getting
phone calls from government officials almost
every day."
Gao stumbled onto the hidden epidemic
in 1996, when one of her patients tested
positive for the virus that causes AIDS.
Gao was able to link the infection to an
illegal blood-buying industry in rural
Henan. Since the 1980s, collectors had
been paying villagers for their blood, extracting
the valuable plasmaand then reinjecting
what was left back into donors’
veins. Donated blood was often pooled
together, facilitating Transmission ofHIV.
Gao printed more than 300,000 flyers
and 100,000 booklets to warn the villagers
about the danger. She also paid for the
treatment of infected children. She said
she has spent more than $25,000 of her
ownmoney over thelastfive years. Health
officials at first ignored her and then grew
hostile as her efforts drew Chinese and
foreign media attention, she said.
In May, officials at the hospital where
she had worked in Zhengzhou, Henan’s
capital, blocked her application for a passport
to visit the United States to accept an
award for anti-AIDS activism. Officials
accused her of collaborating with "anti-
Chinese foreign organizations," she said.
Butthis month:the governmentabruptly
reversed itselfand announced it was sending
a team of health officials to open a
clinic in the worst-hit village, Wenlou.
More recently, a vice minister of health
said an April survey of 1,645 Wenlou
villagers found that 318 - or 19% - were
HIV-positive. Among villagers who sold
blood, an even larger proportion were infected
- 244 out of 568, or 43%
Officials are now examining blood supplies
in all hospitals and donor centers in
Henan, the Health Ministry’s newspaper-
Health News - said Friday. Police also are
searching for illegal blood-buyers, known
as "bloodheads," and government officials
who helped them, it said.
"It’s a good start that the government is
beginning to acknowledge this problem
and take action against it," Gao said. ’’I am
not sure how effective the crackdown will
be or if theproblem will just reappear after
the campaign is over, but at least it’s much
better than before when the officials did
nothing at all."
Brazil Strips Patent
On AIDS Drug
¯ RIO DEJANEIRO, Brazil (AP)-Brazil’s
: decision to disregard patent protections
¯ and begin manufacturing a genetic ver-
¯’ sion of a powerful anti-AIDS drug could
¯ open the way for other developing coun-
." tries to follow suit, experts said in August.
¯¯ Brazil has become the first country to
strip the patent on an anti-AIDS medica-
¯ tion. Health Minister Jose Serra said gov-
¯ ernment laboratories would begin manu- ¯
facturing Nelf’mavir, an anti-AIDS drug
¯ made by the Roche group and sold under
¯ the trade name Viracept. Serra justified
¯ the move, saying six months of negotia-
¯ tions with Roche failed to lower the drug’s ¯ price sufficiently for Brazil to be able to
~ distribute the drug free of charge to all in
¯ need. Brazil, has the highest number of
: AIDS victimsin Latin America, with about
¯ 203,000 people with the disease.
¯ Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Cen-
¯ ter for Economic Policy and Research, a
: Washington-based think tank, hailed
¯ Brazil’s decision and said it could prompt
¯ other countries to do the same. "I think
¯ you’regoing to seemoredeveloping coun- ¯
tries resisting these attempts to enforce the
¯ U.S. patent law all over the world. Very
." often, this is the ease: When one country
¯ challenges these laws, the U.S. backs ¯
down," he said. Weisbrot points to U.S.
¯ decisions to back away from attempts at
¯ stricterpatent enforcementonAIDS drugs ¯
in South Africa and Brazil.
¯
The law also contains clauses that allow
¯ patents to be stripped in cases of national
¯ emergency or when the company has been
~ judged to employ abusive pricing. Serra
~ used the abusive pricing clause in justify-
." ing this move.
Roche spokesman Daniel Piller said the
: company was not expecting Brazil’s latest
_" move. "We were surprised to hear the
¯° news from the Brazilian government. We
really think the government of Brazil ~s
~ really committed to combatting this dread-
." ful disease, andin ourpoint ofview, we are
¯ stillinnegotiations withthe Health Minis-
." try," Piller said by telephone from the
¯ company’s headquarters in Switzerland.
This year’s New Genre Festival, Octo~ ¯
her 3-7,-2001, will present a diverse range "
of artists, many of whom cross disciplin- "
ary lines to create exciting new art works.. ¯
These works push the limits of traditional "
media while incorporating the new media "
madepossiblebytoday’s technology. New ¯
Genre Festival is a program ofLiving Arts
of Tulsa.
This year the following art venues have ¯
chosen to collaborate on promoting corn ¯
temporary art in Tulsa: Living ArtSpace,
Nightingale Theatre, Philbrook Museum "
of Art, SoBo 2, TulsaModem Art Center, ¯
Tulsa Performing Arts CenterTrust, Tulsa
Pror~e~ ¯ le, University of Tulsa School of "
Art, Utica Square "
Since 1969, Living Arts of Tulsa has
been steadfast inits mission of"presenting ¯
and devdoping contemporary artforms in "
Tulsa." Living Arts is interested in newly "
evolving ideas and concepts, and in sharingits
interests withthe communitythrough "
creative workshops, performances, exhi- "
bitions, films/videos, demonstrations of ",
current art, lectures, related educational
activxties and research.
Living Arts has two principal goals: 1) ¯
to bring Outside artists and works to Tulsa
who are pushing their media to its limit
and, 2) to present opportunities and. challenges
for local artists to develop and
present new, exploratory works,which are
not normally seen in Tulsa.
’~3rrrl Power" Elizabeth.Whitney is one
of this year’s emcees and she will be
making several appearances throughout
the festival: Thursday at the Performance
Open; Friday at Die Audio Gruppe - 8pro
andatA.K.A. - 10pro; and Saturday atJos4
Torres Tama - 8pm.
Grrrls: Subversive Performances of
Femininity Utilizing multiple perso_~,ae
(Rizzo - tough girl, Barbie, Miss Flizabeth,
Bridesmaid, and Ethyl), Elizabeth
Whitney leads us through many aspects of
stereo typed women today - only with a
twist!
ncSis theotherof this year’ s emcees and
they will be making several appearances/
performances throughout the festival:
Thursday at the Performance Open - 8pm;
Friday at Jos4 Torres Tama- 10pro Saturday
at Die Audio Gruppe - 8pro
he5 had its .begin~,~,n,gs as a band. Always
"very theatrical for a rock group, it
wasn’t until the dialmmer quit that the
remaining band members decided to ditch
the gigs and dive into theatrical
experimentaion. Utilizing various disciplines,
technology and whatever else they
can find, nc5 strives to incorporate the
energy of a rock concert into their performances.
On Wednesday, Oct. 3, 5-Spin will feature
’q’he Culture of Breath," an interactive
computer projection insthllation by
Chicago Art Institute Professor of New
MediaTiffany Holmes whichinvestigates
the physiological, the biological, and the
~psychological aspects of breathing.
It opens at Living ArtSpace, 308 S
Kenosha. The installation continues on
display through October 25. The act of
breathing is presented as a series of visual
layers: physical, biotic, and psychological.
On the physical level, the artist reminds
us that we can consciously hold our
breath and halt the automatic process of
breathing for a short period of time until
the body revolts and reasserts control. The
act of breathing creates a dynamic interface
between our exterior and interior environments.
OnThursday, Oct. 4, Willy Le Maitre&
Eric Rosenzveig will present "The Appearance
Machine"- a live video installation
which begins in New York City with
the collection of trashfrom the streets. The
garbage starring in the drama is manipulated,
analyzed, videotaped and then
streamed in realtime over the internet directly
to the Alexandre Hogue Gallery,
Phillips Hall, University of Tulsa, 2935 E
5th St. It opens from 5-Tpm and continues
through October 25. Eric Rosenzveig also
will give a talk at TU about the work and
other artworks using new technologies at
6pro.
Chris Wildrick of ’~2funBasTards" from
Madison, Wisconsin will perform Local
Reality Test: Temporal Continuity Test,
an out-of-theater performance by walking
around Tulsa from 9-5pm asking people
what timeitis. He will then check this time
against his watch, marking down the difference
in minutes and his location. He
will also check times fOund on public
docks. Throughout the day he will accumulate
avast amount of data regarding the
discrepancies between time and space m
Tulsa.
A ground-breaking new program of the
New Genre Festival this year, the Performance
Open allows for several short performance
artworks by artists from Tulsa
and around the country to be seen at one
venue, The Nightingale Theatre, 1416 E
4th St8:00pm $8. ($6. students) onThursday,
Oct. 4.
The amazing Berlin-based multimedia
artgroup, DieAudioGruppe,buildelectroacoustic
clothing and then perform using
them. Studio Performances at the Tulsa
Performing Arts Center, Doenges Theater,
2rid. & Cincinnati, 8:00pm.$12. ($6.
students) Friday/Saturday, Oct. 5/6. Reservations
are required through the PAC at
596-7111 or www.tnlsapac.com.
A workshop will be offered, "Making
Electro-acoustic Clothing" with inventor
Ben0it Manbrey on Monday, Oct. 1,
7:00pro at Living ArtSpaee.
Also on "Oct. 5/6, Living Arts will
feature ’qm Exile Close to the Equator -
Personal Stories of Universal Truths in a
Search for the "American Dream." In this
autobiographical verbal and visual coil
lage, performance artist Jos~ Tortes Tama
: returns to Tulsawith awork that combines
: personal stories and incantations withdra-
~ matic movement and visual tableaus.
¯ Moving rapidly from poetic drama to the
hilariously absurd, he creates a dynamic
¯ piece that explores the immigrant experience
and rites-of-passage in urban Ameri-
] can culture.
¯ The New Genre Festival also will offer
: anumber more events. For moreinforma-
¯¯ tion, call 918-585-1234 or check out:
www.livingarts.org. Living Arts of Tulsa
¯
is located at 308 S Kenosha.
It’s too expensive."
You can subscribe to
Tulsa Opera’s entire
season for as little
as $13 per opera.
That’s cheaper than a
ballgame and at
that price you can
even bring a date.
]’re sure to score.
Herland
Fall Retreat
September 14-16
Roman Nose State Park
Featuring entertainers
Mary N Bright
Mary Catherine Reynolds,
-Kristall Bright and Nancy Nesser
Herland, 2312 NW 39th
Oklahoma City, www.herlandsister.org
THE GILDED AGE
Treasuresfrom the Smitbsonian American Art Museum
9 SEPTEMBER -- 4 NOVEMBER 2OO1
THE PHILBROOK MUSEUM OF ART
2727 SOUTH ROCKFORD ROAD
Hungry for Atlantic Herring or
A Prince in a Shetland?
by Deborah J. Hunter
If you like Stephen McCauley (Object
ofMyAffection, Easy Way Out, Man ofthe
Houseand TrueEnough) you’ll love Louis
Bayard. I read Bayard’s two novels, En-
"dangered Species (2001) and Fool’s Errand
(1999) back to back. I get hungry for
good writing with peculiar characters that
happen to be Gay.
Bayard gives us both
in a feast of storytelling
about thirty-something
Nick Broome who hasurges
toward parenthoodandPatrick
Beaton
who is in search of
- "PrinceCharming"orin
this case "Prince Shetland."
Like McCauley,
Bayard gently bashes
stereotypes in favor of
people "like you and
me" (and some not so
like anyone I have ever
met) that are trying to
make alife that on most daysdoesn’t seen
the least bit-"altemative."
Nick Broome’s experience with sperm
banks and finding out his own motility
rates are hilarious. Thephysiclan s assistant..,
leads me down along hallway with
shell-colored carpet...She hands me three
medium-size glass vials, abox ofKleenex
and a back issue of Pro Wrestling magazine."
He evolves from wanting to propagate
to wanting to parent. His search for a
¯Lesbian co-parem, or finally, a surrogate
but are asked to donate $10 at the door.
Earlierin September,TulsaOklahomans
for Human Rights (TOHR) will kick off
theplanningfor Diversity Celebration2002
from 5:30 to7pmonThursday, Sept. 6th at
Renegades in the Rainbow Room. The
public is welcome and for more information,
call 743-4297, or e-mail to
community@tohr.org
Looking forward to the end of October,
TOHR will be hosting a Rocky Horror
Masquerade Ball featuring Helga’s
Horribles to benefit the Pyramid Project
(the-ftm.draising effort for a permanent
commumty center) at the Downtown
Doubletree on the 27th. More details will
be available in October.
HRC Announces Grant to
Oklahoma Group
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Human
Rights Campaign (HRC) madeannounced
decisions about its first round of Equality
Fund grants to Gay state lobbying groups
in 10 states.
Amoung these grants (totaling $47,000)
is one to Oklahoma’s Cimarron Alliance
Foundation of $4,000 to conduct the first
poll in Oklahoma to guidedevelopment of
public outreach messages, with special
emphasis on hate crimes, discrimination
"... Like MeCauley,
Bayard gently
bashes stereotypes
in favor
of people
’like you and me’
"(and some not
so like anyone I
have ever met)..."
¯ mother, takes him on a journey that in-
: eludes a cast of ordinary but uncommon
¯ people. His thoughts turn from Atlantic
¯ herring, "These are fish that travel inlarge
" schools and reproduce as casually as I
untangle phone cords," to other species,
" "Cowbirds have beenonmindlately. They
¯ are brown-headed creatures that decline
: the honor of building nests and instead lay"
¯ eggs in thenests of other birds. Some birds
pick up on the ruse, but
most will happily incubate
the new eggs as
one of their own."
In Fool’s Errand,
Patrick Beaton learns to
hate naps and learns to
love Seth. He thinks
Seth is helping him find
themaninthe cranberry
Shetland sweater. He
thinks their days spent
in the parking lots of
discount stores and their
nights spent in bars are
in search of a "Scottish
Prince" who Patrick
barely met on~ sleepy
¯ afternoon in someone’s den.
¯" That Seth is the ex-boyfriendofPatrick’ s
¯ ex-boyfriend, Alex only adds to the flavor
¯¯ of the stew, as does the long visit from
Patrick’ s bi-polar father who ends up mar~
¯ rying his best friend Marianne.
: Fool’s Errand is a long book and the
¯ yearning for love is there under the esca-
¯ pades and in every day. Like Endangered
¯ Species, the search is what gives life its
¯ substance, the finding is what helps bring ¯
life’s meaning.
: and other equality issues such as domestic
¯ partnership.
¯ Prior, HRC had issued $114,000 in
¯ Equality Fundgrants and also gave $5,000
¯ to the Federation of Statewide Political
¯ Advocacy Organizations. These grants
." helped to fund essential state house lobby
¯ work, such as Maryland’s non-discrimi-
¯ nation and Texas’ hate crimes bills.
¯ Others receiving grants include:
." Texas’ Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby
¯ which got a $5,000 grant to support their ¯
lobby program, including to continue to
." defeat attempted bans on same-sex mar-
.¯ riage and civil unions and to advance their
safe schools initiative.
¯ Unity Utah will receive $4,000 to lobby
." the Salt Lake City Council to codify an
¯ existing mayoral executive order which
¯ prohibits discrimination in city employ-
" ment based on sexual orientation. This
¯ local project is an important first poliltical
...step for this organization, and also is an
¯ important first step towards state level
: advocacy.
¯ Vermonters for Civil Unions Legisla-
: tive Defense Fund is getting $5,000 for
¯ lobbying and polling efforts to keep the
¯ legislature from denigrating the legal stares
of civil unions as a marriage-equiva-
¯ lent.
: A number of other organizations also
¯ received grants or are still under consider-
¯ ation for aid.
¯
Creator of the universe has sown a very
Well, kind of. I was a Boy Scout. The : important fluid. This fluid is the most
years, 1965 - 1970; the place, Martinez, : wonderful material in all the physical
CA,Troopl81.And,nowadays, I amGay. ¯ world. Some parts of it f’md their way into
ButwhenI was a ldd; I had yet to hear any : theblood, andthroughthebloodgivetone
oftheearlynotesbftoday’s - ~ -~ : to the muscles, power-to~
elaborated language of -":-. ~;~outs havealways~- thebrain, and : strength to .
Gayness and;eve~ii,~-Ihad, - ]md ~ex and aender ~ " the nerves:. This fluid"isthe :
I probably ,wouldn thave - ........¯ ~’~ -sex fluid ’Am habit
ldentifiedmyselfwlth.lt.A ¯ mind; An explleit~l ....whichaboyhas thatcauses .
GayBoyScout,backthen,.. o[ the o~,anJ=atloi~ is to this fluid robe discharged
wasanthinkable.Wenever .. ~ .’ . ,. " ’ ¯ from the body tends-to .
once "sniggered at.: the turn boys into men ~.~ :’weaken his $[rength,"to "
double entendre, so obvi- men-o[ a imrt-leu]ar tTl~, makehimlessabletoresist
by Lamont Lindstrom
~ous today, in thefinal.lin,~e dmt I~. I w~’t alone
of theBoy Scout oath: ’I--
promise .... to keepmyself my Troop. Several
physically strong, mentally
awake and morally
straight."
The Boy Scouts of
America, backed by five
U.S. Supreme Court Justices,
have recently affirmed
their legal right to
scout mates a|so ~rew
into Gayness. Many
parents, I’m sure, prayed
tlmt scouting would
toughen up their
worrisome sons.... "
disease :. ~to yield:means
to Sacrifice strengthS,and
power and m~liness.
Jeez,we~ought. Could
we even survive our teens.’?
Scoutmasterly duties,~
given Boy Scout dogma,
included the regulation of
boyish sexuality and this
task could be approached
withall shades ofinterest. I
discharge Gay Scoutmasters
and perhaps also (although this is less
clear) boys who affirm ahomosexual identity.
The Gay community andbeyondhave
condemned this invidious policy as harmful,
But theScouts, clearly, are in a dicey
position. We might try to understand, although
not necessarily sympathetically,
the orgardzati0n’s problems in ha,vigating
the dangerous American cultural ~hoals of
childhood and sex.
The Boy Scouts have always had sex
and gender in mind. An explicit goal of the
organization is to turn boys into men -
men of a particular type, that is. I wasn’t
alone in my Troop. Several of my scout
mates also ~ew into Gayness. Many pareats,
I’m sure, prayed that scouting would
toughen up their worrisome sons.
The Boy Scouts, !ike the Marines, Little
League sports, and certain small fundamentalist
Christian colleges, are a last resort
of desperate parents hoping to make a
man out of one. My fellow Scouts ranged
from the ambitiously normal to hopeless
twinks (although we didn’t have that word
back then either): The proto-gangbangers
at my school, who wouldn’t be caught
dead in the Boy Scouts, weren’t fooled by
our organized protestations of masculinity.
All those silly (if sometimes still surprisingly
useful) ropes and knots.
AlthoughTroop 181 hadno language of
Gayness, this does not mean that there
were no sexual frissons - a sexuality that,
in an all-male organization, is at least by
default homosexual. Such currents surely
feed the organization’s recent touchiness
about Gayness.
I remember friends giggling over the
Boy Scout Handbook’s warnings against
masturbation. When I got my first HandbookIeagerly
soughtoutthoseparagraphs.
The Handbook, subsequently, wo~tld be
somewhat liberalized. My 1960’ s edition,
however, hadn’t progressed much beyond
these 1927 admonitions published under
the subtitle ’~onservation" (which, in the
1970’s, would acquire a more ecological,
less Taoist gignificance): "In the body of
every boy who has reached his teens; the
.... spent part of four s||mmers
¯¯ atWolfboro, a camp in the Sierra Nevada.
Oar leaders trooped us up river to "Bare-
" Ass Slide" and ordered to take off our
,. clothes and slide down shallow, mossy
¯ river rapids. On one 50-mile hike, buck-
" naked Scoutmaster Bob chased five of us
¯ boys, equally buck-naked, squealing
¯ through the woods because we refused to
¯ hop into the icy aver.
¯ Innocent male hi-jinks, of course. But
¯ some of this past must inform the Boy ¯
Scouts’ present sexual bad conscious. Itis
¯ sweet irony,’as many have noted (e.g., see
¯ Tim Neal’s biography The Boy-Man), that
¯ -the founder of the Boy Scouts, Lord Rob-
. eft Baden-Powell, was obsessed with
¯ "boyology," had a 30 year relation with a
¯ younger man, K~uneth McLaren- whom
¯ he called The Boy - and adored watching
his lithesome Scouts swim nude.
¯ Postmodem theorists warn that the past
(life-long male friend) is often misunder-
" stood in contemporary terms (Gay). Still,
Baden-Powell and some of his Scoutmaster
successors clearly appreciated boys in
¯ complicated ways.
¯ Pricking this Boy Scout bad conscious,
¯ Americais currently onthe warpath against
any sort of child sexuality; When I was a
¯
kid, we had never heard of the term sexual
harassment let alone sexual abuse. These
¯ notions, like Gay, had yet to hit Martiuez. ¯
In that heyday of the miniskirt, my 7th
¯ grade Algebra teacher used to force those
¯ 12-year old gifts who wore the shortest
¯ minis to sit in the front row of his class so ¯
he could gawk up their skirts. (He also
¯ used to hang troublesome boys out his
¯ second-story window by the scruffs of
their neck.) Today? Run, don’t walk, to
your nearest hungry lawyer.
¯ Thereasons for America’s recent child-
* sex pamc are complex, reflecting, prob-
" ably, parental guilt about working morns
¯
and about divorce. Nowadays, with suspi-
¯ cious parents and enterprising lawyers all
¯o around, theBOy Scouts have their backs to
the wall. You can see why they mightnot
¯ want to get in bed with us Gays. We
¯ remindthemoftoomuch, seeScout,p.11
KellyKirby, CPA, PC
Certified Public Accountant
a professional corporation
Lesbians and Gay men face many special
tax situations whether single or as couples.
Electronic filing is available for faster refunds.
747-5466
4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135
IGTA
member ~~
Call 341.6866
International
TOH~formoreinformation.
TULSA COUNTY
DEMOCRATIC
PARTY
Country Club Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pro
College Hill
Presbyterian Church
In response to God’s Love,
College Hill Presbyterian Church
is a community of God’s people
called to tell others the
Gospel of Jesus Christ
through worship,
service, and evangdism.
To nurture our faith, we gather for
worship~ prayer,
study and fellowship.
¯ Trusting in a living, loving God,
we seek to become a compassionate
voice for peace and justice.
Our congregation welcomes all
persons who respond in trust and
obedience to God’s grace
in Jesus Christ, and desire to become
part of the membership and ministry
of Christ’s church.
Membership is open to all people
regardless of race, ethnic origin,
worldly condition, marital status, or
sexual orientation.
Sunday Worship, 11am
712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800
(One block west of Delaware and the
University of Tulsa Campus)
Tulsa’s only
professional
body-piercing
On September 3oth, something brand
new is hitting the Tulsa scene!
Soulful Sundown
is an alternative worship experience that celebrates
the mystery and wonder of life,
within a non-dogmatic context.
Soulful Sundown combines live music, inspirational readings., video, and
audience participation to create an experience that
moves, challenges, transforms and
connects people to e~tch other and the ~¢orld.
Soulful Sundo.wn
happens at All Souls Unitarian Church at 5:3oPM on
Sundays starting September 3oth and continuing
through the rest of the year. All people are welcome!
All Souls Unitarian Church
2952 S. Peoria, 743-2363.
Karmajust bitmein the ass! Here I was,
pining for something I thought I’d never
have, when lo and behold, a woman told
me she was in love with me. Ofcourse this
was three hours after meeting he_r, so you
can imagine how frightened I was, thinking
I’druninto Psycho LesbianFrom Hell.
RememberMiss No-Longer-Interested-
In-Me? Well, she stir isn’t. But that’s not
the point. Miss No-Longer-Interested-In-
Me and I reached an agreement and have
done what many Lesbian couples do (or
non-couples, in this case) and become
friends.
I know what you’re saying. ’Raging
Lesbian, this is just a way to get to see
her!" I could tell you how much we click
on a friendship level; how much we value
that friendship; how much werespect each
other, etc. OK- it’s a way to get to see her!
I never knew how she felt because no
one’s ever said those three little words to
me. I found out how she felt the other
weekend when I heard them whispered
into my ear.
Youneed toknow rightnow thatinternet
acquaintances should be a slow process.
No need to rush into meeting her after
writing to her once or twice. She might
turn into a Karin, and you might become a
Miss No-Longer-Interested-In-Me.
The other weekend was my first date
since Miss No-Longer-Interested-In-Me
told me that, well, she was no longer
interested in me.
It was the first time sinceMay that I even
thought of trying to move on. I didn’t
realize I’d meet Miss U-Haul Lesbian. My
experiences since coming out have been
with users until I met Miss No-Longer-
Interested-In-Me. This explains why she’s
making yet another starring role in the
column. Her honesty disarmed me and
made me realize I hadn’t been honest with
the most important person in my life--me¯
How could I be honest with her, or anyone
else,.for that matter?
Timing tndy sucks sometimes. Had I
met Miss U-Haul,. fallen for her, learned
my lesson, then met Miss No-Longer-
Interested-In-Me, perhaps... No, I won’t
go there. We fill our lives with so many
’~vhat-ifs" and "if onlys" that we don’t see
the people in front of us.
The person in front of me now is a
woman who would do anything for me.
Scary, huh? But don’t we look for this all
our lives? Here is it, staringmein the face,
and I’m feeling very different than I did in
April¯ I feel like Miss No-Longer-Interested-
In-Me.
I let my new-found "friend" in on what
was happening. She told me never to say
anything to Miss U-Haul I didn’t mean.
Wise advice which I learned from her
through first-hand experience. I’ve told
Miss U-Haul aboutmy recent history, and
I also let her know that I don’t think I can
realm her feelings. She says I will. Umm,
no, I don’t think so.
What’ s she like? Besides living in outer
Dallas anddressinginmen’ s clothing (well,
somewhat), she’s kind, caring, and listens
to my every word¯ Where I was almost a
non-entity with Miss No-Longer-Interested-
In-Me, Iama"Diamond" to Miss UHaul.
In fact, that’s her name for me.
So what is myproblem? I didn’tfeel that
"something"; that immediate feeling that
Miss No-Longer-Interested-In-Me was
looking for with "us". I always thought
you grew into it. But she’s right. The
spark, if you will, just isn’t there. I can
wish for it all I want, but Miss U-Haul
doesn’t do itfor me. Yes, I HAVEbecome
Miss No-Longer-Interested-In-Me, with a
vengeance!
And yet I still see Miss U-Haul. Why?
My immediate response? No one’s cared
for me this much, or treated me this wall
since.... ever. Certainly not since I’ve
become active in this life. I shouldn’t let
that sway me, or confuse Miss U-Haul.
Above all, I don’t want to hurt her. I
don’t want anyone to feel what I have the
past few months - hurt, lonely, confused,
desperate, despairing, you get the drill.
And yet, I don’t see.any other way. As I
perceive it, Miss No-Longer-Interested-
In-Me had three choices: A. Hurt me; B.
Hurt me; C. Hurt me; D. All of the above.
That she chose D for a triple shot of hurt
annoys me, but whatcan you do? Try NOT
to repeat her pattern.
It really doesn’t help that the townspeople
where Miss U-Haul lives dre telling
her that I may be "I’he One."
I’ve already let her in on my Love-OMeter
¯ You know, the thing that lets you
comprehend, unequivocally, that you’re
in love? A friend asked me about a month
ago, what I would have told my mother if
Miss No-Longer-Interested-In-Me and I
had a different experience: in other words,
if she returned my feelings.
"I would say, ’Mother, this is Miss Interested-
In-Me. We’reinlove.’"Myfriend
asked what I would do after my mother
fainted. Oh please. She knows. Even MY
mother can’t be THAT naive!
I guess what I’m trying to say is that
until that woman comes along again (IF
she ever comes along again) who makes
me want to come out to my family, then it
ain’t love.
Sure, I may love being with her, talking
to her, and heating how wonderful I am.
The sex may be great (yes, Horny Lesbian
strikes again!), but the feding’s not there.
Does that make me a terrible person? I
think not. I certainly hope not.
I told Gay Felix one night, after Miss UHaul
letmeknow (as have so many others)
that Miss No-Longer-Interested-In-Me
used me, that only the two people in that
relationship truly understand what went
on between them. Miss No-Longer-Interested-
in-Me didn’t use me. Being in her
shoes now, I honestly believe that. Only
She and I comprehend the feelings and the
loss¯ I’m sure Miss U-Haul’s neighbors
and friends will one day say that I used her.
I hope she understands a simple truth - I
met a wonderful woman whose feelings I
can’t return.
As Miss No-Longer-Interested-In-Me
said recently, ’q’here are a billion reasons
why someone wouldfall inlove withyou."
Unfortunately, I’m afraid I’ll be saying the
same thing soon to Miss U-Haul. Love, no
matter which side you’re on, is often the
most difficult and most agonizing feeling
in the world. - by Karin Gregory
Gregory is a Ft. Worth based writer.
The NAMES Project Tulsa Area Chapter
3507 East Admiral Place
Tulsa, OK. 74115-8211
(918) 748-3111
www.TulsaQuilt.org
MEMORIAL
Feast with Friends® in TVLand
Saturday, September 29, 2001
Following the individual Dinner Parties, join us for the
Dessert Extravaganza
8:30 to 10:30 PM
Allan Chapman Activity Center, University of Tulsa, 5th and Gary,
Admission js free for Dinner Hosts and their guests;
others may attend for a $10.00 donation at the door
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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[2001] Tulsa Family News, September 2001; Volume 8, Issue 9
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
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Tulsa Family News
Source
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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September 2001
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James Chrsitjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, August 2001; Volume 8, Issue 9
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English
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/616
AIDS
AIDS treatment
AIDS vaccine
Australia
Boy Scouts
Brazil
bullying
businesses
censorship
churches
Cincinnati
death penalty
discrimination
Domestic Partnership
European Conference of Scouts and Guides
Feast for Friends
Feast with Friends
Gannet Co.
gay bashing
gay panic
HIV testing
homosexual panic
Human Rights Campaign
Jeanne Shaheen
Louis Bayard
military
Murder
NAMES Project
Netherlands
New Genre Festival
Oklahoma City
Openarms Youth Project
Partner Benefits
Raging Lesbian
Red Cross
Red Rock Tulsa
restaurants
Shanghai
South Africa
the AIDS Quilt
Tulsa Family News
Washington
-
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b193d44609dabb5cef6d586b66040292
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Execution Set for Killer of
Man Thought to Be Gay :
by Tim Talley, Associated Press Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma’s Court of "
Criminal Appeals has set an Aug. 30 execution date for "
Mexican national Gerardo Valdez, whose request for ¯
clemency was denied by Gov. Frank Keating. ¯
Valdez, 41, had been scheduled to die by lethal "
rejection on June 19 for the April 1, 1989, murder of 26- "
year-old Juan Trinidad Barton in Valdez’s home in
Minco, Oklahoma. But Keating granted a 30-day reprieve
to consider a recommendation by the state Par- "
don and Parole Board that his death sentence be corn- ¯
muted. ¯
Valdez met Barron in a bar where both men were :
drinking. Valdez, Barron and another man gaveled to
Valdez’s home, where Valdez accused Barron of being ¯
a homosexual and threatened to kill him. ’V-aldez shot
Barton twice in the forehead, then slit Barron’s throat "
with a large knife, seeExecUtion,p. 3 "
Park Task Force Seeks
to Treat Sex Offenders
TULSA (TFN) - After months of meetings, a group
which included police officers, sheriffs, professional
counselors, members of the Tulsa City Prosecutor’s
Office, the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office,
representatives ofTulsa Oklahomans forHuman Rights
(TOHR) and even an anthropologist from the University
of Tulsa, have issued a plan and recommendations
toaddress"misdemeanorsexual crimes" inTulsacounty.
The effort began in December 1999 when the Tulsa
Police Dept. asked the Mental Health Association in
Tulsa (MHAT) for help in addressing sexual activity in
city and county parks and other public locations. In
February 2000, MHAT began contacting various individuals
with professional interests in the problem.
The goal was to design an effective response to the
inappropriate public sexual behavior which help the
individuals who are involved while protecting the
public’s right to health and safety in public places.
The group noted that the perpetrators ofpublic sex are
mostly male andmany aremarried with families. Police
also noted that if it were thought to be an effective
deterent, many more arrests could be made than are
done.
The essence of the proposal is that those arrested for
misdemeanor sex crimes could be given suspended or
deferred sentences, would be banished from state, city
and county parks during probation, would have to
performcommunity service andmostimportantly, would
go through an approved mental health/physical health
.treatment program (at theirownexpense) to address the
issues which lead to the sex crime. Satisfactory completion
of these conditions would result in dismissed or
lesser charges.
For more information, direct questions to Michael
Brose, executive director, Mental Health Association in
i New Community Center
¯ TOHR Seeks Location Suggestions
TULSA (TFN) -~ Over 65 people, almost as mmay women as men,
attended a meeting in July at the current, rented Gay community
center at 21st & Memorial to discuss where and what a new,
~ hopefully owned, community center would be.
. The mostly white and miXed Native American group hadan
¯ age range from afew in their 20’s with most in their 30’s, 40’s,
50’s and some above.
¯ The brainstorming session generated location suggestions
from Cherry Street, the Brady District, Swan Lake neighbor-
: hood, Brady Heights neighborhood, 11th Street, Kendall Whittier
i
to 31st Street.at Highway 169 to.the old Oral Roberts University
building near Veterans Parkncar the south downtown neighborhood
of SoBo.
Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
Community members discuss possible Center options.
And while no single notion of location emerged from the
meeting, a good picture of what people would like the building to
do, did. see Center, p. 9
Hate Crimes Seem.on Increase
Congress and BushAdministration Should
Immediately Address this Problem, Says HRC
WASHINGTON-TheHuman Rights Campaign today called on
Congress and the Bush administration to use their bully pulpits to
condemn recent outbreaks of alleged anti-Gay hate violence
across the nation.
"To remain disengaged in the face of these violent tragedies
sends the wrong message and allows dangerous hate mongers to
grossly misinterpret this silence," says HRC Executive Director
Elizabeth Birch. "We urge Congress and the administration to
publicly address this unconscionable rash of anti-Gay violence.
They should use their bully pulpits to let people know this
behavior is unacceptable and un’American."
Last weekend, in what appears to be a crime caused in largepart
by anti-Gay bias, Willie Houston, 38, was fatally shot in the
chest in Nashville, Tenn., after the alleged gunman, Lewis
Maynard Davidson III, 25, taunted him with anti-Gay epithets.
Houston hadjust finished a midnight riverboat cruise with his
fiancee, Nedra Jones, and friends when the trouble started.
Houston escorted a blind male friend by the arm into a restroom
while holding Jones’ purse.
Inside the restroom, the gunman allegedly hurled anti-Gay
insults at the friends. Hefollowed them out of the restroom, while
continuing his verbal harassment. Davidson then allegedly returned
to his car where he retrieved a gun and said, "Now what
you got to say?" before firing the weapon at Houston.
Police are searching for Davidson andhave yet to officially call
it a hate crime, saying the investigation is "still very much open."
While the victim is reportedly not Gay, Tennessee hate crime
laws cover violence basedonreal or perceived sexual orientation.
HRC is working with local law enforcement and actively following
this ease with the help of its local leadership.
On June 21, high school student Fred Martinez, Jr., 16,- who
described himself as openly Gay, transgender and "two-spirit" -
was found beaten to death in Cortez, Colo. Shaun Murphy, 18,
has been charged with second-degree murder.
see Hate, p. 7
¯ Tulsa .Hate Crime: Gay
¯ Beaten by Straight Man
TULSA (TFN) - It seemed an ordinary Thursday
evening in July for one Tulsa man who had stopped
¯¯ for a couple beers at one of Tulsa’s Gay clubs. After
all, who expects to be Tulsa s next hate crime v~ctlm.
¯ Certainly not"Joe Smith" minding his own business,
¯ going home fairly early - only a little after ten p.m.
But it turned out not to be such a quiet night for
." Smith. Leaving the club, he was followed by a driver
¯ who quickly made his hostility obvious over a num-
- ber of miles across the city.
As Smith drove on, he became increasingly con-
’ cemed and stopped at a convenience store where he
¯ ran in, yelled at the clerk to call the police and
¯ barracaded himself in the restroom. ¯
However, a locked door hardly slowed Smith’s
¯ assaillant down. Described as over 6’-4" and likely
¯ 250 pounds or more, Smith said his attacker snapped
off the door handle to the restroom and proceeded to
pound him, cracking several ribs, and slamming
¯ Smith’s face into a towel dispenser. At one point, the
¯ attacker punched Smith in the chest near the heart, in
¯ a move described as an attempted "death punch.’"
Finally Smith, himself a tall man, managed to grab
¯ his attacker’s hands and Smith succeeded in slam-
" ruing his knee into his attacker’s genitals, once or
¯ twice. Then Smith took refuge behind the counter
with the store clerk and his attacker ranfrom the store.
¯ Police soon arrived and Smith characterized their
¯ response as appropriate and supportive. While Smith
¯ and the police were discussing the attack, the phone
in the store rang and they heard the clerk saying to the
caller that the police had not shown up. After the call
¯ ended, the store clerk turned to the police, saying that
¯ the caller said he was the attacker and wasjust calling
¯ to see if the police had responded, see Attack, p. 3
¯ Same-sex Domestic
Violence Seems Higher
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Reports of domestic violence
among Gay and Lesbian couples around the
nation in2000 increased 29% from the previous year,
according to a report released in July. There were
4,048 reports, of domestic violence among Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual and Transgender couples nationally,
up from 3,120 in 1999, according to the National
Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs.
"With this fifth annual report, we are able to stop
asking does same-sex domestic violence exist, and
start answering what we’re going to do about it," said
Shawna Virago, a program director at Community
United Against Violence.
Virago said not all reports filed with outreach
programs get investigated by police. There were 691
cases of same-sex domestic violence reported in San
Francisco last year, according to the group. Females
represented 434 of the victims in those cases, 204
victims were male, while 52 involved transgender
victims. The term transgender covers cross-dressers,
transvestites, transsexuals and those born with characteristics
of both sexes.
The reports were compiled by the National Coalition
ofAnti-Violenee Programs, an association of26
groups that advocate for victims of same-sex harassment
and violence. Much of the increase in violence
reports came from the domestic abuse program at the
Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center. That program
receives funding for an outreach and education funding
which elicited more reports than previous years,
Virago said.
In Tulsa, DVIS, Domestic Violence Intervention
Services provides support to Lesbian and Gaycouples.
Shelter services, however, are limited to female and
children only. DVIS has no options for men in need.
For the DVIS 24-hour crisis line, call 585-3143.
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine
*CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Play-Mor, 424 S. Memorial
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*Schatzi’s, 2619 S .’Memorial
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool Box II, 1338 E. 3rd
*Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
*The Ydlow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th
832-1269
610-5323
838-9792
744-4280
585-3405
745-9998
280-1316
834-4234
660-0856
584-1308
835-2376
749-1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 523 1 E. 41
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth
665-4580
712-1122
712-9955
494-2665
743-5272
746-0313
-295-5868
Cherry St. Psychoth.erapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468_
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial 369-8555
Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 592-0460
Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. l~oria 744-9595
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th P1. 610-0880
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. 628-3709
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st 742-1460
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning 459-9349
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E Skelly 745-1111
*International Tours 341-6866
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018 ,
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering 747-0236 ¯
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening 582-8460 :
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15 599-8070 :
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 747-5466 :
*Living ArtSpace~ 308 South Kenosha 585-1234 ¯
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd 584-3112 ¯
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 663-5934 ",
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664-2951
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo 838-7626
*The Pride Store 743-4297 ~
Rainbowz on theRiver B+B, POB 696, 74101 747-5932 [
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617 ¯
Teri Schutt, Ellen & Co. 834-7921, 748-0224 "
Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-7829 "
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558 ,"
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling 743-1733
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767
www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays &Lesbians
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579-9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria
Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6
B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr.
Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston
*Chapman Student Cir., University of Tulsa, 5th H.
Church of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood
*Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation
Council Oak Men’s Chorale
*Ddaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware
743-2363
587-7314
583-7815
583-9780
585-1201
& Florence
587-1314
747=6300
749-0595
748-3888
712-1511
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159, e-maih TulsaNews@earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal
Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry
Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom, Esther
Rothblum, Ma~ Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw
Member of The Associated Press
Issued around the 1 st ofeach month, the entire contents of this
publication are protected by US copyright 2001 by Tulsa
Family News 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 befor publication
unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes the sole
property of Tulsa Family News. Each reader is entitled to 4
copier, of each edition at distribution points.
Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa- Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free SpiritWomen’ s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
*Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
*HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstries,1517 S. Memorial 224-4754
*MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral PI. 748-3111
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tulsa
PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
St. Aidan’ s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882
St. Dtmstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
*St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
Soulforce-OK, Rt.4,#3534, Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
*TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, Gay Comm. Center 743-429/
TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvocacyCoalition,POB2687,Tulsa 74101
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*Tulsa Gay Community Center, 21st &Memorial 743-4297
Unity Churchof Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
BARTLESVILLE
Barflesville Public Library, 600S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
TAHLEQUAH
Stonewal[ League, call for information: 918-456-7900
Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734
Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main 501-253-7457
DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 501-253-6807
Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445
MCC of the Living Spring 501-253-9337
Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253-2776
Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332
Positive Idea Marketing Plans 501-624-6646
White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696
* is whereyou can findTFN. Notall are Gay-owned butall are Gay.friendly.
:
Our House ison Fire
AIDS at 20
Where were on you June 5, 1981 ? Unlike
Pearl Harbor, Kennedy’s and King’ s assassinations,
the Murrah Federal Building
bombing, or the May 3 tornadoes, I doubt
many of us can remember what we were
doing the day the Centers for Disease Controlreported
its first article about a rare
parasiticlunginfection, pueumocystis carinii
pneumonia, that had struck "5 young men,
all active homosexuals." Three of the young
men tested had an inexplicable depression
of their immune function.
Twenty years later, 36 million people
worldwide are HIV positive. HIV/AIDS has
claimed the rich and the famous, the poor
and the homeless, our sisters and brothers.
In a special report in the June 11 issue of
Newsweek, reporter Sharon Begley writes,
"the disease has changed the personal as
well as the political -how we think and how
we love, what we teach our children and
what words we say in public.’"’ The emergence
of the disease first within the gay
community in the United States drew attention
to gay relationships, courage a~d compassion.
As HIV/AIDS ravages black America,
Phill Wilson of Los Angeles speaks to a
congregation and shares a story about the
time his brother accidentally set the house
on fire, and how he and his siblings were
afraid to call the Fire Department because
they did not want people to find out. "Our
house is on fire! The fire truck arrives, but
we won’t come out, because we are at’raid
the folks from next door will see that we’re
in that burning house. AIDS is a fire raging
in our community and it’s out of control!"
We’ve had hopeful moments when it appeared
a vaccine was on the horizon or
treatment s would be able to prevent the
replication of the virus while the body’s
immune system recovered and defeated {he
virus. In reality, HIV continues to spread to
about 40,000 in the US each year and millions
worldwide. The positive news about
improvedmedical treatments for HI,V/AIDS
has softened the effect of early AIDS =
DEATH" prevention messages. Yet no one
has been cured of HIV/AIDS, the medications
required to suppress the virus are ex-
Iremely expensive and has short- and longterm
effects that must be weighed along
with their benefits, and the complexities of
the illness can wear out those who are living
with HIV/AIDS and those who care for
¯ In our eleven years as an organization,
RAIN has served 663 HIV-infected indi-
" viduals, their families and caregivers. One
¯ hundred and thirty four clients are being
¯ served currently - a greater number than at ¯
any time in the past. We see the numbers
¯ increase about 10% monthly as we add new
¯ types of services to meet the needs. Thank
~ you for helping us help others and educate
: aboutHIV/AIDS as we wait and hope for an
effective vaccine and treatment that is avail¯
able for everyone.
- Pare Cross
¯ executive director
Regional AIDS Interfaith Network
by Tom Neal, publisher and editor " ¯ release faxes from the DNC, one welcoming their new
Some days ago I attended a local Democratic party ~ openly Gay and Lesbian staff members and one from
event at All Souls Unitarian Church. Nearly all the usual ." DNC chair, Terry McAuliffe talking about Democratic
party players were there, from Sally Frasier, Doug Dodd, ¯ support for ENDA, the employment non-discrimination
Gary Watts, LindaJordan, Wilbur Collins, Howard Plow- ~ act, just reintroduced again.
man, Keith McArtor, Melani Hamilton ¯ But where are Oklahoma Democrats9
and more whose names you d recogmze.... The purpose of the event was to identify the RIetpsunbollteattnmstbIultlkaet TYoellroewadDthoeg Dstiastpeaptcahrt,"y ynoeuw’dspnaepveerr, k’qno’hwe
issues thatimpact "economicdevelopment
and quality of life in Tnlsa County and the
surrounding, area." A page full of issues
was presented from education, to parks to
urban development and more.
But what was strikingly absent was any
reference to civil rights, fair employment
issues or hate crimes. Of course, being the
shy person I am about such "oversights," I
asked. I expected that this was the usual
obliviousness - that nobody thought of
that - but I was shocked to be told that
TulsaCounty Democratsjust don’twantto
deal with any "negatives." They are tired
of being beaten up about "God, guns and
Gays."
We, in contrast, are tired of being beaten
up just for being. A few days before this
meeting, a Tulsa Gay man leaving a local Gay business
was targeted at random by an angry heterosexual man. He
was followed and brutally assaulted and probably only
survived being beaten to death because, onehew~paying
attention and was able to get help, and two, he’.s a pretty
big man himself. Any number of us go to that same
business, leave alone and I know that I, at 5’-9" and 145
pounds, would have fared much worse at the hands of the
assailant who was 6’-4" and probably 2~0 pounds. I’d
probably be dead.
Ourability to go through ordinary life with areasonable
expectation of not being beaten senseless because we are
Gay, or merely thought to be Gay, is what I call a"quality
of life" issue. For that matter,.b~ing able to keep our j0bs
based on our.performance rather than our identity is also
a "’quality of life" issue. And workplace discrimination
does happen inTnlsa as formerTOHRleader Kelly Kirby
and others (including me at my other job - the one I do
when I’m not newspapering) have experienced. SO where
the hell are these Democrat yahoos coming from?
Neither Tulsanor Oklahoma Democrats have ever done
much for Gay Oklahomans (Don Ross, Maxine Homer
and Bemest Cain ofOklahomaCity being the exceptions).
No member of the Tulsa City Council nor the current and
useless mayor have done anything to address the very real
issues of Gay and Lesbian Tulsans. I don’t consider the
appointment and approval of one or two Gay people,
"enough."
Contrast Oklahoma attitudes with those of the Democratic
National Committee. I have inhand tworecent press
.Valdez and the other man took Barron’s body and burned
It. Valdez later confessed to friends and authorities. He
testified that he killed Barron because Barron propositioned
him.
Mexican officials, including President Vicente Fox,
said Valdez’s rights were denied when he was not given
access to the Mexican consulate following his arrest. The
Mexican government did not learn of Valdez’ s case until
April 19 - 11 years after he was sentenced to death.
Mexican officials said the outcome of Valdez’s trial
would have been different had he been represented by
Mexican consular officials.
KeatJng conceded the Mexican national’s rights were
violated under international law, but said that did not
affect the trial’s outcome or Valdez’s death sentence.
least we know where
we stand with them.
Democrats know
what’s the right thinS
to do - they just don’t
want to do lt.
Our money and votes
may be welcome but
otherwlse we’re
just a "negative"
for them . . ."
that there were Gay Oklahomans or issues.
And looking at the Human Rights Campaign
(HRC) website for co-sponsors of
ENDA, there are, of course, no Oklahomans
listed.
Now none ofus expect that JC Watts, or
Istook or Nickles, or Largent, or the anti-
Christ himself, Jim Inhofe, will sponsoring
a bill to treat their own Gay citizens
fairly. We may not like it but we know
where they stand.
But where is Brad Carson? Brad’s supposed
to be our friend; supposed to understand
our issues - and he certainly took our
money, Gay money (and is still asking for
it) in campaign. According to his press
boy, they couldn’t take apositiononENDA
because it hadn’t been reintroduced. But
¯
now it has and as of July 31, Brad Carson remains missing
from action.
¯ Now ourmanin Washington, Tulsa point person for the
¯ Human Rights Campaign, Marty Newman, says anything
¯ he takes to Carson, Brad signs. So this is where we see if
¯. Mr. Carson is a new Democrat, or more of the same old.
I’ve both said and written it before but while Oklahoma
" Republicans say awful things about us, and sometimes do
: awful things to us, it’s been Democrat majorities in both
Oklahomahonses whichpass anti-Gay bills. And it’s been
" Democrat majorities and often a Democrat governor
¯
who’ve failed to do anything about the harassment and
¯ discrimination which Oklahoma Lesbians and Gay men
¯ experience. That is Democrats wlio’ve made it more a ¯
crime to topple inmfimate Jewish-headstones than to-
" pound the ribs and bloody the faces of Gay men.
¯ It’s not that I like the Republicans but at least we know
: where we stand with them. Democrats know what’s the
¯ right thing to do- theyjust don’t want to do it. Our money
: and ~otes may be welcome but otherwise we’re just a
o "negative’! for them.
¯ Democrats could show leadership and could educate,
responding to prejudice by appealing to universal Ameri-
¯ can values of fair treatment for all (to the question, "are
you for homosexual rights?" they could say, "no, I’m for
¯ fairness for all people.") but i"nstead they run fromus and
from the issues.
¯ Call me overly optimistic but I believe that they and we
can do better. I think that courage and honesty might just
¯ give them a better chance of being elected.
" The clerk, according to Smith, showed thepolice thecaller
," i.d. which showed the name and number of the attacker.
¯ Tulsa Police proceeded to arrest the man with Smith
¯
confirming his identity. Allegedly the attacker told TPD
¯ that he had had some sort ofdifficulty with a Gay man with
¯ whom he works and that he wanted to beat up a "fag" in
¯
response. Smith just happened to be the one he chose.
: Editor’s note: "Joe Smith" is, obviously, apseudonym
¯ for themanwho was attacked used at the requestofSmith ¯
and clearly TFN also is not naming the particular club
¯
from which Smith was followed. The particulars don’t
: really change the nature ofthe attack and all clubpatrons
¯ and owners would do well to use caution.
And as much as TFN li’kes "breaking" a news story, it
" is also troubling that none of Tulsa’s "mainstream"
media have reported this incident. Such coverage helps
reinforce a climate in which anti-Gay hate is tolerated.
Faith Based Discrimination
By HRC Executive Director, Elizabeth Birch
WASHINGTON - Since George W. Bush became
president, HRC has been a vigilant watchdog to see how
thenew administration will handle issues of concern to the
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community. The
current battle over President Bnsh’s faith-based initiative
-including the SalvationArmy-is a critical test and sadly
appears to reveal the administration’s true colors.
We were stunned when we learned the administration
and the Salvation Army were using our lives as bargaining
chips in a secret backroom deal. And we are gravely
disappointed that President Bush and Vice President
Cheney sanctioned discrimination against GLBT Americans.
In a vote orchestrated by the GOP leadership in the
House of Representatives, they pitted important faithbased
services against important civil liberties. Their
actions were unnecessary, divisive and created conflict
where there could have easily been consensus.
The White House-backed Community Solutions Act
H.R. 7 offered by Reps. J.C. Watts, R-Okla., and Tony
Hall, D-Ohio passed July 19 in the House. The bill would
override state and local civil rights laws by allowing
religious organizations to discriminate in employment
decisions and in the provision of services. The measure
would effectively allow our tax dollars to be used to
discriminate against us in places where state and local
!aws prohibit discrimination against GLBT Americans. If
it becomes law, this bill would create a situation where
many GLBT Americans would be publicly subsidizing
their own discrimination.
The Human Rights Campaign recognizes and supports
the critical work performed by many faith-based organizations.
We support the principle of religaous liberty. But
the bottom line is ourcountry should notfunnel tax money
to groups that actively discriminate. Religious freedom
and freedom from discrimination must harmoniously coexist
and thrive together in a democratic society.
In letters, phone calls, appeals to the grassroots and
countless hours of lobbying, HRC, coalition parmers and
fair-minded members of Congress gave the administration
and the House Republican leadership every opportunity
to fix this bill. Rep. Mark Foley, a moderate Florida
Republican, and Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., both prepared
amendments to H.R. 7 to fix the bill. Both were
rejected by the leadership.
Whenthe bill reached theHouse floorJuly 18, it became
crystal dear that we had succeeded in lining up enough
votes to send it back to the Judiciary Committee to remove
the offending language. It was then that the administration
and the House Republican leadership temporarily pulled
the bill in order to engage in a ferocious - and ultimately
successful - effort to twist the arms of some two dozen
moderate Republicans to oppose any change to the bill.
The hypocrisy of the administration and the House lead-
.ership on this issue is astounding. We are struck by the
~ncongruous position of"states rights" conservatives who
have long trumpeted local control, only to mn roughshod
overstate and-~&:al-civil rights laws. 2~eir mantra of-state
and local control is thrown out the window when it comes
to GLBT Americans. Moreover, it is clear the administration
is attempting to accomplish through legislation what
they were unable to accomplish through a regulatory deal
with the Salvation Army.
This battle now moves to the Senate. By ignoring pleas
to fix the.bilF s shortcomings, the administration has made
passage m the Senate demonstrably more difficult for
itself. Because what happens in Washington does matter,
we are calling on every GLBT American and those who
care about us to challenge the White House to support a
Senate version of this bill that does not discriminate
against GLBT Americans. Call President Bush at 202-
456-1414 and tell him: "It is wrong to use federal funding
- including my tax dollars - to support programs that
exempt religious organizations from civil rights laws."
And consider this: Thousands uponthousands ofAmericans
received their notice of a tax.refund on July 19. Think
about reinvesting that refund in the battle for GLBT
equality. None of it happens without you.
Partner of Woman Killed
By Dogs Wins Ruling
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Lesbian partner of a
woman mauled to death by dogs earlier this year
scored a stunning court victory as ajudge allowed her
wrongful death suit to proceed to trial. Judge A. James
Robertson II agreed with the arguments of Sharon
Smith’s attorney that California state law has created
a barrier for her by not allowing same-sex couples to
marry, thus precluding them-from seeking benefits
available to married couples.
However, the Equal Protection provision of the state
Constitution prevents such exclusions, thejudgeruled.
Smith’s attorney, Shannon Minter of the National
Center for Lesbian Rights, was elated with the ruling.
’‘This is a remarkable day. This is the first decision
of this kind, not just in California but anywhere in the
country," Minter said. "It’s a tremendous victory for
Lesbian ,and Gay people in the United States."
Smith s civil Suit against the dogs owners is under
legal scrutiny since the Lesbian couple could not
legally marry inCalifornia. T~.at puts Smith’ s status as
a surviving spouse in quesuon. Smith sued Robert
Noel and Marjorie Knoller, the caretakers of.two large
presa canario dogs that killed her partner, Diane
Whipple, Jan. 26 as she stood in her apartment hallway.
Minter argued that the Equal Protection provisionof
the California Constitution does not permit Smith, or
any large class of persons, to be excluded from rights
or benefits afforded to others as shepursues her wrongful
death claim. Judge Roberston agreed that the case
was breaking new ground. "No case has been decided
under these arguments," Robertson said.
Malriage for heterosexual couples, Minter argued,
is proof of a legal union. "But for same-sex couples it
is no test at all," Minter said,,. "(Marriage) is not
anything available to them in the first instance...
There is literally nothing Sharon and Dianne could
have done to formalize theirrelationship," Minter said.
Smith choked back tears after the hearing and said it
was an emotional moment for her.
A bill addressing the issue of same-sex benefits is in
motion at the state Capitol. Proposed bill AB25, sponsored
by Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, passed
through the Assembly with a 43-21 vote, and.is currently
in Appropriations awaiting action. The bill
would allow same-sex parmers to get the same health
¯ benefits, disability and unemployment coverage and
retirement pensions as married men and women.
No trial date has been set. Noel and Knoller did not
appear and remain behind bars on charges related to
the fatal attack. Knoller, who was present at the time of
the attack, faces the more serious charge of seconddegree
murder.
_Womens Basketball
Teams Seek Lesbian Fans
DETROIT (AP) - Facing league-wide drops in attendance
and television ratings, the Detroit Shock and
other WNBA teams are hosting events with Gay and
Lesbian groups in hopes of creating a loyal fan base.
Detroit plays the Cleveland Rockers at The Palace
on Saturday for pride night, an event coordinated with
Ferndale’ s Affirmations Lesbian and Gay Community
Center. As part of the arrangement, a portion of each
ticket purchased in conjunction with Affirmations will
be donated back to the center, and the Shock also are
providing25free tickets formembers ofAffirmations’
youth group to attend the game.
A post-game tailgate party will be heldat a nearby
restaurant, which has promised to donate half the
proceeds to the community center. "We’re doing it to
raise awareness, with the Shock organization, that
their Lesbian fan base is huge," said Juli Siagkris-
Seymour, director of development at Affirmations.
The event is notjust motivatedby the league’ s desire
to reach out to specific groups. With attendance and
television ratings heading downhill, teams are looking
at different ways to attract and keep fans. Mary Rogers,
director of Shock promotions, said the Affirmations
event is just one of several promotions team officials
are using to try and boost their attendance numbers.
The Shock’s relationship with the Gay and Lesbian
community isn’t ne~v. Since their inception in 1998,
the Shock have worked with Between The Lines, a
local Gay and Lesbian magazine, and players have
made charity appearances to sign autographs at pride
festivals.
Other teams are getting involved as wall.
In May, the Los Angeles Sparks made a promotional
appearance with Girl Bar, a 12,000-member Lesbian
dub and’Sparks sponsor. The Miami Sol alsohaveheld
public appearances for Lesbians.
The Sacramento Monarchs planned a Gay pride
night last weekend - the first time the team has dedicated
a night to the Gay community. A pre-game
concert was part of the deal, along with a Gay pride Tshirt.
"Just like we’re reaching out to the swim community
and the military community, we’ re reaching out to
the Gay and Lesbian community," said Monarchs
spokeswoman Sonja Brown. ’:Whatever we can do to
add value to the experience of that particular group."
Along with Detroit, the Minnesota Lynx and Phoem.’
x Mercury are adverfising in Gay and Lesbian magazanes.
WNBA president Val Ackerman said the league
invites everyone to come be a fan. "We’ve tried very
hard to be an inclusiveleague," Ackerman said. "That’ s
the beauty of basketball and the WNBA. We’re really
proud of the diversity of our fans, our players and our
staff. But what unifies everybody is what goes on out
there (on the basketball court)."
Boston Minority
FirefightersAllege Bias
BOSTON (AP) - Gay and minority firefighters claim
racist, sexist and homophobic treatment in the department
is going unchecked, causing some to fear doing
their jobs.
Karen Miller, who is Gay and black, said harassment
by both white and black male firefighters drove her to
a desk job with the department. She said that when she
rushed to emergency calls at her Bostonfire station, she
found broken glass inside her boots. Other times, her,
oxygen mask and gloves were missing.
"The incidents of racism, sexism and homophobia
have never been properly dealt with by the Boston Fire
Department, and the individuals that are creating the
problem are more than just a few bad apples," Miller
said at a news. conference.
The Coalition for Firefighters’ Civil Rights, which.
includes civil fights and commtmity groups and a
minority firefighters association, planned to seek the
help of the City Council later.
Thehead of the Boston firefighters’ union dismissed
the group’s, complaints. "We’ve made tremendous
Strides in bringing everybody back together again,".
said Jack McKelma, president of the International
Association of Firefighters Local 718, the Boston
firefighters’ union. "I think this is a lot of hype."
But critics say the number of complaints among the
1,600 city firefighters indicates otherwise. "If there’s
this much smoke there’s got to’be fire somewhere,"
said Joseph Provanzano, atrattorney whosefirm represents
firefighters, including Miller, in employment
discrimination suits.
The fire department has been without a commissioner
since 1999 and has been embroiled in a bitter
contract dispute with Mayor Thomas Menino for two
years. The minority fights group also wants Menino to
search for a new fire commissioner from outside the
department, and to appointacommittee to deal with the
department’ s shortcomings. The city did not intend to
reply to the complaints in advance of the City Council
Find out for yourself how goo.d the Lord is! - Ps. 34:8
Come s.hare the
goodness of the
Lord with our
community
Sunday Morning
11:00 AM
3hildren’s Worship
During Service
MCC United
Rev. Cathy Elliott, Pastor
1623 N. Maplewood (918)838-1715 mcctulsa@aol.com
Community
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
at Community ofHope
2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595
A Welcoming Congregation
HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm
1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754
The Open Arms Project
Young Adult Support Group
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
918-584-2325
Mingo Valley Flowers
9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145
918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-A, AA-5934
Family Owned & Operated
Trinna L W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW
Ghild, Family, Individual & Gouplo Psychothorapy
(918) 743-9559
2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518
The Pride Store
21st Street & Memorial
Tulsa Gay Community Services Center
743-GAYS (743-4297)
6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday
12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center
TOM NEAL
BUILDING & GARDEN
DESIGN
583- 1248
Red Rock Tulsa
Free Confidential HIV Testing
Walk- in Clinics
Tues. & Thurs., 5 -8 pm
at the Center, 1307 East 38th
Daytime appointments available.
Call for more information:
918-584-2325
G
American Red Cross
American Red Cross
Tulsa Area Chapter
10151 East Eleventh
Tulsa 74128
Dannette McIntosh
.Diversity Co-ordinator
838-1100
OPENARMS
OPENMINDS
OPENI-IFARFS
Saint Aidan Saint Dunstan
4045 N. Cincinnati, 425-7882 5635 East 71st, 492-7140
Saint John Trinity
4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381 501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128
The Episcopal Church Welcomes You
hearing, said Carole Brennan, the mayor’s spokeswoman.
The complaints have drawn the attention of Justice
Department investigators, who interviewed minority
firefighters in March, said Dana Johnson, an associate
of Provanzano. A city-commissioned report, released
!n January 2000, found the department has fallen short
in some administrative areas, including recruiting minotifies
and women.
’Nightline’_Show Stirs
Controversy
NEW YORK (AP) - A planned "Nightline" series on
homosexuals’ lives has caused a furorjnst from its title
alone. Since the weeklong special,"A MatterofChoice?
Gay Life in America," was announced, dozens ofGays
have contacted the program to complain. It prompted
"Nightline" executive producerTom Bettag to post an
explanation on the ABC News Web site. But he’s not
changing the title of the report, tentatively scheduled
for late September.
Most activists believe that their sexual orientationis
at least partly a matter of biology, not something they
choose as a result of cultural or psychological influences.
" "A Matter of Choice?’ is an easy title that
piques curiosity and stirs controversy, but it does so at
the expense of the people it’s profiling," said Cathy
Renna of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
Bettag, in his posted response, said that although
many Gays believe the question has been resolved~
scientific and religious arguments remain. "It is ourjob
to ask the questions that make society examine itself,"
he said. ABC News has gotten anti-Gay e-mails,
Bettag said, including one person who wrote that if
ABC talks about homosexual life, "’we hope you will
make it dear that this is evil."
In the series, "Nightline" will examine teen-agers
struggling with their sexual identity, the experiences
of people in a homosexual retirement community and
the aftermath of a Gay community’s uprising after ~
hate crime in Roanoke, Va.
Renna said it’s just the sort of in-depth examinatioI
of homosexual life that GLAAD supports, but she’s
concerned many people won’t watch it because they
don’t like the rifle. "It’s just really an unfortunate
decision not to reconsider this rifle," she said.
City of Houston Passes
Anti-Bias Law
HOUSTON (AP) -Anondiscrimination law to protect
Gay city employees has been revived seventeen years
after it was overturned by voters in referendum. Houston
City Council members passed the law, which
protects employees on the basis of sexual orientation,
race, gender, age and other factors.
About 20 people in the audience burst into applause
alter the vote. "It is something that is long overdue and
years m the making," said Councilwoman Annise
Parker, a Lesbian who was instrumental in getting the
law passed.
Mayor Lee Brown voiced his approval of the vote.
"The Constitution guarantees that we all have the same
opportunities, the same rights," he said to the Houston
Chronicle. "As mayor, I want to make sure that I do
everything in.my power to make sure that that carries
out as part of city government."
Parker added, though, that she had mixed feelings.
She said by arguing against the. proposal, council
members sent a message that even in 2001 they question
whether Gays should be treated equally. The City
Council voted in 1984 for a similar nondiscrimination
law, but voters overturned it in a 1985 referendum.
Shortly after taking office in 1998, Brown issued an
executive order banning discrimination against Gay
city employees. Councilman Rob Todd filed an injunction
against it, and it was held up in court for years.
Last month, however, the Texas Supreme Court ruled
that Todd did not have the legal right to stop the
executive order, which allowed the order to stand.
Earlier thi s year, Brown proposed extending benefits
such as health insurance to the same-sex partners
of Gay city employees. He later withdrew the propo.
sal, saying the council should first adopt a nondiscnnnnatlon
law to protect employees who want to
make use of the same-sex benefits.
Brown said that he still plans to have the council vote
on same-sex benefits, but he does not know when.
Boston Scout Council:
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
BOSTON (AP) - Officials of one of Massachusetts"
largest Boy Scout councils bdieve that its new bylaw
allowing Gay scoutmasters under a "don’t ask-don’t
tell" policy does not violate the national ban against
homosexuals.
"Discussions about sexual orientation do not have a
place in Scouts," Brock Bigsby, Scout executive for
the Massachusetts Minuteman Council, told The Boston
Globe. "The Scouts will not inquire into a person’ s
sexual history, and that person will not expose their
sexual orientation one way or the other." The Minuteman
Council, an umbrella organization of 330 Scout
troops and 18,000 boys in Greater Boston, approved
the bylaw July 19. The policy also prohibits the exclusion
of anyone on the basis of race or religion.
No Longer A Gay Place
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - Sixty years ago, residents
changed the name of their street here to Gay
Place to avoid confusion with a similarly named street
nearbv. Now, people living on the thoroughfare near
Charl~ston’s downtown want to change the name of
the street because of a different type of confusion.
"The word ~Gay’ isn’t like what it used to be. It’s not
about being happy. It’s something different now," said
Lavinia Dash, one offour residents petitioning the city
to change Gay Place back to its original name of
Moultrie Place. The city made the name change in
1939 because Moultrie Place intersected with Moultrie
Street, causing confusion.
A Mount Pleasant couple pushing to change the
street’s name said they are doing it for historical, not
9olitical reasons. Daria Pyshe Smith and her husband,
John, are renovating two homes on the street. She said
she’s heard the chuckles when she talks about owning
a home on Gay Place. "We’re grown-ups. We can
handle that. It’s not a big deal," she said.
"But the heritage is what we want to show. Moultrie
- that’s a name that really has some meaning," Smith
said. "It’s historical here. It has historic integrity to the
area. Isn’t that what Charleston is based on?"
The push to change Gay Place’s name saddens
Warren Gress, who serves on the board of the Alliance
For Full Equality, a group that supports Gay civil
rights. "It really is tragic that they have to feel badly
about someone presuming that because they live on
Gay Hace they might be Gay," he said. "It’s sad that
people have to change a name because of negative
connotations that are given to a group in our society."
Anti-Bias Conference
Excludes Gays
GENEVA (AP) - Under threat ofa U.S. boycott about
an anti-Israel position, delegates from more than 100
nations began a final effort to salvage the World
Conference Against Racism. Organizers had claimed
to be inclusive, but one of the first acts was to exclude
the International Gay and Lesbian Association from
the list of accredited non-governmental organizations.
The vote was 43-43 with 27 abstentions. Under conference
rules ties equal no votes.
Satcher Calls for
Better HIV Effort
LOS ANGELES (AP) - U.S. Surgeon
General David Satcher told a forum
Wednesday that there should be greater
community and family involvement in the
treatment and prevention of HIV.
The event brought together scientists
and community advocates to discuss ways
for communities to address the impacts of
HIV and AIDS. Satcher suggested the
country take a more open view toward
understanding human sexuality.
"It’ s so difficult to get American people
to talk about sex," he said. "Parents should
be the primary sex educators." Satcher
saidit is as importantnow as it everwasfor
children to be educated about HIV and
AIDS. "We feel it is important that young
people be armed with information," he
said.
Satcher reiterated statements hemade in
a report on sexual health released .last
month, calling for increased sex education
in schools and families and wider acceptance
of Gays and Lesbians.
The surgeon general’s report had engendered
controversy whenitwas initially
released because of its support for teaching
children about condom use in addition
to abstinence. President Bush has called
for increased federal funding of "abstinence-
ouly" sex education programs.
But Satcher defended his report, saying
the positions he advocated would help the
country face the issues associated with
HIV. "We as a nationhave not alio,.wed the
best available public health science to affect
our policy-making," he said.
Other scientists and researchers at the
forum said they were excited about the
t)pportunity to discuss prevention ando~er
issues with community members. After
Sateher’ s keynote address, researchers and
scientists took part in small-group sessions
to discuss topics like "Disparities in
HIV Prevention Programs for Families."
"If we did our work only at universities
... wemight write some interesting papers
but they would just sit on library shelves
and not be of any use to people," said Dr.
Steven Hyman, director of the National
Institute of Mental Health. The UCLA
AIDS Institute co-sponsoredthe eventwith
Drew University of Medicine and NIMH.
’¢I’hose drugs and vaccines we hope for
today are going to come too late, so the
only weapon we have is prevention," said
Dr. Irvin Chen, director of the UCLA
AIDS Institute.
Nigeria Using
Generic HIV Drugs
UNITED NATIONS (AP)- Nigeriaplans
to launch the largest AIDS treatment program
in Africa using cheap generic drugs
on Sept. 1, a U.N. special envoy said.
The 10,000 adults and 5,000 children
who will receive a drug cocktail are just a
tiny fraction of the more than 2.6 million
Nigerians infected with the HIV virus that
causes AIDS.
But the Nigerian government’s commitment
demonstrates that within Africa
efforts are under way to tackle the epidemic
that has infected about 26.5 million
people across the continent, said Stephen
¯
Lewis, special envoy of Secretary-Gen-
¯ eral Kofi Annan for HIV/AIDS in Africa.
: "It’s a quite extraordinary intervention,
¯ ameasure ofthepresident’ s determination
¯ thatthey maintainthelevelofthepandemic
¯¯ where it is and try to turn it back," Lewis
told a press conference. ’Whey recognize
: that if Nigeria fails, then much of Mrica
will fail."
¯ Nigeria, which is an unlikely country,
: was patched together by British
¯ colonialists. The most populous nation in
: Africa with 123 million people, Nigeria
¯ combines hundreds of ethnicities and lan-
¯ guages in West Africa.
~ Botswanain southern Africa, whichhas
¯ a population of only 1.6 million, has the ¯
world’s highest rate of AIDS infections. It
¯ will launch a treatment program using
: anti=retroviral drugs in early 2002,.he said.
¯ At the first U.N. conference on AIDS
¯ last month, Nigerian President Olusegun
¯ Obasanjo warned that "the prospect of
: extinction ofthe entire population of a
¯ continent looms larger and larger." He ¯
called for cancellation of Africa’s debts
: and international help. But he also took
¯ action himself. ¯
¯ Obasanjo sent his health minister to Indiaafew weeks ago tonegotiatewiththe
¯ pharmaceuticalcompanyCiplaLtd.,which
¯ makes generic AIDS drugs. ¯
In February, Ciplaoffered to sell a three-
" drug AIDS cocktail to nonprofit agencies
¯ for $350 a year per African patient - pro-
- vided the patients weren’t charged. The
¯ company said at the time that African
¯ governments could purchase the same
drugs for $600 per patient.
¯ But the Nigerian health minister was ¯
able to negotiate a $350 a year per patient
¯ deal with Cipla, Lewis said.
i : dizTeheabNouigt e8r0ia%n Ogof vtheerncmoestn,tbwutillpastuiebnstis-
: who receive treatment will have to pay
¯ between $7 and $8 a month, Lewis said.
Nigeria intends to use a six-drug regimen
for 60% of the patients and a two-
" drug regimen for the other 40%, he said.
¯ The drugs are expected to have similar
¯. results, but the government will monitor
and evaluate how patients cope with the
¯ different programs, which will be administered
by Nigeria’ s teaching hospitals, he
¯ said. ¯
"Itis the government’ s intention on Sept.
¯ 1 tobegin aprocess ofanti-retroviral treat-
- ment in Nigeria which will be at least
¯ initially larger than anywhere else on the ¯
continent," he said.
: Lewis, who just returned from visits to
: Zambia, Kenya, Rwandaand Nigeria, said
¯ governments a~e anxiously awaiting help
¯ from the global AIDS fund which Annan
¯ proposed. It has received $1.4 billion, but
¯ the secretary-general says it needs $7 bil- ¯
lion to $9 billion annually.
: Despite financial and other obstacles,
¯ Lewis said he was "even more confident"
¯ that Africa could turn the tide on A~DS
¯ than he was before the trip. He cited "the
extraordinary" degree of public aware-
¯ hess of the disease and"the quite profound
¯ determination" of leaders to tackle it.
: In Kenya, parliament unanimously
¯. passed a law last month allowing the gov¯
ernment to suspend patent rights in ames
of emergency, which dears the way for
-" cheaper, generic AIDS drugs. The East
¯ African nation, which has 2 million adults
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living with the HIV virus, is expected to
start importing or manufacturing antiretroviral
drugs shortly, Lewis said.
In Rwanda, only 500 people are receiving
AIDS drugs because the $140 per
month cost is half the average income for
anentire year, Lewis said. ButtheRwandan
government through testing, counseling
and provision of some drugs to HIV-infected
mothers appears to have significantly
cut transmission ofthe virus to their
children.
The U.N. Children’s Program tested 33
children born to mothers who took part in
the program and only two were HIV posifive,
which is just 6%,"much, much lower
than the anticipated rate," he said.
Canadians Gripe
About Bad Dope
TORONTO (AP) - New regulations took
effect in July expanding the number of
Canadians allowed to use medic,at marijuana,
but those eligible say the system
resembles a bureaucratic maze likey to
delay hundreds more from participating.
The rules are part of the first system in
the world that includes a governmentapproved
and paid-for supply of marijuana
for people suffering from terminal
illnesses and chronic conditions such as
multiple sclerosis or severe arthritis.
Patients can grow their own pot, or
designate someone to grow it for them.
addition, the health department is paying a
Saskatchewan company to grOW govemmen.
t marijuana for eligible patients
use rn research.
While medical marijuana advocates in
the United States look at the Canadian
system with envy, some users north of the
border complain hurdles remain in place.
"I still have to fend for myself," said Jim
Bridg.es: 37, who already has government
pernnsslon to use marijuana for the pain
and nausea of AIDS. He automatically
comes under the new regulations, but is
awaiting word on how to submit a photo
for the identification card legal pot smokers
will have to carry.
Almost 300 Canadians such as Bridges
previously were exempted from federal
druglaws thatmakeitacriminal offense to
grow and possess marijuana. Health departmentofficials
sayhundreds morehave
applied, and the figure could reach the
thousands.
Roslyn Tremblay, a Health Canada
spokeswoman, said Monday that application
forms traderthenew regulations would
be available "very soon," but she was
unable to provide a specific date.
Tojoin up, applicants must submit verifiable
medical records and have a doctor’ s
endorsement. Cases except for critically
terminal patients require further supporting
documents from another doctor.
The new rules permit drug possession
for the terminally ill with a prognosis of
death within one year; those with symptoms
associated with specific serious medical
conditions; and those with other medical
conditions who have statements from
two doctors saying conventional treatments
have not worked. Eligible patients include
those with severe arthritis, cancer, HIV/
AIDS and multiple sclerosis.
The government regulations meet a
court-ordered deadline for Canada to create
a system for terminally ill patients
previously exempted from criminal marijuanalaws
to have alegal way to obtain the
drug.
The Canadian Medical Association,
whichrepresents tens of thousands of doctors,
opposes the new regulations because
they make physicians responsible for prescribing
a substance that lacks significant
clinical research onits effects. Without the
cooperation ofdoctors,patients cannot get
medical marijuana exemptions.
Medical marijuana advocates say the
real reason for the doctors’ hesitation is
prejudice. Bridges mentioned one physician
who saidhe doesn’ t want to be known
as a "’pot doctor."
In Flin Hon, Manitoba, a mining town
hundreds of miles (kilometers) north of
the U.S. border, Prairie Plant Systems is
growing marijuana in a former copper
mine under a government contract worth
more than $3.5 million. It expects the first
harvest this fall of marijuana that will be
supplied by the government to eligible
patients andused forresearch on therapeutic
effects. Company head Brent Zettl
employs the same techniques that were
used togrow berries androses inthe tappedout
mine beneath Trout Lake.
Medical marijuana advocates complain
the government marijuana will only have
a 6% content of THC, the primary active
ingredient. They say cannabis with such a
low THCpercentage would be virtually
useless compared to the 15% to 18%THC
street pot.
South of the border, eight U.S. states
have taken some kind of step toward permitring
the medicinal use of marijuana:
California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska,
Hawaii, Maine,Nevadaand Colorado. The
U.S. Supreme Court, however, ruled earlier
this year that there is no exception in
federal law for people to use marijuana, so
even those with tolerant state laws could
face arrest if they do.
"We’re kind of envious of Canadians
having the luxury of complaining about
the minutiae of the program," said Chuck
Thomas of the Washington-based Marijuana
Policy Project.
¯ UgandanAppointed
to Run AIDS Fund
¯ UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Secretary-
" General Kofi Arman appointed a Ugandan
¯ minister on Monday to chair the group that
¯ will establish theglobal fund to fightAIDS
and oi.her infectious diseases.
." Dr. Crispus Kiyonga,’currently a Cabi-
¯ net minister.and acting national political
~ adviser, will work between now and De-
: cember to start up the fund that Aunan
¯ proposed to combat the AIDS epidemic,
¯ associate U.N. spokesman Marie Okabe ¯
said. She said the chairman of theworking
¯ group"will be crucial in bringing together
¯ the widestrange ofstakeholders in support
¯ of the fund." Kiyonga, a medical doctor,
¯ was Uganda’s health minister until last
¯ week and previously served as finance
¯ minister.
¯ Atman has called for a global fund of $7 ¯
billion to $10 billion annually to halt and
¯ start reversing the AIDS epidemic and
¯ fight malariaand tuberculosis. So far, $1.4
I
¯ billion has been pledged to the fund by ¯
¯ governments, foundations and the private i
sector.
Catholic Bishops
& Condoms
¯ PREFORIA, South Africa (AP) - Roman
." Catholic bishops in southern Africa denounced
condoms on as an"’immoral and
¯ misguided weapon" in the fight against
¯ HIV infection but said married couples
with the AIDS virus could use them in
limited circumstances.
The Southern African Catholic Bishops’
Conference said "condoms may even
¯ be one of the main reasons for the spread
¯ of HIV/AIDS," according to a document
¯ released at the end of the bishops’ annual
: meeting.
"Apart from the possibility of condoms
¯ being faulty or wrongly used, they con-
. tribute to the breaking down of self-control
and mutual respect," according to the
statement, readby Cardinal Wilfrid Napier
¯ at a news conference.
¯ Prevention programs should .replace
¯ condom distribution programs with ef-
¯ forts to promote abstention, Napier said.
"This is God’s way. Choose life. Don’t
¯ choose the way of sin or destruction," he
¯ said.
However, married couples could use
¯ condoms if one or both them was infected
¯ and they abstained from sex while the
woman was ovulating, Napier said. This
way, the condom would not prevent the
creation of life. "This is one possibility
during which the condom could be used in
a morally responsible situation," Napier
said
¯ The Vatican had no immediate eom-
¯ .ment. Thebishops’ views carrylittleweight
without Vatican approval.
¯ In his 1968 encyclical "Humanae Vi-
¯ tae," "Of Human Life," Pope Paul VI
¯ reaffirmed the church’ s ban on contraception,
a position that some governments
¯ and AIDS activists say has hindered efforts
to contain the AIDS pandemic.
The southern African bishops’ debate
¯ was provokedbyaproposal for the eonference
to sanction condom use as part of a
¯ widerprogram to stop the spread ofHIVin
Africa, where more than 25 million are
infected with the virus that causes AIDS.
However, the conference, which includes
" bishops from South Africa, Botswana and
¯ Swaziland, rejected that measure. Bishop
¯ Kevin Dowling, who strongly backed the
¯ proposal, left the conference early. He did
: not return a call from The Associated
¯ Press.
¯ Most HIV prevention programs preach ¯
abstinence and monogamy, but they pro-
" .mote condoms -proven effective forhelp-
¯ mg stop HIV transmission - for those
~ unwilling to abstain from sex.
¯ The Treatment Action Campaign, an ¯ advocacy group working to get treatment
¯ for people infected with HIV, strongly
¯ condenmed the bishops’ comments as ¯
"highly irresponsible" and said condoms
¯ remained animportant coruerstone ofHIV
~ prevention. "The Catholic Church is con-
¯ fusing its religious morals with science," ¯
saidMarkHeywood, secretary ofthe group.
¯ The bishops argued condoms promoted
¯ promiscuity and hurt prevention efforts.
Police had been told that Murphy had
bragged to a friend that "he had beat up a
HRC, along with the Four Comers Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual andTransgendercommunity,
is dosdy monitoring the case to
ensure justice, says HRC. The Gay and
Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
(GLAAD) sent a representative to Colorado
to help work with local media on the
intricacies of this case.
’q’his escalation in brutal attacks comes
at a time when Congress can pass the
LocalLaw Enforcement EnhancementAct
and commit this nation to stopping hate
violence," said HRC Political Director
Winnie Stachelberg. The 33-year-old federal
statute currently used to prosecute
hate violence is in need of updating with
the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement
Act. The law now does not cover hate
violence based on sexual orientation, gender
or disability and has an overly re~triclive
element that requires that .the victim
be chosen because he or she was engaged
in a federally protected activity.
The bill now before Congress offers a
sensible approach to help combat these
violent crimes. It would extend basic hate
crime protections to all Americans in all
communities by adding real or perceived
sexual orientation, genderanddisability to
the categories covered and by removing
the federally-protected activity requirement.
The bill would also provide federal
technical and financial assistance to state
and local law enforcement agencies to
investigate and prosecute hate crimes.
In addition to the recent upswing in hate
violence, a new report of alleged anti-Gay
police mi sconductinTexas was brought to
the attention of federal authorities. Last
week, FBI officials, at HRC’s request,
began an investigation of San Antonio
Park Rangers for allegedly harassing and
physically abusing two Canadian tourists
who they referred to as "faggots" while
they were allegedly beaten. "When the
cop saw the Ontario license, he looked to
the other three officers present and said he
had "two Canadian faggots,’ "one of the
victims, Joey Abbruzzese, told the Texas
Triangle. "The officer asked, ’What are
you fags doing in our city?’ "
The article reports that the Rangers then
put the friends through atraumatic episode
.of extreme physical and verbal abuse, using
anti-Gay slurs during repeated beatings
before hauling them off to jail.
In 1999, the last year for which the FBI
has statistics, there were more than 4,000
reported hate crimes based on race, more
than 1,400 based on religion, 1,300 based
on sexual orientation, 830 based on
ethnicity and 19 based on disability. Eighteen
states do not include sexual orientation
inits hate crimes law, and 46 states do
not include gender identity. Five states
have no hate crimes law at all.
by Jim Christjohn, entertainment dude
Hey, kiddies, it is the height of summer,
Lughnasa, and stiflingly hot. And yet,
your intrepid columnist is going on a pilgrimage
in the midst of this heat to Texas,
to an outdoor venue, to experience a visitation
of the Goddess, in the guise of
Stevie Nicks. Talk about dedication! Who
the hell decided she should play outdoor
venues in the midst of this heat wave? I
would like to make a sacrifice of them.
Unfortunately, good pagans eschew such
behavior.
And in other Stevie related news, her
dance single (available at Borders,
CDNow.com, and amazon.com),"Planets
of the Universe" is number 4 on the Billboard
dance charts.
Now, isn’t it odd that I can and would
bet money that none of the DJs here even
know that? Much less play it? If there is a
DJ in town that is in touch with the rest of
the world and playing it, please, let me
know. There’s a free dinner in it for you
¯¯ upon my return from the holier than thou
city. Oh, no, wait: that’s Tulsa. No city can
¯ beholierthanthouthanTulsa, andit’s even
¯ got the preying hands to prove it!
At any rate, faithful readers (and I know
¯
of at least 2), please request it at your
¯ favorite dancing establishment and help
¯ get Tulsa caught up with the rest of the ¯
world.
¯ And now, since yours truly has been
¯ fighting battles, such as unauthorized
¯ charges on his bank account, bank charges ¯
resulting from same, and surly customer
¯ service (can you say oxymoron?) supervi-
¯ sors atTarget, not tomention preparing for
¯ the journey to the altar of the Goddess ¯
(OK, so it’s a stage - whatever. Religion
¯ got its start as Theatre); I will now turn
¯ what’ s left ofthecohmmover to the"staff’
¯ writer at TFN. ¯
By the way, I won those various battles.
¯ I usually do...
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The crowd at the
Mad Anthony Brewing Co. grgws quiet as
Bernadette Gleeson continues her poem.
Around her, there are microphone stands,
stools and speakers. A bass, banjo and
guitar are lined up. It is open-mike night, a
forum usually reservedformusici.aas practicing
their craft or testing out new songs.
But Gleeson does not sing or play an
instrument. Her music come from the
words she speaks.
The piece is called "Peep Through My
Blues," apoem she wrote while in London
as an exchange student two years ago.
Unlike a steady reading for a poetry class,
Gleeson performs herpoem with the gusto
of rapper Eminem. But there is none of the
controversy Eminem is notorious for in
her words: Gleeson expressed her "inner
truths" in a poetry form she "calls "flowetry."
"Flow-etry is expressing truths, enlightening
minds, awareness, understanding
the tight, flight rhymes," Gleeson, 23,
says.
Some may call it spoken word; others
may say it’s rapping. But Gleeson describes
her art as a form of expression that
just comes naturally. "It’ s almost like I can
feelit in my soul," she says. "It’s almost
like a sdf-revelation type Of thing. That’s
how all my flows work."
Words have always been a passion for
her. At 6, she was writing Mother’s.and
Father’ s daypoems inherfirst-grade class.
At 11, Gleeson wrote poems of gratitude
to the woman who inspired her to write
poetry: her sixth-grade teacher.
"She taught me that the English language
is there to play with," she says.
Despite her love for the English language,
it was not her main concern growing
up: Glceson wanted to be the next
Michael Jordan.
"’I wanted to be ~he first woman in the
NBA," she says. "I played every day and
every summer. It was everything for me."
Gleeson pursued her hoop dreams duringjunior
high and high school, playing so
often she would keep a basketball in her
car. But it didn’t stop her from writing
poetry. During games, she would write
rhymes on her shoes. And when it came_
time to say goodbye to the high school
basketball coach, there was only one way
she could express her emotions - with
poetry.
Still focusing on a basketball career,
Gleeson moved to Fort Wayne in 1996
with a basketball scholarship to Indiana
University-Purdue University. The transi-
-tion was hard. She was homesick and.
didn’t get along with the coach.
When Gleeson was dismissed from the
team and lost her scholarship, she sought
solace in poetry.
"I was looking for a way to escape from
that reality. It was somewhere I had control
in my life,"-she says.
For a change of scenery, she traveled
abroad to study in London. There she
focused on her poetry, writing about her
"inner truths." She realized she was a
Lesbian."’I came to terms with my sexuality,"
she says.
And then, Gleeson found the flow. She
had never stopped writing poetry, but now
her words had a different purpose. Her
verses were inspiredby truths she found in
people and in herself. She knew "poetry"
couldn’t aptly describe her spoken-word
form. As she wi~s falling asleep one night,
a name for her art came to her: flow-etry.
"It kind of flashed at me, almost like I can
feel it in my soul," she says.
Returning home, Gleeson started performing
her art. She performed her favorite
flow, "We Are One," for the first time
at the Some Like It Black Cafe in Chicago.
The flow describes the chain reaction of
how one good deed does good to another
person. The experience left a lasting mark
on her.
"It was an incredible feeling - I was
speakingmy traths and they were listening
to me," she says. "This is my purpose; this
is what I really love to do."
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.
THE GILDED AGE
Treasuresfrom the Smitbsonian American Art Museum
9 SEPTEMBER -- 4 NOVEMBER 2OO1
THE PHILBROOK MUSEUM OF ART
2727 SOUTH ROCKFORD ROAD
Rebel Yell:
Stories by Contemporary
Southern Gay Authors
Edited by Jay Quinn
reviewed by Barry Hensley
Tulsa City-County Library
The rural South is certainly not the easiest
place to grow up Gay. Many people
leave their small towns
as soon as possible and
move to whatever metropolis
is close, buttheir
stories remain.
Rebel Yell is a wonderful
compilation of
short stories about
school, church, race,
love, murder, family
dynamics and all of the
other things that make
the American South so
unique.
It reminds us of all of
those "yard-fighting,
teeth-gnashing, biscuiteating,
ugly-dog-raising,
towel-stealing, television pr,a,ying,
neverforgiving, hard-headed people back
home.
Among the better entries:
"Happy Birthday" by David Jaffe, is a
heart wrenching letter written by a young
man to himself, as if his estranged mother
were writing him an birthday note. Recalling
cherished childhood memories, "she"
prggresses to the infamous day that the
boy came out to his parents. "She" reminisces:
"Your old room at home’s the
same. We haven’t changed a thing. Still
that royal blue carpet I always called
’Hideeeous!’ Remember? I exaggerated a
bit, I know, to make my point. That’s me.
You know not to take all my exaggerated
reactions seriously, don’t you, son? And
that bright blue burlap bulletin board I
sewed for youstill hangs over your desk.
And all those maps you used to sit and.
draw and color, all those maps of all those
foreign places- Rhodesia and C~ylon and
"The rural South is
certainly not the easiest
place to ~row up
Gay. Many people ¯
leave their small towns
as soon as possl]~]e and
move to whatever
.metropolis is close, but
their stories remain."
Zanzibar and Manchukuo. I never under-
¯ stood why you couldn’t draw maps.of
: America. Dad and I were always suspi-
~ cious of people from those sorts of foreign
¯ countries. How can you trust someone
¯
who’s so different? Lord knows what to
_" expect."
¯¯ ’¢I’hePreacher’ s Son"byGeorge Singer,
includes allofthedramaimaginable; young
love, gossip, religion,
drugs and murder. The
handsome young
scoundrel, Taylor, beds
just about anyone in
town and finally winds
up in a deadly encounter
with the preacher’s
son. Weall remember a
Taylor type in school, a
sexy troublemaker who
almost always manages
to come out on top.
"Entertainer of the
Year"byJ. E. Robinson,
recalls fun dinner conversation
between a
conservative ¯young
¯ black man and his blind date, who turns
out to be a flamboyant drag queen.
." Perhaps the best is "465 Acres" by Jay
¯ Quilm. Acreage can become such an im-
." portant and emotional issue in the South!
¯ A matriarch and her reluctant son team up
¯ to buy the adjacent acreage fromlongtime ¯
neighbors. The sons of both families, who
¯ have a history together, become the nego-
¯ tlators. Full of grand Southern family
¯ squabbles, it has an unsetding, surprise
¯ ending.
¯ The stories in Rebel Yell remind me of
¯ the recent death of legendary Mississippi ¯
author Eudora Welty. When she spoke at
¯ Tulsa’s Central library a decade ago, I
¯ was mesmerizedby herreadings. She spoke
; ofSoutherntownsandtheirsteamy, some-
" times romantic and often abusive settings.
; So it is with Rebel Yell.
¯ Check for Rebel Yell (and Eudora ¯
¯ Welty’s works) at any Tulsa City:County
Library, or call 596-7966.
Among the attributes mentioned were a
largemeeting space, maybeaperformance
space, all the space 100% accessible to all
regardesss ofability, acourtyard/protected
outdoor space, kitchen, library, food bank,
offices for community organizations, coffee
house, gift shop, elder services, youth
services, kids area, lounge, archives, commtmity
museum, and maybe even emergency
housing, perhaps for young adults
who have been kicked outby their families
because they came out or for victims of
domestic violence.
Organizers also discussed whether the
center could!should be located so that it
could anchor the creation of a Gay neighborhood
as is found in many cities around
the-US.
Organizers said ultimately the goal is to
create apermanentLesbian, Gay, Bisexual
¯ andTransgendered (andfamily andfriends)
¯ community center where, in the words of
¯ Kerry Lewis, TOHR (Tulsa Oklahomans
¯ for Human Rights) president, we can be ¯
"proud to be from Tulsa and to be Gay."
¯ To date, a fundraising campaign fund
¯ has over $65,000 and looks to raise more
¯ to purchase and renovate as needed, a
¯ building for the Center.
¯ Acurrent campaigneffort says let Presi- ¯
dent Bush contribute to a Tulsa Gay com-
" muuity center; specifically people are en-
: couraged to contribute part or all of the
¯¯ income tax refund (which Bush got the
Congress topass) scheduled to bereceived
this late summer to the building fund.
For more information, call the LGBT
Community Center at 743-4297.
by LamontLindstrom ~ ability to ferret out fellow, suspected Gays
Who hasn’t been in a bar, or a bus, or a " through use of coded terms - E.g., "Are
supermarket and overheard someone ¯ there any family bars around here you
whose voice immediately shouted out " could recommend?" - a sort of linguistic
"Gay?"That voice. YOuknow, the swishy ¯ gaydar. But everyone does this to one
Harvey Firestein accent extentoranother.AndGays
that actors mimic when "... Is there a Gay and Straights alike work
they want to play heavyspeech
eommunlty that our identities into our
handed and over-the-top speechforms,playfullyuse
Gay. is solid enou~l~ to language, andcreativelyin-
But does anyone actu- ventnew meanings that we
ally speak like this? Nor- possess in common the
attach to old words and
really, I mean? I have play- same ways of speahln~? phrases.
ful friends who can shift in A community the
So just what in particuand
out of Gay-talk to tell a lar is distinctive about Gay
joke or to make a point, meml~ers of which share talk?Onelinguistfoundno
The accent disappears,
l~nowled~e and use of
difference in the speech of
however, if you ask them women motorcylists, be
about something serious or certain speech forms they Hell’s Angel babes or
mundane-fixing the back
and their implleatlons.9
Dykes on Bikes. Another
porch, maybe, or their trip survey similarly was unto
the dentist. But on the Does Le~hlanlcs exlst.~ able to locate any formal
other hand, there is my Or how about differences in the converbuddy
Errol. Errol is a lo- sations of a group of Auscal
Harvey. He seems to Gayese?... " tralian Lesbian and Straight
have got his needle perma- friends. Scholar Arnold
nently stuck in the Gay-talk groove. Zwicky has suggested that any deviation
Sociolinguistics (the study of language ¯ from normal American masculine speakas
behavior) has gone far to map out vari- . ing style-in whichever direction-may be
ous "speech communities" the members " heard as "Gay." This presumes that.there
of which share a number of language fea- ¯ is not; in fact, one standardized Gay accent
tures and styles. Some of these communi- " - a common Gay way of talking.
ties are ethnic (e.g., the speakers of Black " Yet, how about my bud Errol? He’s
English,a.k.a. African-AmericanVemacu- latched onto something recognizable. Evlar
English or Ebonics); some are geo- ery time he opens his mouth his speech
graphic (regional dialects where " says Gay. Or so,moe telemarketer calls one
California’ s"father"becomes New York’ s . day and you say qla~t boy is Gay !" There
"fada"); some are vocational (lawyers’ ¯ must beafixedset ofphoneticfeatures and
legalese); someareage-linked(youthstyles " intonational qualities out there that Gays
such as the dearly-departed Valley Girl " and Straights alike recognize as homowhine).
And sociolinguistic Deborah sexual, or at least gay-ish.
Taunen has made aheap ofmoney writing ¯ No linguist, however, as far as I know
books about ~’genderlect." She claims that ’. has provided an adequate phonetic and
AmOrican men and women employ differ- " prosadic description of this style. Yet, we
ent speech styles and, as a consequence, ¯ all know it when we hear it. The folk are
often misunderstand one another. ¯ ahead-of linguists here: They describe the
But how about Gays? Is there a Gay ° style as "lisping" or "sissy" or "you talk
speech community that is solid enough to ¯ like a girl!" Here’s one folk description of
.possess in common the same ways of " Gay-talk that I’ve lifted.off the Internet:
speaking? A community the members of ¯ "It’s a certain melody or lilt to the voice..
which share knowledge and use of certain ¯ . some syllables are drawn out longer than
speechformsandtheirimplications?Does " is usual. Wou could compare it (in its
Lesbianics exist? Or how about Gayese? exaggerated form) to the Bette Davis ren-
If there is such a Gay speech commu- " dition of the Word "Daaaahling!" I’d say
nity,how does this include amix of the all- that about 75% of open gays show some
the-way out, the halfway out, the closeted, " sign of "the accent." !’ve heard it all over
men-who-have-sex-withmenbutdenyGay " thiscountryandinEurope-I’mbeginning
identity, and so forth? Do Lesbians corn- . to think it’s genetic."
pose a separate speech commumty? Do Of course"~t’ s n"ot geneti"c. My suspi" ci"on
Bisexuals? How about transsexuals? Fur, " is that Gay-talk consists of a fairly small
thermore, setting up a Gay speech corn- ° set of stereotypical, mostly intonational
munityunav0idablyestablishesaStraight ¯ patterns.Actorsandjokestersshiftintothe
one as well. If these two speech communi- style to cue Gayness, just as they shift into
ties indeed exist, the boundaries separat- " similarly limited and convention styles to
ing them would have to be exceedingly ° cue Chinese, orBostonBrahman, orTrailer
porous. ¯ Trash Okie. A few of us (Errol) have
A number of scholars hunting down " borrowed these linguistic conventions and
Gay speech styles have published their " made them our own-it is a way of talking
work in the collection Queerly Phrased: ¯ that definitely says Gay. Most of us, how-
Language, Gender, and Sexuality (edited ¯ ever, either ignore this hackneyed style or
byAnnaLiviaandKiraHalt). All presume ¯ merely shift into it occasionally when
to have identified distinctly Gay ways of " messing about.
speaking yet many of the conversational Daaaahling my Aaaahss!
features they celebrate as Gay are, in fact, ¯ Lamont Lindstrom teaches anthropolintegral
to human conversation no matter ¯ ogy at the University of Tulsa, and can be
who is talking. One author notes our Gay " reached at lamontl0@yahoo.com
Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC
Certified Public Accountant
a professional corporation
Lesbians and Gay men face many special
tax situations whether single or as couples.
Electronic filing is available for faster refunds.
747-5466
4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135
|GTA member
Call 341.6866
International
Toursfor more information.
TULSA COUNTY
DEMOCRATIC
PARTY
Country Club Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm
College Hill
Presbyterian Church
In response to God’s Love,
College Hill Presbyterian Church
is a community of God’s people
called to tell others the
Gospel of Jesus Christ
through worship,
service, and evangelism.
To nurture our faith, we gather for
worship, prayer,
study and fellowship.
Trusting in a living, loving God,
we seek to become a compassionate
voice for peace and justice.
Our congregation welcomes all
persons who respond in trust and
obedience to God’s grace
in Jesus Christ, and desire to become
part of the membership and ministry
of Christ’s church.
Membership is open to all people
regardless of race, ethnic origin,
worldly condition, marital status, or
sexual orientation.
Sunday Worship, 11am
712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800
(One block west of Delaware and the
University of Tulsa Campus)
by
Tulsa’s only
professional
body-piercing
Tulsa Oklahomans for
Human Rights
(TOHR) invites individuals, businesses and
organizations to attend a media seminar with
GLAAD
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation
Saturday, August 25th.
10 - 3pm at the LGBT Community Center,
21st & Memorial
Featuring
Regan Rhine
GLAAD Education & Outreach Director
For info., call 743-GAYS (743-4297)
ENDA Reintroduced; HRC, PFLAG and
Log Cabin Repu.blicans Comment
WASHINGTON, DC-Apacked hearing i the leadership of a growing group of Reroom
was the setting for the reintroduction : publicanHouse and Senatemembers workof
the Employment Non Discrimination
Act (ENDA) on July 31. All eight lead
cosponsors of ENDA - Senators Edward
Kennedy (D-MA), Arlen Specter (R-PA),
Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), and Jim
Jeffords (I-VT)and Representatives Christopher
Shays (R-CT), Barney Frank (DMA),
Mark Foley (R-FL) and Ellen
Tauscher (D-CA) - were on hand to demonstrate
their strong support for this legislation.
Joining the congressional champions to
discuss the importance of this measure for
thebusiness community was GaryFaTzino,
the Vice President of Hewlett-Paekard,
one of the leaders of corporate America
who have endorsed ENDA.
Despite some hard fought gains on the
local and state level, it remains perfectly
legal to fire a person based on their real or
perceived sexual orientation in 38 states.
ENDA would enact a federal standard of
non-discrimination in the workplace based
on sexual orientation. Far too often, it is
said incorrectly that discrimination does
not exist in the workplace for Gays and
Lesbians. To combat this misconception,
HRC has published Documenting Discrimination,
which outlines many cases
from across the country of anti-Gay discrimination.
Support for this legislation continues to
grow with 181 cosponsors in the House
and 42 cosponsors in the Senate - more
than ever before. For a complete list of
cosponsors, please click on http://
www.hrc.org/is sues/federal_leg/enda/
cosponsors 107.asp. This level of congressional
support is due in part to the nearly
30,000 faxes that were sent by constituents
from HRC’s Online Action Center.
Kirsten Kingdon, PFLAG Executive
Director, said, ’‘Today marks another year
that we speak out on behalf of Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgender workers
and ask Congress to pass ENDA. It also
marks another year that GLBT workers
have been threatened, harassed and fired
because there arenofederal laws to protect
them. This is common sense legislation -
it’s about fairness, equal opportunity and
the right to work without fear ofretaliation
because of your sexual orientation."
A Gallup Poll in June showed that85%
of Americans support equal rights in terms
of job opportunities.
ThePFLAGBoardofDirectors recently
passed a Public Policy Statement which
supports ENDA, but advocates for the
inclusion of Transgender protections in
thelegislation. Thestatementreads, "Many
employees are discriminated against because
of their gender presentation in the
workplace, not necessarily their sexual
orientation. Any and all discrimination is
immoral and unconscionable, andwelook
to our elected officials to set the example
and the law so all people are treated with
dignity and opportunity.
And the nation’s largest Gay Republican
organization applauded the reintroduction
ofthe EmploymentNon-Discrimination
Act (ENDA) this week, and hailed
: ing to ensure that sexual orientation is
." removed as a factor in employment in the
¯¯ United States.
"We applaud the leadership of the Re-
" publican sponsors of ENDA, especially
¯ thenew Republican sponsors, and welook
: forward to working together toward the
: important goal of ensuring that sexual
: orientation is nolonger afactorin employ-
. merit in our country," said Kevin Ivers,
¯ Director of Public Affairs of Log Cabin
: Republicans.
¯ "Together, we share a common goal
¯ with avastmajority oftheAmericanpeople
’ - merit should be the sole criterion ofhow
¯ people arejudgedinthe workplace: Sexual
~ orientation should not be a factor in em-
¯ ployment."
¯" "For all of us who strongly support the
¯ importantand achievable goals thatENDA
¯ represents, it is more important than ever
; to work cooperatively across party lines
¯ with the Senate, House and the Bush Ad-
: ministration to enact federal legislation,"
¯ Ivers said." ¯
The original GOP sponsors ofE~DA in
¯
the 107thCongress are Senator Arlen Spec-
¯ ter (PA), Congressman Christopher Shays
." (CT), Senator Lincoln Chafee (RI), Con-
: gressman Mark Foley (FL), Congressman
¯ JimKolbe (AZ), CongressmanSteve Horn
: (CA), Congresswoman Deborah Pryce
~ (OH), Congresswoman Connie Morella
¯ (MD), Congresswoman Sue Kelly (NY),
¯
Congresswoman Judy Biggert (IL), Con-
: gressman JimGreenwood (PA), Congress-
¯ man Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ), Con-
: -gresswoman Nancy Johnson (Cq’), Con-
" gressman Sherwood Boehlert (NY), Con-
¯" gressman Jim Leach (I.A), Congressman
Ben Gilman (NY) and Congressman
¯ _Wayne G-ilchrest (MD).
¯ Joining as an original Senate sponsor is
: Senator Gordon Smith (OR), who LCR
¯ endorsed in his 1996 Senate campaign. ¯
Joining as original House sponsors were
¯ threefreshmenGOPmembers-Congress-
.- man Mark Kirk (IL), Congressman Mike
¯ Ferguson (NJ) and Congressman Rob
: Simmons (CT), all of whom LCR en-
: dorsed in 2000.
¯ ENDA would make it an unlawful era- ¯
ployment practice to discriminate on the
: basis of sexual orientationinhiring, firing,
¯ training or providing employment oppor-
¯ tunity. It contains exemptions for reli-
: gious organizations, themilitary, andbusi-
¯ nesses with fewer than 15 employees, and
: prohibits affirmative action, preferential
¯ treatment, quotas, disparate impact claims ¯
and EEOC statistical collection on the
_" basis of sexual orientation. The bill provides
remedies largely in line with Title
: VII 0f the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and
¯
also states that same-sex partner benefits
¯ are not mandated by ENDA.
¯ LCR has been involved with and has ¯
supported theENDAeffort, since the origi-
¯
nal drafting in 1994, and the legislation
¯ has steadily gained Republican support as
¯ modifications have been added. A previ-
: ous version of ENDA failed in the Senate
¯ by one vote in 1996.
September 4-9, 2001
Tulsa Country Club
Call 1-877-583-9925
for tickets and information
HOTt~"
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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[2001] Tulsa Family News, August 2001; Volume 8, Issue 8
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
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Tulsa Family News
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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August 2001
Contributor
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James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, July 2001; Volume 8, Issue 7
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English
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/615
"Nightline"
AIDS
anti-bias conference
anti-bias law
Bishops
Boston
Boy Scouts
businesses
Canada
Charleston
churches
Community Center
condoms
Council Oak Men's Chorale
David Satcher
domestic violence
Employment Non Discrimination Act
execution
firefighters
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
gay bashing
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HIV testing
HIV treatment
Houston
medical marijuana
Openarms Youth Project
PFLAG
Poetry
Red Cross
Red Rock Tulsa
religion
Republican Party
restaurants
sex offenders
South Africa
Southern Literature
Stevie Nicks
Tulsa County Democratic Party
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
Uganda
women's basketball
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Tulsa PLWA Sues Jail For
Withholding Medicines
TULSA (TFN) - Early in June, the Stipe Law Firm
notified the Tulsa County Criminal Justice Authority,
that it was suing the authority on behalf of Daniel
McClure..McClure, aperson living with AIDS (PLWA)
was arrested onJune 12, 2000 andbookedinto the Tulsa
Jail. Per the notice of tort claim letter, and statements
made to TFN while being held at thejail, McClure was
denied access to his medicines as well as to timely
medical care despite repeated requests. Because anumber
of HIV treatments have strict regimens, failure to
take the drugs at the prescribed tim~" can result in
seriously greater illness.
The letter filed by the Sfipe Law Firm alleges that
"negligence of the Tulsa County Criminal Justice Authority"
has lead to a faster progressirn of McClute’ s
disease, "a.worsening of l~s medical condition and
emotional distress." The.claim is for in .excess of
Parade. +Festival 2001
TULSA ~FFN) - It was a part new event and part old
event. The 2001 Pride celebrations, organized by Tulsa
Okla,.omans for Human Rights (TOHR) had a new
paraae route, alarger festival in the old sit~ and some o
the_same old protesters. The parade featured even more :
church floats anda shorterlength going along Cherry St. "
from Utica to Veterans Park. But true to prior years, a "
handful offundamentalist Christians mostly peacefully ¯
protested along the route. The protesters included some
of .the anti-Gay Fred Phelps cult of Topeka, Kansas.
The night before the parade and festival, the Tulsa
Country Club’w.as the site of a gala fundraising dinner. "
And while the event may have been slightly "
underattended, it was rinsed more funds than any prior
sort of event. Community Hero awardee, Rick Martil
used a spirited auction style to solicit funds from attend: "
ees to match a $5,000 commitment from TOHR supporter
Mark Bouney. NOt only was the match made but "
due to the generosity of Williitms Cos. DiVersity Director
Eric Watson, Who attended with his wife, over "
$20,000 wasraised. The attendence of Mr. Watson on ¯
behalf of Williams was a first for any major Tulsa ."
corporation as was their $5,000 donation. "
TOHR will be ho!ding their monthly meeting onJuly "
10 at 7pro at the LGBT Center and solicits feedback on
the Pride events fl~e. TOHR members also attended ."
the Okla. City parade, carrying the 120’ rainbow flag.
IJJ DIRECTORY
~ EDITORIAL/PRI DE.15HOTOS
US & WORLD NEWS
HEALTH NEWS
ENTERTAINMENT + MORE P, 8
GAY STUDIES/RAGING LESBIAN P, 10/11
P, 2 "
P, 3
P, 4 "
P, 6
~Serving ~Lesbian’ ,.,=,.Gay’ ~~,Bisexual=T~~ans+gend~r~ed¯ Tulsans, O0r.. r__ammesFamili + Friends"
=mo ng¯ -D ’ve¯rs!ty :¯ _P’ ride Everywhere.. NYC,
Tulsa Pride Parade & Festival i San Francmco + Omahti
¯ SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A Lesbian motorcade, which included topless riders waving rainbow flags,
¯ faux nuns, clowns and brides, rode down the street,
: kicking off the city’s 31st Annual Pride Parade and
¯ Celebration.
¯ An estimated 1 million people cheered as the group
¯ of Dykes on Bikes roared their motorcycles on Sun¯
day late in June and led floats of. drag queens, city officials, community groups and marching bands to
." the Civic Center plaza, where the celebration, lasted
¯ all day.
For Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgenders
¯ attending, the parade helped to create an atmosphere
." of acceptance and celebration. It’s also an opportu-
¯ nity to educate people about, their community. The
¯
parade is California’s largest public event and has .
¯ become one of the’world’s best known Gay pride
¯ celebrations.
¯ "Thi s is a great opporthnity to raise the visibility of
the Gay community," said city Supervisor Mark
¯ Lent, who is’ openly Gay and served as one the
¯ p ade s five marshals. S,a~,, Francisco has ,always
been a leader in Gay rights but nationwide, I m still
¯ a second-class citizen," Lent said. The parade is an
¯ opportunity to help oti~ers understand that Gay issues
¯ are everyone’s issues, he said.
The celebration also has became aforum to address
,,: the impact of AIDS on the community.over the past
¯ two decades. "I’m a survivor of the disease," said
David Lyons, an Oaldandresident whohas not missed
¯ aparade since !98l: "Tiffs is a great chance to educate
.you~..g_African-Ameri,¢~, ,~,,Gay people. We can’ t think
’ itself.
The 2001 Diversity Festival willfeature booths & entertaiment.
¯
U.S, Census Sh.ows More Gay
Couples; More Figures to Come ¯ WASHINGTON (AP/TFN)- U.S. census figures released at the ¯
end of last month for five states continue to show a dramatic
increase in the.number of households that comprise same-se~
partners but most likely still undercount the actual number due to
co,n,~,finued anti~.Gay bias, the Hum.an Rights Campaign said.
~ nese newngures continue to show a national trend where
record number of people are willing to acknowledge living in a
household with "a same-sex partner," said David M. Smith.
HRC’s communications director and senior strategist. "While
the census data suggest incredible progress, we believe thi
census continues to undercount same-sex partners because many
people are still not comfortable disclosingi~ a federal survey that
they are in a same-sex relationship. And despite an educational
effort by HRC and other, groups, not all respondents were aware
of the census question. -
s___T~_.e ~ensns ~B,urean released da.ta today for Alabama, Mis-
¯ oun, ~xansas, r~ew York and Ohio. New York reported the
largest number of same-sex households with 46,490, a 238%
increase from the 1990 census. Ohio reported the next largest
tiumber with 18,937 same-sex.households, a 401% increase.
Missouri ranked third with 9,428, a 388% increase. Alabama
reported 8,109 same-sex honseholds, a 659% increase. And
Kansas reported 3,973~ a 514% increas~
’.q’he census data have important social implications because
Americans will become acutely aware that Gay and Lesbian
families are numerous and face discrin~natory barriers in terms
Ofpubh"c poh"cy," stu" d Smi’ th. "Asmore of these families become
visible in their communities, people will work to end the unfair
treatment andlegal discrimination they often face." "
Census figures released also show that the number of same-sex "
unmarried partners in rural areas have. increased slightly. The
most substantial change was in Missouri, where 7,095, (75%) "
same-sex unmarried households are in urban areas while 2,333 "
(25%) arein rural areas. This marks a significant change from the "
1990 census when only 11% (1,711) of same sex unmarried
households were in rural parts of the state see Census, p. 9
G " " bymanywhohavefoughtfor
ay rights. Everybody did the hard work," she said.
’~Now, there are so many non-Gay people who.come
and bring th(ir children: This to me means acceptance.
It gives me a sense of belonging.’"
This year’s event featured several new additions
and promised more diversity than ever, plus a more
family friendly environment, organizers said.
Cecilia Chung, Gay Pride Parade president, estimated
1 million people attended Sunday’s celebration.
.
But the drag queens in sequined dresses and feathers
along with the young, buff men wearing tight
shorts were a bit too much ~or some tourists who got
caught in the middle of the celebration "It’s enlightening,"
said Sally Christenson, 48. "I was naive. I
never thought people would expose themselves to
this extent. You don’t see this in Minnesota."
However in Minneapolis...
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -Anestimated 200,000 people
gathered in Loring Park inMinneapolis to celebrate
Gay pride. "It’s the one weekend of the year where
people can be themselves and not have tO worry," said
TBiw~i N~.n.al~, One ofthe organizers ofl~e 29th annual
in t~mes ~ay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Pride
Festival.
While likely a little less flamboyant than the event
in San Francisco, the turnout in Miuneapolis showed
that statem,,e.n,t above by Sally Christenson isn’t quite
accurate. It s a fun time," said Jolene K,o,stohryz,
who stud she attends the festival every.year. You get
to see a whole bunch of different kinds Of people."
And in Omaha,
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The city’s 17th a.~uualGay
Prideparadedrew hundreds ofparticipants and watchers
as it snaked through 12 downtown blocks. The
theme for the parade was "Phoenix Rising," which
organizers said was a reference to the movement’s
renewed efforts after last year’ s passage of Initiative
416.
see Pride; p, 5
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*~amboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine
*Play-Mor, 424 S. Memorial
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
~Schatzi’ s, 2619 S. Memorial
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*TNT’ s, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool Box II, 1338 E. 3rd
*Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
*The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th
832-1269
610~5323
838-9792
744-4280
585-3405
745-9998
280-1316
834:4234
660-0856
584-1308
835-2376
749-1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Assoc. inMed. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41 665-4580
BodyPiercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15 712-1122
*Borders Books. & Music, 2740 E. 21 712-9955
*Borders B.ooks & Music, 801~ S. Yale 494-2665
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria 743-5272
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria 746-0313
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth 295-5868
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117
Commuuity Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
-*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620
Doghouse on Bro0kside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Me~ofial 369-8555
Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379
Events Unlimited~ 507 S, Main_ ~ 592-0460
Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria 744-9595
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th P1. 610-0880
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. 628-3709
G~y & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st 742-1460
Leanne M. Gross,-Insurance &financial planning 459-9349
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440.
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865-E. Skelly 745-1111
*International Tours 341-6866
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732.E. 15th 712-2750
*Jared’ s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering 747-0236
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening 582-8460
*Ken’ s .:Flowers, 1635 E. 15 599-8070
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 .747-5466
*Li,~ing ArtSpace, 308 Soffth Kenosha 585-1234
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd 584-3112
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 663-5934
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664~2951
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo 838-7626
*The Pride Store 743-4297
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101 747-5932,
;’Richard’s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617
Teri Schutt, Ellen & Co. 834-7921,748-0224
Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-7829
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling 743-1733
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N... Lewis 592-0767
www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays &Lesbians
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579-9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black & White, Inc: POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 583-7815
B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
Chaml~r of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Florence
Church of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood 587-1.314
*Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595
Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888
*Delaware Playh_ouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159, e-mail: TulsaNew.s.@earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal
Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry
Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindst¢om,Esther
Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw
Member of The Associated Press
Issued around the 1 st of each month, the entire contents of.this
publication are protected by US copyright-2001 by Tulsa
Family News and may notbe 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 Tulsa Family News. Each reader is entitled to 4
copies of each edition at distribution points.
Additional copies are avail-able by calling 583~1248:
¯¯ *Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa- Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
¯ Episcopalians; POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
: *Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747:7777
¯ *FreeSpiritWomen’ s Center, call for location&info: 587-4669 ¯
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
¯ Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
¯ *Tulsa C.A.R:E.S, 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
¯ HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378 ¯
*HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstries,1517 S. Memorial 224-4754
¯ *MCC United~ 1623. N. Maplewood 838-1715
¯ NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral P1. 748-3111
: NOW, Nat’l Org forWomen, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658 ¯ OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
¯ *OSU-TUlsa
¯ PFLA-G; POB: 52800, 74152 749-4901
¯ *Planned Parenthood, 1007 S..Peoria 587-7674 Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
¯ R.A:I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
¯ *Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325 ¯
St. Aidan’ S Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882
: St.Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71St 492-7140
: *St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
¯ Soulforce-OK,Rt.4,#3534,Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761 ¯
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
¯ *TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
¯ Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105 ¯
¯ Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights,.Gay Comm. Center 743-4297
" TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvoeacy Coalition, POB2687,TUlsa 74101
¯ T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
: .-*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
¯
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
¯ *Tulsa Gay Commtmity Center, 2Ist & Memorial 743-4297
¯ Unity Church of Christianity,3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
¯ BARTLESVILLE
Barflesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
TAHLEQUAH ~
¯ Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
¯ Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church .918-456-7900
Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360
¯ EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
¯ Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734
." Jim & Brent’.s,Bistro, 173 S. Main 501-253-7457
.. DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 501-253-6807
¯ Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445
¯
MCC of the Living Spring o 501-253-9337
¯ Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253-2776
¯ Old Jallhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332
Positive Idea Marketing Plans 501-624-6646
¯ White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074
¯
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
¯ Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696
: ~ is where youcan find TFN. Not all are Gay-owned but all are Gay-friendly.
Council Oaks Men’s Chorale
As a Gay Dad, I recently experienced a
wonderful first. During the TOHR coordi:
~ J~ation of Tulsa Gay Pride week celebration,
: my younger son, his cousin and a high
¯ school peer of theirs attended their first ever
¯ " gay related function. Since divorcing and
¯ coming out five years .ago, this is the first
time one of my children has attended a gay
: function. Of the varied venues offered dur-
: ing the 2001 Tulsa Gay Pride week, we
chose to attend the Council Oak Men’s
¯ Chorale mini concert heldMonday evening.
at the central library.
¯ This was the first time my son and his
¯ friends had been exposed to the Gay com-
" muuity in such "large numbers", for high
¯
school "kids" accustomed to the top 10 rock/
¯ pop/rap tunes, the concert repertoire was a
¯ - bit austere, however, I am pleased to say
¯ these urban kids, left the concert with a new ¯
refreshing positive attitude and respect to-
" ward the Gay .community at large. As a
¯ compliment, FII tell you that the most re-
. peated comment was... "these guys are
¯
gay?" Fortunately, as we all began to openly
¯ talk during the eveni~ig many typical worn
¯, out"stereotypes andmyths"were dispelled.
Thank you Council Oak guys for your
¯ hard work and continued efforts to be a
¯ positive force and professional face on be-
-¯ half of .our community. You’ ve helped in
part to make a great difference in the con-
: tinuing relationship with my son. I am honored
to consider Council Oak Chorale as
¯ being part of "my extended family". ¯
- Milton-Nunley, Tulsa
¯ Oklahoma City Removes
: Gay Banners Despite Permit
¯ The Gay Pride banners which ~Tere hung
¯ on light poles at the north end of Classen
¯ Boulevard in Oklahoma City cost the spon\
¯ soring organizations $11,000. Their design.
¯ was approved in advance by the City of
¯ Oklahoma City. The legal permit to hang
¯ them extended through July 7. For the City
¯ to remove the banners ten days before the
." permit expired is a blatant <~xample of dis-
: crimination against the gay and lesbian or-
,¯ ganizations which followed procedures and
incurred great expense to have the banners
¯ professionally produced and placed on the
." poles.
¯ "No News is Good News" - Oklahoma
: City’ s Gay Rights March and Pride Parade
¯ on Sunday afternoon, June 24, included a
¯ festival beforehand in Memorial Park, with
¯ booths, tables, livemusic, and refreshments ¯
- and a huge street party afterwards. Some
¯ 7,000 to 10,000 participants and supporters
." took part in. the events, which were well
¯ organized; peaceful, and celebrative. That
" the events were poorly reported by the local
." news media - or not covered at all - repre-
¯ . sents more disc.rimination against homo-
. ¯ sexuals.
: Gays and Lesbians struggle to find their
¯ place in a society where, religious leaders,
¯ editorial writers, parents, and teachersjudge
i" them, condemn them, and vilify them for
¯ who they are. Gay teenagers commit suicide
." in far higher percentages than do hetero-
¯ sexual, teenagers.
: see Letters, p. 11
by Tom Neal
Oklahoma Today, the official magazine of the State of
Oklahoma, just released their July/August issue which
features Tulsa. But is it a rather peculiar Tulsa.
Just as once the majoritywhite culture refused to
acknowledge racial minorities, creating a whites only
image, Oklahomt~ Today(OT)has shownTulsaas "straights
only."
Now we should give them a very little credit. They did
get a few black folks in the issue and actually even ones
who are wall regarded in the black community in,~tead of
Tulsa’ s white leadership’ s favorite "acceptable" blacks.
Butjournalists, at least when they really do theirjob, are
supposed to reflect reality. And the reality is that there are
Lesbian and Gay people in Tulsa: we exist. ~
Oklahoma’s oldest Lesbian and Gay organihations are
here: the oldest, the Metropolitan Community Church
United, renamed but still extant, and Tulsa Oklahomans
for Human Rights (TOHR), which runs the Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgendered Community Center, And this
publication has been around nearly eightyears. It would
have taken very little to mention the community center, or
to identify, just as was done for Tulsa blacks, one or
another community leader, or mention a community publication-
as was done of, obviously, The World, but also,
The Oklahoma Eagle and that waste of newsprint, the
prejudiced and anti-Gay Urban Tulsa.
’What’ s baffling about Oklahoma’Today’s failure (~t its
heart, simply to tell the truth about our city) isthat after a
conversation ] had with its editor Louisa McCune about
four years ago, OT ran a mention of the first or second
Pride March (before the first parade). McCune knows that
we exist.
But perhaps the problem doesn’t lie there. Oklahoma
Today publisher Joan Henderson’s response to my coneems
was that when OT featured Oklahoma City some
issues back, they proudly ignored OKC’ s LGBT community
also.
Later in the conversation, she variously suggested that
they could not write about us because they give OT to 4th
graders and theycan’ t write "about sex," thattheir readers
are all about 62 years old and they don’ t even want to read
about blacks or Indians, and that they’re a state magazine
.and if we have a problem with what Oklahoma Today’s
doing, wecanjust talk to her Republican boss, Gov. Fr~tk
K.eating, Lt. Gov~ Mary Fallin, and Tourism and Recreataon
Executive Director Jane Jayroe.
Of course, I-wouldn’t waste my breath tr~ing to talk
with the ethically bd’uddled Keating et al, but I do think it
will be quite interesting to talk with members of the
legislature - see Today, p. 8
Official Refuses to
Perform Gay Marriages
LEEUWARDEN, Netherlands (AP) - A civil servant
who has refused to officiate Gay marriages could be
fired by the city, officials said last month. Nynke
Yxinga-Boomgaardt can only save herpart-time job if
she signs a contract agreeing to wed same-sex couples
at city hall, municipal authorities in Leeuwarden said.
Same-sex mamages were legalxzed in April, making
the Netherlands the first country to grant Gay
couples the same rights as heterosexual couples, including
~e right to adopt children. "In this job she has
the obligation to enforce the law, and under Dutch law
Gay couples have equal rights," said Jan van der Hoek,
a spokesman for the city, about 100 kilometers (60
miles) north of Amsterdam. If she refuses, the.spokesman
said, her contract will be .terminated in September.
Eringa-Boomgaardt refused to wed fwo Gay couples
over the past three months, saying she is principally
opposed to same-sex marriages. The couples are still
waiting to be married.
"This is about the battle betWeen equality and my
right to have conscientious objections," Eringa-
Boomgaardt told the Trouw daily newspaper..
Gay-Pride Flag
Burners Arrested
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A man with a history of
desecrating the Gay-pride flag is one of two people
charged with burning the baiaher during a parade.
Police charged Charles Spingola, 45, and Thomas
Meyer, 47, both of Newark, with open buming, a firstdegree
misdemeanor punishable by as. much as six
months in jail. .
A state appeals court last week upheld Spingola’s
conviction on criminal damage charges for tearing
down:aGay-prideflag thatwas flying at the Statehouse
two:years -ago a~ a’similar parade. " .
Police said Spingolaand Meyer setfire to arainbow-"
colored flag they had been carrying as the last marchers
in the Columbus Pride Parade passed the Statehouse.
Police Sgt. Michael Piccininni said Spingola
had burned another Gay-pride flag about 21/2 hours
earlier outside Broad Street United Methodist Church,
where a Gay-oriented service took place before the
parade.
Piccininni said Spingola was given a waming, but
returned later during the parade with a new flag and a
small container 0f gasoline.
Andrea Critchet, head of parade security, said she
was splashed with gasoline after approaching Spingola
andMeyernear the Statehouseand telling themto keep
away from parade participants. ’°We were there to
protect him, to-keep the crowd away from him,"
Cfitchet said. "He said, ’You’ re all gonnaburn in hell,’
and he flipped it (the flag) up on me.". Cfitchet was
~checked by paramedics for burning in her’throat but
was not injured.
Teresa Spingola, 46, said her husband and her two
sons, 12 and 16, intended to burn the nylon flag, but
didn’ t expect the scuffle or arrests that followed. "It’ s
legal to bum the American flag. We thought it’ s OK to
bum the queer flag," she said. She said that last.year,
the family burned a Gay flag at the same intersection
without incident.
Presbyterian Pastor
Comes Out, Resigns
¯ chief policy-making body of the Presbyterian Church
¯ " (U.S:A.) voted to relmmmend lifting a ban on ordaining
homosexual clergy.
The measure must still be ratified over the next year
by .a majority Of the ~hurch’s 173 presbyteries, or
regional legislatures. That will be harder to achieve
and, besides,. Hawley cannot endure any=longer the
stress of living in two worlds.
’T ve had a lot of personal, emotional and health
struggles, and I just realized I could not live in the
closet anymore," said Hawley, 42, who led the Genesee
Valley Presbytery, which represents 73 congregations
in the Rochester region_ in western NewYork. "I knew
I had to get more open with my sexuality if I was going
to recover. There’ s been a lot of pain in terms of being
silent when I personally ~’elt I s.hould have been sw.aking."
Hawley did not plan to have his departure from the
church coincide with the emotional debate in Louisville,
Ky., where the General Assembly of thenafion’ s
. sixthlargest Protestant denomination voted 317-208m
favor of ordination of Gays attd Lesbians.
What his decision will do is allow him to speak more
forcefully on an issue that several mainline Protestant
denominations, notably the Episcopal Church and
United Methodist Church, have struggled with in recent
years. "I feel~badly in a way that I haven."t been
more outspoken but that’ s part of the problem with the
closet - it’s not safe to," he-said. "But now I can tall
people how destructive it was to try to live that life and
quietly serve."
Hawley, who grew up in Montrose, Pa., and studi_e,d.,.
atthe Jesuit-run University of Scranton~ said he didn t
realize he was Gay when he was ordained in 1983. He
¯ figured it out in 1995 after years of turmoil.
Although he was not in a relationship,Hawley said
: he constantly feared losing his job. He might have
¯ battled to keep it now, he said, but knew that conserva-
¯ fives in the presbytery would have pushed for his
removal. "That’ s the fight that I didnotpersonally want
¯
to take," said Hawley, who plans a new career in
teaching. ’-’The only way I can be honest and comfortable
about myself is to come out and to resign. It’ s a
. ¯ matter.of integrity."
¯ At last year’s General Assembly meeting, Hawley
said he was forced to listen quietly as conservatives
argued against inclusion Of Gays in the leadership of a
church that has a~ many as 3.6 million members. The
¯ remarks were not~"hateful so much as ignorant," he
¯ said. The push to remove the ban on Gay clergy from ¯
the church’ s constitution "would mean-the church has
made a really radical shift, and I’mnot sure that ithas,’~
he added.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - In hi’s .t8th year as a ¯
Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Bill Hawley realized ¯
he could nolonger keep his sexual orientation a secret. -’.
¯By revealing that he’s Gay, Hawley also decided his :
only real choice was to quit the church. ¯
His resignation took effect June 15, the same day the ~ :
Bank Refuses Account
to Anti-Gay Group
: MONTREAL (AP) - A Canadian bank is refusing to
¯ open an account for a coalition of conservative and ¯
religious.groups that opposes MontreaV s bid to host
¯ the2006GayGames.Montrealis competingwiththree
¯ U.S. cities- Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles - to
host the Gay Games, which typically draw 24,000
:’ athletes and 200,000 spectators.
: -The No ’C-ommittee2006 was formed in April after
¯ -Montreal announced its. bid. The. committee’s mem-
: bers indudethe Christian Heritage Party and the Cam~
¯ paign Life Coalition for Quebec. The Rev. Daniel
Cormier, who heads the committee, said the group
¯ fears visiting athletes could spread the HIV virus that ¯
leads to AIDS.
A Royal Bank spokesman-confirmed the No Committee
2006 was denied a bank account for donations
for supporters. "We refuse to support or oppose di.scriminatory
activities of ~any kind," said bank spokes-
"man Raymond Chouinard.
Cormier called thebank’ s refusal discriminatory. He
said at a news conference Friday that his group would
Find out for yourself how good the Lord is! - Ps. 34:8
Come share the
goodness of the
Lord with our
community
~ Sunday Morning
11:00 AMChildren’s
Worship
During Service
MCC United
Rev. Cathy Elliott. Pastor
1623 N. Maplewood (918) 838-! 715 mcctulsa@aol.com
Community
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
at Community "ofHope
2545 South Yale, Sundays at 1 lam, 749-0595
A Welcoming Congregation
HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm
1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754
The Open Arms Project
Young Adult Support Group
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
918.584-2325
Mingo Valley Flowers
9413 E: 31st St., Tulsa 74145
918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800.~AA-5934
Family Owned & Operated
Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW
Ghild, Family, Individual 8, Gouplo Psycholhorapy
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2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
Tulsa, ,Oklahoma 74114~3518
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take the case to court or the Quebec Human Rights.
Commission.
East Ohio Methodists
Oppose Anti-Gay Stance
LAKESIDE, Ohio (AP) - A group of United Methodist
ministers and parishioners from the East Ohio "
Conference is preparing for another attack on th~ "
hurch s anti-Gay doctrine.
Thirty United Methodist ministers in the regional
groupjoined dozens of church members in signing the "
"East Ohio Declaration," whichopposes the doctrine’ s "
anti-Gay stance, andwill begin a series of discussions
in September aimed at the issue. The United:Methodist
church has more than 9 million members worldwide .
most are in the United States. ¯
During its national quadrennial meeting in Cleve- ¯
land last summer, about 1,000 church leaders voted 2- ¯
1. to uphold the church’ s stance on Gays. The doctrine .
states that homosexuality is incompatible with ~aris- ¯
tian teaching; thatno sexually-activehomosexual rain- ¯
isters should be ordained; and that same-sex mamages ¯
will. not be honored.
Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton - who oversees the ¯
192,000-member East Ohio Conference - planned a ¯
series of discussions in preparation for revisiting the "
issue when the United. Methodist Church meeots again "
in Pittsburgh in 2004.
Two representatives from each of the 12 East Ohio :
Methodist districts will attend a September 22 prelimi- ."
nary meeting. One representative will sent to support .
existing church doctrine, the other to argue for change. ¯
Those delegates plus 40 other church officials will air ¯
their views and be traine3l to organize similar meetings .
around the state.
: A magistrate had said the state did not have enough
: evidence to support the aggravated kidnapping charge.
¯ But the Supreme Court disagreed, saying though the
facts are in dispute, there is enough evidence to argue
them in court.
us," said Tom Aeschlimann, one of the event’ s orgamzers.
For the first time the parade had a grand
marshal, Scott Winkler, a native of Loomi s who is an
insurance agent in Omaha.
New York City Event Rivals SF One
NEW YORK (AP) - Three dozen Gay couples celebrated
their same-sex partnerships to kick off New
York City’ s 32nd annum Gay pride parade, a Celebration
of flamboyant costumes and floats. "We’d like to
be recognized as a couple," said Sheneen Ellis, wearing
awhite veil and mini-dress decorated with tiny red
rhinestones, as she stood with her partner, Alona
Hartnett, dressed in white ~lacks and jacket.
They were surrounded by their five children as two
ministers and a rabbi blessed them ifi a ceremony
Sunday at the entrance to Central Park just before the
Heritage of Pride parade.
"Two mothers are better than having only one,", read
a sign carried by one of the children, 10-year-old
Calhea Johnson. "I love mommy and mommy."
The parade included Lesbians on motorcycles, a
rainbow arch of balloons and a top-down convertible
carrying veterans of the 1969 Stonewall riots, in which
The initiative banning same-sex marriages passed
by 70% to 30% last November. "We’re going to be
here and we’ re going to stay around. You better accept
ThomasTavl0rofBrockville aretir....¯ . _ _ " pa.tronsofaGaybarinG-reenwichVillagefoughtback "
: " .r . , euNnmsterwno ¯ - -s " . .............. ag--m’n-s"tapou""ceram..... , , ,~:. ¯
¯ ~,~ u,~. oz~tto1, a Vzmt. ,-.v~u n we corot just sit flown years to a colorful pageant drawing hundreds of thou
and talk and agree that we are not of one mind about
this," that would represent progress for the church;
Taylor said.
Church leaders who signed the East Ohio Declaration
said they have no intenfi.on ofdefying the church’ s
rules on Gays, and doubt that it will cause schism. A
Methodist minister could be disciplined for perform- :
ing a marriage ceremony for a same-sex couple, but "
Taylor said he knows of no same-sex couples in the
East .Ohi,o Conference that are seeking a Methodist -"
mamage.
Men, Parents Accused of i
Abducting Lesbian "
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The Utah Supre~m~ourt
decided to allow two Jordanian men to be tried~for
aggravated kidnapping in the alleged abduction and
beating of their sister in October 1999. The ’woman’s
mother and father also are charged in the alleged
attack.
Prosecutors saybrothers IehabHawatmehand Shaher
Hawatmeh, their father, Jami] Hawatmeh, and their :
mother, Wedad Hawatmeh, kidnapped and beat 23- ."
year-oldMuna Hawatmeh when they discovered she
was a Lesbian. The woman said she agreed to-return to ~
Jordan as away to stop the beatings. Thenext morning, "
.the family was driving her to the airport from their :
home in Sandy when her partner spotted them and ¯
called police. The family agreed to take the woman to "
the Sandy police station, and a doctor later found "
bruises on her arms and legs. ¯
Thefour are charged with simple kidnapping, which "
cames a sentence of up to 15 years. But Assistant "
Attorney General Fred Voros argued that the defen- "
dants’ alleged use of weapons and threats warrants the
aggravated kidnapping charge, which carries a life
sentence.
¯ sands of participants and spectators, and has been
replicated in’cities around the world. .
¯ Paris-, Berlin, Chicago and Atlanta
In Europe, Pads and Berlin celebrated Gay pride on
¯ Saturday .with rollicking parades. At the center of the
festivities were the cities’ mayors, both openly Gay.
In Chicago, organizers expected approximately
350,000 to attend what has become one of the largest
parades in the city.
hi Atlanta, thousands of people, including several
mayoral candidates, participated in the city’ s 31 st Gay
Pride celebration, which wrapped up with a parade
along the City’s main artery, Peachtree Street. "Events
¯ like this help increase our visibility and help to let ¯
p.eo.ple k~,,o,w that Gay people do exist, that we’re not
clevlants, Benson Cohen said. "We don’ tjust exist in-
" the shadows."
The New York marriag, ceremonies were not le-
! gaily binding but served as ~i rallying point for activists
who would like to see samp-sex couples accorded the
same legal rights as.heteros.exual couples.
New York City’s domestic partnership law gives
public employees who are same-sex couples the same
health benefits as married couples, along with privileges
such as visiting rights in city institutions like
hospitals and jails.
~ Vermont is the only state that offers Gay couples the
option o.f civil unions, which give them the ~ame rights
as mamed couples. Legislation to legalize homosexual
unions has been introduced in New York state
but has never passed.
Gay Health Ads :
Pulled in. NYC :
NEW YORK (AP) - Local officials condemned-
the city and an ad agency tmde~- ¯
city contract for pulling apublic service ad ¯
that promoted a free health line f0~Gays ’
from s,everal bus stopsin the Bronx.
"It is outrageous thal when .new HIV
infection rates are soaring, especially "
among men of color, that a responsible ad "
like ~this, intended to confront this health ¯
crisis, is censored by the city and by Infinity
Outdoor,’.’ said state Sen. Tom Duane. :
"It is the height of irresponsibility on the
city’ s part and the height of hypocrisy on ¯
the part of Outdoor, the company behind
the Howard Stem show, to call this ad "
inappropriate or indecent," Duane added. °
Infinity Outdoor is the advertising company
that maintains the city’ s bus shelters._
Its parent, Infinity Broadcasting, airs the "
sometimes-raunchy Howard Stem radio
show.
City Councilwoman Christine Qninn
said New York City "should be doing
everything in its power tO heighten public
awareness of the epidemic and to educate
those at risk about steps they can take to
protect themselVeS."
The ad, paid for by the Bronx Lesbian
-..and Gay Health Resource C0ilsortium,
showed two men, one with his arm around
the other~ above a caption that read, "I’m
not Gay, but sometimes I have sex, with
other.guys," and included a numberfor the
health line.
Infinity Outdoor initially approved the
content of the ads.But company spokes~
man Dana McClintock said a significant
number Of complaints were rdceived,specifically
about the reference to sex. "Making
these decisions is tough;’ McClintock
said. "It’s a,gray area. It’s not black and
white, it’ s doing our best to ~strike a bal-.
ance between First Amendment rights and..
community concerns."
ButLisaWinters, founder of the consortium,
said the original was "not at all an
offensive ad." "There are ads for ’Sex and
the City’ up all over the place,~Lshe said.
"What’s wrong with these posters?" She
has said the ads featuring the two men
were intended to reach men in the Bronx
¯ who do not identify themselves as Gay.
The city’ s Department of Transportation
owns the shelters, and Commissioner
Iris Weinshall supported~ the company’s
decision to pull the ad. "This poster was
totally inappropriate, and we applaud. the
contractor fortaking it down," she said.
"We feel,that good taste can supersede the
First Amendment."_
The same ads featuring the two menalso
are displayed inside city buses, and have
, not been pulled. Bus ads are controlled by
TDI Worldwide, another company owned
bY Infinity Broadcasting.
People.with HIV
Share Stories
UNITEDNATIONS CAP)-DavidBrooks
.Arnold, a ~65-year-old grandfather from
Washington; D.C., and Josephine
Chiturttmam, a 42-year old mother of four
from Zimbabwe, have more in common
than they expected. They both w0rkfor the
Red Cross, both lost partners mAIDS and
both are HIV-positive.
People-from all walks of life with HIV
andAIDS traveledfromevery continent to
share their stories in moviiag testimonials
that drew an audience of government officials,
AIDS experts and U.N. Secretary-
General Kofi Annam
Patinya Noyphon, a petite Thai wOman
with a sweet smile and soft brown hair,
found out shewas HIV-positive when her
husband died of AIDS in 1996. Her story
moved many to tears Tliesday as she re-
- counted the shock of learning her husband
had the disease and that he left her with the
virus.
Ini997; she joined a network of AIDS
patients that began counseling others with
the vires thinmore than~36 million people "
are living with. That network has grown
into an international movement of people
living with HIV/AIDS and Tuesday they
formed a partnership with the Red Cross to
bring mo,re infectedpeople into caregiving
¯ roles.
’~"~e active participation.of those living
with HIV/AID-S is absolutely vital," Annan
¯ ; told a room of over 200 people gathered to
:hear HIV positive advocates speak out.
Annan, who h’as-made AIDS a personal
¯ -crusade, said the alliance "sends a powerful
message to decision-makers, and to
¯
society as ~ whole, about the importance
of tackling stigma .and discrimination."
Many attending the session, part ofa
three-day U.N. conference on HIV/AIDS,
openly talked about shame and discrimination.
"We are not viruses," said Adam
P0well, a member of the Norwegian delegation
to the conference, who is HIV
positive: "We are humanity," he said.
Others ’used the opportunity to mourn
loved Ones and encourage those infected
¯ to continue fighting. Chiturumani, an AIDS Counselor in her
¯ nau,~e Zimbabwe, lost her husbandto the
¯ pandemic last year. She also lost her
¯ brother, a nephew, a brother and sister-in-
" law and numerous cousins- 22 relatives in
all since 1994 - all taken by AIDS.
Over 20 years, Arnold, director of international
relations for the American Red
Cross, lost more than 100 friends, including
his 10ngtimepartner, to AIDS, Despite
vastly different backgrounds, a fatal dis-
" ease has madethem instant friends. "It’s
an immediate bonding; Arnold sat . He
¯ said that "Josephine is living my past,"
¯ noting that the disease detected among
: Gay men in the United States in the 1980s
¯ is now ravaging whole communities in
¯ Africa.
"- Chiturumani said reaching out to others
¯ with AIDS has helped her live with the
¯ virus. ’~’It makes me belieVe that tomorrow
¯ there will be someone out there who will
: care for me," she said.
In Africa, Stigma
Prevails
BAMAKO, Mali (AP)- Long years after
: becoming the first in hisSahara nation to
: publicly acknowledge carrying the AIDS
: virus, Mamadou Barry is still fighting the
: samebattleas0n Day One. Themissionis
¯ "convincing people thatAIDS exists," says
¯ Barry, whoin 1994feltcompelledtoleave
"- his family business after he revealed that
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he had tested positive for HIV:
In apandemic that stigmatizes as it kills,
AIDS in Africa today, remains a disease
that leaves many of its.victims choosing a
quiet death overthe proSpecfof a life of
pfiblic shame.
In government after government, reluctan~
c~,to co~icede that Africans are dying of
what s seenas aWes.terndegeneracyhelps
keep impoverished countries decades behind
the West in confronting the disease.
In household after household, the shame
blocks testing and tr_eatment and even the
simplest known preventative measures,
such as condoms.
In Mall’s capital, Bamako, a foreign
publication’s report this month that the
death of a promruent Malian official had
been due to AIDS angered many, in and
out of government.
PrimeMinisterMandeSidibe"wentinto
a rage," one aide related, speaking on
condition of anonymity. Countrywide, the
near unanimous response was that it was
wrong to dirty the name of an illustrious
dead man.
In all of Africa, the top official to admit
to having AIDS is Edwin Cameron, a
judge on South Africa’s Constitutional
Court. But Cameron is white, openly Gay
and able to afford treatment.- in all, not
someone to whom the average infected
African would look as a model.
AIDS is "considered a disease ofpeople
of bad morals, of the ill-bred," said Dr.
Allou Sylla, director of a Bamako center
that tests the few who dare to find out
whether they have AIDS. In the general
absence of testing, often the only rough
confirmation that a~madO~ w0mmi died of
AIDS comes when a spouse follows them
in death one or two years later.-
Overwhelmingly, the tendency is to
blame the diarrhea, the rashes, thehorrifying’
wasting away on witchcraft. Sorcerers
andfaith-healers flourish. AIDS treatment,
meanwhile, remains a rarity, ,affordable
only to a few thousand among the 26
million living with HIV across the continent.
Even thosewhofall ill with diseases that
bring AIDS-like symptoms, such as tuberculosis
with its weight loss, are shunned,
Often losing their jobs.
In polygamous African societies, AIDS
is spread mainly by sex between men and
women. It is also spread by contaminat&t
blood and by unsterilized blades - used
interchangeably andcommunally for tribal
rituals, circumcisions andbarbering. AIDS
hit hard from the start among prostitutes,
who literally line the streets in some African
cities. That contributed to the enduring
Stigma.
In Mali, Aminate Nana Kasse is among
those closely following the news out of the
U.N. AIDS eonferenceinNewYork. Nana
Kasse was infected with HIV by her husband,
who has since died. Nana Kasse has
a dream, a distant one, for Africa - that
every government will require HIV tests
ing for couples before they marry. ’"No
African wife would dare _demand of her
husband that he wear a Condom, let alone
suggest that.he take a test," Nana Kasse
said. With mandatory tests, "at least One
would know who she’s marrying," the
widow said.
Mall this year became one of 10 African
countries to enter deals with Western drugcompanies
for low’cost HIV drugs - although
in poorAfrica dying without care
will remain the norm. for millions.
There are other signs of hope, coming
only when local powers acknowledge and
accept the fight against AIDS. An example
is in Senegal, where Islamic imams
preach the prevealtion message in their
Friday sermons at the country’ s mosques.
"People are starting more and more to
believe in iL" said Sylla, the clinic director
in Bamako.
Still; no family in Mali wants it said in
the. community that they have a relative
infected with HIV in their midst.
"I .knew that it was for the. best," says
Barry, explaining his decision to sever ties
with his family after discovering he had
the AIDS virus. Now in his 40s, he still
lives estrangedfrom them. "I believe I was
taking- from them a"decision that the faroi!
y, soonerorlater,wouldhavebeen obliged
to take."
600K in China
Have AIDS Virus
UN1TED NATIONS (AP) -.More than
600,000 people in China are estimated to ."
be infected with the AIDS virus and the :
number is increasing by 30% annually, ¯
p.rimarily because of an upsurge in infec- ¯
tlons among intravenous, drug users, .
China’ s health minister said.
Although the prevalence of the HIV
virus and AIDS is still low -just 0.5% of ~
China’ s 1.27 billion population- the government
has launched a five-year plan to ;
reduce the-ingrease ~rom 3Q% 5o 10% -.
annually,’Zhang Wenkang toId Tl~e Associated
Press.
Theplan calls f0r includingAIDS awareness
in the sex edUcation curriculum for ¯
!.5-year-01ds, prevention messages from "
leading actors, condom vending machines :
and education programs at all leadership ¯
levels. Impro ced treatment- including the -.
possibility of cheap drugs - is also part of
the plan, Zhang said in an interview after "
addressing the first U.N. General Assem- ~
bly Special Session on HIV/AIDS. ¯
Five years ago,. about 40% of China~s "
HIV cases were the result of the illegal :
selling of blood, primarily..in rural areas ¯
where dirty needles were often used, he
said. Following a gove.rp_ment crackdown "
on illegal blood-buying, the percentage of :
HIV cases from tainted blood has dropped
to 4 to 6%.
About70% of current HIV cases are the
result ofintravenous drug use, Zhang said.
Another 10% are infected through heterosexual
or homosexual relations and a
smaller percentage from mother-to-child
transmission of the virus.
Professor Shao Yiming, deputy director
of China’ s National Center for AIDS Prevention
and Control, explained that the
numbers are just estimates. As. a developlng
country China can.dnly do limited
AIDS testing and people in rural areas
often,don’t recognize the HIV virus, he "
said.
Zhang said the estimate of more than :
600,000 HIV sufferers was made by epi- "
demiologists based on the actual number "
of reported HIV cases - 23,905 at the end ¯
of March. At that time, there were also956 "
AIDS patients and 537 confirmed deaths, :
he said.
The Joint U.N.-Program on HIV/AIDS
has said that "while East Asia and the
Pacific region still appear to be holding
HIV at bay, the recent steep rise in sexually
transmitted infections in China and
tile vast transmigration ofpcople- spurred
by economic growth - could unleash an
epidemic.." "
Outlining China’ s five-year plan to cut
new HIV infections, Zhang said people
will be urged to take preventative measures
against the disease, "... for instance
to develop a healthy lifestyle, without so
many sex partners, and secondly without
drug using. We advocate m,a~i,’tal sex. we
discourage extramarital sex.
Zhang called on pharmaceutical companies
toreduce the cost of the drug "cocktail"
that has proven effective in treating
HIV and AIDS because the current cost"is
unimaginable for the peasants and citizens.’"
About 200 Chinese afflicted with the
virus are currently taking part in a trial
using free drugs, he said. Shao said China
has the capability of making ’cheap drugs
to treat HIV and AIDS because it produces
many of the chemicals used in the medications,
"but the drug is only one ring of the
whole chain of treatment."
He said China is preparing a comprehensive
treatment program, from health
care infrastructure and well-trained doc-
.tors and nurses to drugs, laboratory testing
and monitoring.
Though China is starting to confront its
AIDS Crisis, the government still harasses
activists seeking to draw attention to the
problem - especially when doing so uncovers
government negligence.
Last month, Chinese officials ref.used.to
issue a passport to retired physician Dr.
Gao Yaojie to accept the Jonathan Mann
Award from the Global Health Council at
aceremonyin Washington, D.C., attended
by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Gao,74, has publicized the spread ofAIDS
among poor farmers in central China,
blamed on an unsanitary, blood-buying
industry. She said officials accused her of
helping "anti-China forces."
Contacted at her home in Henan
province’s capital, 7Jaengzhou, Gao said
officials have told her patients to seyer ties
with her, saying she had been arrested.
People who have visited her at home have
been detained and officials have blocked
her from distributing donated medicine
and cash to AIDS victims, she said. Gao
has published her own report about AIDS
in China and plans to distribute tt free to
patients, health institutions and the media.
Eastern Europe/
Russia Hit By AIDS
NEW YORK (AP) - Eastern Europe and
the former Soviet Union,- which already
have the world’ s fastest rising rates ofnew
HIV/AIDS infections, are headed for a
large-scale" epidemic unless anti-AIDS
.programs go into full swing now, speciallsts
on the region have warned.
The numbers are still small compared
with Africa, where 26 million people ore
infected with HIV, the virus that causes
AIDS, but they are climbing fast. The
United Nations ~stimates that the number
of infected people:in the former Soviet
Union and Eastern Europe has skyrocketed
from 30,000 in 1995 to 700,000 as of
last year.
Ethan Nadelmann of the Lindesmith
Center/Drug Policy Foundation said the
region "leads the world in the connectioN’
between AIDS and intravenous drug use,
with80% of HIV infections linked to drug
abuse.
Nadelman moderated the panel discussion
"preventing an Epidemic" among
doctors, heads of rehabilitation programs,
politicians and researchers. Their meeting
was organized by the Open Society Institute,
a charitablefoundation active throughout
the region, and coincided with the
three-day United Nations’ Special Ses=
sion on AIDS.
Sergey Kovalev, a member of the Russian
Parliamentandlongtimehumanrights
activist, said his country has answered the
increase in intravenous drug use with repressive
measures that drive users underground,
rather than toward medical care.
Their sharing Of hypodermic needles has
spread HIV, especially among the young.
Kovalev said his government is not likely
to budge from that approach unless it is
p~essured to do so by Western nations.
Prison populations have swelled, with
correspondingincreases in drug useamong
inmates and in diseases such as tuberculosis
that prey on HIV-infected people. Although
there once was comprehensive
health care throughout the region, today
those systems have crumbled and there is
virtually no treatment offered for people
infected with HIV.
Paul Farmer, a Harvard Medical School
professor who leads AIDS programs m
Russia and Haiti, .said politicians in the
regi0I~ and internationally wil.l avoid tacklingthe
potential AIDS epidemic on their
own. To change that simalaon, he said,
- health professionals and activists need to
unite to establish fwo ’things: a comprehensive
plan for research, pre~,enfion, treatment
and care for orphans; and pilot programs_
that show how the work can be
accomplished. "All they need is division
in our ranks to say,’ No, i t can’ t be done,’"
he warned. "The search for excuses not to
do this is almost criminal."
.Konstanfin Lezhentsev, who helped establish
Ukraine’ s firstAIDS treatmentprogram
through Medecins Sans Frontieres,
or Doctors Without Borders, said the aim
ofhis group is to have"aneffecfive tool for
speaking with the government" about the
urgency Of every patient’s right to treatment.
A woman on the panel who asked to be
called only by her first nmne, Irina, spoke
of issues that go beyond government
policy: disci’iminafion against those with
HIV. Inherfirst public declaration that she
is infected with HIV, Irina described how
She became a drug addict, despite coming
from aloving family, studying at a university,
etc. She thought all her troubles were
over when she completed a drag rehabilitaftonprogram,
but soon she found out that
she was HIV-posifive.
HIV-infected people are shunned by
family and afraid to go to doctors, she said.
Even people she had helped through drug
programs deserted her.
by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor
"Planets of the Universe", the first single
off Stevie Nicks’ .new album "Trouble in
¯ Shangri La" is scheduled for release to
stores on July 3rd. The single will include.
several club remixes. It should be good,
the song itself is great, and hopefully, for
the first time since 1986’ s "I Can’ t Wait",
fans will be able to go to
the clubs and dance t6 a
Stevie song. It would be
niceifthe clubs in Tulsa
are wise enough to get a
clue and play it rather
than the mixes they usually
spin.
One club version is
11 minutes long and
contains lyrics cut from
the album version.
The tour should be
interesting in that La
Diva Nicks is ~bandoning
the "Stevie Nicks/
ment jn theatre is taking place July 11-14
with Tulsa Experimental theatre’s production
of",The dkDistance Between Bod-
Ies Grows Greater Every Day:" Call
Summerstage for tix at 596-7111.
- "Always, Patsy Cline," an allegedly true
story about a fan’s relationship with the
singer is brought to you by American
"The Haunted Castle
opens its doors July 4th:
Johnny inherits a haunted
castle in EnOland (isn’t
that where they all are?)
and ~oes to claim his
inheritance. It’s a whole
lott~a troubleafter that, as
the devil seems to think
Theatre Company July
12-211 Featuring the
music of-the great lady,
.ax are available by calling
596-7111/ Hmm,
anyone else experiencing
drjh vu? Anyone
else got that number
memorized?
"Love Letters," a writing
exercise thatbecame
a romance and then a
play, is offered up July
12-21 by the Centerstage
Players, and once
more tix are available at
Fleetwo~d Mac Great- he’s the rightful owner. - say it with me - 596-
est Hits’ package,-in " ~ 71’1,1.
which only’ one or two new ~ongs were ¯ Adrian Zmed, 80 s heartthrob best
thrown in, and adding 5 new songs to the known for wrestling with William Shatner
set,includingsomeol~lersongsneverdone on that cop show he was in (Adrian was
in concert. She stops August 3rd in Dallas, hot, Adam not) and who showed his magand
tickets are going fast., nificen_t abs in the 80’ s tour of"Godspell",
Melissa Etheridge plays Will Rogers
coliseum in Fort Worth September 10th
and 1 lth, for which tickets go on sale July
7th. Karin, the .Raging Lesbian, reports-it
will.be two dates withjust Melissa and her
guitar. Sounds like a~ intimate evening,
which would be.great. The RLreports it is
called the ’,’Live and Alone Tour’’, as opposed
to the dead and en masse tour; RL
introduced me to her music, much like I
introduced her to Stevie’ s. (Read: "Forced
it down her throat until she knew every
song by heart!") Fortunately, m3’ enthusiasm
for Stevie took (asevidencedby find--
ing a Stevie cassette I KNEW.I hadn’t
g~ en her, and forced her to fess up that
she, indeed~ had bought it- and loved it.),
as did hers for Meli~sa
Interestingly enough, if ybu play the
track"I Miss You" from Stevie’ s "Trouble
in Shangfi" La" and.then play "Enough of
Me" from Melissa’ S"Breakdown", you’ll
find it’ s almost the same song - same chord
progressions, sameguitar. Whoinfluenced
who? John Shanks, Melissa’s producer,
produced some of Stevie’ s album, but not
that track. Interesting...
There’ s a new Imax 3-D movie coming,
and it’s sure to bring a bit of Halloween
into summer. "The Haunted Castle opens
its doors July 4th. Johnnyinherits ahaunted
caste in England (isff t that where they all
are?) and goes to claim his inheritance. It’ s
a whole lotta trouble after that, as the devil
seems to thinkhe’ s the rightful Owner. The
Imax Corp0fation actually tried to launch
an effort to ban this film due to its graphic
content, entreating theatre owners not to
show iLHow much of that is true and how
much hype I don’t know, but it did make
for an interesting press release. And it
looks like it would be a fun film to check
out, especially forhorror buffs.A new way
to get a chill in the heat of summer.
On the local front, an.intriguing expericomes
to Tulsa to play in "Big" - and oh
~e puns I could make endlessly here. He
is rather a tall man... And very broad
shouldered, actually. Anyway, back to the
column at hand-no, don’ t go there, either.
Anyh.oo, themusical that flopped onBroad-
" way is now suitable for touring produc-
’ taons and Theater Arts is bringing it to
town July 13-22 at the Van Trease Per-
¯ - forming Arts Center for Education
(PLEASE get a shorter name!) at 595-
¯ 7777. At least it’ s a different phone num-
- bet.
Tulsa CARES presents "Hairball 2001,
an event to raise bucks to combat AIDS
and raise awareness (and hair) in Tulsa. If
you canget it up- the hair, I should say, to
clarify for the more gutterminded among
thereadership - and, if you can’ t get it up,
for hair raising fun, call 834-4194 ~0r tix to
the Tulsa CARES hair ball, er, hair (raising)°
ball. And have a ball, at the ball. Oh,
I think this column has just descended to a
whole new level, and it ain’t up.
For the folks still reading after that last
¯" bit who are into women, Shadia Dahlal
." ("Hello, dahling!" she says to thekids) and
¯ her Purple Roses of Cairo dance troupe
: swing into town July 26-29 to writhe and
¯ swing hips for your delight. "Passage to a
: world of dark-eyed women, mysterious
¯ customs,veils,incenseanddrums."Hmm,
¯ I know a couple of Lesbians that would
like to explore those mysteries, I bet.
¯ And on the lighter side, Theater Pops
¯ weighs in with ,Bash" July 26-August 5. ¯
"Bash" is acollection of 3 one act plays
." about people capable of unspeakable acts
: of evil and complexity.
¯ Nothing like a dose of Complex "evil to ¯
get the brai,’,n working. Better than coffee.
: Bi~lledas a portraitofhowdarkthehuman
: spirit can become," which I think I discov,
: ered all too well from grade school on
¯ through high school.
American Theatre Co.
presents.
July-12-21
John H. Williams Theater
Performing Arts Center
For tickets and information,
call 596-7111 or 800-364-7111
www.tulpac.com
Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for justice
& equality for-Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Pers0nalInjury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Di’umright, Oklahoma
Weekend and evening appointmenls are available.
Holland Hall
A SCHOOL THAT HAS iTS ACT TOGETHER
Holland Hall ranks
first in the city of Tulsa
and second in the state
for average ACT scores.
And, our seniors, Class of 2001,
have received acceptances to
colleges that include Brown,
Colorado College, Georgetown,
Harvard. MIT, Tufts, Tulane,"
University of Michigan,
Vanderbilt and Yale.
Laboratory work engages students in the new
18,000-square-foot Duenner Family Science,
Mathematics and Technology Center.
~PreSchool through G’i~tde 12
(918} 481-1111, ext. 251
the folks who provide the funding that
Gov. Frank administers to Oklahoma Today.
While our legislature’s no model of "
progressive thinking, there are a few sena- ¯
tors and representatives who.believe that ¯
evenGayOklahomans deserve tobe treated - ¯
fairly - and who know that Oklahoma
Today is funded with our tax dollars too.
Last but not least, I should note that this ¯
problem of invisible Gay people i~ not
new. We saw the same problem with the
"homo-free" Tulsa Centennial. Andinterestingly
enough some of the same players
retum~
If one could bring "disbarment" proceedings
againsta professor as you can
against a negligent attorney, thenOU professor
of letters Danney Goble, Ph.D.
should have his credentials revoked for
deliberately suppressing the history, ofGay
Tulsans in his Centennial book.
Some might excuse this as an oversight
but within a day after Goble received the
contract to write the Centennial history~ I
called him and gave him names and phone
numbers of several individuals who could
speak about the last 30 years of Tulsa’s
Gay history. Goblenever even bothered to
call any of these people and .yet claimed
his book was more reflective of the history
of Tulsa’ s minority communities.
Hadhe called and found the information
lacking, the omission might be justified.
Instead we just have plain and simple
bigotry. Also noteworthy is the recogni:
tion OT gives to Sharon King Davis who
was chair of Tulsa’s bigoted Centennial
effort. Davis, is both a staunch Baptist but
also a major Democratic Party leader.
Ofcourse, OklahomaDemocrats, mostly
want to pretend that there are no Gay
people here except for when national
Democratic groups require that they m,
elude us, oh, and when they need money,.
like certain former governor or current
congressman who both received or asked
for major donations from "rich Gays"
Of course, some will argue who cares
about Oklahoma Today? The only people
who read it are 62 year old white bigots
(and at least this 43 year old editor). But
the way we as a community are represented
in the media is crucial to our survival
and progress. When we are misrepresented,
prejudices remain and help create
an environment where hatred, assault
and even murder can flourish. When we
are rendered invisible, in effect, told we
are not even worthy of acknowledgement,
Oklahoma Todayhelps reinforcea climate
of intolerance.
Rendering minorities invisible is a.mil-~
lenniaold technique. Those whoconquered
eradicated the language, the culture of
those defeated. In America, history was
written as that of white men, whether or
not it really was until quite recently.
In Tulsa, all notices of the 1921 Race
Riot were torn out of the archives, and this
was not taught in~ any Tulsa public or
private school w.ell into the ’90’ s.
And of course, in Oklahoma today, we
see that there are no Gay people.
and 89% (220) were from urban areas.
Jackson County, including Kansas City,
had the largest count of same-sex couples,
1,723.
But whenthe 1,463 same-gender couples
in No. 2-ranking St. Louis County were
added to the 1,297 from the city of St.
Louis, No. 3 on the list, the total of 2,760
mtranked Jackson County.
For Elizabeth Radford and Marlssa Pace
of St. Louis, describing themselves as a
couple on their Census paperwork "’just
came easily because it’s who we are and
we are comfortable withit," said Pace, 32,
a chemist.
Radford, a 34-year-old social worker,
said she and Pace took the step last year of
having a marriage ceremony performed
by clergy during a party attended by about
70 friends and relatives in St. Louis.
In Ohio, 16,244 (88%) same-sex unmarried
households are in urban areas,
while 2,288 (12%) are in rural areas, according
to the census data. This marksa
slight change from .the 1990 census when
only 9% (336) of same-sex unmarried
households were in rural parts of the state
and 91% (3,441) were in urban areas.
In Alabama 5,778 (71%) same-sex .unmamed
households are in urban areas,
while 2,331 (29%)are in rural areas.
In1990, only 25% (262) of same-sex unmarried
households were in rural parts of
the state and 76% (807) were in urban
areas.
In Kansas, the census figures showed
that 2,544 (64%) same-sex unmarried
households are in urban areas, while 1,429
(36%) areinrural areas. In 1990;only 29%
(185) of same-sex ufimarried households
were in rural parts of the state and 71%
(462) were in urban areas.
Mike Silverman, 28, a computer software
e~glneer, and his partner of more
than five yearL Dave Greenbaum, recently
returned from Vermont, where they had a
civil union ceremony. Lawrence is home
of the University ofKansas, and Silverman
said it’ s the only city in the state with an
anti-discrimination ordinance protecting
Gay men and Lesbians.
In New York, 43,529 (94%) same-sex
¯ tmmarried households are in urban areas,
; while 2,961 (6%) are in rural areas. In the
¯
last census, only 4% (561) of:same-sex
¯ tmmarried households were in rural parts
of the state and 96% (13,187) were m
¯ urban areas.
Men with a male partner accounted for
¯ 15,016 households, and female couples
¯ made up 1’0,890 households, in 2000. The ¯
census also confirms that enclaves ofGays
¯ are concentrated in the Manhattan neigh-
" borhoods of Chelseaandthe’vVestVillage.
¯ Data on other states will be released in
~ batches through mid-August, according to
¯ census officials. The Human Pdghts Cam-
" paign (HRC), the largest national Lesbian
~md Gay political organization, is working
~ with the Urban Institute, a Washington,
¯ D.C. think tank specializing in statistical
: analysis, to analyze same-sex partner
¯ household data. HRClobbies Congress; ¯
provides camp.aign support and educates
¯ .thepublic to ensurethat LGBT Americans
¯ can be open and safe at home and at work
~7 Lamont Lindstrom, Ph.D.
Lastmonth some970 guns, several bales
of marijuana, and forty or so boxes of
pornography went up in smoke The Tulsa
Police Department used fire
clean its evidence lockers
of items it didn’t want to
auction back to the community.
Thank goodnesswe
are now thus secured
against these three menaces
to society:, weapons,
drugs, and dirty pictures.
The day the lurid glossies
went into the furnaces,
I happened to be reading
Barry Werth’s recent biography
The Scarlet Professor:
Newton Arvin- A Literary
Life Shattered by
Scandal.
Arvin was an ennnent
literary critic and professor
of English at Smith (in
Northampton, MA), 0neof
the Ivy-league’s "Seven
Sister" colleges for women.
His books on Nathaniel
Hawthbm, Walt Whitman,
~ind Herman Melville (the
later of which won~the National
BookAward) helped
create the canon of 19th
century American literature,
loved or cursed by
today’s English majors. Literature made
Arvin, and literature -of a sort also
destroyed him. Arvin was arrested,~fined,
institutionalized,, mad forced to retire for
possessing Gay pornography.
Born at the turn of the century, Arvin
was-shy, short, balding, and: often depressed.
He hdd married and divorced in
his early 30’ s but only slowly and partially
reconciled himself emotionally to his homosexuality.
He progressed through a
number of short-lived relationships with
younger men, some of whom he recruited
as English instructors. (In thgse days, sleep:
ing with the boss could be a more obvious
requirement of one’ s job.)
Truman Capote, a young writer Arvin
met at an artist colony, dated Arvin for two
years, and dedicated to him his first novel,
Other Voices, Other Rooms. To Arvin’s
credit, he kept in touch with many of his
lovers years after they had parted.
In his 50’s, Arvin discovered nearby
Springfield’s several Gay bars, cruising
New York City bathhouses (the Everard),
and also skin magazines. Arvin’ s renewed
sexual adventuresomeness partly reflected
an increasing loneliness of late middle age
but also the sudden appearance in New
York City newsstands of accessible Gay
pornography. In the 1950s, pioneer pornographers
such as Sam Roth and also
Bob Mizer, in the guise of the Athletic
Model Guild, began publishing pictures of
mostly naked (apart from a posing strap or
two) young men. Thom Fitzgerald’s recent
video Beefcake documents the historyof
the muscle maga~i,’nes that led to,
Arvin’s downfall such as Grecian GuiM
Piciorial, MANual, and Trim.
Before the 1950s, Gaypornography was
to spnng-
"... Pornography
9nly exlsts in soeiet~es
where sexuality, or
aspects thereof, is
repressed and
inhibited.
Pornography’s
secrecy and
saladousness furl its
conslderahle charm.
One may imagine,
however, some sexual
ecology...- past or
future-where .all
facets of se- x are
simply mundane and,
as a eonsec~uenee,
pornography is
unthlnhahl-e... "
scarce and hard to find. Basically, one had
¯ to write or draw or photograph it onesdf,
: or else somehow acquire obscure special
¯ editions and art prints mostly published in
Europe. By midcentury, however, Ameri2
can enterprise and knowhow
had at last brought
graphicpornography home
to the masses. Arvin began
buying and collecting the
new musclemagazines, and
also films of nude wresfling
and the like. A novel
technology, 8ram film and
the home movie projector
(perhaps Arvin borrowed
his from Smith College
classrooms?), also boosted
the mass market for pom
-productions.- We’ve recently
experienced similar
technological boosts with
the VCR, .DVD, and the
Intemet.
Pornography, actually,
as an idea is rather recent.
The word, a fancy madeup
Greek term meaning
"writing about harlots,"
first appeared around 1850
or so. Victorian archaeological
excavations of Roman
Pompeii and
Herculaneum had uncovered
shocking sexual imagery
in murals, mosaics, and decorative
household objects. These artifacts were
quickly.squirreled awayin secret museum
caches but they inspired a fierce interest, a
fascination only partly disguised by
"’pornography’ s" net-Greek facade.of polite,
scientific objecfiyity. Terminological
alternatives similarly have historically
shallow roots. Obscene is a Latin worst
that originally meant ominous or illomened;
and smut an Old English word
meamng sooty or smudged.
Pornography only exists in societies
Where sexuality, or aspects thereof, is repressed
and inhibited. Pornography’s secrecy
and salaciousness ftiel its considerable
charm. One may imagine, however,
some sexual ecology - past or .future -
where all facets -of sex are simply mundane
and, as a consequence, pornography
is unthinkable.
But not in Massachusetts in 1960, on the
cusp of the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations.
Wily politicians then witch--
hunted pornographers and-their customers,
building careers on burning dirty pictures.
A new federal law, passed in July
1960, had made it illegal to send pornographic
material through the mail or to
otherwise distribute this. Arvin and his
circle of Gay. friends met occasionally to
trade magazines and films and to show off
new items in their collections. But postal
inspectors got busy tracking down pore
mailings-and, on September 2, 1960, three
police officers pounded on Arvin’ s door.
They seized his films and magazines and
Arvin too. Terrified, he ratted on Ms Gay
friends and colleagues two ofwhom, along
with Arvin, were convicted and lost their
teaching positions, see Studies, p. 11
Tulsa Oklahomans for
Human Rights
(TOHR) invites individuals, businesses and
organizations to a
Community-Wide
Meeting:
A Permanent Location for the
Community Center
Thurs., July 26th
6:30, meet & greet, program at 7pm_
LGBT Community Center, 21st & Memorial
Discussion Topics:
Where? How Big?
As Focus for New Neighborhood?
For info,, call 743-GAYS (743-4297)
IGTA member
Call 341. 6866
Intorn tion l
~TourS formoreinformation.
TULSA COUNTY
DEMOCRATIC
PARTY
Country Club Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm
Want to save
Money and
Help Build a
Community
Center?
Switch to
Rainbow
Communications
Long Distance and More,
10% of Revenues Will
Benefit Tulsa Oklahomans
for Human Rights.
Capital Campaign and
General Fund
For more
information,
call 665-3401
or evenings
at A.A.7-8602.
Tulsa’s only
professional
body-piercing
Kelly Kirby,-CPA, PC
Certified Public Accountant
a professional-corporation
Lesbians and Gay men face many special
tax situations whether single or as couples.
Electronic filing is available for faster refunds.
747-5466
4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135
by Karin Gregory
You know when it hitS, don’t you? Ev- "
cry word she utters is golden, no matter ¯
how crude; every look she gives, you want .-
to capture on film to replay; every phone °
message she sends, you save mad listen to "
on your loneliest days(and especially ¯
nights!). You’re the homiest Lesbian in .
town, yet when you think of HER, you "
¯ don’t think of the next time you’ll have ¯
sex, just how good it feels to be with her, °
whether for an hour or a whole night, "
waking up with her the next morning. You .
want to learn her, be a part of her, and fuse o
yourtwo soulsinto one. Youwritehideous ~
purple prose in the second person that ¯
some poor folks in Tulsa will read (well, ¯
maybe not after this paragraph!). :
When-you’re with her, you’re on an "
emotional high, blocking out everyone ¯
around but the two of you. An hour after "
she’s left, you’re still high. Somewhere "
between the second and third hour, how- ¯
ever, your emotions sink so fast and so low
that you don’t think you can live until you "
see her again. When you hear from her, "
you sound like the silliest schoolgirl who .
ever lived. She’s the only woman who
makes you nervous because you can’ ttalk
to her like other women. You have to be "
honest. Her bluntness and honesty make
you want to be a better person, not only for "
her, but for yourself. Yoi~’re feeling emotions
you never thou.ght you had. Dare you
question? Analyze? Categorize every feel- .:
ing? Then put a label on those feelings? ¯
Can it be <gasp!> love? HELP!
Why do I need help?why don’ t Ijust sit "
back and enjoy the ride like most couples? ¯
For the first time in my life, I’m ready for ¯
that "R" word. She’s beautiful, talented, "
creative, interested in me. So what’s the ¯
problem? Miss Interested-In-Me has only
one flaw--the same flaw that haunts many
Gay couples--the dreaded_EX! Yup, I’min "
love with a woman who’ s stillinlove with ¯
her ex. Before you start calling me all °
kinds of stupid, I knew about the ex before °
I met Miss Interested-In-Me in person. I
just didn’ t know, nor did she, the extent of °
those feelings. Now you can call me all "
kinds of stupid! I walked into this trap. "
I even met Ms. X once at my,.., my,.
.. my.... whatever’s house. Gay Felix and "
I liked her very much. No, she couldn’t be "
rude, crude, and vulgar, could she? She "
couldn’t be evil and have a wart on her ¯
nose. Oh, no! Remember, we’re talking ."
Gregory luck here. She and "my girl" are "
- even best friends. OUCH! And Ms. X "
likes me. I found out about that when Miss °
Interested-In-Me and I spent aparticularly
soulful night together.. "She likes you," :
she said. "She. likes how attentive you are ."
to me." ¯
It occurred to me to say, "Well, it’ s nice "
to get the first wife’s permission,’" but I "
thought better of it. If this woman has ¯
taught me anything, it’ s to think before I ;
speak--a first for me. I’ ve also learned that "
it’s easy to live with a stake through your "
heart. It’s just when that stake is twisted ¯
around that you think you won’t ever be "
able to breathe again. She also tells me I’m "
.anincredible person to listen to her and not "
to run. I’dlike to say that incredible people
are not easy to find; that once you find one,
you hold on for dear life. But then I have to
think about that and realize that too much
too soon will run off Miss Interested-In-
Me.
Some people say she’ s using me. Others
say that shejust needs time. Hell, she’ s had
at least two years! Gay Felix, who’s been
around her more than others, told me the
other day, "Karin, she’s called you, invited
you over, initiated sex--I’ dbe happy!"
He’s a man--what else did you expect?
I’m also remembering a line from a
musical, for which mosrof you Gay men
would be proud. Around the end of ’~The
Music Man", when the townspeople discover
that "Professor" Harold Hill is a con
man, they run after him with tar and feathenng
in mind. Marian the Librarian’ s little
brother, Winthrop, tells Hill to run away.
Hill says he can’ t. He. looks at Marian and
declares,"For t_he first time in my life; I got
my foot caught in the door.’"
Marian, if you’re out there, think of my
foot and how it must hurt being stuck in
your door for so long. Think of "that stake
twisting through my heart. Know that this
salesman won’ t bemaking any morehouse
calls for a long time. Aren’t exes a bitch?
Arvin’s collection of soft, nudie guy
imagery, lugged imo court as evidence,
undoubtedly was subsequently burned.
Arvin died two years after his trial, in
1963.
Forty years later, it is quaint, one could
say, that the state still strikes matches to
protect us from the perils of pornography.
Butitmaybe alosing battle, particularly in
Oklahoma. The more sexual repression,
themorepornography. It’ s maybe no accident
that Tulsa spelled backwards, as ~veryone
knows, is A SLUT.
Lamont Lindstrom teaches anthropology
ht the University o[Tulsa, and can be
reached at lamont10@yahoo.com
It is time for society tO recognize that
Gays and Lesbians are a responsible minority
facing unjust discrimination and
mistreatment by the majority - just like
every other minority which has struggled
forjustice a~.d equal treatment inAmerica.
- Nathaniel Batchelder, Director
The Peace House, Oklahoma City
In statements to TFN, McClure noted
that repeated efforts to discuss and resolve
these issues with Tulsa Comity commis,
Sioner John Selph, a Democrat and with
Tulsa Mayor Susan Savage, also a Demo:
crat, both of whom are represented on the
Criminal Justice Authority, have been rebuffed
to date.
McClure also issued a written challenge
to Savage and the county commissioners
to meet with him to resole these issues.
present.s
I
JuIy 14, 8pm, PAC’sWestby Pavilion ~ LaFortune
Studio,
$80 donation.
Call Rebecca at 834-4194
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
[2001] Tulsa Family News, July 2001; Volume 8, Issue 7
Subject
The topic of the resource
Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Tulsa Family News
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Tom Neal
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
July 2001
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
James Christjohns
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
Relation
A related resource
Tulsa Family News, June 2001; Volume 8, Issue 7
Format
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Image
PDF
Online text
Language
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English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
newspaper
periodical
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Tulsa(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/614
2001
AIDS
arts
Atlanta
Berlin
businesses
censorship
Census
Chicago
China
churches
Council Oak Men's Chorale
Diversity celebration
Eastern Europe
entertainment
flag burning
gay clergy
Hair Ball
hate crimes
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HIV testing
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Netherlands
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Openarms Youth Project
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police abuse
pornography
Pride
pride Parade
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Minnesota ’Sodomy’ Law
RUled Unconstitutional
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Minnesota’ s law thatprohibits
oral sex and other intimacy betweenconsenting adults
is unconstitutional, a state district courtjudge has ruled.
~udgeDelila Pierce said the law, which had been on the
books since the 1800s, is unconstitutional because it
violates the right of privacy guaranteed by the Minnesota
Constitution.
The Minnesota Civil Liberties Union (MnCLU) and
the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Lesbian
& Gay Rights Project had filed a lawsuit last.summer
challenging the sodomy statute on behalf of a cross
section of Minnesotans.
Although the state court ruling should prevent the
sodomy law from being enforced anywhere in Minnesota,
the MnCLU is asking the court to technically
classify the case as a class action. MnCLU attorney
Teresa Nelson said that would lea~ "absolutely no
uncertainty" see Sodomy, p.ll
Global AIDS Goals
Debated at United Nations
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Delegates from over 100
countries began debating a plan recently calling for
tough new targets to combat AIDS worldwide, including
the spending of up to $10 billion a year by 2005 in
developing countries. The delegates opened five days
of negotiations on a declaration U.N. members are
expected to approve at the General Assembly special
session on HIV/AIDS in New York next month.
"This is a global problem that needs global actionand
a global response," said Australia’s U.N. Ambassador
Penny Wensley. ’-’We know it can be done, but it cannotbe
done unless there is a massive infusion of resources
and a mobilization of political will."
The draft declaration endorses the goal set last Sep-"
tember by some 150 world leaders at the U.N. Millennium
Snmmit ofhalting and starting toreverse the HIV/
AIDS epidemic by 2015. The document was drafted by
Wensley and Ibra Deguene Ka, the U.N. ambassador
from Senegal, who are co-chairing preparations for the
U.N. meeting June 25-27.
The declaration, if adopted, would commit U.N.
members to meeting a series of interim targets over the
next 15 years.
Among these proposed targets are the following:
- Governments should develop national strategies
"and financing plans see Global, p. 2
¯
Pride 2001 F ,atures N.ew
Parade Route, Bigger Fest,val
Interfaith Service Rescheduled
¯¯ TULSA (TFN)-Organizers of the 2001 Pride events areworking
frantically to finish last minute details for the parade and festival
¯
and associated events which they believe will be better than any
: before. And as happens, at least one event has been rescheduled:
¯ the Interfaith service is now at 7pr~_.on Wednesday, June 6, still ¯
at Sharp Chapel at the University of Tulsa, just off of 1 lth St. at
¯ College Ave.
¯ Greg Gatewood, spokesman forTulsaOklahomans forHuman
Rights (TOHR) notes also that the black-tie optional Gala Dinner
at the Tulsa Country Club on Friday, June 8th will have dancing
after the dinner as well as a silent and also brief live auction.
: Tickets are still available at the Center, 743-4297.
¯ Organizers also want to emphas:ze the change in Parade
location and time. It will begin at 3pm at 15th near Utica
¯ continuing along Cherry St. to Boston and along 18th to the
: Festival in Veterans’ Park as in the past. see Pride, p. 9
SGe.rvin.gaL.esyb.ian..,.___j,, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families +Fji=~nd~
¯ Phelps’ Protest Raises $
for Gay/Straight Students
The 2001 Diversity Festival will feature booths & entertaiment.
¯ Vermont House Tries to
Revise Civil Union Legislation
¯ by Ross Sneyd, Associated Press Writer ¯
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - The Vermont House passed a recip-
: rocal partnership bill that would repeal civil umons even as it
: endorses same-sex relationships. The bill, which would confer
¯ mamage benefits on all couples who cannot otherwise marry,
¯ passed 72-69. Civil unions applied only to Gay and Lesbian
¯ couples, but the replacement reciprocal partnerships would ap- ¯
ply to same-sex couples and to pairs of blood relatives.
: The debate on final passage was marked by sharp exchanges
¯ over homosexuality. Ironically, it required many people who ¯
find homosexuality morally repugnant to endorse relationships
¯
between two men and two women. "It’s difficult because it still
¯ gives the same benefits to same-sex individuals, couples as the
¯ traditional marriage couple," said Rep. Nancy Sheltra, R-Derby,
: one of the leading opponents of civil unions. She voted for the
¯ bill.
¯ The state Senate will get thebill next, but leaders have said they
¯ don’t intend to address it. And Gov. Howard Dean has said he ¯
would not sign any legislation changing the civil unions law.
¯ The bill accomplished some of the goals of civil unions
¯ opponents; though,because couples no longerwouldbe required ¯
¯ tohave theirunions certified byAjudge, clergymember orjustice
of the peace in the same way that marriages are solemnized. It
¯ also would require the reciprocal partnerships licenses would be
¯ issued by the Health Depa],’tment instead of by individual town
¯ clerks, as civil unions and marriages are.
"We see this as a step in the right direction," said the Rev. Craig
i
Bensen °fCamb,ri,d~e, a leader in theanti-civil uni°n gr°upTake
it to the People. It s a bill that makes sense only in the world
definedbyBaker." Tha~’ s the 1999 Vermont Supreme Court case
that declared Vermont s marriage statutes unconstitutional becauseGay
and Lesbian couples were denied the benefits that flow
from marriage. To comply with the ruling, the Legislature last
year adopted civil unions. That’s a legal structure that parallels
mamage but remained separate and distinct, see Unions, p. 2
¯ TULSA (TFN) - Making lemonade out of lemons,
young and older supporters ofGay/Straight Alliances
in Oklahoma and new Jenks graduate, Kevin Barker,
¯
¯ gathered at the LGBT Community Center onMay 21 torespondpositively to a graduationprotestbyWichita
¯ anti-Gay preacher Fred Phelps and his clan. Phelps
¯ targeted Jenks High School because the school’s
adminstration, after someprodding andin response to
¯ fedcral law, allowed the formation of the Gay/Straight
¯ Alliance. ¯
In a widely distributed e-mail, Barker wrote, "my
: response to this is aimed to take a negative situation
¯ andmakeitapositiveone. Iloveusingkindness tokill
¯ hatred so here is what I wouldlike to do." Barker then
¯ proposed that supporters make a pledge to donate a ¯ sum for each hour that Phelps protested. The more his
¯ crew was there, the more would be raised for the
¯ Jenks GSA via the Oklahoma chapter of GLSEN
(Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network).
see Jenks, p. 9
Gill Foundation to Give
TOHR $40,000 Grant
Kevin Barker. Jenks Class of 2001, Kerry Lewis of
TOHR and Karin Weldin ofSoulforce at the Center.
TULSA (TFN)-TulsaOklahomans forHumanRights
(TOHR) has announced that the Denver-based Gill
Foundation has awarded one of its Fast Track grants
toTOHRfor $40,000 for operating andprogramming
expenses over a three-year period. The grant also
includes technical assistance support. TOHR is one
of only three organizations in the nation to receive the
grant.
~llae grant will help to ensure TOHR’s financial
stability, increase the effectiveness of its programs,
and continue its work of more than 20 years in
educating the public about issues affectingTulsa’s
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual &Transgender communities.
TOHR is Oklahoma’s oldest civil rights organization
dedicated to acheiving equality for the Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender communities.
TOHR’s largest program is the operation ofthe Tulsa
Gay, Lesbian, Bi &Transgender Community Center,
2114 S. Memorial Road.
The Gill Foundation was established in 1994 by
Tim Gill, founder and former chairman and chief
technology officer of Quark, Inc., a Denver-based
computer software company. Tim Gill and the Gill
Foundation have provided more than $21 million to
hundreds of organizations and programs serving
LGBT communities and people living with HIV/
AIDS.
Through the Gay and Lesbian Fund for Coloradol
the foundation funds Colorado nonprofits in the areas
of: social justice; children, youth and families; leadership
development; arts and culture and public broadcasting.
In addition, the foundation operates the OutGiving
Department which provides technical assistance and
other resources see Gill, p. 9
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine
*CW’ s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Play-Mor, 424 S. Memorial
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*Schatzi’ s, 2619 S. Memorial
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*TNT’ s, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool Box II, 1338 E. 3rd
*Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
*The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. I5th
832-1269
610-5323
838-9792
744-4280
585-3405
745-9998
280-1316
834-4234
660-0856
584-1308
835-2376
749-1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. H~rvard 743-1000
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E: 71 250-5034
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41 665-4580
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15 712-1122
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21 712-9955
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale 494-2665
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria 743-5272
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria 746-0313
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth 295-5868
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial 369-8555
Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 592-0460
Horal Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria 744-9595
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E..:55th PI. 610-0880
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. 628-3709
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st 742-1460
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial plaiming 459-9349
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly 745-1-111
*International Tours 341-6866
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018
"David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering 747-0236
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening 582-8460
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15 599-8070
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 747-5466
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha 585-1234
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd 584-3112
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 663-5934
*Mohawk. Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664-2951
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo 838-7626
*The Pride Store 743-4297
Ralnbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101 747-5932
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617
Teri Schutt, Ellen & Co. 834-7921,748-0224
Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-7829
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling 743-1733
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767
www gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays & Lesbians
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579-9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 583-7815
B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780.
Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Florence
Church of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood 587-1314
*Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595
Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712- ~1511
918.583 1248, fax: 583.4615
POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159 o-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal
Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin.Gregory, Barry
Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lament Lindstrom, Esther
Rothbluml Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw
Member of The Associated Press
Issued around the 1st of each month, the entire contents of this
publication are protected by US copyright 2001 by Tulsa
Family News 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 Tulsa Family News. Each reader is entitled to 4
copies of each edition at distribution points.
Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa- Lesbian & Gay Catholics & _-
Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free Spirit Women’ s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
*Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
*HouseoftheHolySpiritMinstries,1517S. Memorial 224-4754
*MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral PI. 748-3111
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tulsa
PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS .Interfaith Network 749-4195
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882
St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
*St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
Soulforce-OK, R.t.4,#3534,Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
*TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, Gay Comm. Center 743-4297
TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvocacy Coalition, POB2687,Tulsa 74101
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*Tulsa Gay Community Center, 21st &Memorial 7434297
Unity Churchof Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
BARTLESVILLE
Barflesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
"TAHLEQUAH
Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734
Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main 50!-253-7457
DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 501-253-6807
Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445
MCC of the Living Spring 501-253-9337
Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253-2776
Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332
Positive Idea Marketing Plans 501-624-6646
~rhite Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696
* is where you can find T’~N. Not all are Gay-owned but all are Gay-friendly,
to combat HIV/AIDS by 2003. The plans
should involve thebusiness sector, grassroots
groups and people living with HIV/AIDS.
- Countries most affected by HIV should
adopt by 2003 a set oftime targets to achieve
the goal of reducing HIV prevalence among
young men and women aged 15-24 by 25%
by 2005. HIV prevalence in the same age
group should be reducedby 25% worldwide
by 2010.
- A wide range of measures to prevent
AIDS - including information and education
- should be available by 2005 in all
countries, taking account of "local circumstances,
ethnic and cultural values."
- The number of infants infected with
HIV should be reduced by 20% by 2005 and
by 50% by. 2010 by providing treatment to
expectantmothers who are infected with the
HIV virus.
- By 2003, countries should develop national
programs to increase the availability
9f drugs to treat HIV infections by addressmg
issues such as pricing, and by 2005 they
shouldmakeprogress in implementing comprehensive
health care programs.
Theproposed draft also calls for countries
to initiate programs to identify groups most
vulnerable to AIDS by 2003, to implement
programs for AIDS orphans by 2005, and to
adopt legislation by 2005 protecting the
rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.
Last month, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi
Annan called for an annual war chest of $7
billion to $10 billion to fight the pandemic.
The draft proposal calls for reaching this
overall target incrementally by 2005, with
money coming from national budgets, international
donors, and private assistance.
Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Peg
Fiery devised reciprocal partnerships as a
¯ .way to comply with the Baker ruling but
." also to alter some of the moral objections to
¯¯ civil unions. She also argued that there are
other committed, loving "family units" that
¯
deserved the same benefits that same-sex
"_ couples were granted last year.
¯ Gay and Lesbian Vermonters, though,
¯ said the bill was an insult because it sought
-" to equate their committed relationships to
: those they have with a mother, sibling, aunt
.. or uncle. The relationships are significantly
¯ different, they said. "Last year we crafted a
¯
Ve.rmo,,nt compromise and we called it civil
¯ umon, said Rep. William Lippert, D-
¯ Hinesburg, one of two openly Gay lawmak-
¯ ers. "What we have before us today is not
just an expansion, as proclaimed, it in fact
¯ uhdoes that Vermont compromise called
civil union. You cannot escape that."
: Civil unions opponents were intent on
¯ scaling back the law, if not repealing it
¯ altogether. They reluctantly decided it was
impossible to repeal it outright and not provide
a replacement, though, because the
SupremeCourtmadeclear itprobably would
¯ grant Gay and Lesbian couples marriage
licenses in the absence of an alternative.
: Republicans won their majority in the
House largely on the strength of opposition
to the civil unions law. But Democrats re-
" tained control of the Senate.
by Matthew W. Holloway
The Gay community is not a happy one.
Homosexuals are often crippled in their
emotional stability byboth the outer forces
of oppression, hate and violence; as well
as the inner forces of depression,
doubt, self loathing
and loneliness. It is
mainly due to this crippling
emotional legacy that homosexuals
have developed
the well-deserved reputation
for drug use, mental
illness, and promiscuity.
Thesepattems, as once was
believed, are not an unavoidable
side effect ofhomosexuality;
they are, in
fact, not due at all to the
fact that one is a homosexual,
they are more related
to membership, either
claimed orexpressod, in the
much touted but rarely defined
"Gay community".
Oneofthe primary drives
of people is to align themselves into communities
of people. This is done for many
reasons, but one of the most influential
reasons is to give people smaller packets
Of society that they can deal with, and to
organize that society so that each can understand
it. These communities take many
forms, such as religions, governments, and
smaller sub-social communities.
In many situations these communities
of people serve a shorter term purpose,
such as the strength of African-American
commtmity in the 1960’s. The reason for
organizing very strong but temporary communities
such as these is to battle agmnst
some exterior force. It has been said that
people is at his strongest when he is united
in the face of some common evil, and this
is true. We unite ourselves into conmmnities
in order to battle against some outside
force.
The Gay community was originally organized
after this fashion, but the homosexual
battle for acceptance and equality
"... If the Gay
eommunlty does not
drastleally change it’s
image in the next ten
years from a eommunlty
united only by a shared
sexual preference to a
group of people with more
in common, with a
genuine uniting for~e,
then there will be no real
vletory in the struggle
against oppression
that we all share...."
has been a much longer
and harder one than that of
the African-American
community of the 1960’s.
In order for the Gay commuuity
to survxve as a social
group it must be
changed from the temporary,
constantly embattled,
and exclusive community
to a more functional and
longer lasting model.
If the Gay community
is not able ’to change satisfactorily
into a more stable
and permanentcommunity
it will do long term permanent
damage to the campaign
in this country for
Gay civil rights, ff the Gay
community does not drastically
change it’s image in the next ten
years from a community united only by a
shared sexual preference to a group of
people withmoreincommon, with a genuine
uniting force, then there will be no real
victory in the struggle against oppression
that we all share.
We must provide a world free of the
oppression to the many children who constantly
realize their own sexualities and
reach out for support. Will we be there for
them in the next ten years? Are we there
for them now? It is our duty to provide
these youngpeople with a stable and happy
commtmity that they will be happy and
content to join.
Matthew W. Holloway will attend Tulsa
Community College this fall, majoring tn
English.
Our GLBT Pride week is fast approaching
and many members of ourGLBT community
ask: "why. even get involved?" I’ll
tell you why...
To celebrate your own diversity as a
unique individual and to be proud who you
are! To unite us as a stronger community.
To meet others in the community who
wouldn;t meet otherwise. TO LEARN.
During themonthofJune, I tend to come
out to more people and feel better about
not hiding that I am a lesbian and I am
proud. Being "out" is not a requirement to
attend the Pride events, so those of you
who struggle with that need not won’y. I
want you to consider going to at least one
Pride event, you’ll be glad you did!
It seems tomethat people fear what they
have not experienced or what.they do not
understand. "Fear of the unknown" rings
so true with this one. I-have found that
most people have had a strong feeling for
a member of the same sex at some point in
their life (if they are honest enough to
admit it). Whether or not they choose to
labd that attraction as a sexual feeling or
not has a lot to do with many factors;
cultural, religious, & the comml~tity they
live in.
Often people do not know what to label
these feelings. They mav not have any
exposure to homosexualit~ except through
the media, which basically portrays a homosexual
as a deviant person to be feared,
- or a comedian! The news does the best
job of all at slapping anegative view our
way. Anytime a homosexual is in thenews
it is because they .have been involved in
some bizarre love triangle or are trying to
adopt a child. In either case, the homosexual
looks like a pervert, pedophile, you
name it. I think thatmost people are either,
a strong,heterosexual or a strong homosexual.
Of course, this makes for very
interesting "water cooler’, discussions.
Somepeople fall somewherein the middle,
and depending on their life circumstances,
at some point act on it or not.
So now you are thinking what point in
all this?Actually, I will let youin on a little
secret.., people, humanbeings, menAND
women want to be loved. Some feel that
can happen in a relationship with awoman
and some feel that can happen in a rdationship
with a man.
see Divine, p. 11
I spent a lovely evening recently at the
Tulsa Philharmonic and followed that by
meeting some friends at a favorite Gay
watering hole and was amazed at the conversations
that I overheard. "Have you
seenhimlately... ? Oh gift,
she is packing on the
pounds! Must be lonely."
Khother one went like this:
"ThatQueenhas morerolls
than Pillsbury." And then a
little later: "Ooh Mary. .
he looks like the Michelin
Man on a bad hair day."
Fascinating.
At first, I dismissed this
behavioras abunchofhateful
queens with nothing
better to do than talk, but
my observations actually
bring up a much larger (no
pun intended) issue: Why
are Gay men so crazed
about weight?
It is true that welivein an
in.credibly image-conscious
society where looking good is paramount,
but the obsession with staying thin
is especially pervasive with Gay men. On
a recent trip to Toronto, I caught the great
film "Parting Glances", and my point was
driven home when a hefty character made
the statement that "I may have co~umitted
the gay Cardinal Sin of being overweight
but I still have a lot to offer someone."
Being overweight can’t be a sin, can it? In
Gay society, you bet it is and the consequences
can be devastating.
I recently came out of a year-long rela-
¯tionship with a ~nan who was mmfiacal
about weight - mine. I am a healthy 37
year old man who is 5’ 11" mad a solid 180
pounds and I work out regularly. Like any
person, I have been known to gain a few ¯
pounds afler sphtrging on some great meals.
At first, my Ex put me on display as if to
say "’Look what I" ve caught," but when the
scale neared 190 the adoring cormnents
turued nasty. "You are getting a double
chin!" he barked at me one morning "mad
I won’t have a fat boyfriend." Ouch. Was
I not the same personjust because I gained
7 pounds? I tried going to the gym more
and eating less but my weight continued to
fluctuate. I told my Ex that the topic ofmy
weight was offlimi ts but this did not work.
In public, he was the perfect boyfriend. In
private, he was critical and cold. I became
frightened at losing my Partner. Then I
became bulimic.
It happened slowly at first. I popped a
couple of laxatives before going to bed as
if they were an herbal supplement. Our
relationship seemed to improve as I became
thinner. So two laxatives became
four, eight, ten... I finally quit counting.
When we went out, friends would comment
on how great I looked now that my
waist was 29 inches and shrinking. I was
told that I looked a decade younger. People
were amazed that I could eat and drink
whatever I wanted and still lose weight. It
should have felt great...but if they only
knew.
The relationship ended between Christmas
and New Year’ s. Upon learning ofmy
bulimia, my Ex left a terse note onmy door
"... In our group of six.
there were four Gay men,
two of whom I knew. We
were at once frightened
and outraged that our
partners, friends, and Gay
brothers could not accept
us for who we are. Give us
the AIDS epidemie to
fight or mobilize us
against hate and we’ll join
together as One,
but God forbid if any
of us are chunky . . .
stating that he wmated nothing further tc
with someone who had a selfish, sic"- ~ ~g
disorder. Charming.
"’I’ll show him," I said and I decided to
losemore weight. Two weeks later I was in
The GAP wanting some
new jeans but they had
nothing for aman with a 26
inch waist. There were
whispers among people
that I had Cancer or AIDS.
In reality, I was fooling
Mother Nature and soon
she fought back. First my
personality began to
change. Gone was the self
confident, easy-going man
I was and in my place was
afrightened, obsessive, and
vicious Mr. Hyde. I backed
out of an important promotion
at work, fearing that I
would fail I brought new
definition to the term "lean
and mean."
Then I rushed to the
doctor one day in agony with stomach
pains and he told me that I was suffering
from malnutrition and had lesions on my
colon. IfI continued to abuse laxatives, the
doctor said, I would indeed have a new
Partner: a colostomy bag. And that was if
I lived. I was frightened that if my condition
were exposed, I would be treated with
the same disgust that my Ex displayed. So
I went to Bulimics Anonymous.
In our group of six, there were four Gay
men, two of whom ! knew. We were a~
once frightened and outraged that our partners.
friends, and Gay brothers could nol
accept us as we are. Give us the AIDS
epidemic to fight or mobilize us against
hate and we’ll join together as One, bul
God forbid if any of us are chunky - then
we are "dmnaged goods."
I learned that bulimia is not about weight:
it is about control. In my case, I was tryiug
to balm~ce a career, a relationship, graduate
school, AND stay in shape. I was not
expected to gmn any weight. Sometlfing
had to give. I also lemned to share my
experience with others. I leaned on three
people: a parent, my personal trainer, and
a close friend - ironically all of whom are
heterosexual. They were completely supportive.
My trainer did get angry with me
for not trusting him to help me out of this
darkness and then he put his arms around
me and held me while I cried in disbelief
that this understanding and compassion
seems virtually non-existent in the Gay
connntmity.
Fortunately, I had recovered. It was not
easy. My hair turned gray for a time and I
had severe skin eruptions as I leached the
chemicals out of my body. My digestive
system is extremely sensitive and will
remain so for the rest of my life. But my
weight is stable and I amhappy withmy 32
inch waist. Most important, I know that I
am a good person no matter what my
weight and any man is lucky to have me.
And my Ex ? I saw him recently. He
walked by and refused to speak to me. As
I looked at this man who had become a
stranger, I noticed that he had indeed put
on some weight... - anonymous
Memorial to Gay
Soldiers Dedicated.
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (AP) - A Gay veterans
group unveiled a monument to remember Gay service
members killed in combat. The recent ceremony was
attended by veterans in tmiform, the mother of a Navy
serviceman beaten to death at age 23 for being Gay, -"
and a color guard carrying the rainbow banner that _"
symbolizes Gay pride. ¯
The activists who pushed for the monument in this :
desert city just south of Palm Springs say it is the first ¯
of its kind. "It’s a turn-of-the-century event," said¯"
Dennis Palt, a former Air Force staff sergeant who
served in Vxemam. I had hope for this but you could "
have never thought this would becomea reality in the "
1970s, 1980s or ’90s. It’ s fabulous."
Hawaii Passes Hate
Crimes Bill
HONOLULU (AP) - Gov. BenCayetano said that he
will sign the "hate crimes" bill passed.by this year’ s
Legislature. It gives longer sentences for crimes motivated
by the victim’ s race, religion, disability, ethnicity,
national origin or sexual orientation.
Cayetano said while he has concerns about making
distinctions between various kinds of victims, in this
casehefeels there’ s a statement tube made. He said his
decision was "close call" because he doesn’ t believe
Hawaii has a problem with hate crimes - yet.
The hate crimes bill was supported by Gay and
Lesbian groups and several civil rights groups, including
the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission. It was opposed
by the Public Defender’s Office, the Honolulu
Police Department. and several religion-based groups.
Disciples Church Adds
Partner Benefits
Man Adopts Gay Partner "
SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP)-A Montgomery County ¯
man has adopted his Gay partner. Chief Circuit Judge "
DeLawrence Beard approved the petition of the 60-
year-old adopter and the 65-year-old adoptee, Beard’s :
law clerk, Tracy Silverman, confirmed.
The men’s lawyer, James Shrybman, said that since "
the men can’t legally marry, they sought the adoption ",
to guaranteefamily rights regarding e~.ch o,th.err s ,me.dical
care andfuneral arrangements, and to clarity c~mms
of survivorship and inheritance Shrybman would not
identify the men, citing their desire for privacy. Their
adoption records in court are sealed. The lawyer said
the Silver Spring couple have lived together at least 32
years.
Shrybman said they considered forging some sort of
domestic partner contract, but felt it wouldn’t have
provided the family relationship recognized by law
and might not withstand challenges by other claimants.
"They chose to proceed to have the court put its
~mprimatur on their relationship and this is the only
one that was open to them," Shrybman said. The
adoptee’s parents are both dead, he said.
Other Gay couples have attempted such adoptions,
with varying degrees of success, m recent years, said
David Buckel, senior staff attorney with the Lambda
Legal Defense and Education Fund, a national Gay
civil-rights organization based in New York.
"’At present, same-sex couples throughout the nation
are denied the freedom to marry, which would bring
the greatest array of protections for their family," he
said. "’When you are a couple and you can’t get
roamed, you kind of reach out for whatever alternaayes
there are, and it sounds like these gentlemen have
found a helpful alternative in the state of Maryla_~.d."
A bill to diminate sex discrimination in mamage
was introducedin the 2000 General Assembly but was
blocked in committee. Baltimore city, Takoma Park
and Montgomery County offer domestic partnership
benefits to their employees.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -The 831,000-member Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ) has become one of the
first mainline Protestant denominations to authorize
medical coverage for domestic partners of unmarried
employees.
The decision was announced by the church pension
fund, which had discussed the issue for five years and
agreed to consider coverage if July’ s national General
Assembly approved it. But the denomination’s General
Board said last month the pension fund should
decide, not the national meeting. The coverage, which
could start as soon as January, doesn’ t extend to pensions.
Group Condemns
i Disney Gay Days ¯
¯ ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - The president of a Christian
group is asking that Disney officials denounce "Gay
¯ Days," the annual gathering of Gays and Lesbians at
¯ Orlando’ s theme parks.
¯ Martin Mawyer, president of the Forest, Va.-based
~ Christian Action Network, sent a letter to Disney
¯ chairman Michael Eisner also asking Disney officials
¯ to warn families about the event. He asked that signs be .
¯ posted and that other visitors to be able to get refunds
¯ if they Want. "After all, these families made plans to
¯ attend a theme park, not ahomosexual event," Mawyer
¯ said in the letter.
Disney and the other Orlando theme parks don’t
sponsor Gay Days but many of the week’s events, are
¯ held on the theme park resort’s property as well as
: Universal Studios, SeaWofld and Tampa Bay Busch
Gardens.
"Our policy is to be hospitable to everyone who
comes to our resort, to welcome everyone as a guest
and to treat everyone with respect," said Disney spokeswoman
Rena Callahan. "Mr. Mawyer is w~elcome to
visit Walt Disney World any day and we will wdcome
him as a guest as well."
Gay Days started out as a single day in 1991 when
then-Orlando resident Doug Swallow and friends from
a Gay computer bulletin board service informally
decided to get together at the Magic Kingdom. Since
then, Gay Days has become a multi-day event that
starts June 1 this year. It is expected to attract as many
as 100,000 Gays and Lesbians and dozens of parties in
local clubs and venues.
Find out for yourself how good the Lord is! - Ps. 34:8
Come share
good ness of
Lord with our
community
Morning
11:00 AM
=hildren’s Worship
During Service
MCC United
Rev. Cathy Elliott, Pastor
1623 N. Maplewood (918)838-1715 mcctulsa@aol.com
Lesbian Kiss Gets
Yearbook Censored
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - Dozens of Boulder High
School students locked lips outside the school to protest
a decision to withdraw a photo of a same-sex kiss
from the yearbook. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Straight
students were encouraged to kiss one another, and
about 150 people turned out at the protest. It lasted
about an hour.
Students had claimed discrimination after the picture
of two girls kissing was yankedfrom the yearbook.
The picturewas to be included in a feature called"First
Kiss" along w;th those ofheterosexual couples kissing.
Yearbook adviser Ruth Palmer said the parents of the
two girls would have to give permission for the photo
to run. When she didn’t hear back from them, she took
the photo out.
Student Rachel Stanley said that decision showed a
double standard because photos of male-female kisses
were allowed to run without parental approval. "A lot
more needs to be done to open people’s eyes about the
problems facing kids" with different sexual backgrounds,
Stanley said as students behind her hugged
and kissed. "It has to start somewhere and maybe this
is it."
Community
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
at Community ofHope
2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595
A Welcoming Congregation
HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm
1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, hffo: 224-4754
The Open Arms Project
Young Adult Support Group
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
918-584-2325
Mingo Valley Flowers
9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145
918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800~dAA-5934
Family Owned & Operated
Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW
Ghild, Family, Individual & Gouplo Psychotherapy
(918) 743-9559
2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518
The Pride Store
21st Street & Memorial
Tulsa Gay Community Services Center
743-GAYS (743-4297)
6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday
12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center
TOM NEAL
BUILDING & GARDEN
DESIGN
583-I248
Red Rock Tulsa
Free Confidential HIV Testing
Walk-in Clinics
Tues. & Thurs.,5 -8 pm
at the Center, 1307 East 38th
Daytime appointments available.
Call for more information:
918-.584-2325
G
American Red Cross
American Red Cross
-Tulsa Area Chapter
10151 East Eleventh
Tulsa 74128
Dannette McIntosh
Diversity Co-ordinator
83-8:1100
Saint Aidan
4045 N. Cincinnati, 425-7882
Saint John
4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381
OPENARMS .o
OPEN MINDS
OPEN I-IFARFS
Saint Dunstan
5635 East 71st, 492-7140
Trinity
501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128
The Episcopal Church Welcomes You
Louisiana Senate Kills
Anti-discrimination Bill
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Legislation outlawing
employment discrimination against Gays was defeated
in the Louisiana Senate after a polite but sometimes
emotional debate. "If we fail today we’ll be back again
in the next session," the bill’ s sponsor, state Sen. Don
Cravins, said just before the 14-21 vote against the
measure.
Cravins’ bill would have outlawed discrimination in
hiring, firing or promoting anyone on the basis of
"actual or perceived sexual orientation." Cravins said
some lawmakers supported the idea but admitted to
him they could not vote for it because it would cost
them political support.
While Senate committee debate included views from
religious opponents of the bill, opposition on the floor
centered around the practicality of the bill.
State Sen. Bill Jones said the bill was unworkable
since it created a protected class and proving someone
is a member of that class would be based solely on that
person’s claim.
Lutheran Bishop Resigns
Over Gay Ordination
LOS ANGELES (AP)- Southern California’s ranking
Lutheran bishop says the church has asked him to
resign for participating in last month’ s ordination of a
Lesbian in Minnesota in defiance of church law.
Bishop Paul W. Egertson, whose sonis Gay, said he
has decided whether to comply with the request, which
comesjust months before his term expires Aug. 31. He
was not seeking re-election.
Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson asked
Egertson before the ceremony to reconsiderhis participation,
said John Brooks, a spokesman for the Chicago-
based Evangelical. Lutheran Church in America.
Brooks would not confirm that the bishop had asked
Egertson to resign.
Rev. Paul Tidemann of St. Paul-Reformation
Lutheran Church said he is not surprised by the decision.
Anita Hill, the pastor who Egertson ordained,
now serves at St. Paul-Reformation with Tidemann. "I
think that the ELCA is doing what it feels it has to do
given the policy that it has," Tidemann said. "Every:
body is in a bit of a difficult spot because the church has
not decided to change that policy ""
Egertson, 65, became bishop of the Southern California
(West) Synod in 1995. The synod includes 140
churches, 275 ministers and nearly 46,000 baptized
members.
Egei’tson became the church’ s first active bishop to
participate in the ordination of a Lesbian when he took
part in the ceremony for Hill. Egcrtson said he was
conscience-bound to defy the church by joining in
Hill’ s ordination. "I can no longer advocate this cause
with credibility from a posihon of personal safety,"
Egertson wrote Anderson at the time.
Somechurch leaders were concerned aboutEgertson
whenhe was elected bishop in 1995 because he said he
had earlier joined in blessing same-sex couples. For
that reason, Egertson said, he promised in writing to
resign if he ever felt he must defy church law as a
matter ofconscience. He said Anderson has now asked
him to follow through.
The Saint Paul Area Synod would not comment on
Egertson because "responsibility for this matter rests
with our churchwide leadership," said spokeswoman
Beth Helgen.
But the Saint Paul Area Synod is considering disciplinary
action against St. Paul-Reformation. Bishop
Mark Hanson and the Saint Paul Area Synod Council
could decide to expel the congregation from the ELCA.
Helgen said she expected the synod to make a decision
soon, but there is no deadline for the announcement.
Religious Leader
Opposes Partner Benefits
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The executive director of
the Christian Civic League of Maine has begun taking
steps to prohibit all state and local governments from
providing domestic partnership benefits. Michael Heath
filed a petition with the Secretary of State’s office to
force an election on the issue.
ff Heath’s petition is approved and he meets the
requirements necessary to land the issue on the November
2002 ballot, voters will also decide whether or
not to overturn a decision by the Portland City Council
to establish a registry of same-sex and opposite-sex
unmarried couples.
Heath’s referendum would also prohibit the state
university*system from providing benefits to the domestic
partners of their employees, and would take
away health insurance from the domestic parmers of
employees who already have them.
"We are praying and thinking about it and talking
with folks who have concerns about this, about domestic
partnership and the agenda of the Gay movement
here in Maineand throughout the country," Heath said.
The Secretary of State’s office is reviewing the
petition and is expected to respond by June 4. Heath
will then be able to collect signatures- he needs 42,101
- to place the question on the ballot.
The state has made significant strides in recognizing
stone-sex couples in recent months. Earlier this year,
the State Employee Health Commission approved
granting health insurance beuefits to Gay and unmarried
heterosexual partners of state employees.
On Monday, the Portland City Council made history
by unanimously supporting the creation of a registry,
which will recognizedomes tic partners as families and
afford them many of the same rights and privileges as
husbands and wives The university systeln and the
City of Portland have offered the benefits for some
time, and the ordinance City Councilors in the city
approved on Monday would require any recipient of
city funds to offer the benefits to employees.
A bill is also in the state Legislature that would
require health insurance companies to offer domestic
partner benefits if they offer coverage to the spouses of
plan-covered Legislature members. The measure was
approved by the House of Representatives and is
headed to the Senate for a final vote.
Karen Gcraghty, a Portland city councilor who cosponsored
the city’s ordinance, said she and others
knew that Heath had filed the petition, and are taking
steps to keep a ballot question from passing. "This is
about denying peoples’ access to health care," she
said. "This is about inequity in the workplace.’"
Heath has been successful with statewide referendnms
oncivil rights issues for Gays. In February, 1998,
voters overturned a statewide anti,discrimination law
that the Legislaturehad passed. Last November, voters
again turned down such a law.
Portland Eases Ban on
Military Recruiting
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Portland school board
has loosenedamilitary recrmting ban that was prompted
by the military’ s "don’ t ask, don’ t tell" policy toward
Gays. In a unanimous vote, the board decided teachers
and counselors can refer students to recruiters offcampus
only if students are told that the military
prohibits Gays who disclose or act on their orientation.
The decision is a compromise between Gay civilrights
activists who opposed military recruitment in
schools and recruiters, who said the armed forces offer
opportunities for students who aren’ t college-bound.
Abrams wrote the district’ s ban on military recruitment,
which was put into place in 1995. The board had
pushed various plans in recent weeks to give students
more access to the military in school.
Powell Will Lobby
for More AIDS $
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - Secretary of
State Colin Powell says his four-nation
tour of Africa has pu.t human faces on the
AIDS epidemic sweeping the continent,
and he’ll use the experience to lobby for
more U.S. aid.
"I can go back and make a case in
Washington of the need for more resources,"
Powell said. "I hope I can convey
the passion of what I have seen" when
he reports back to President Bush. Powell
was wrapping up an African gour that also
.tookhim to Mali, South Africa and Kenya.
He was next headed to Budapest, Hungary,
for NATO meetings.
The secretary visited AIDS outreach
. centers in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, and
Kampala, the Ugandan capital. He said he
was deeply moved by heating the experiences
of AIDS victims in both places, and
watching Africans trying to come to grips
with the disease ttL~ough song, dance and
skits. "You don’t really get a full appreciation
until you see the people who are
sla’icken," Powell said.
In Nairobi, Patricia Ochieng, 33, told
Powell it had been nearly 10 years since
she’d tested positive with HIV, the virus
that causes AIDS. Since then, both her 4-
year-old son and her husband have died of
the disease, she said, and"I kept dying day
by day. All my dreams were gone."
The Bush administration announced
earlier this month it was contributing an
ilfitial $200 million to a global $7 billion
fund to combat AIDS. That’s on top of
about $460 million the United States had
earlier committed to fighting AIDS.
In Kampala, Powell announced $50
millionin aid over five years to helpUganda
expand a prevention program. The programhas
sharpl) cut Uganda s HIV-AIDS
rate from nearly 30% to about 10%.
On his travels through Africa, Powell
has said repeatedly that he would work to
get additional U.S. support for AIDS prevention,
research and trealanent programs.
"Even though there are wars in other
parts of the world, even though there’s a
crisis in the Middle. East, even though
people are dying in these conflicts around
the world, there’s no war more serious,
there’s no war causing more death or destruction,
there’s no war on the face Of the
earth that is more grave than the war in
sub-Saharan Africa against HIV-AIDS,"
he said. More than 25 million people on
the continent are infected with HIV.
Teens Want
Complete Sex Info
CHICAGO (AP) - Take a look at some of
the spicy novds aimed at readers as young
as 12. Tune in any number of TV shows
popular with young viewers and try finding
the characters who haven’t had sex.
Ever hear the "Thong Song" or the recent
No. 1 "It Wasn’t Me," a tune about a
couple getting caught "banging on the
bathroomfloor"?Many dementary school
students have.
Officially - from President George W.
Bush on down - young people are being
told to just say ’no’ to sex. Yet they are
bombarded with images that, they say,
make the mantra difficult to take seriously.
Frustrated with mixed messages,
many teens say the)’ would make better
choices for themselves if they had more
information about sex - and less hype.
"How can you expect teens to be abstinent
when all they see is sex?" asks DeVoia
Stewart, 16. "It’s a little hypocritical."
Through the 1990s, biennial surveys
from the federal Centers for Disease Control
andPreventionfound fewerhigh school
students saying they had had sexual intercourse
- from just over 54.1% in 1991 to
49.9% in 1999. The number of teen-age
mothers giving birthalso dropped, although
there are still about a million teen pregnancies
each year.
But health officials say sexually transmitted
diseases are a big concern for teens
- among them HIV, chlamydia, herpes,
gonorrhea and human papilloma virus,
which can develop into cervical cancer.
They also say that, instead of intercourse,
someteens are having otherkinds ofsexual
contact, like oral sex, that can easily spread
disease.
The statistics have only heightened the
debate about what to tell young people
about sex, evenamongyoungpeople themselves.
"In my school, there are people
who adamantly preach about waiting for
sex, and there are also people who love to
recount their own racy experiences," says
Alessa Thomas, 16.
For adults, part of the debate is whether
to distribute condoms and other forms of
birth control to teens. This spring, Planned
Parenthood distributed "prom Survival
Kits," including condoms, to students in
Minneapolis and other cities.
About the same time, a health board in
northern Kentucky decided to change its
sex .education curriculum to "abstinence
only," seeing any talk of safer sex or
condom distribution as lessons in "how
to." "We’re talking about young people
who can’t remember to bring their homework
to school or set their alarm dock -
and yet we want them to remember to use
acondomevery time they engage in sexual
intercourse?" says Addia Wuchner, who
oversees the board’s haman sexuality committee.
But many young people say they should
be trusted to handle more information -
the more, the better. Christopher Batu, 20,
agrees that abstinence education is important,
but he still wishes he had knownmore
about "the reality of what could happen"
because of sex when he was younger. He
says "sex isn’ t evil," but it carries a load of
responsibility with it.
The hunger for accurate, frank informa~
tion has prompted some teens to educate
themselves. Some efforts are official, including
SEX, ETC., a sexuality and health
newsletter and Web site sponsored by
Rutgers University that is written by teens
for teens.
Other teens say they get their information
from sources such as drDrew.com, a
healthWeb sitefor 14- to 24-year-olds that
answers questions ranging from "What is
considered safe sex?" to "What can I do to
helpmyboyfriend last longer during sex?"
Thomas says she doesn’t go to adults
because "I am afraid they will judge me."
Still, a report released this month shows
that many young people want more infor-
Tulsa
A R E S
p r e s e n t
Hair Ball
2001
Juty 14, 8pro, PAC’sWestby
Pavilion & LaFortune Studio,
$80 donation.
Call Rebecca at 884-4194
On the 20th Anniversary
of AIDS, the AIDS Coalition
of Tulsa presents a
Town Hall Meeting
June 5th, 2pm
Topics:
Update on the Epidemic, Janice Nicklas
Testing Positive, Living with HIV, Tommy Chesbro
Knowing Your HIV Status, Ebony Skillens
Diversity In New HIV Cases, Kristi Frisbie
HIV Treatment in Tulsa,
Damon Baker, DO, & Don Eberly
Care Needs of PLWAs, Sharon Thoele
How Tulsans Can Help, Janice Nicklas
Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder
The Tulsa City County
Library System
is proud to
Embrace Diverst
honoring Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered
Oklahomans with the following events:
Saturday, June 2. 2pm. Maxwell Park Library
"Coming Out in Tulsa Area High Schools"
Dr. Doug Gronberg, English teacher at Booker T. Washington High School,
moderates a panel discussion by high school students in Gay/Straight Alliances.
Monday, June 4. 7pm. Central Library
"Council Oak Men’s Chorale"
Monday, June 4. 7pm. Helmerich Library
"Family Law Issues Affecting the Gay COmmuaity"
Panel discussion with IJnda Lacey, TU College of Law, moderating.
Thursday, June 7. 7pm. Central Library
"Diversity Film Festival"
Harvey.Fierstein and Matthew Broderick star in "Torch Song Trilogy."
Saturday, June 9. 12 Noon. Central Library
"Diversity Film Festival"
"Out Of the Past" documents the struggles of Kelli Peterson, who started a Gay’/
Straight alliance in her Salt Lake City school in 1996.
Thursday, June 14. 7pm. Central Library
"Diversity Film Festival"
’°Trevor": Winner of the 1994 Academy Award for best live action short.
"If These Walls Could Talk": Stories about Lesbian couples in three deeades.
"Bubbeh .Lee and Me": A Gay man’s visit with his 87 year old grandmother.
Tuesday, June 19.2pm. West Regional Library
Book Discussion: "Deliver Us From Evie"
Thursday, June 21. lpm. Broken Arrow Library
Book Disa~ssion:"Fried Green Tomatoes"
Thursday, June 21. 7pm. Brookside Library
AIDS Memorial Quilt Project
Vale Bode, director of Education and Outreach for the Tulsa Area chapter of
the NAMES project, discusses the AIDS Memorial Quilt.
Please call 596-7977 or your local branch library if you have questions or
need more information. Please plan to attend. "
marion from adults about sex.
The survey of 12- to 17-year-olds by the
fkaiser Family Foundation found that48%
wanted more information about sexual
health from their doctor and 42% from
their health class teachers. A third wanted
more discussxons with their parents.
"This is difficuh stuffto talk to yourkids
about, but youhave to do it-kids want you
to doit," says Margaret Anderson, a senior
program manager for the Academy for
Educational Development, a nonprofit
group that uses fe,~Ieta]and privatefuhding
to help-community organizations develop
sex education and other programs.
Jonathan Olinger, 18, agrees. He says
that his parents’ first talk with him about
sex was awkward but that it _opened the
door to other questions. "We listen to our
parents a lot more than they realize," he
says.
Glaxo Lowering
AIDS Drugs Costs
NAIROBI,- Kenya (AP)~_-. Glaxo
SmithKline will expand a program tod-e--
liver low-cost AIDS drugs in Kenya to
include -aid organizations andl~ge employee
health programs, the marketing
director in Kenya said at the end of May.
Dr. William Kiarie said the company’s
drugs would be offered at a no-profit price,
90% cheaper than the retail price charged
in North America and Europe. Glaxo
Kenya already Offers the drugs at the discounted
pnee to government hospitals.
"It is not a new program, it is just new in
the way it is being implemented," Kiarie
said. "What we are talking about is implementing
the price reductions and expanding
that to more groups of people."
Glaxo, along with other multinational
pharmaceutical companies, has come under
increasing pressure to lower the prices
of antiretroviral drugs that treat HIV, the
virus that causes AIDS. More than 26
million people in Africa have HIV, but
most live on less than $1 a day.
Glaxo’s discount will bring the price of
treatment down to $2 a day, Kiarie said.
Only about 1,000 of the 2.1 million
Kenyans infected with HIV are being
treated with antiretrovirals now, Kiarie
said. But even at the lower price, this
numberwill only expand to between 20,000
and 30,000, he added.
"As an industry, we have to lower the
prices," Kiarie Said. "But this will not be
enough. If we want a significant increase
in access to antiretroviral drugs, we have
to look for other funding and infrastructure
buildup." Kiarie refused to discuss
specific drugs or what the exact prices
would be.
Indra Van Gisbergen, an attorney working
with the Kenyan CoalitiOn for Access
to Essential Medicines, said the offer was
nothing that hadn’t been promised by the
pharmaceutical companies before and that
the lack of details was disturbing.
"Glaxo is misleading the public on the
-prices by hiding all the conditions that
come with the price," Van Gisbergen said.
"In order to get those pnces you have to
sign a contract that hasa very funny paragraph
about agreeing with the company."
Van Gisbergensaid Glaxo has refused
to show AIDS activists copies of the contract,
but she had obtained one copy. She
said Glaxo’s announcement was timed to
influence a bill in Kenya’s parliament that
would allow the government to override
patents and allow the importation of lowpriced,
generic AIDS drugs. "This announeement
should not be used as an’ excuse
not to pass the bill and allow generic
drugs into Kenya," Van Gisbergen said.
HIV Clinic Targets
Rural Poor
GREENWOOD, Miss. (AP) - qlae fight
against HIV disease is being stepped up in
Greenwood, Leflore County and the rest
of the Delta.
To Dr. Hamza O. Brimah of Greenwood,
director of the program, it’s about
time. "I have a growing base of padents
who are living with HIV," said Brimah,
40. "Back in 1997, when the Magnolia
Medical Clinic opened, we had barely 10
patients. Today, we’ve seen almost 200."
A $1 million grant provided by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services
will be spread over three years and
provide primary care services for !owincome
individuals living with HIV, he
said.
Called the Magnoli~ Medical Clinic/
Greenwood Leflore Hospital HIV Program,
the project covers a nine-county
region that runs west to Washington
County, south to Holmes County and north
to Coahoma County.
The grant has two goals, Brimah said.
The first is to improve the quality of care
provided to the HIV patient. One way is to
upgrade patient referrals to other primarycare
services, such as dental care, mental
health care and women’s health care.-
The other is improving access to care.
"Werealize that there are still many people
who are not in care," Brimah said. For
every person living with HIV, he said,
there are nine or 10 who aren’t aware that
they have it. "What we’re trying to do is
encourage people to get tested, to access
care by being able to provide them with
transportation and to pay for their clinic
visits," Brimati said.
Testing and treatments, if necessary, are
provided at no cost for low-income individuals.
Treatment for AIDS and HIV has
improved significantly over the past five
years.
"In the past, there used to be complex
regimens, which meant several pills that
had lots of side effects that differ from the
more recent treatment options," Brimah
said. One improvement is a new pill that
has to be taken only twice a day. "That’s a
long way from the time when patients had
to take upwards of 30 pills a day," Brimah
said. "The cost has remained about the
Average treatment costs for HIV patients
are around $1,000 per month. Drugs
also have been developed that can reduce
the transmission of HIV from mother to
baby. "We encourage all pregnant women
to get HIV tested," Brimah said. "It is
possible to reduce the chances that the
baby will be born with HIV disease."
AIDS and HIV cases have leveled off
nationwide, but the number of rural cases
has risen slightly, Brimah said.
by TFN staff
James Christjohn, TFN’s most excellent
entertainment editor, is taking much
needed time offforgoodbehavior (editor’s
note: is that what that’s called now?). He
is gearing upfor the Stevie Nicks tour. The
high priestess of rock and roll STEVIE
NICKS will embark on an extensive concert
tour this summer
with an itinerary that
will take her across the
United States.
Nicks will perfonfi
material from her new
CD TROUBLE IN
SHANGRI-LA which
entered the Billboard
albtun charts at No. 5
and has remained a Top
2Ohit for the last three
weeks. She" will also
cover material from her
previous solo albums as
well as her hits as a
member of Fleetwood
Mac.
Billboard Magazine
hailed Nicks’ new album as "this years
comeback equivalent to Carlos Santana
and her strongest material since her landmark
Bdla Donna." Check local venues
for on sale dates and ticket prices.
The tour dates are as follows, being the
closest to Tulsa She gets: August 3 Dallas,
TX Smirnoff Music Center; August 4
Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell
Pavilion; August 28 Banner Springs, KS
Sandstone Amphitheatre; August 29 St.
Louis, MO Riverport Amphitheatre. -
But meanwhile in Tulsa, there’s things
happening. From June 6th to July 1, Light
Opera Oklahoma (LOOK) will be prov!ding
the best in light, summer entertmnment
with, as always, some Gilbert &
Sullivan, the Mikado, Herbert’s Naughty
Marietta and Lerner & Lowe’s My Fair
Lady, based, of course on George Bernard
Shaw’s Pygmalion.
LOOK is also presenting a one woman
"Carmen" which feature Julie Goell as a
cleaning lady who entertains hersdf by
performing scenes from the Bizet opera.
And Broadway and film .veteran Lynette
Bennett will reprise the career of Jeanette
McDonald in a show Bennett wrote. For
times and dates on all these performance,
call 583-5398 or see their website: www.
webtek.com/gilbertsullivan
Down at the Performing Arts Center,
American Theatre Company will close
their season with Wit, the riveting tale of
Dr. Vivian Bearing, a professor of 17th
century English poetJohn Donne. Bearing
has cancer and the play addresses her
struggle with the disease and is full of
allusions to Donne’s work. Tulsa theatre
veteran Lisa Wilson stars in the, production
directed by Ken Spence. Call the
PAC, 596-2525, for times and prices.
Also there. Theatre Tulsa will present
the Cotton Patch Gospel which recounts
the life and times of Jesus Christ as set in
the hills of Georgia. It’s been characterized
as "a story for intellectuals who are
closet hillbillies..." This, of course, describe~
so many that we know... This is
Philbrook’s award winning lawns.
likdy to be good despite this description.
¯
Again call 596-2525.
¯¯ Put on your radar Tulsa’s annual
SummerStage Festival which will present
¯
a number of plays during July and into
¯ early August. Call thePAC at 596-2525 or
log on to www.tulpac.com
¯ Now over at Philbrook, they’re notcoming
up daisies and dandelions
in the lawn. In
fact, the museum has
won an award from
Briggs and Stratton
(yes, that’s right, the
lawn mower engine
manufactorers) for having
one of the top ten
lawns in the US. Others
who’ve won the award
include Graceland, the
Alamo, and this year,
the Biltmore Estate and
the Hemingway Home
in Key West. All the
work at Philbrook is
done by only four
people according to
¯ grounds supervisor, Ralph Bendel.
¯ And one ofTulsa’ s summer traditions is
film and theatre on the lawn at Philbrook.
¯ Keep reading this column for further in-
¯. formauon.
Also at Philbrook is a show opening
¯ June 10 of the glass artistry of West Coas!
¯ artist William Morris. Morris’ work is ¯
reflective of his interest in archeology and
¯ ancient pagan cultures. Morris lives near
Seattle where he was master glassblower
to world renowned artist Dale Chihuly.
Morris’ work is in the collections of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre
and the Victoria and Albert Museum in
¯ London as well as theLos Angeles County ¯
Museum.
¯ Philbrook is at 2727 S. Rockford Rd., is
¯ open Tues. - Sat. 10-5pm, Sun. 11-Spin
¯ and till 8pm on Thurs. Admission at the ¯
grounds, Museum Shop and la Villa res-
¯ taurant is alway free and more information
¯ is available at www.philbrook.org
". Don’t" forget that Tulsa CiU-County
¯ Library is presenting a variety of Diversity
¯ programnfing during the month of June.
¯ Central Library will host the Council
Oak Men’ s Chorale on Monday, June 4 at
¯ 7pro. The Chorale will perform a variety
¯ of vocal selections.
¯ On Thursday, June 7 at 7pm, Central ¯
will begifl its "Diversity Film. Festival"
¯ with Harvey Fierstein and Matthew
¯ Broderickin"TorchSongTrilogy," which
¯ was adapted from the Tony Award win-
. ning Broadway hit. The musical numbers
¯ are a hoot, and Anne Bancroft chews the
: scenery nicely.
¯ Next will be "Out of the Past" docu- ¯
menting the struggles of Kelli Peterson,
¯ who started a Gay/Straight alliance in her
¯ Salt Lake City school in 1996. Her fight ¯
became a statewide battle that brought
¯ national attention. This film is scheduled
¯ for Saturday, June 9 at 12 Noon.
Thursday, June 14 (7pm) will see
" "Trevor": Winner of the 1994 Academy
¯ Award for best live action short. This
¯ highly acclaimed, see arts, p. 9
Bernsen
Foundation
For Tickets Call
(918) 583-5398
Kendall Theatre
The University of Tulsa
Matinees: 2:00 Evenings: Thursday &
Friday 7:30, Saturday 8:00
Tirnothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for justice
& equality for Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-8OO-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East 3roadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
weekend and evening appoinlmenls are available.
Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC
Certified Public Accountant
a professional corporation
Lesbians and Gay men face many special
tax situations whether single or as couples.
Electronic filing is available for faster refunds.
747-5466
4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135
touching, funny film addresses issues of
sexual identity and compassion and, "If
These Wails Could Taik" a trio of stories
about Lesbian couples in three different
decades.
The last film that evening will be
"Bubbeh Lee and Me": about a Gay man’ s
visit with his 87 year old grandmother in a
Florida retirement community.
Pleasecall 596-7977 or yourlocal branch
library if you have questions or need more
information.
GLSEN is the sponsor of Student Pride
USA, the organization that helped me to
get our Gay Straight Alliance started, and
GLSEN in Oklahoma provided assistance
to Barker as well.
Phelps, aiso adisbarred attorney, didnot
attend the protest himself but members of
his congregation, most of whom are also
related to him did picket near Orai Roberts
University’s Mabee Center.
Barker, in remarks made to supporters
at the Center, noted that in response to ’the
protest a number of his classmates, many
unknown to him, offered .him words of
support and encouragement.
Barker aiso notedthat as afundraiser the
incident was highly successful, raising
several thousand dollars for Gay/Straight
student organizing in Oklahoma.
to supportthe conmaunities it serves. The
Gill Foundation and OutGiving Department
are headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
The Gay and Lesbian Fundfor Colorado
is based in Colorado Springs.
The Festival will feature booths with pride
merchandise, food, beverages as well as a
variety of entertainment, from singers to
femaieimpersonators,maybe a comedian,
grrrl bands, the Council Oak Mens Choraie
and "surprises." The opemng ceremonies
for the Festivai will be held at
4:30pm. The Festivai is scheduled to continue
until dark.
Tulsa Transit shuttles will begin at noon
at Veterans’ Park to take people to several
stops aiong the parade route.
Volunteers are encouraged to help carry
the 120 foot long rainbow flag, Oklahoma’ s
largest. Entries into the parade are still
possible but the entry fee has now gone to
$50, profit and non-profit alike.
At the Gaia Dinner, TOHR will present
its Community Hero awards to four individuals
as well as recognize some of the
organization’ s donors, and the TOHR Volunteer
of the Year.
And on June 16th, Borders Books &
Music will haveaTOHRbenefit day where
a percentage of purchases will be donated
by the store to TOHR. Cail the Center at
743-4297 for more information.
Viewpoint: Study ¢:
Gay to Straight Bias ¯
by Wayne Besen
The Human Rights Campaign
What do John Paulk, Jeremy Marks
Wade Richards have in conm~on ? ~I
were ail high profile"ex-Gays" who c:~ v.
out of the closet in the past year - c:
Paulk’s case, was photographed at a ~ y
bar in Washington. If there is one kn~:.
fact about "ex-Gays," it is that one camaot
aiways take their stories of "change" at
face vaiue.
In light of the double lives of prominent
"ex-Gays," it seems questionable to conduct
a"scientific" study on whetherpeople
can "change" their sexual orientation - if it
is based solely on their testimonies. Yet
this is exactly what psychologist Dr. Robert
Spitzer did. Moreover, many ofhis 200
subjects wereinvolvedupon the referral of
several virulently anti-Gay political groups.
Themostobvious flaw in Spitzer’ s study
was the clear role played by these groups.
The "ex-Gay" ministries referred 43% of
the subjl~cts to Spitzer. The anti-Gay National
Association for the Research and
Therapy of Homosexuaiity referred 23%.
"His sampling method was totally inadequate,"
Dr. Lawrence Hartmann, a professorat
Harvard and alongtime researcher
on homosexuality told Newsday. A year
ago, the Human Rights Campaign urged
Spitzer in a letter to use objective physical
measures in determining whether his subjects
were still attracted to the same sex.
Why did he decline? Spitzer and others
claim that the new study shows that sexuai
orientation in "highly motivated" people
may be changeable.
But the results show quite the opposite.
Even though study participants were a
hand-selected sample of activists - with
78% having spoken out publicly about
~onver~ion therapy - only .17% of the men
and55%ofthe womencharacterized themselves
as 100% heterosexual after at least
five years of therapy. Additionaily, 56%
of the men and 18% of the women still said
they fantasized about the same sex.
Anti-Gay activists have long claimed
that tens of thousands of people have gone
from Gay to straight. But after a review of
the most "’successful" 200 cases, it is clear
that the failure rate of conversion therapy
is high. This is why Spitzer acknowledged
having "great difficulty" in finding nonreligious
therapists able to refer clients
whom had successfully changed their
sexual orientation.
Another study by Ariel Shidlo and
Michael Schroeder, represents a more realistic
picture of conversion therapy efforts.
TheNew York psychologists studied
202 subjects who tried to change their
sexual orientation, and found that 97%
failed to change in any meaningful way.
And of the 3% who claimed to have fully
changed, all but one work as "conversion"
counselors.
Until society is freefrom anti-Gay prejudice,
people will feel compelled or be
coerced into attempting to change. While
new research on this controversial subject
is welcome, Spitzer’s study does not further
enhance the current debate. It only
offers a view that is long on right-wing
influence and short of objective data.
by Lamont Lindstrom
Here is a childhoodmemory: Iamriding
the bus to school - fifth grade, I think. I’m
relaxed, looking about here-and-there: At
other kids, out the window, at myself refleeted
in the window, and
- oh my god! - I’m wearing
a yellow shirt! And it’s
Queersday! Thursday, that
is. I can’t anymore remember
all the indignities, but
friends and enemies used
hands and tongues to reprimand
me for breaking one
of the sacred rules of
schoolyard society: Only
queers would wear yellow
on Thursday.
We followed a complicated
and often cruel kid
culture full of beliefs, rituals,
and regulations. These
rules starkly delineated the
normal from the abnormal,
the acceptable from the
forbidden. Many focused
on appearance. Boys cross
their legs at the knee, gifts
at the ankle. Boys carry
books at the side, girls
complicated and often
cruel kid culture furl of
beliefs, rltuals, and
regulations... Many
focused on appearance.
Woe was he, or she, who
failed to monitor the
body... It is an easy
guess that playground
taboos refleet children’s
attempts to grapple with
gender... [trying to fit]
ourselves into an adult
world of maseuline
and feminine...’"
cuddled in front. Boys do not stand with
hands on hips akimbo. Woe was he, or she,
who failed to monitor the body.
Schoolyard surveillance was. painstaking
if sometimes quirky. Be cai~ful not to
wear a shirt with a little loop in the middle
of tim shoulders. Playground police’would
rip off these fruit-loops just as they did the
fagtags on Polo shirts. And when I made it
to high school, the heavy question was
which ear to pierce. Boys who pierced
their right ears were likely fags. Left, we
all knew, was right.
Folklorists have recorded many similar
elements of kid lore around America.
Queersday still exists, although the day in
question differs from place to place, as..
does the tabooed color (yellow or green in
some towns, and redin others) Itis aneasy
guess that playground taboos reflect
children’s attempts to grapple with gender.
All of us experienced the challenge of
fitting ourselves into an adult world of
masculine and feminine. We had to be
boys or gifts. Anything in-between was
to(~ upsetting to contemplate. It could imply
that those vital categories, male and
female, weren’t as solid as we needed to
believe they were. Rather than doubt our
categories, we witch-huntedfags and dykes
- failed boys and inadequate gifts.
Folklorists al so collect elaborated, adult
versions of schoolyard culture Jan
Brunvand, for one, has published a series
of collections of urban legends. These are
stories, presented as the truth, that circulate
by word-of-mouth and, increasingly,
over the Internet. (Several excellent
websites, including www.urbanlegends.
corn andwww.snopes2.com, track
new legends and also maintain story archives.)
Just as playgroundfolklorereflects kids’
gender anxieties, we can suppose that urban
legends similarly express areas of
ambiguity and disquiet in everyday American
life.
Accounts of Kentucky-fried rats, for
example, are plentiful: couple goes to fastfood
chicken joint, drives through, buys a
bucket, and chows down. Wife says, "Gee
honey, my chicken tastes
funny !" Husband turns on
light and both are shocked
to see thatWifehas chewed
through hunk of rat, tail
still hangs from the breading.
Couple rushes io lawyer
and sues chicken joint
for XXXX dollars.
A pervasive feature of
contemporary American
life is that we eat food
cooked by strangers (and
poorly paid strangers, at
that). The rat story, and
many similar, reflect and
express the anxieties that
fast food engenders.
Similarly, stories of
poodles in the macrowave
shadow worries about technology
we neither understand
nor completely control:
old lady who on rainy
days dries her toy poodle in
her oven gets new microwave as a gift.
Next time dog gets wet she pops it into the
microwave. Poodle explodes.
Computer virus hoaxes, or stories of
people having cybersex with someone who
mrus out to beMom or Dad, reflect similar
alarms about complex technology.
Many Americans also are worried and
disquieted by homosexuality. Not surprisingly,
their anxiety has sparked a genre of
Gay-themed urban legends. But notably,
there are not that many of these.
Snopes.com archives ouly five, and all
date back several decades or more. The
hoary legend of the horrified college student
puzzled by rectal pain who discovers
his roommate has been drugging him
nightly to have his way with hirn can be
traced back, in one form or another, to the
1880s.
Also decades old is the legend of the
rock star (Elton John, David Bowie, Mick
Jagger, Jon Bon Jovi, Li’l Kim, Britney
Spears, etc. etc.) who is rushed to hospital
after collapsing on stage to have [insert
your number here] gallons of semen
pumped from stomach.
Three other Gay-themed legends were
all first collected back in the 1980s: (!)
Guy goes home with woman who, playfully
it seems, ties him up. But then Batman
(or other masked person) emerges from
closet to leap his bones; (2) a movie will
-soon be released portraying Jesus as Gay;
and, perhaps the most notorious, (3) closeted
cdebrity has trouble with his gerbil.
But several newer legends have surfaced
that reflect fear of AIDS: AIDS
Mary or AIDS Harry - the trick who
disappears after writing "welcome to the
world ofAIDS" on your bathroom mirror;
and stories of AIDS-infected needles left
sticking out of theater seats or public telephone
change return slots.
We can hope that the decline of Gaythemed
urban legends see Studies, p. 11
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NOW... you are thinking, no way.., itis
about sex. Thanks to the media, we tend
to be an incredibly sexual society. Well
okay, sexuality has some to do with it too,
but it is only an expression of the feeling of
acceptance and security they feel in the
relationship.
What kind of behavior should be "socially
acceptable" for GLBT people? Or
better yet, what would the heterosexual
society find acceptable behavior?
"MEN will refrain from hugging, kissing,
or holding hands in public; firm handshakes
only. WOMEN will be permitted
to hug, and to kiss each other on the cheek.
ANY public expression of sexual or romantic
interest in members of the same
gender will be unacceptable. WOMEN
will shop in the Women’s Department at
Sears; men in the Men’s Department.
EACH woman will find aman to live with,
change her last name to match his, and
maintain their home. CHILDREN will be
optional, but encouraged."
So, how many heterosexuals do YOU
know that follow this .code of conduct? So
if we all acted that way, they’d love us..
yeah right. Whoever believes that, I would
strongly suggest to get out of your
"CandyLand" world of beliefs. But what’ s
so great about their rules that we should be
asking for permission to assimilate? Rules,
if they are not clear should be questioned
and changed, if need be.
Those rules say that men must be Men
and womenmust be Women (and children
are the property of biological parents).
They say that everyone should conform to
a standard code of conduct, dress, and
even beliefs. People who don’t conform
may (or may not) be tolerated, but will
never be treated like equals. As for sex..
the rules are both silly and oppressive, and
they’re observed with such hypocrisy it
isn’t funny. Can we say Neanderthal...?
I’m positive that these social standards,
right out of?Father Knows Best," refers to
are a limiting set of nfles: this is acceptable,
that is not. But for me, one of the
benefits ofbeing LesbianAND outspoken
has been that it made me question those
rules.., and ultimately reject those that
didn’t make sense. Don’t ask me to go
back to them; I’d rather go forward.
Rather than a rigid rule book, why don’t
we instead outline something positive to
aspire to? After all, if we must negotiate,
I’d rather do it from a position of strength.
.. of pride in the example we have to offer,
not one of shame and embarrassment.
Here is my revised, socially accepting
behavior for EVERYONE: "WE will accept
others, regardless of the way they
look, dress, talk, or act. WE will support
people’ s right to do whatever they want in
their bedrooms, regardless of whether we
want to do it ourselves. WEwill be honest
about who we are, rather than pretending
to be what others want us to be.WEwill let
people believe things we don’t bdieve,
and express opinions we don’t share. WE
will never negotiate away the righ( to be
whoever we are."
PS: Go visit a nursing home and make a
friend... STOP the abuse and neglect of
the elderly.
that the law cannot be enforced statewide.
"This is a good day for privacy and
fairness in Minnesota," said Charles
Samuelson, executive director of the
MnCLU. "By inviting the governmentinto
every bedroom in the state, this law was
dearly unconstitutional - which is why
the court struck it down."
Gov. Jesse Ventura agreed, his spokesman
said. "It’s consistent with the
governor’s philosophy that there are some
things the government has no business
making laws about," said John Wodele.
"He sees this as a welcome decision."
Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Mirmeapolis,
has tried unsucessfully more than once to
repeal the provision through legislative
channels. She had a bill ready again this
year, but never introduced it because she
was waiting to see the outcome of the court
case. "I obviously thinkit is terrific," Kahn
said of the ruling. "I always thought that
law was unconstitutional."
Tom Prichard, president of the Minnesota
Family Council, disagreed. "This is
another case of blatant judicial activism
where a judge decides to make the law
rather than interpret it," Prichard said. He
said the issue should be decided by the
Legislature.
Matt Coles, director of the ACLU’s
Lesbian and Gay Rights Project, says 35
states, including Minnesota, havehad their
sodomy laws either repealed by legislatures
or struck down by the courts. In
1961, all 50 states had sodomy laws on the
books. "One more down, 15 to go," Coles
said after hearing about ’the Minnesota
j.udge’s decision. "We absolutely are gomg
to stay with it."
Minnesota’s taw prohibits oral and anal
sex between any adults, including married
couples and disabled people who cannot
engage in any other form of intimacy.
Penalties include up to a year injail and up
to $3,000 in fines.
For years, efforts to repeal the law in the
state Legislature were unsuccessful.
Although sodomy laws are rarely enforced,
Coles says they can be used against
proponents ofdomesticpartners ordinances
and other issues sought by Gays and Les-
- bians. ’The people who want to keep the
(sodomy) law onthe book, there’ s amethod
to their madness," Coles said. "The existence
of these laws are used to generally
delegitimize Gays and Lesbians in public
debate."
indicates dissipation of public anxieties
about homosexuality - the gradual
mainstreaming of Gay. But wait! Have
you heard about-Yahoo! shutting down the
porno sites? Have you heard that Rock
Hudson and Jim Nabors were married?
lsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
presents
Celeb
Diversi-ty
ti 2001
Saturday, June 2, 2001
TOHR Follies 2001
"Hollywood TimeWarp"
~..:Avondale Studio & Theatre (the old Delaware Playhouse)
1511 So. Delaware Ave., 8pm
Reception immediately following.
Tickets: $15.00, At the Door: $20.00
The Pride Store @ Tulsa GLBT
Community Center; 2114 S Memorial
or by calling 918.743.4297 or toll
free (outside Tulsa) at 866.335.9074
Wednesday, June 6, 2001
Tulsa Interfaith Service
Sponsored by TU BLGT Alliance, Sharp Chapel, TU, 3pm
Monday, June 4, 2001
Council Oak Men s Chorale Concert.
Presented by Tulsa City/County Library
"Diversity in Song"
Aaronson Auditorium, Central Librarym 3rd.& Denver, 7pm
Monday, June 4, 2001
Family Law Panel
Presented by Tulsa City/County Library
Law Professor Linda Lacey& an expert panel
Helmerich Library, 91st and Yale, 7pm
Tuesday, June 5, 2001
APt Exhibit: ,"Embracing Art"
IAll Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria Avenue, 6-gpm
Thursday, June 7, 2001
GLBT Film Festival
Sponsored by Tulsa City/County Library
AaronsonAuditofium, Central Library, 3rd and Denver, 7pm
Friday, June 8, 2001
TOHR Diversity Gala
Benefiting TOHR and Diversity Celebration 2001
"Embrace Diversity" Parents of Hate Crime Victims:
Speakers and Parade Grand Marshalls:
Gabi Clayton, Olympia, WA,
Dorothy Holman, Chicago,
Don Sinclair, Houston, TX,
Carolyn Wagner, Fayetteville, AR
"Community Hero" Awards presentation honoring
those in the local GLBT community.
Tulsa Country Club, 701 N. Yukon Dr., 7pm, reception &
silent auction, 8pm dinner, $100/ea. $1,000 table of eight.
Sponsorships available. Reserved seating available by calling
918.743.4297 or 866.335.9074
Saturday, June 9, 2001
The Pride Parade
Cherry Street (15th Street) to Boston Avenue to
18th Street to Veterans .Park
Stags at 3pm, Float/marchers begin assembling at lpm.
No entries after 2:45pro
Featuring:Entries from across the region
Community Heroes, Oklahoma’s largest Pride Flag
Diversity Festival
Sponsored by: Bud Light & Eastern Oklahoma Beverages
Veterans’ Park, 1875 So. Boulder Ave., 3pm
Featuring Entertainment, Speakers, and¯ more.
Sunday, June 10, 2001
Women’s Tea Dance
Women only dance, DJ, and live entertainment by Melanie
Fry, pipe & cigar patio, unplugged music circle, and more.
Greenwood Cultural Center, 322 N. Greenwood, 3-Tpm
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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[2001] Tulsa Family News, June 2001; Volume 8, Issue 6
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
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Tulsa Family News
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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June 2001
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James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Scheppers
Hughston Walkinshaw
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, May 2001; Volume 8, Issue 5
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English
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/613
2001
adult adoption
AIDS
AIDS Colin Powell
AIDS drugs
anti-discrimination bill
arts and entertainment
bias
bullying
businesses
censorship
Christianity
churches
civil unions
Disciples Church
Disney
Diversity celebration
Dyke Divine
Fred Phelps
gay veterans
Gill Foundation
Glaxo SmithKline
grants
Hair Ball
hate crimes bill
health
HIV
HIV testing
Lutheran Church
military
military inclusion
military recruiting
Openarms Youth Project
outreach
Partner Benefits
Pride 2001
pride Parade
Red Cross
Red Rock Tulsa
restaurants
sex education
sodomy laws
testing
Tulsa CARES
Tulsa City County Library
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rigts
Westboro Baptist Church
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/5baa9c52448ce50ccfea124932aaf84c.jpg
0b97203f8a546b44d0df80a622888445
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770a81a10b0d9658dd442c74d3130469
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa HIV/AIDS Agency
Alienates Gay Supporters
TULSA (TFN) - For an agency which was founded in
largemeasur¢byTUl~’ s Gay commtmity-the~ommunity
firstandmost~by_theHIV/AIDSpandemic,
it seems a mighty dumb move. Why would Tulsa
C.A.R.E.S., formerly knownas theHIV Resource Consordum,
not to~members ofTulsa" s Gay commuuity,
some of whom had been significant donors, to it,
annual fundraising event, the Red Ribbon Ball? This is
thequesfionwhichanumberof individualswereasking
themselves and their friends after they were not invited
to the April 28 event held at the Williams Center.
While none of the individuals were willing to be
publically critical of an agency whosemission they still
support, several noted that they had gifts of $500 and
more to the fundraising event in recent years, and were
quite surprised not even to receive an invitation. One
noted that even former Tulsa CARES,.board president,
Nancy McDonald, see CARES?, p.2
World Leader Speaks on
Fight against AIDS
PHILADEI ~PHIA (AP) - To wage an effective global
campaign against AIDS, $7 billion to $10 billion a year
is needed from both governments and philanthropists,
U.N. Secretary-General KofiAnnan said. Current spending
on AIDS research and prevention measures in
developing countries is about $1 billion a year, Annan
said at a cxmference last month.
"The world has the resources to defeat this epidemic
if it really wants to," he said. "But at present, there’ s a
lot of confusion abouthow the money should be raised,
where it should be directed and who can ensure that it’ s
well spent."
In his remarks tomore than 2,000 philanthropists and
business leaders during the 52nd annual conference for
the Council onFoundations,Annan called on the public
and private organizations to work together to fight the
spread of HIV and AIDS.
"We are not spending anywhere near what is needed
to fight AIDS," Annan said. "It is not a choice between
prevention and medicine. We need both."
Aunan said national leaders and community grOups
must workto supportthoseliving withAIDS and to help
educate others about the disease. He said the United
Nations must coordinate the batdc against the disease.
His goal is thatby the time delegates meet onJune 25 for
a session on HIV and AIDS, see Global, p. 3
DIRECTORY
EDITORIAL
US & WORLD NEWS
HEALTH NEWS
P. 2
P. 3
P. 4
P. 6
Z ENTERTAINMENT + MORE P. 8
GAY STUDIES/RAGING LESBIAN P. 10/11
Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
¯ Tulsa Receives $50,000 GLBT
:Funding Challenge Grant
¯ TULSA (1TN) - Tulsa is just one of four US commnnities to
: receive a $50,000 challenge grantfrom the National I_~sbian and
¯¯ Gay Community Funding Parmership (NLGCFP) through the
Tulsa Community Foundation.
: The grant specifically targets Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
¯ Transgendered (LGBT)issues and requires matching funds from
¯ Tulsa to be raised. Longtime activist, local PFLAG founder and
: former national PFLAG president;Nancy McDonald wrote the
¯ proposal according to Janice Nicklas, who said she assisted with
¯ the project.
¯ The funds ifmatched locally will be distributed on the basis of
: a"needs assessment" done by a local steering committee. There
: is an initial grant of $7,500 to help prepare the needs assesment.
¯ According to NancyCMnnin~hamofNLGCFP,letters of support
: were received from Sanford Cardin, director of the Schnstermau
: Foundation and ScottZarrow, a member of a prominentbusiness
: family known for its charitable work..
: Per Nicklas, the grant application proposed a parmership
betweensomeofthefollowing organizations: TulsaOklahomann
i for Human Rights (TOHR), Parents, Families and Friends of
i Lesbians and Gays 0aFLAG), Tulsa Public Schools, Youth
_- Services of Tulsa, the YWCA, Tulsa Area United Way and
¯ others. It is anticipated that the effort to create a permanent
". community center might benefit from this grant.
: TheTulsa Community Foundation is less than a few years old
¯ and was founded by oilmanand Bank of Oklahoma majority
¯ shareholder, George Kaiser. When Kaiser started the Founda-
: lion, he responded in an interview with TFN, that his intention
: was that the organization address the needs of Tulsa’ s LGBT
: community, specifically saying that he Supported civil rights for
¯ Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals.
: However, there may be issues with the board ofdirectors ofthe
: TulsaCommtmity Foundation. Although this grant was awarded
~ several months ago, Foundation staff, requested that TFN not
¯ report this information first for a month, see $, p. 3
¯ NGLTF LeaderToledo Resigns
¯ WASHINGTON, D.C. April 20, 2001 - Elizabeth Toledo, ex-
~ ecutive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force,
: announced that she has chosen not to renew her contract and is
¯ resigning her position effective May 18.
: "It has been a distinct honor to work at NGLTF and with such
¯ atalented and passionate staff," said Toledo. "I’m confident that
¯ theTask Force will continue to provide progressiveleadership to ¯
the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender movement."
¯" Toledo,anexperieneed organizer, was namedexecutive directorin
April 2000. Underher leadership, theTask Force solidified
¯ its progressive voice on a wide range of issues, expanded its
¯" training and organizing on behalf of the LGBT movement, and
¯ continued topublish cutting-edge research throughits think tank,
¯ the NGLTF Policy Institute. A thoughtful and articulate leader,
." Toledo regularly appeared in the national media and maintained
¯" a high profile of speaking engagements.
¯ Key highlights of Toledo’ s tenure at NGLTF include:
- Establishing NGLTF as a nonpartisan authority on GLBT
¯ electoral issues by providing data and analysis on the GLB vote,
¯ issuing detailed reports on presidential and vice presidential
¯ candidates, convening"What’ s At Stake" forums inkey electoral
¯ states, and maintaining the acclaimed Elections 2000 website.
: -Publishing three important Policy Institute reports:
: "Transgender Equality: A Handbook for Activists and Policy
¯ Makers;....Outing Age: Public Policy Issue Affecting Gay, ¯
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Elderly;" and "Redistrict-
: ing: A Strategy Memo."
- Serving as a watchdog to the Bush White House, including
launchinga"WWatch" web site, organizing against certainBush
: cabinet nominees, and issuing reports on Bushfs proposed gov-
¯ emment-funded religion initiative, the tax plan, and school
¯¯ vouchers, and,
¯ - Establishing a diverse and skilled seniormanagement team to lead NGLTF, improving its financial condition, and imple-
’ menting an innovative and effective membership campaign.
~ Jerry Clark, Co-Chair of the NGLTF Board of Directors said,
¯ see NGLTF, p. 2
¯ not everyone has given up -
HIV’s Ability to Hide
Thwarts Hope for Cure
By Daniel Q. Haney, AP Medical Editor
Will AIDS ever be cured?
The latest research on the resourceful AIDS virus
that causes the disease suggests a disheartening answer:
Probably not.
Just a few years ago, even some of the most soberminded
researchers wondered if the end of AIDS
might be near. Perhaps the pills that miraculously
changed H.IV from a death sentence to a chronic
infection would go the final step, they thought, eventually
curing the infection by purging every trace of
the virus from the human body.
Such talk quickly faded. The new drug cocktails,
amazing as they were, could not get rid of the virus.
Evenifall signs ofit vanished for years, HIV was still
lurking somewhere. Inevitably it roared back by the
billions as soon as people stopped taking their medi-
Ever since that realization sank in, finding HIV’s
hiding places has been the goal of a small group of
researchers. What they have learned is one of the
biggest disappointments in AIDS research.
The fact that HIV is an insidious and resourceful
parasiteis hardly a surprise. After all,AIDS researchgas
already understand in lavish detail how HIV
latches onto human blood cells, how it oozes inside
and kills them. They know the significance of every
bump and crevice on the surface of the virus and how
these shield it fr6m destruction.
But no basic AIDS discovery in recent times has
proved so disturbing as the way HIV burrows in for
the long haul. It has shifted the ultimate goal ofAIDS
treatment toward something less ambitious. Since
eradicating HIV now seems so unlikely - although
see HIV, p. 3
: TOHR + Pride 2001
¯ TULSA - Tulsa Oldahomans for Human Rights
~ (TOHR) will feature at its May meeting, Julie Sum-
" mers and Roxann Moeller from the Tulsa Mental
¯ Health Association to make a presentation about the ¯ mental health issues for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
~ and Transgender communities on Tuesday, May 8th.
¯ at 7:30pro at the Tulsa GLBT Community Center,
: 2114 South Memorial.
¯ Theresa Bamardfrom American Express Financial
¯ Services will also give a short overview of three
¯ upcoming f’mancial planning seminars designed fo]
: our commumty to be held during the month of May.
: .Organizers also will provide updated information
¯ on this years Pride events from Tulsa City/Count)
Library programs to ongoing fundraisingfor aperma-
: nent community center location.
¯ On May 9th at the Center at 7pro, City of Tulsa
¯ Human Rights Dept. staff will hold a foetus group te
: help identify LGBT community issues.
¯ And a number of benefits are ongoing to support
the Parade and Festival. Renegades will host one on
: May 5th as well as another on May 18 featuring a
: farewell performance from Kansas City dancer Doug
¯ Boyce, a great Tulsa favorite.
¯ Also, TOHR reports that more than 30 Cherry St.
¯ and Boston Ave. (SoBo) businesses have signed a
¯" letter of supportfor the Parade which will gofrom15th
near Utica to Boston to 18th and Veterans Park.
¯ At the park, during the Festival after the Parade, ¯ organizers are promising great entertainment, including
"men, women and drag queens."
Greg Gatewood, spokesperson for TOHR board
¯ president, Kerry Lewis, confirmed arumor ofvandal-
, ism at the Center last month. A box of glass jars as
: well as a brick was thrown through the front doors. In
¯ a bizarre touch, a "serenity" prayer was left at the
¯ scene, see TOHR, p. 7
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Bmnboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine
*CW’s, 1737 S. MemOrial
*Play-Mot, 424 S. Memorial
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*Schatzi’s, 2619 S. Memorial
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool Box II, 1338 E. 3rd
*Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
*The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th
832-1269
610-5323
838-9792
744-4280
585-3405
745-9998
280-1316
834-4234
660-0856
584-1308
835:2376
749-1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard -743-1000
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41 665-4580
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E 1 lth
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis
712-1122
712-9955
494-2665
743-5272
746-0313
295-5868
581-0902, 743-4117
Community Cleaning; Kerby Baker 622-0700
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial
Ross Edward Salon
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main
Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria
Four Star Import Automotive, 99~.6 E. 55th PI.
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr.
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly
*International Tours
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th
*Jared’ s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd
lVlingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31
*Moha~vk Music, 6157 E 51 Place
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo
*The Pride Store
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101
Richard’ s Carpet Cleaning
Teri Schutt, Ellen & Co.
Paul Tay, Car Salesman
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis
Venus Salon, 1247 S.Harvard
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
749-3620 "
744-5556 "
838-8503
369-8555
584-0337, 712-9379
592-0460
744-9595
. .o-0880
628-3709
808-8026
742-1460
459-9349
744-7440
745-1111
341-6866
712-2750
582-3018
747-0236
582-8460
599-8070
747-5466
585-1234
584-3112
663-5934
664-2951
838-7626
743-4297
747-5932
834-0617
834-7921, 748-0224
260-7829
481-0558
835-5563
743-1733
665-2222
592-0767
www.gaytulsa.org - website for TulsaGays &Lesbians
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579-9593
¯ 918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
FOB 4140. Tulsa. OK 74159. e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net
¯
~ublisher + Editor: Tom Neal
¯
Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry
¯ Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche. Lament Lindstrom Esther
Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw
¯
Member of The Associated Press
: Issued around the 1 st of each month, the entire contents of this
¯ publication are protected by US copyright 2001 by Tulsa
Family News 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 Tulsa Family News. Each reader is entitled to 4
copies of each edition at distribution points.
Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria
Black & White. Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center. 2207 E. 6
B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr.
Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1.
Church of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood
*Commlmity of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation
Council Oak Men’ s Chorale
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa- Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*-7tee SpiritWomen’s Center, call forlocation&info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
*Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
834-8378
224-4754
838-1715
748-3111
365-5658
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education
*HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstries,1517 S. Memorial
*MCC United, 1623 N; Maplewood
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral PI.
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
*OSU-TUlsa
PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria -
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8
St. Aidan’ s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincimmti
749-4901
587-7674
7494195
584-2325
425-7882
St. Dunstan’ s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
*St. Jerome’ s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
Soulforce-OK, Rt.4,#3534, Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
*TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 5954105
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
TulsaOkla. for Human Rights, GayComm. Center 743-4297
TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvocacy Coalition,POB2687,Tulsa 74101
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*Tulsa Gay Community Center, 21st &Memorial
Unity Church ofCliffstianity,3355 S. Jamestown
BARTLESVILLE
Barflesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone
TAHLEQOAH
Stonewall League, call for information:
Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church
Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570
¯ EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
¯ Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734
" Jim & Brent’ s Bistro, 173 S. Main 501-253-7457
501-253-6807
743-2363 " DeVito’ s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
587-7314 Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445
583-7815 " MCC of the Living Spring
501:253-9337
583-9780 " Geek to Go!,~ PC Specialist, POB 429
501-253-2776
585-1201 " Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery
501-253-5332
& Florence ¯ Positive Idea Marketing Plans 501-624-6646
587-1314 : White Light, 1 Center St.
501-253-4074
747-6300 " JOPLIN, MISSOURI
749-0595 " Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696
748-3888 ¯
712-1511 " *iswherey°ucanfindTFN’N°tallareGay’°wnedbutallareGay’friendly"
743-4297
749-8833
918-337-5353
918456-7900
918-456-7900
918-453-9360
wasn’t even invited though she attended the
event regardless. And according to a Tulsa
CARES staff member, even Janice Nicklas
of the Tulsa Area United Way associated
Community Service Council,who is easily
one of Tulsa longest and most ardent
fundraisers for HIV/AIDS care and prevention,
had to ask for an invitation.
While a tiny handful of prominent Gays
did attend the event, even those were reported
to be concerned, and in one case,
furious, at the absenceof former donors.
TulsaCARES boardpresidentShannon Hall
expressed great concern about the perception
of exclusion of Gay supporters.
Hall explained that the event orgamzing
was different from prior years and that the
invitations were extended to those on a list
which local decorator and longtime AIDS
~undraiser, Charles Faudree provided. Hall
suggested that the agency failed to see that
their former list of event supporters and the
Faudree list were "merged." Hall went out
of his way to take responsibility as board
president for the negative result.
However, others, while giving Hall full
credibility for his effort, wondered, about
just how accidental the exclusion was, citing
the impression that over time, as Tulsa
CARES has drawnmore"mainstream" funding
and support, the agency has been perceived
as distancing itself from its Gay
origins. This allegation has been made both
by donors and clients.
Regardless of the hurt feelings, alienated
former donors, and ill will which most
fundraising groups seek to avoid, word is
that this year’ s Red Ribbon Ball was a great
success, raising over $100,000 from attendees
characterized as "straight, rich people."
Some who spoke with TFN, just said that
while they support the fight against HIV/
AIDS even when support for that effort is
waning, they wonder if other groups may be
more appreciative of their support.
Editor’s note: in t,~e past, Tulsa Family
News hasprovided news coverageforTulsa
CARES but has also donated advertisements
both to support Tulsa CARES’ Red
Ribbon Galaandto Faudree’ sHopeCandlelightTour.
While the exclusion ofGaypeople
an d media may have been accidental, TFN
urges Tulsa CARES director and staff to
offer letter of apology. We’ ll sure print it.
"It is with great sadness and regret that we
accept Elizabeth’s resignation. She made
significant strides for the Task Force. We
thankherforheraccomplishments and dedication
during the last year, and we are confident
that she will continue to be a voice of
progressive leadership in the movement."
Toledo cited family responsibilities, in
particular, the poor health of her mother and
the heavy travel demands of her position as
reasons for her resignation.
many contend the next best thing will be
somehow limning the body to control the
virus, to help patients live with HIV instead
of getting rid of it.
Many of the insights come from the
work of Dr. Robert Siliciano of Johns
Hopkins University, who regularly tests
the blood of about 50 Baltimore AIDS
patients, measuring the virus’ s persistence
despite the best treatments. "What HIV
has done is tap into the most fundamental
aspect of.theimmune systern,andthat is its
immunological memory," he says. "It’s
the lJerfect mechanism for the virus to
ensure its survival."
Perfect because the virus lies silent inside
cells that are programmed to do nothing
but sit and wait. They are calledresting
memory T cells. Their only job is to store
arecord ofthe germs they encounter, keeping
the body prepared for the next time it
sees them.
These cells literally are the immune
system’s memory, so they must survive
for a long time. Otherwise we would catch
the same diseases over and over. HIV lies
inside these sleeping cells, dormant but
dangerous. Siliciano believes this means
HIV infection will last a lifetime.
The memory cells do die off, but ever so
slowly. At the rate he sees in his Baltimore
patients, it will take 73 years for them to go
away completely. He cannot imagine a
way to speed up the process, certainly not
with the drugs now available or with anything
else on the horizon.
This latently infected reservoir, as scientists
call it, is the single biggest obstacle
to getting rid of AIDS. "It’ s the thing that
keeps us from curing this," says Dr. Roger
Pomerantz of Thomas Jefferson University
in Philadelphia.
None of this was obvious in 1996, the
dawn of the modern age of AIDS treatment.
Doctors watched AIDS patients literally
get up from their death beds after
taking the newly available drug combinations.
Anything seemed possible.
Dr. David Ho of the Aaron Diamond
AIDS Research Center in New York City
cautiously speculated about eradicating
HIV. If the drugs stopped the virus from
infecting more blood cells, then the ones
already loaded with virus would eventually
die off naturally, leaving the body
virus free. Perhaps this would take two or
three years, he thought.
Butin late 1997, another discoverymade
that seem lmlikely. Silieiano and two other
teams independently found the virus insidememory
T cells. They checked people
who had seemed to be free of virus for two
years. Every time, they found fully potent
copies of virus inside their memory cells.
No one tmderstood then how long these
cells would stay alive, although it was
assumedit wouldalmostcertainlybemore
than a couple of years. "It was a sobering
realization about the recalciliant nature of
this reservoir," remembers Dr. Anthony
Fauci, head of the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The next obvious approach was to try to
destroy these Trojan horses. Fauci’ s team
tried to "flush out the reservoir," as they
put it. The idea: Intermittently feed the
bodyinterleukin-2, agrowthhormone that
would make these dormant memory cells
awaken and then die.
¯
Theexperiment seemed to go well. Doc-
¯ tors biopsied patents’ lymph nodes and
¯¯ found nothing. They grew hundreds of
millions of their cells in cultures. Still
¯ nothing. Finally they stoppedall treatment
¯ and waited. Within three or four weeks,
¯ they had their answer. The virus came ¯
back in every single patient.
¯ "We are not going to be eliminating this
reservoir," Fauci now says. "Whether you
¯ can measureit or not doesn’t seem to have
¯
a significant impact on the clinically rd-
¯ evant phenomenon of what happens when
¯ you stop the drug." ¯
Nevertheless, scientists have learned
¯
much about how the virus hides. HIV’s
¯ primary target in the body is a kind of
¯ white blood cell known as a cd4 T helper ¯
cell. The virus infects them, hijacks their
¯
machinery so they manufacture more vi-
¯ ms, then kills them.
¯ After they get infected, though, a few of
these helper cells become memory cells.
: HIV has already stitched its genes into the
cells’ genetic code in preparation formak-
¯ ingmore virus. But nothing happens. The ¯
cells go to sleep, virusand all.
¯ All of this happens within the first days
¯ of an HIV infection, even before the body
¯ begins to make antibodies against the vi-
¯
ms. The number of cells involved is rela-
¯ tively small, perhaps 1 million scattered
¯ throughtheblood stream, thelymph glands
¯ and perhaps elsewhere.
Normally, the body kills HIV-infected
: cells. But it misses these, because they
~"’look perfectly normal. ’q’he only difference
between a latenfly infected cell and
its uninfected counterparts is a little bit of
HIV DNA," says Si!ician0. This silnilarity
also makes the infected cells almost impossible
to kill with any kind of targeted
drugs. There is simply no easy way to sort
out the good from the bad.
Siliciano has been counting these cells
in his Baltimore volunteers for five years.
The number he finds in their bodies now
"is essentially exactly the same as they
started with."
Why do they die off so slowly, if at all?
There are two leading theories: Their longevity
reflects the basic biology ofmemory
T cells, or their supply is constantly replenished.
Siliciano favors the first theory. Immunological
memory lasts forever. This is
why ~rmeone who catches measles in
childhood will remain immune to the disease
into old age. Memory cells may die
over time, "but they also make replacements
by cell division. And every time a
memory cell divides, it faithfully reproduces
the HIV that is stitched into its
genes.
However, the Diamond Center’s Ho
¯ prefers the second theory. Actually,
¯ memory cells are mucJa shorter lived, he
¯ believes. But their supply is constantly
¯
being renewed by a continuing cycle of
¯ low-level infection.
¯ The standard drug regimens -what doc- ¯
tors call highly active antiretroviral therapy,
¯
or HAART - can reduce viral levels by
¯ 10,000fold. Butperhaps they do not completely
stop the virus from infecting fresh
¯: T cells. Some of these go on to become
¯
infected memory cells. Thus, however
¯ quickly these memory cells die, they are
¯ replaced by more. see HIV, p. 7
by Matthew W. Holloway
Marriage is an amorphous institution,
changing in response to the demands of
society. Marriage, in some form or another,
has existed in every society throughout
the history of man.
In addition, marriage is
not a purely Christian
concept Marriage is
largely a product of our
society and has not always
had to do with religion.
What relationships are
considered a marriage?
How do we decide
what relationships to call a
marriage? Does a couple
really need a governmentissued
license to be "marfled"?
These questions have
aroused many debates
through the years. Does
society decide if people are
mamed? Or is it to be left
up to the people involved
in the union?
What of polygamous and incestuous
marriages? They have been ridiculed and
defamed in many societies. There are reasons
why polygamous and incestuous relationships
do not benefit society. In some
ways, they can actually harm a society,
depending on the context in which they are
found. This is because of the biological
problems involved in these unions. The
government has shown sufficient reason
to deny these marriages. This is one of the
reasons that their employment has been
limited, even in those societies which see
them as a viable alteruative.
And when we look at redefining marriage,
where do same-sex relationships fit
into the picture? When we look at the
required criteria of a marriage, we will see
that homosexual marriages fulfill all of
them, as well as many of die non-essential
characteristics.
There, what basis does the United States
Government have in denying marriage
licenses to homosexual couples? Absolutely
none.
If the American Government is "of the
people, by the people, and for the people"
then why are these marriages not recognized?
There is no question that homosexuals
are in every way equal citizens of
the United States. The American Government
has in place safeguards against a
conceptknownas "tyranny ofthe masses".
This is a relatively new problem, as it is
found exclusively in one of the newest
forms of government, the republic. It occurs
when the population of the nation gets
so large that any minority group trying to
be heard is drowned out by the din of all of
the other minority groups, clamoring for
their own representation in the elected
assembly.
And the United States elected assembly,
the Congress, is one of the smallest in the
world. This makes it very hard for any
minority group to receive adequate representation
in this nation. One of the major
safeguards against"tyranny ofthemasses"
in this nation is the Supreme Court. One of
its major duties is to protect the Bill of
Rights and to apply the Constitution to the
¯ cases which are presented o :~
With the very conservative ~z
¯
court at this time, there is ~~,~
; reaching a feasible conclusion to
¯ bate over homosexual marriage.
Homosexuals have been
"... when we look at
redefining marriage, "
where do same-sex
relationships
fit into the picture?
When we look at the
required criteria d a
marriage, we will see
that homosexual
marriages fulfill all of
them, as well as many of
the non-essentlal
characteristics.. 7
traditionally discriminated
against for years. This is a
fact. The new laws prohibiting
homosexual couples
from being considered the
exact equals of heterosexual
couples are simply
hate-based legislation.
That anyone could use
our governmental system
to promote hate or defame
any minority group is atrociously
unethical. The
United States Government
has not shown any promotion
of the public good at
all in prohibiting homosexual
marriage, and neither
has any one of our
fifty states.
Therefore, they are
¯ overstepping their boundaries in even pro-
¯ posing legislation such as the Knight Ini- ¯
tiative. In addition, the Supreme Court
¯ must step in to protect the minority from
tyranny. This is the only viable solution to
¯ thecontroversy which shakes ournation to
¯
its very foundations. The fight of the ho-
¯ mosexuals in the United States parallels
¯ that of the African-Americans of the
: 1960’s.
¯ The Civil Rights Bill of 1964 encountered
strong resistance, but eventual! y the
leaders of this nation realized that African-
Americans are citizens, with the samerights
" as any other citizeu of the United States.
¯ Be they black, white, Hispanic, Asian,
straight, Gay, Bisexual,Transgender, male,
¯
female, mentally challenged, handicapped,
or any other nlinority, everyone, every
citizen, every child of the United States of
America and the world deserves a voice
¯
and a positive rol~ model. Can we not give
¯ them this in the new nfille~mium? Let there
¯ be no more Columbines. The world is tired
¯ of hate.
¯ Matthew W. Holloway waJ a recepient
ofa TOHR 2000 Community Hero award
and was afounder ofa Gay/Straighl Alliance
at one of Tulsa’s high schools. This
fall he will be attending Tulsa Community
College, majoring in English.
The same request was made again a month
later. No official explanatio~l was provided
by Foundation staff.for the delay in
accepting the grant.
However, an examination of the membership
of the board of trustees of the Foundation
shows at least three, members with
documented records of engaging in anti-
Gay discrimination or supporting organizations
which engage in discrimination:
Tulsa World pubhsher Bob Lorton, Tulsa
Area United Way executive director
Kathleen Coin and one other.
At press time, no word had been received
about when or whether TulsaCommtmity
Foundation will accept the grant.
Alabama House
Addresses Hate Crimes
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Alabama House
voted 45-42 last month to include sexual orientation in
a state law that provides additional penalties for hate
crimes. The vote sent the bill sponsored by Rep. Alvin
Holmes, D-Montgomery, to the Senate, where it died
last year.
Holmes said the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Alabama
supports the legislation.
Reps. Allen Sanderson, Arthur Payne, andDuWayne
Bridges, were among opponents who .said the bill
would increase penalties for crimes against a special
group of people. "We are trying to create a special
privileged class, Gays and Lesbians," Payne said. "If
anyone commits a crime against a Gay or Lesbian they
are going to be punished to a greater degree than if
against another group."
But Holmes said "everybody is covered" under the
hate crime law. "Why shouldn’ t they be ~overed under
it?"he said. Alabamalaw already mandates minimum
prison terms that felons must serve for crimes motivated
b_y race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity
or physical or mental disability.
Colorado House Kills
Hate-Crimes Amendment
DENVER (AP) - For the eighth time in 10 years, abill
has been killed that would have expanded Colorado’ s
hate-crimes law to incl~ade crimes based on a victim’ s
sexual orientation.
The House State, Veterans and Military Affairs
Committee voted 6-5 against Senate Bill 75. which
had passed the Senate on a 20-15"vote. The bill would
have broadened ethnic intimidation laws that levy
tougher penalties for crimes motivated by the victim’ s
race, national origin or religion to include crimes
motivated by the victim’s real or perceived sexual
orientation, gender identity, age and mental or physical
disability.
Sponsor Rep. Mark Larson, R-Cortez, trying to
counter the traditional arguments, said the proposal
would not create special rights for certain groups of
people, nor would it attempt to restrict free-speech
rights. "We are not nmning a government based on our
ownnarrow view oflife,"he said. "Itis the Legislature’ s
responsibility to protect its citizens, all of its citizens."
Opponents argued the law would create separate
classes of people that would be treated differently,
violating the constitutional guarantee of equal protection.
"I would remove the entire hate-crimes law
because I think everybody should be treated equally,"
said Rep. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs.
But victims of certain bias-motivated crimes are not
treated equally, Larson ceantered. For example, a
person who throws a brick with a hateful message
attached through a Black person’s window can be
punished moreharshly under current law than a person
who does the same to a Gay person’ s window, he said.
Proponents said the bill properly focused on the
motivation of the criminal, rather than characteristics
of the victim. For example, said Deputy Denver District
Attorney Everett Engstrom, a person who kills
could be prosecuted for murder, for manslaughter or
for criminally negligent homi’cide based on his or her
state of mind.
"Hate crimes are different from ordinary crimes.
They are intended to send a message, to victimize the
individual and the entire commttnity they belong to,"
said Pat Steadman, representing Equal .Rights Colorado.
"The harm.from a hate crime .is larger than the
harm tojustan individual." Evan Zuckerman, assistant
director of the Anti-Defamation League’s mountain
states region, said the bill was necessary to protect
groups of people who are being victimized based on
certain characteristics. "We shouldn’ t let another year
¯ Some Vermonters Want
to Repeal Civil Unions
¯
MONTPELIER, Vt.(AP) -The HouseJudiciary Com-
." mittee voted to continue working on a bill that could
¯¯ eventually lead to arepeal of civil unions. The committee
is one vote shy of an outfight repeal of the law that
¯ grants the rights, benefits and responsibilities of mar-
. riage to same-sex couples.
But committee members who support repeal agreed
: to continue working on a bill that would offer an
¯ alternative to civil unions because it may provide their
¯ only opportunity to have an up-or-down vote on repeal
: on the House floor. Reciprocal partnerships are a
." concept conceived by Judiciary Committee Chair-
" woman Peg Flory that would repeal civil unions and
¯ offer suchpartnerships to all couples who are currently ¯
prohibited from marrying under state law. That in-
" eludes same-sex couples, whowonmarriagerights and
_" benefits through civil unions, as wall as blood rela-
¯ tives. Flory’ s goal with her billis to expand thenumber
¯" ofcouples who could qualify forbenefits withoutusing
¯ sexual orientation as the criterion for obtaining them.
¯ Some opponents of civil unions don’t like the strat-
¯ egy of supporting Flory’ s bill solely as a parliamentary ¯
maneuver. The Rev. David Stertzbach of the Vermont
¯ Defense of Marriage Committee wrote to legislators
¯ late last week warning them that such a strategy was ¯
unacceptable to his group. Stertzbach’s group was
¯ active in the elections last year.
"We believe Vermonters deserve (an) honest,
straightforward vote on the repeal of civil unions in
committee and on the House floor without any unprin-
¯ cipled votes for reciprocal benefits for homosexuals
¯ even as a parliamentary maneuver," he wrote. "It
would sadden me to report to voters that any conservative
voted for reciprocal benefits."
Among the issues with Flory’ s bill that trouble civil
unions opponents is that it would require them to
support a bill that would grant rights to Gay and
¯ Lesbian couples. ’’This bill further diminishes marriage,"
Haas told his committee.
¯ Still, repeal supporters on the Judiciary.’ Commi ttee
do not believe they have much choice if they want to
¯ force a vote. Rep. Harvey Otterman, R-Topsham, said
¯ he did not like to see a bill "bottled up in committee,"
so he would support Flory’s bill and then make a
judgment later on whether to vote for repeal if such a
¯ proposal were made on the floor. ’Tmgoing to reserve
the right to vote asI see fit," Otterman said.
i NY Housing Case May
¯ Impact Civil Rights Laws
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Lawyers for Yeshiva University
on defended its refusal to allow Gay couples to
share student apartments, a policy two Lesbian students
contend discriminated against them on the basis
of sexual orientation and marital status.
Yeshiva lawyer Mark Jacoby told the state’ s highest.
court that the university was well within its .rights to
restrict use of the university-owned housing to single
students-or married graduate students - but to deny
unmarried heterosexual or homosexual couples the use
of those apartments.
"Look, we have a limited amount of student housing
available," Jacoby told the Court of Appeals, conveying
the rea,~oning of university officials. ’’We’ve acquired
this to accommodate-students. We can accommodate
students themselves. We’re prepared to accommodate
spouses and children of students and facilitate
their education. But we’ re not going to open the
door and (accommodate) everybody who wants to
bring in a buddy, or a friend, or a partner."
The lawyer arguing on behalf of the two Lesbian
studeats for the American Civil Liberties Union’s
Lesbian & Gay Rights Project, James Esseks, countered
that Yeshiva’ s housing policy had a "disparate
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Young Adult Support Group
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
918-584-2325
Mingo Valley Flowers
9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145
918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-~.aA-5934
Family Owned & Operated
Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW
Child, Family, Individual & Couple Psychotherapy
(918) 743-c 559¯
2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
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The Pride Store
21st Street & Memorial
Tulsa Gay Community Services Center
743-GAYS (743-4297)
6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday
12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center
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Daytime appointments available.
Call for more information:
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838-1100
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SinceNew Yorklaw prohibits all-male or all-female
couples from getting mamed, allowing only married
couples to share housing means Gay couples are unfairly
barred from possibly sharing in the benefit of the
cheap apartments. "This case is not about securing
marriage for same-sex couples or creating new laws -
it’ s about enforcing laws that prohibit discrimination
against those who can’t get married," Esseks said.
Both state and local anti-discrimination laws mayhave
been violated by Yeshiva’s policies, Esseks said.
Thechallenge against Yeshiva’ s policy was brought
by two students, Sara Levin and Maggie Jones, after
their requests to live with their partners were rejected.
Both Levin and Jones were offered university-owned
housing for themselves alone. Both are students at the
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, which is affifiated
with Yeshiva.
Two lower state courts have nded for Yeshiva’ s
no-unmarried-couple housing policy. The Court of
Appeals is likely to hand down a written ruling in the
ease by early summer.
. Several groups filedfriend-of-the-court briefs in the
¯ case, including theAssociation ofthe Bar ofNew York
City, the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund
and the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Those briefs argue that civil rights protections for
many kinds of minority groups could be weakened by
upholding Yeshiva’ s housing policies. New York state
Attorney General Eliot Spitzer also filed a brief before
the court critical of Yeshiva’ s housing policy.
Wesleyan U. Hires Gay
Studies Professor
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (AP) - Following the lead of
Yale, Wesleyan University will appoint a full-time
professor to teach Gay and Lesbian studies. The position
Is expected to be filled wilhin a year, and the
professor will begin teaching in the fall semester 2002,
Justin Harmon, a school spokesman said.
The new position will be among 20 the university
has created during thepast couple of years in an effort
to expand its curriculum, Harmon Said. University
officials said the new professor will help develop a
Gay and Lesbian studies curriculum.
The lack of Gay studies courses at Wesleyan has
drawn protests from students and faculty in recent
years. Wesleyan has offered one such course per year.
"I’m delighted that we’re having this position here,"
said Henry Abelove, one of the professors who has
taught Gay studies course. "This will add substantially
to the queer studies courses we can offer here."
Abelove said the new professor probably will be
expected to teach two courses per semester, like other
professors at Wesleyan.
Earlier this month, Yale University accepted a $1
million donation from the family of Larry Kramer to
help fund the Larry Kramer Initiative for Lesbian and
Gay Studies at Yale.
That decision ended four years of debate about
Kramer’s desire to fund a Gay and Lesbian studies
program at. Yale. Kramer,an outspoken activist for
AIDS awareness and Gay issues, initially wanted to
give Yale $5 million to hire a full-time professor in the
field. Yale rejected that offer because the university
thought Gay studies was too narrow a field for a
permanent professorship. In response, Kramer had
accused the university of being homophobic.
Members of Wesleyan’ s Queer Alliance, a group of
Lesbian and Gay students, pushed hard earlier in the
spring to get the position at their school approved. In
March, the alliance held a "kiss-in" demonstration in
front of the admissions office. The demonstration
coincided with a meeting of the university’s trustees.
"We’re really pleased, although I’m almost surprised,"
said junior Phil Gentry, an alliance leader.
"We tried to be optimistic, but at the same time this
same proposal was turned down before..."
New ACLU Leader
Hispanic + Openly Gay
: NEW YORK (AP) - A New York public interest
¯ attorney was named Tuesday to lead the American
Civil Liberties Union, becoming the first Hispanic and
: openly Gay man to do so. Anthony D. Romero, 35,
¯ currently serves as a director of the Ford Foundation’ s
¯ program for human rights and international cooperation,
overseeing $90 million in grants.
¯ As the ACLU’ s executive director, he said will work
to make the civil rights organization more prominent
¯ in local communities. He said theACLU will continue
to focus on defending religious liberty, reproductive
¯ freedom andtherights ofwomen, minorities and Gays.
"’I hope to beginmy tenure as the 1eader of thi s vitally
important organization by sparking a new dialogue
¯
about the bedrock values ofAmerican democracy," he
: said, adding his goal is to "promote a new generation
of committed civil libertarians and civil rights activ-
¯ ists.’"
¯ The Bronx-born Romero is a graduate of Stanford
: Law School and Princeton University. ACLU Presi-
¯ dent Nadine Strossen called Romero "an idealist, bold ¯
and creative in his vision and strategy but skeptical and
¯ realistic in his tactics." Romero will take over in
¯ September for Ira Glasser, Who is retiring after 23
¯ years in the post.
Conservative Extremists
Stall Anti-Bullying Bill
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - A bill designed to stop
bullying in schools has stalled in the Legislature amid
opposition from Christian conservatives who say it is
really a Gay-rights measure. Under the measure, school
¯
districts would have to write policies against bullying
: and train employees and volunteers to stop harass-
~ ment. Teachers,police, Gov. Gary Lockeand Attorney
¯ General ChristineGregoire saidthe legislationis needed ¯ to protect picked-on kids.
¯ But the state’ s chapter ofthe Christian Coalition said
: it couldbe seen as trying to prevent some students from
¯ condemning homosexuality. Rick Forcier, director of
: the Christian Coalition of Washington, said the mea-
: sure could lead to homosexual sensitivity training in
: schools. "We don’ t want to see kids beat up on and we
¯ would like to see the rules that are already in place
¯ enforced," he said. "But I think this one went well
¯ beyond what we think is necessary."
The measure passed the Senate but never made it to
: a vote in the House Education Committee in the
¯ regular session that ended April 22. The governor has
¯ listed, it on his agenda for the 30-day special legislative
¯ sessxon now under way.
Georgia County Adds
Partner Benefits
¯
DECATUR, Ga. (AP) - DeKalb County commission-
" ers have approved providing domestic 15artners of Gay
county employees with medical, dental and life insur-
¯ ance benefits. The measure, approved by a 6-1 vote at
¯ the end of April, makes the suburban Atlanta county
: the first in Georgia to offer such benefits to employees.
¯ County officials estimate that about 70 employees -
¯ 1% of the total - will seek the benefits, which would cost thecounty about $200,000 out of abenefits budget
¯ about $39 million a year. The city of Atlanta has been
the only local government in Georgia with a domestic
partner package.
¯ The private sector has been quicker to provide such
¯ benefits, said Harry Knox, director of the Gay civil
¯ rights group, the Georgia Equality Project. Four of the
state’ s largest employers- BellSouth, DeltaAir Lines,
¯ Atlanta Gas Light and Coca-Cola - have done so,
¯ Knox said.
Vaccine Research
Maybe Overlooked
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - Developing a
vaccine to prevent AIDS should be given
top priority in the fight against the deadly
virus sweeping Africa, aleading epidemiologist
said. Efforts to develop a vaccine
risked getting overlooked in the push to
raise money to fight AIDS, said Seth
Berkley, president oftheNew York-based
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative.
However, key decisions on whether to
pursue vaccine "candidates" currently in
human trials may need to be made as early
as 2002, he said.
Berkley spoke recently on the sidelines
ofa two-day AfricanAIDS summit hosted
by Nigeria and the Organization of African
Unity. There, African lcaders signed a
declaration calling on members to aim at
spending 15% of their national budgets on
health programs, including a significant
proportion on AIDS andto provide cheap
and effective drugs to treat those infected.
The Vaccine Initiative- a private, nonprofitorgani7ationfundedbygovernments,
foundations and private enterprise - has
raised more than $300 million to assist
vaccine research and create systems for
distributing them in the developing world.
Yet Berkley estimates that the project
would require at least double that figure to
give research bodies "a chance" of developing
vaccines by 2007.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annanalso
announced efforts to create a global ’~ar
chest" worth $7 billion to $10 billion to
fight AIDS. It was unclear how much
would be devoted to vaccine research,
Otherobservers said vaccine trials could
be "fast-tracked" in about half the time or
less if funding in the billions was made
available.
Billions of dollars have gone into the
developmentofeffectiveAIDS treatments,
but vaccine research has received relatively
little funding. Pharmaceutical cornpatties
have viewed it as unprofitable, and~
most AIDS activists have focused their
efforts on finding a cure.
U.S. governmentfunding ofHIV-AIDS
research last year.topped $2billion, with
about $250 million going toward vaccine
research. Therestwent toward developing
drugs to treat those with the disease.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
andWestern countries such as Canadaand
the Netherlands have also provided millions
of dollars for vaccine research.
Nancy Powell,head of the U.S. delegation
to the African summit, said Friday
that PresidentBush’ s administrationwould
spend $2.5 billion on HIV-AIDS research
this year, including $480 million for "international
HIV/AIDS assistance." Shedid
not give a further breakdown. ’q’he Bush
administration is Africa’s partner in this
effort. The United States has been the
world leader in research and assistance to
" batde these diseases," Powell said.
Researching and testing an AIDS vaccine
is only the first part of the problem,
Berkley said. Getting it to those who need
it most is another challenge. Vaccines developed
for other diseases ordinarily take
15 years or more before they are affordable
in poor countries.
The Vaccine Initiative hopes that pri;
vate Firms involved in the production of
: the vaccines will offer them at cut-rate
: prices in poorer countries. "Extraordinar-
¯ ilycomplexplanning is required," Berkley
: said. "Establishingnew production capac-
¯ ity alone normally requires 4-5 years."
i Debt Relief for Poor-
Urged to Fight AIDS
¯ NEWYORK (AP) -The debt owed by the
¯
world’ s poorest countries is a major bar-
: rier to fighting the AIDS pandemic and
¯ should be canceled immediately, activists
¯ urged.
¯ The plea came as the World Bank and
¯ The International Monetary Fund, which
¯ hold the majority of the debt, held their
¯ spring meeting in Washington. The inter-
" nadonal lending organizations have ajoint
¯ program to reduce debt but have so far
¯ declined to wipe the slates clean.
: "It is morally reprehensible fo( the de-
: veloped world to condnue to demand re-
- payment when we have a crisis on the
¯ continent of Mrica," said Njongonkulu
¯ Ndugane, Archbishop of Cape Town,
: South Africa. "One hundred percent can-
: cellation is nonnegotiable."
¯ Sub-Saharan African countries spend
$13.3.billionon debt repayment each year
i but need $15 billion to stop the spread of
: HIV/AIDS, according to the Global AIDS
¯ Alliance: Zambia, for example, has an
. annual debt service of $174 million, with
: $90 million of that going to the World
¯ BankandlMF. The country’ s health bud-
¯ get is $76 million.
¯ Jeffrey Sachs, an economist at Harvard
: University, said that canceling debt will
¯ give countries even more money to.fight
: the disease that is ravishing the continent.
: AIDS has killed about 22 million people
¯ globally, including 17million in sub~Sa-
¯ haran Africa.
: Twoseparateinitiatives wereintroduced
: in theCongress this weekwhichcall onthe
: IMF and the World Bank to eliminate
:
debt. Onebill introducedby Reps. Maxine
Waters, a California Democrat, and Speni
eer Bachus, an Alabama Repubfican, Calls
: for 100% debt relief for the world’s poor-
: est countries. The bill introduced by Bar-
. bara I.~e, a California Democrat, calls for
¯ debt relief for countries heavily affected
¯ byHIV/AIDS.
: Bono, the lead singer of the Irish rock
: band U2, said that part of the problem is
¯ that Americans don~t understand how .the
: debt is devastating the poorest countries.
: Heplans to try to raise awareness tocreate
; political pressure. -
: The World Bank have a program cal!ed
¯ the HIPC Initiative to stem debt. Accord,
¯ ing to a World Bank report, the 22 coun-
¯ tries receiving somerelief have seen debt
¯ payments go from 3.7% to 2.1% of gross
domestic product. Actifists say the reduc-
: lions are negligible, especially consider-
" ing the AIDS crisis. Indeed, pharmaceuti-
: cal-compaules have drastically’reduced
¯ theprice ofAIDSmedications with at Ieast
¯ two films sellingmedicine at cost. Still,
¯ they are deemed to expensive.
¯ "HIV/AIDS is worse than the bubonic
¯ plague," said Lee. ’q~he money used for
¯ debt service could be used for education,
research, a health care delivery system...
: It could go a long way to turning the
¯ situation around."
Power
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I
!
!
!
The Tulsa City County
Library System
is proud to
Embrace-Diversity
honoring Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered
Oklahomans with the following events:
Saturday, June 2. 2pro. Maxwell Park Library
"Coming Out in Tulsa Area High Schools"
Dr. Doug Gronberg, English teacher at Booker T. Washington High School,
moderates a pane! discussion by high school students in Gay/Straight Alliances.
Monday, June 4. 7pm. Central Library
"Council Oak Men’ s Chorale"
Monday, June 4. 7pm. Helmerich Library
"Family Law Issues Affecting the Gay Community"
Panel discussion with Linda Lacey, TU.College of Law, moderating.
Thursday, June 7. 7pm. Central Library
"Diversity Film Festival"
Harvey Fierstein and Matthew Broderick star in "Torch Song Trilogy."
Saturday, June 9. 12 Noon. Central Library
"Diversity. Film Festival’"
"Out of the Past" documents the struggles of Kelli Peterson, who started a Gay/
Straight alliance in her Salt Lake City school in 1996.
Thursday,,, June 142 7pm. Central Library
Diversity Film Festival"
"Trevor": Winner of the 1994 Academy Award for best live-action short.
"If These Walls Could Talk": Stories about Lesbian couples in three decades.
"Bubbeh Lee an~d Me"= A Gay man’ s Visit with his 87 year old grandmother.
t~ook Discussion: Deliver Us From Evie’
Thmsday, June 21.~lpm. Broken Arrow Library
Book Discussion:"Fried Green Tomatoes"
Thursday, June 21. 7pro. Brookside Library
:AIDS Memorial Quilt Project
Vale Bode, director of Education and Outreach for the Tulsa Area chapter of
the NAMES project, discusses the AIDS Memorial Quilt
¯Please call 596-7977 or your local branch library if you have questions or
need more information. Please plan to attend.
"If we could stop the residual replication,
what wouldbe the persistence of the reservoir?"
Ho asks. His team has started a new
experiment, code numbered 377, to f’md
o u t
They have come up with a new four"
drug combination, a kind of super-
HAART, that they believe is more powerful
than the standard variety. About 30
patients are taking the drugs. The goal is to
stop the low-level circulation of their virus,
which in turn shOuld shut off the
supply of newly infected memory cells.
Ifit works,Hobelieves it couldwipeout
the body’s HIV-infected memory T cells
in three to four years. "No one would say
that once we get rid of this reservoir, we
have a cure," says Ho. "We have confronted
a difficult problem, but there may
be others."
Among the biggest of these is the worry
that infected memory T cells are not the
body’s onlylongdived reservoir.of HIV.
The virus may linger as well in other
places that are hard to check or lie beyond
thereach ofAIDS drugs, such as the brain,
bone marrow and testes.
"It will be a daunting task to eliminate
those unknown viral reservoirs, even with
much more potent drugs that might come
outin the near future," says Dr. Tae-Wook
Chun of the National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases.
This is why Chun and many AIDS re,
searchers now believe the best defense
against HIV may ultimately be the body’ s
own. These doctors wouldlike to teach the
immune.system to control HIV, so people
can stop taking AIDS drugs, which have
unpleasant and unhealthy side effects.
No one can say whether this is even
possible. But they already can envision a
strategy: Shut down viral replication with
standard drugs. Then give vac,ines and
otherboosters thatwill inteusffy thebody’ s
natural - and up to now, failed - surveillance
against HIV.
In time, they say, the immune system
might learn to do the entirejob alone. But
all bf this is unproven theory, just fike the
idea of viral eradication was five years
ago.
a global strategy can be developed to help
fight the disease.
"What I propose is a Global Fund, dedieatedto
the battle against HIV, AIDS and
other diseases. Clearly, it must be organized
in a way that corresponds to the
needs ofthe affected countries andpeople,"
Annan said. "Each country or community
receiving support from the fund would
have to show that it is actually bringing
results to those most at risk."
Annan said there are still many legal and
administrative matters to be settled before
the fund is established. He would not say
how much the U.S. government should
contribute but urged involvement.
"I hope that the U.S. government would
join in making funds available andjoining
: the fight against the disease," Annan said.
¯¯ "It would be presumptuous of me to say
how much the U.S. should pay. I hope,
: considering the size of the government,
¯ that it would be substantial."
: Annan’s appeal comes on the heels of a
: speech to leaders gathered at the Mrican
¯ Summlt on HIV, AIDS and other infec-
: tious diseases. There, he outlined his.ob-
: jectives andurgedMrieangovernments to
¯ take the lead in mobilizing resources.
¯ Paul DiDonato, executive director of
: Funders Concerned About AIDS, a New
: York-based organization, said he was
~ pleased with Annan’s remarks. ’q’he fact
¯ that thereis this level of leadership talking ¯
about theissueis encouraging," DiDonato
¯ said. "A year ago, U.S. leaders were not
: giving speeches aboutAIDS;now they are
¯ talking about it."
¯ MaybeI’mNOTmoreattractive with vaginal
itch. Dam! I was hoping something
¯ would help!
In the past month I’ve learned who my
real friends are: those who stick with you
: even when you’re scratching your crotch
: on a public street. OK, so that was my
¯ roommate, and he does need me to paymy
: half of the rent.
: But my friend Lindsey, who lives in a
¯ garrett apartment similar to that in "La
: Boheme", has stuck withme. Shejust tells
¯ me to shut up when I talk about "the itch."
: So I do it several times,just to piss her off.
, My friend Jim even slept with me when
’¯ he" visited. He didn’t have any fear that
he’ d get it. WeP, dull! Of course not! And
: the next possible Ms. Right hasn’trun
¯ away -yet. I’ve also had several-more
¯ women contact me through the Intemet. ¯
So there’s something to say about these
:. "women’ s thi"ngs," a’fter all. I’ vemet other
¯ women, kept my roommate/friend;from
¯ throwing me out, slept with a man (Jim!),
: and even had sex while keeping m~ pants
¯ on.
¯ OK, boys. You can come backnowA’m
: f’mishedtaikinn about"theitch." Youwon’ t
: have to endur~ this next time, I promise.
: My rooinmate’s cowering in the corner,
: though. Why? After screaming at him,
¯ I’ve just decided the topic ofmy next
: column - Multiple PMS Disorder and the
: Women Who Have Long, Drawn,Out,
¯ Heavy, Gushing, Extremely Bloody Peri-
: otis. See ya then!
¯" Since no anti-Gay language was used,
Tulsa Police could not even informally
¯" classify this as ahate crime but Dept. Chief
Busby did say that Tulsa Police would
¯ start using tht~parkinglot outside the Cen-
: ter when they stop to write their reports in
: between responding to crimes. TOHR
: vohmteers hopethat themore visible pres-
¯ ence may" deter more crime.
," TOHR is also soliciting donations to
¯ pay for the door glass repair. Some dona- ¯
dons have been received but more are
". needed. AlsoTOHRhas now negotiated a
compromise with the Center’s landlord
¯ for a sign. see TOHR, p.9
by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor
The new singles from the Stevie Nicks
album, "Planets of the Universe", "Everyday",
and "TooFarFromTexas" are climbing
the charts, althoughyouwouldn’ tknow
it around here: Dallas stations are playing
the hell out of "Planets...", but in Tulsa
radio stations didn’ t evenl~tw that Stevie
was releasing a new album.
May lst, in spiteof
the fact it’ s been in the
trademagazines for several
months now, and
she’s been popping ~p
all over the.. place. It S
.w0nderful:~01ivein such "
~in~?,rmed t0wn:~~.
-APis~rently, the radio
stations are about three
years behind the rest of
the country. I think they
should read the Gay paper
intown, so they can
keep up with what’s
going on. (editor’s note:
at least with Stevie
Nicks.t)
The new disc is killer, and even if you
aren’t a Stevie Fan, I think you’ll like it.
Amazingly, when I went to Target to nab
the official release, the bin was empty! A
friend of mine said with some surprise,
"Look! I guess you aren’t the only Stevie
fan here!" I did find one, but I thought the
comment was humorous.
Nicks said she will begin a U.S. tour on
June 29. The Dallas stop i.s August 3rd.
Plans for a new Fleetwood Mac album are
going ahead around September without
Christine McVie, though they have her
blessing.
One of Celebrity Attractions best offerings,
"Red White and Tuna" explodes
into townMay 8-13 at the PAC, 596-7111.
It promise to be an evening of fun and
frolic with the residents of Tuna, Texas -
all played~by Joe Sears and Jaston Williams.
If you were unfortunate enough to
have missed "Greater Tuna", and "A Tuna
Christmas", here’s your chance to catch
up with these hilarious folks. These performances
sell out fast, so grab those tickets
now! You won’t regret it.
Sometimes, something comes across
your desk for review that is simply unbelievable.
Watching. it is like watching a
train wreck: you hate yourself for it, you
don’ t want to look, but you just have to.
"West Hollywood Stories" is one of those
things. A two-set video series of a Gay
soap opera out of and set in LA,its tag line
is ’’These are the Gays of our lives."
As one can imagine, this sets it up as a
comedy. Except it’ s not. It’s a wretched
affair, with acting talent culled from the
bottom of the pool, and videography designed
to make any amateur look good.
Production values? I’m hard pressed to
find any. It looks like some high school
kids got together and tried to make a "Gay
Bitch Project."
Think "Queer as Folk" (QAF) done really
badly with people who can’ t act. Yep,
it’s pretty bad. in fact, I was thinking,
"With Queer as Folk, why even’do this?"
Joe Sears as Aunt Pearl Burras
¯¯ All I can guess is that this was donebefore
the QAF series at a time when any funding
: would have come out of pocket and any
¯ actors would be people with no experi- ¯
ence. It does provide laughs, but all unin-
¯ tentional.
¯ And it’ s kind of an embarrassed laugh,
such as one might make at a train wreck to
cover up one’s horror.
The premise is a good
idea: AGay soap. Thank
Gods it’s being done
wall on QAF. Anyone
who bitches about anything
on that show
should be forced to sit
through "WeHo Stories."
Obviously, I can’t
recommend spending
any money on this, and
I really hoped it would
live up to its billing as a
comedy spoof of soaps.
All Icansayis,this soap
don’t clean. Or even
make suds.
The "Queer as Folk"
soundtrack is out, and in both British and
American versions. The British has two
: versions: A "highlights disc, and an ex-
¯ panded import disc. Both covers are the
same, it’ s only when you look at the back
¯ - one has around 15 tracks, the other, 35 or
¯ so. The American only has one out thus
¯ far, andit’s pretty cool forboppin’ around.
After 7 years in this town, I’d never
¯ madeitto theGflcreaseMuseum.Afriend
¯ from CA came to visit, andI was showing
him the sights, and we stopped there, al-
¯ most as an afterthought. Wow! I had no
¯ idea... I thought it would be like the
¯ Philbrook, which I always thought of as a ¯
poor excuse for a museum - pretty house,
¯
but not much to it.
¯ Gilcrease was amazing, especially since
¯ my ~’riend was of Native American de-
" scent. He did make one commentthat was
¯ reallythought-provoking: in the lowerlev-
¯ els are hundreds of NA artifacts, from
¯ peace pipes to clothing to head dresses to
: utensils and sacred objects.
¯ At one point, we stopped in front of a
series of clothing articles, one with what
¯ looked like a bullet hole through it in the
: center of the chest, with blood around it.
¯ My friend said, "this is like visiting
¯ Auschwitz. And ten to one these items
¯ were not given to the museum by the
original owners."
¯ Point well made, in fact, many of the
¯ objects would have been buried with the
¯ owner had they been given proper burial.
¯ In many cases, I doubt also that the owner
: had any say in he matter.
Yet another thing I learned was that
pipes, as sacred objects, should never be
¯ shown assembled unless for the purpose
¯ intended - to carry prayers to the spirits. ¯
Cody said that museums who are respect-
" ful and do their research display the pipes
¯ in separate pieces. The Gilcrease displays
¯ were in such a manner. ¯
¯ Philbrook, in constrast, displayed pipes
assembled, an insult to the people from
¯ whom the pipes were taken.
Oklahoma NAR~L invites you to our
~ $35 per person
Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for justice
& equality for Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planningl
Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
Weekend and evening appointments are available.
o
ooooo000.
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Certified-Public Accountant
a professional corporation
Lesbians and Gay men face many special
tax situations whether single or as couples.
Electronic filing is available for faster refunds.
747-5466
4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite210, Tulsa 74135
by Barry Hensley
Tulsa City-County Library
This year, the Tulsa City-County Library
is making a coordinated effort to
provide a variety of Diversity programmingacross
TulsaCounty during themonth
of June. Please make plans to attendsome
of these programs. A good attendance at
these programs, and positive feedback,
will ensure continued library programming
dedicated to GLBT issues. The library
will also haveabooth, as usual, at the
Diversity celebration at Veteran’ s Park on
Saturday, June 9.
Library programs for June include:
Saturday, June 2. 2pm.
Maxwell Park Library
"Coming OutinTulsaAreaHigh Schools"
Dr. Doug Gronberg, English teacher at
BookerT. WashingtonHigh School, moderates
a panel discussion by high school
students in the Tulsa area Gay/Straight
Alliances.
Monday, June 4. 7pm.
Central Library
"Council Oak Men’s Chorale"
Join us for a celebration of sound as an
ensemble from the Chorale performs a.
variety of vocal selections.
Monday, June 4. 7pm.
Helmerich Library
"Family Law Issues
Affecting the Gay Community’"
Discussion will center around the legal
. rights of same-sex couples, adoption issues
and access to artificial-reproduction
teclinology. Linda Lacey, professor, University
ofTulsa College ofLaw, will moderate.
Thursday, June 7. 7pro.
Central Library
"Diversity Film Festival"
Harvey Fierstein andMatthew Broderick
star in "Torch Song Trilogy," which was
adapted from the Tony Award winning
Broadway hit. The musical numbers are a
hoot, and Anne Bancroft chews the scenery
nicely.
Saturday, June 9. 12 Noon.
Central Library
"Diversity Film Festival"
"Outofthe Past" documents the struggles
of Ke]li Peterson, who started a Gay/
Straight alliance in her Salt Lake City
school in 1996. Her fight became a statewidebattle
that broughtnational attention.
Thursday, June 14. 7pm.
Central Library
"Diversity Film Festival"
"Trevor": Winner of the 1994 Academy
Award for best live action short. This
highly acclaimed, touching, funny film
addresses issues of sexual identity and
compassion.
"If These Walls Could Talk": Trio of
stories about Lesbian couples in three different
decades.
"Bubbeh Lee and Me": Documents a
Gayman’ s visitwithhis 87 year oldgrandmother
in a Florida retirement commu-
Tuesday, June 19. 2pm.
West Regional Library
BookDiscussion: "Deliver Us Frown Ev:
¯ This bookbe M. E. Kerr tells the ste~’;
: 16 year old Parr Burma,an and his fa
: who face some difficult times when ;,:,
¯ spreads around their small Missouri
: that his older sister is a Lesbian, after
: leaves the family farm to live with the
¯¯ daughter of the town’ s banker.
Thursday, June 21. lpm.
Broken Arrow Library
Book Discussion:
"Fried Green Tomatoes"
This Fannie Flagg hit mixes direct and
empowering confrontations with racism,
sexism and ageism with the colorful and
endearing language of the Depression-era
South.
Thursday, June 21. 7pm.
Brookside Library
AIDS Memorial Quilt Project
Vale Bode, director of Education and
Outreach for the Tulsa Area chapter of the
NAMES project, discusses the AIDS
morial Quilt.
Please call 596-7977 or yourlocal branch
library if you have questions or need more
information. Please plan to attend.
Council Oak Men’s
Concert May 11-13
Join the Council Oak Men’s Chorale
(COMC) as it sings the works of musical
pioneers in its concert "American Dreamers"
at Philbrook’ s Wilson Hall, May 11-
13. Performances are on Friday and Saturday
at 8 PM a~,d a matinee on Sunday,
Mother’s Day, at 3 PM. Tickets are $15
For more information, call 748-3888.
Three composers explore three centuries
of the American quest for freedom.
Randall Thompson, Aaron Copland and
Stephen Sondheim, have created works
inspired by the ideals, hopes and dreams of
a nation and its people.
COMC was recently honored to sing the
national anthemat the Tulsa Driller’ s home
game opener on Easter Sunday. America’ s
favorite pastime was introduced by a rousing
rendition of the Star Spangled Banner
performed by COMC’ s 25-male voices.
Formoreinformation about Tulsa’ s premier
Gay men’ s chorus visit:
www.counciloak.org
While it will only have abbreviations,
TOHR and LGBT for Tulsa Oklahomans
for Human Rights and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
andTransgendered, Gatewoodnotes
- it will have "lots of rainbows all over it."
Funds are needed to pay for the new sign
as well. ~
Gatewood adds that through the efforts
of Anna Dodwell, aka, Dyke Divine,
KHITS, 106.9 FM will be airing interviews
with la Dyke herself, TOHR,
PFLAG, Tulsa CARES, and HOPE, probably
on the week beginning June 4th.
Volunteers and sponsors are still needed
for the Gala dinner and the Festival, so for
more information, call 743-4297.
home. Sean was tough and
built like a fireplug. Hehad
just returned home after
serving several years in the
Marines. He spoke animat-
.edly aboutguns, and sports,
and arm-wrestling. (He
beat me.) "Okay, enough
already!" I thought. I attributed
Sean’ s hyper-masculine
pose to the fact that
we were, at the time, sitting
in Hula’s, Waikiki’s
foremost gay bar. Sean,
poor boy, was still edgy
about his sexuality.
But something more vital
was at stake, Hater discovered.
I had occasion
once to catch Sean naked.
Nervous, blushing, and
ashamed he explained he
by Lamont Lindstrom, Ph.D. however, the chimps have us humans beat.
I met Scan one summer in Honolulu. Because of this, perhaps, these organs are
Like many local guys, his ancestry was " less charged in popular culture. Fewer
assorted-alittlebitHawaiian and the rest " men lose sleep over marbles instead of
Asian and European- a mixture reflecting " tennis balls. Fewer scams promise testicle
,,
the history of his island enlargement.
. . . Humans, unllhe When it comes to mea-
+ most mammals, have
suring humans, sampling
and data collection have
lost the haeeulum - a long been problematic.
hone within the penis
Still, it’s established that
the average length of an
- for unhnow’n erect human penis is beevolutionary
reasons. tween five and six inches.
An informative website,
Nonetheless, amon~ The Definitive Penis Size
primates at least,
Survey ("http://
www.connection.com/
humans are the man. -dickie/result.html"),
We are lar~er than
records a somewhat longer
average but its sample is
chimpanzees. And self-selected and no doubt
mighty ~orillas -
composed of those more
inclined to boast.
despite their hulh - So how did humans get
sport penises of Sean’s
so large, ethologically
speaking? Students of evoslze:
just over one inch lution generally fall back
had inherited the family lon~ when erect..."
on two explanations to accurse.
I looked down and count for sexual dimorthere
it was: The smallest human penis I phism such as penis size. Men perhaps
had ever seen. Scan, when excited on a engaged in competitive penile display to
good day, was perhaps an inch and a half threaten and cow one another, thus to
in length. "" establish dominance within a group.
SusanBordo,thefeminist scholar,pokes Thanks to higher status, men with longer
intoAmericanequataonsofmenwiththeir penises had more children. Or. perhaps
penises inThe Male Body: A New Look at long peruses instead resulted trom sexual
Men in Public and in Private (1999). She
selection. Women sought out better-enexplores
the effects of popnlar imagery on doWed men to increase their own sexual
our feelings about our bodies and our- pleasure.
selves. Bordo, previously, had written However the human pems evolved,
about the impact of media depictions of people in many societies celebrate its size.
female beauty on women’ s perceptions of They associate bigness with potency, autheir
bodies. American women suffer a thority, and manliness. In many of the
sort of collective "body image distortion’! island cultures of the Southwestern Pasyndrome.
Themajorityoverestimateshow cific, for example, men traditionally
much space the body takes up. Women flaunted artificially enlarged penises. On
believe, often incorrectly, that they are too Talma, where I once lived, some men still
fat. wrap and expand the penis with plant
Bordo suggests that men suffer a paral- fibers and leaves and cinch this upright to
lel body distortion syndrome. Men tend to a belt around the waist. They appear to
underestimate our penises. We believe we have permanent erections. Farther to the
’ h ° are too small. We aren t fat enoug , as it west, in the central highlands of New
were. In some cases - Sean’ s perhaps- we " Guinea, men stick their penises into dried
are right. In others, however, men put " gourds of various shapes. The most strikthemselves
in comparative disadvantage
¯ ing are three or four feet long, which are
vis-a-vis the rare, or imagined, colossal againtiedupright.Thesedongatedgourds
penises celebrated in popular culture (not
" make much more. splendid display than
tomention in thousands of immodest per- " just bailing up socks in ones underwear.
sonal ads). Enough of us suffer "shower
¯ But cnlmral celebration of male size is
syndrome" or "locker room phobia" to
" neither inevitable nor obligatory. Anyone
eb_rich dozens of dubious penis enlarge- " - who has peeked under those grape leaves
ment schemes.
¯ that the Victorians stuck onto Roman and
We might turn to my physical anthro-
Greek statuary will have noted marble
pologistcolleagues for eulighteument. The " members of only modest measure. Modhumanpenisisabitofamystery,
notleast " eration in all things governed classical
because scientists (male, mostly) haven’ t : aesthetics. A large penis then was the sign
directed much attention to this touchy ob- ¯ of wild animal, not civilized human.
ject. Humans,unlikemostmammals,have : This all would be cold comfort to Sean.
lost the baeeulum - abone within the penis " A shortcoming in one area blinded him to
-forunknownevolutionaryreasons-None- " the beauty of his body (although it did
theless, among primates at least, humans " make him into an excellent arm wrestler).
are theman. Wearelarger thanchimpan- : Sean could be, at least, king among the
zees. And mighty gorilla,s - despite their " gorillas.
bulk - sport penises of Sean’s size: just ¯ Lamont Lindstrom teaches anthropolover
oneinchlong whenerect. Withtestes, : ogy at the University of Tulsa.
Want to save
Money and
Help Build a
Community
Center?
Switch to
Rainbow
Communications
Long Distance and More,
10% of Revenues Will
Benefit Tulsa Oklahomans
for Human Rights
Capital Campaign and
General Fund
For more
information,
call 665-3401
or evenings
at da.7-8602.
Tulsa’s only
professional
body-piercing
IGTA member
.Call 341.6866
International
ToHrsfor rnore information.
’TULSA COUNTY
DEMOCRATIC
PARTY
Country Club Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-Spm
by Karin Gregory
OK, boys - you might want to leave the
room for this one. It’s grrl talk. And no, I
DON’T mean Melissa Etheridge supposedly
leading every single actress in Hollywood
down the Lesbian path of corruption.
By the way, has Nicole Kidmanmade
that list yet? Sorry, silly indulgences.
However, boys, you may want to stay if
you now have, have ever had, or will have
in the future, a Lesbian roommate. You
might learn something. Granted, something
you don’ t want to learn, but I can tell
you that my roommate has a whole new
perspective on women’s biological problems--
his headis now firmly entrenchedin
the sand!
Yes, grrls, I’m talkingabout that lovely
problem called the vaginal infection. By
now, the men have dropped their papers,
screaming as they run to the kitchen to find
the fork that will poke out their eyes, thus
hopefully getting rid of the images swidxng
in their heads: So, let’s talk, shall we?
How do these things get started, is what
I want to know. How is it that you feel fine
one day, then wake up the next in burning,
itching agony? OK, so I’d fallen off the
diet/exercise wagon my roommate and I
started. I wasn’t drinking enough water;
wasfftexercising as much as he (wall,
he’s 24 for God’s sake!); and I wasn’t
eating right. Hey, maybe I DO know how
it got started!
My roommate did well with it the first
few days. I detailed, moment by moment,
how the "fire down below" felt, all the
while standing in front of him scratching
like a straight man with jock itch. My
roommate’s friends were OK with it for
awhile also, until I kept scratching like a
straight man in front of them, too. We
don’t get many guests anymore. And he
gave me advice about the various creams
and lotions I was using. His advice was not
to use more than one. I’d been using four
¯ or five at a time. I went to bed every night
¯¯ wet, and not in the good way.
Then came the "Hostess Cupcake" pc-
¯ riod. Have you ever used Mycelex 3, or
¯" Gynelotromin cream? They give you a
¯ tube of got with three long tampon-look-
. ing sticks. You pour the got into the stick
¯ and then lie down, inserting the stick. It
¯ sounds gross. The application is another
¯ story, however. All right, I guess I really
: DIDN’T read in the instructions that I was
¯ to masturbate while putting in the stick,
¯ but it didn’t say I couldn’t. A grrl has to
¯ have some fun! They also tell you to only
use it for three nights. They know it’s
¯ addictive, I suppose. I got up after awhile
¯ (afteracigarette, actually!),andannounced
¯ to my roommate that I was now a Hostess
~ cupcake. After shouling, "Oh...My...God!"
¯ and shoving out his friend, who was
¯ screaming, "Oh, the horror!", he slammed ¯
his door and didn’t open it until I left for
¯ work the next morning.
I finally went to the doctor at my
" roommate’s pleading. This was an inter-
" esting situation. The nurse, who under-
. stands about vaginal things, asked if I used
¯ any birth control. "No," was myreply. She
¯ wroteit down and said nothing more about
¯ it. My doctor had a medical student in that
¯ day--a dentis!! He asked me about the last
time I had sex. No, he didn’ t want details,
¯ just an approximate. He started to talk
: about condoms when I stopped him, say-
. ing that I’ d had sex with three people in the
¯
last year - "One was a man; they usually
¯ aren’t." To which he quickly said, "OK,"
¯ and moved on.
¯ Then they all (nurse, medical student,
¯
doctor) converged in the tiny examination
¯ room while I spread my legs for all to see.
¯ I asked if they’d like to invite anyone else ¯
in as long as I was in this position. I’ve
¯ always found I have more audience mem-
¯ bets when I’m,in the stirrups than when i
have my mouth open for the doctor. And
¯
I’m told I have pretty teeth! I received my
¯ applause and was able to dress, when the
¯ doctor came in to ask why I didn’t use
¯ condoms. "I don’t have sex with men",
: was my reply. Geez, how many times do I
¯ have to come out at my doctor’s office
: before they get a clue?
¯ Have you ever noticed how things begin
¯
happemng when you’re at your worst?
: You always meet someone you haven’t
¯ seen in years when you wear your old ¯
clothes, your cap to hide the hair you
didn’t wash that day, or when you’re unshaven
(for those intimate old friends!).
Somehow, even on the Internet, you seem
more attractive when you have your period
or when you have, as I did, a vaginal
itch. She began emailing me, and I was
struck with this feeling of awe that FINALLY
I’d be meeting someone from
Fort Worth (instead of talking to someone
from Corpus Christi or Kansas) at the
same time I had "this problem." Meet her
I did, and we talked for several hours
before we came back to my place. No, this
was at her request. Granted, she didn’t
have to twist this horny Lesbian’ s ann, but
I didn’t mind her twisting other things.
I know several women who are embarrassed
to be naked in front of their husbands.
I’ ve always had the opposite problem
withmy bed partners, and this day was
certainly One ofthe worst days to be dressed
in front of her while I had a close-up of her
beauty - VERY close up! So I lay there
wearing my big pants (pants with no restrictions
like jeans have), and felt very
strange to be wearing most of my clothes.
After all, I didn’ t want the next possible
Ms. Right to get any kind of disease, even
though I’d already been to the doctor and
found that it was a simple bacterial infection
taken care of with medicati< a (unfortunately,
NOT the Mycelex 3 !). Now that
[ think of it, even though the infection is
gone, she hasn’ t suggested we come back
to my place anymore.
see Raging, p. 7
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
presents
Dive’rsity
rati
.Saturday, June.2, 2001
TOHR Follies 2001
"From Here to Eternity"
Avondale Studio & Theatre (the old Delaware Playhouse)
1511 So. Delaware Ave., 8pro
Reception immediately following.
Tickets: $15.00, At the Door:.-$20.00
The Pride Store @ Tulsa GLBT
Community Center; 2114 S Memorial
or’by calling 918.743.4297 or toll
free (outside Tulsa) at 866.335.9074
Sunday, June 3, 2001
Tulsa Interfaith Service
Sponsored by TU BLGT Alliance, Sharp Chapel, TU, 3pm
Monday, June 4, 2001
Council Oak Men’s Chorale Concert
Presented by Tulsa City/County Library
"Diversity in Song"
Aaronson Auditorium; Central Librarym 3rd & Denver, 7pm
Monday, June 4, 2001
Family Law Panel
Presented by Tulsa City/Coullty Library
TU Law Professor Linda Lacey& an expert panel
Helmefich Library, 91st and Yale, 7pm
Tuesday, June 5, 2001
Art Exhibit: "Embracing Art"
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. PeofiaAvenue, 6-gpm
Thursday, June 7~ 2001
GLBT Film Festival
Sponsored by Tulsa City/County Library
AaronsoriAuditofium, Central Library, 3rd and Denver, 7pro
Friday, June 8, 2001
TOHR Diversity Gala
Benefiting TOHR and Diversity Celebration 2001
"Death. Be Not Proud" Parents of Hate Crime Victims:
Speakers and Parade Grand Marshalls:
Gabi Clayton, Olympia, WA,
Dorothy Hajdys Holman, Chicago~ Don Sinclair,
Houston, TX, Carolyn Wagner, Fayetteville, AR
"Community Hero" Awards presentation honoring
those in the local GLBT community.
Tulsa Country Club, 701 N. Yukon Dr., 7pm, reception &
silent auction, 8pro dinner, $100/ea. $1,000 table of eight.
Sponsorships available. Reserved seating available by calling
918.743.4297 or 866.335.9074
Saturday, June 9, 2001
The Pride Parade
Cherry Street (15th Street) to Boston Avenue to
18th Street to Veterans Park
Starts at 3pro, Float/marchers begin assembling at lpm.
No entries after 2:45pm.
Featuririg:Entfies from across the region
Community Heroes, Oklahoma’s largest Pride Flag
Diversity Festival
Sponsored by: Bud Light & Eastern Oklahoma Beverages
Veterans’ Park, 1875 So. Boulder Ave., 3pm
Featuring Entertainment, Speakers, and more.
Sunday, June 10, 2001
Women’s Tea Dance
Women only dance, DJ, and live entertainment by Melanie
Fry, pipe &cigar patio, unplugged music circle, and more.
Greenwood Cultural Center, 322 N. Greenwood, 3-Tpm
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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[2001] Tulsa Family News, May 2001; Volume 8, Issue 5
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
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Tulsa Family News
Source
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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May 2001
Contributor
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James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
Rights
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, April 2001; Volume 8, Issue 4
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English
Type
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
Identifier
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/612
2001
AIDS
AIDS vaccine
American Civil Liberties Union
anti-bullying
arts and entertainment
businesses
churches
civil rights
civil unions
Council Oak Men's Chorale
Diversity celebration
Gay marriage
hate crimes
HIV
HIV testing
housing
Lamont Lindstrom
marriage equality
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
National Lesbian and Gay Community Funding Partnership
Openarms Youth Project
Partner Benefits
Pride
Pride 2001
pride Parade
Raging Lesbian
Red Cross
Red Rock Tulsa
restaurants
Tulsa Community Foundation
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Library
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
Wesleyan University
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/106cfd279f62fea97a90e873f4c2ef19.jpg
94d8f329c885af31c0dfff66fa95dc42
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/8baefd28452dccf89146566a1afe87d1.pdf
be16ca1224a3677c465dddb080fd7d50
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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Arkansas; Ant|- ay. Law
Ru|cO ! nconst|t t|on
LI~LE.ROC~ ~AP)- ~ A ~dg~~out
out Gays, for ~os~u~o~ ~oug~ no-onv.~.
pros~ut~.~d~~ 19.~:law, seven~ple-who s~d
¯ey w~e Gay told~~~eyf~~ing
~nvict~~dlosing~rjo~ orprof~sio~ H~scs.
~Co~ty Circ~t Judge David ~g~d s~d
~sla~e~wh~it~~~,non~mm~
sex~ acdvid~ ~ong ~ple of ~
gend~. ~e state~~ aJ~hc~g ~t
gov~t~~ int~t in~i~g~vior
~tmost of i~~wo~d findmolly~o~-
ate; but Bog~d&s~.
’~~plc of~k~~ve ~eright to le~slateon
issu~ involv~g mo~s. but homosex~ is not o~y
a question of mor~s," Bog~d s~d. Citing a 1~2
fromWis~. Bog~d s~d a way offife ’~t is ~d
or ev~ ~afic" see So.my, p~ 2
Iowa Study: Tolerance of
Gays May Be Growing
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -Thereason thatmoreAmericans
are reporting homosexual encounters thana decade
ago may bethe increasing tolerance of Gays and
Lesbians, a University of Iowa study says. "Declining
social, legal and economic sanctions against samegender
sexual behavior in recent years and more positive
images of Gay men and Lesbians in the media may
have made it easier for people to recognize their samegender
sexual interest and act on it," said Amy Buffer,
the study’s author.
Butler, an associate professor in the University of
Iowa’ s School of Social Work, used data collected for
the General Social Surveys conducted by the National
Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.
Her study, published in November in the Journal of
Sex Research, shows that between 1988 and 1998 the
number ofwomenwhosaid theyhad a sexual encounterwith
another woman in the previous year went from
0.2% of respondents to 2.8%, a 14-fold increase. For
men, the number who said they had a homosexual
experience jumped from 1.7% of respondents to 4.1%.
Whethermorepositivemediaportrayals play arole in
the increasing reports of homosexual activity is hard to
determine, Butler said. For certain, the media wouldn’ t
mt shows on television or produce movies that portray
~ositive Gay lives see Tolerance, p. 2
DIRECTORY P. 2
EDITORIAL. P. :3
US & woRLD, NEWS P. 4~
HEALTH NEWS P~e~ ~
ENTERTAINgE~, MORE: P~ ~
GAY STUDIE~ING L~BfAN: P~ tO/11
" Serving Lesbian, Gay; Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsens, Our Families + Friends
"Embrace Diversity"_
2001 Parade + Fesbval
". TULSA (TFN) - Oklahoma’s biggest celebration of its kind,
." Tulsa" s "Diversity Celebration", is shaping up to be the biggest
¯ to date. A full week of events, designed to educate the general
¯" public oncivil rights issues and the need for equality for the Gay/
." Lesbian/Bisexual and Trmmgendered (GLBT) community are
: planned for the city of Tulsa and the Midwest region.
¯ "Fmbrace Diversity" is Tulsa’ s"21st celebration of the beginning
of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender civil rights
." movement. Begun as the Tulsa Pride Picnic in 1980, "Diversity
" Celebration"has grown over the pastfew years to become oneof
-" Tulsa’s largest events. The past two celebrations have garnered
~" national attentionfrom Los Angeles to New York with coverage
: by PlanetOut, Genre and Curve, as well as local GLBT and
: heterosexually oriented television, print and.ele.ctro~ic, media.
1999~saw Tulsa,welcome United States Rep. Barney Frank (D-
: Mass..)~as,the OrandMarshal of Tulsa" s first full fledgedparade.
¯ Last y~t:, the city welcomed Greta Cammermeyer and Greg
Loug~,s as they hhared their personal stories of triumph over
adversi~ and whoserved as Grand Marshals for the Parade.
¯ Featured this year are allies outside the GLBT community -
: the families of GLBT individuals. Traveling from across the
¯ nation,, these brave families come to Tulsa to educate and share
¯" their stories of loved ones as we honor them as Grand Marshals
: of Tulsa’s 3rd GLBT Parade (Pride Parade).
: TulsaOklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR), the presenting
¯ sponsor of "Diversity Celebration 2001", has released the fol-
: lowing schedule of events:
Saturday, June 2, 2001
TOHR Foifies 2001
Presented by TOHR
’Trom Here to Eternity"Avondale Studio & Theatre
¯ (the old Delaware Playhouse), 1511 So. Delaware Ave., 8pm
see Diversity, p. 3
¯ HIV and Young Black Gay Men
¯ by Margie Mason, Associated Press Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - In the wake of soaring HIV statistics
" surrounding the nation’s Gay Black men, a panel of educators
- came together at the end of March to admit their failures and
: discuss strategies to help curb the rate of contraction.
¯ ’These people are coming to us to get HIV testing or to get
¯ screened for (sexually transmitted diseases)," said Lucia Torian,
¯ from the New York City Department of Health. ’They are in our
" offices. They’re in our clinics. We are even counseling them.
¯ What’s going on7"
¯ Torian spoke to a packed conference room as part of. the 13th
." NationalHIV/AIDS UlxlateConference.ShesaidarecentYoung
Men’ s Survey inNew York showed one in every three Blackmen
¯ sampled were HIV positive, even though they had less sexual
" partners th~n white men ages 23 to 29.
¯ Torian said Gay Blackmen as a group held the highest rates of
¯ infection from 1989-1999. ’This is an incidence rate in men who
" have sex with men that wehave not seen since the late 1980s.-So
: we have our work cut out for us," Torian said. "’And we may be
¯ on the leading edge of the epidemic."
San Francisco’s Gay Black HIV prevalence rates are compa-
: rable with an estimated 54.6% of the population spanning all age
: groups, said Willi McFarland from the San Francisco Depart-
¯ ment of Public Health.
"It’ s an astonishing figure, and we’re not entirely sure how to
¯ answer it," he said. ’’It’s one of the highest for any group in the
¯ city." Black transgender men in San Francisco have a 60% to
: 65% prevalence rate, McFarland said.
¯¯ SusanKegeles, of theUniversity ofSan Francisco’ s Center for
AIDS Prevention Studies, spoke on the panel about ideas for a
¯ program to attract the troubled demographic. She heads the
¯ Mpowerment Project, hailed by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention as the only effective intervention program for
¯ youngGay and bisexual men, which uses peer groups in various
¯ cities to,create a dialogue and. a safe place for men to talk about
¯ SeX.
see African, p. lO
City Human Rights Group
Wants to Talk to Gays
TULSA (TFN) - About seven years after record
numbers of citizens attended public hearings on
amending Tulsa’ s human rights ordinance to include
"sexual orientation," at leastone staffperson with the
City of Tulsa Human Rights Commission/Department
says she wants to know the issues and concerns
of Tulsa’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered
(GLBT) community.
University ofTulsaintemAngieJohann_esen, asked
to do an internship for her sociology degree with the
City’ s HumanRights Commlssion. Atherinstigation
the’ Commission is currently developing a series of
focus groups with individuals in the GLBT community.
Thefocus groups will takeplace later this spring.
However, before any specific dates are set, the Human
Rights Commission wants~to gauge the number
of persons who would be willing to participate.
Johaunesen contac~ted TulsaOldahomam for Human
Rights, (TOHR) and TUlsa Family News to let
GLBTpeopleknow about the effort and to encourage
them to participate in the focus groups. Johannesen
promises that individuals’ privacy will be respected..
Johaunesen noted that one goal of the Commission
was to create a resource manual of LGBT groups,
similar to lists which TOHR and TFN already have
developed. Another goal is to provide support to Gay
students in Tulsa Public Schools some ofwhomhave
contacted the Commission about harassment in
schools.
Those willing to participate should contact Angie
Johannesen at the Human Rights Commission, 596-
7837, orby e-mail at angela-johannesen@umlsa.edu.
TOHR also encourages those with any questions to
contact them at 743-4297 or by e:mail at
tobrl0@hotmail.com, see editorial, p. 3.
Gay Man Severely Beaten
In Attempted Murder
MiDDLEBURG, Pa, (AP) - Two brothers were ordered
to stand trial in Snyder County Court, accused
of stomping and punching a man who is now in a
coma; one ofthem allegedly told police that the attack
was provoked by a homosexual advance.
Todd J. Clinger, 18, and Troy L. Clinger, 20, both
of Middleburg are charged with attempted murder in
the March 6 attack on Michael Auker. Hc was then
carried to his trailer, where he was found two days
later in a comatose state.
"Wefoundhimunconscious and bleedingfrom the
head. Every bone in his face was broken," state
trooper Frederick Dyroff testified in a preliminary
hearing.
Dyroff testified that Todd Clinger said the assault
on Auker was the result ofa sexual advance byAuker.
Both ofthe brothers and Auker were drinking atTodd
Clinger’ s trailer prior to the incident, police said.
Auker remains in what Snyder County District
Attorney Mike Sholley called a "permanenvcomatose"
at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.
Nicki Lee White, Troy Clinger’s fiance, said the
brothers planned to lure Auker out to their deck so
they could "beat him up, kill him."
"He (Auker) was trying to cover his face," White
said. "I’hat’s when Todd started stomping on him,
stomping on his face?’
Bothofthe brothers’ parents face charges related tc
their role following the incident. Their father, Gary
Clinger~ 37, accused of helping the brothers move
Auker to his-trailer, was charged with criminal trespass,
burglary., and. endangering another person.
Theirmother~ConnieLynnCringers40, wascharged
with criminal solicitation.
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine
*CW’ s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Play-Mot, 424 S. Memorial
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*Schatzi’ s, 2619 S. Memorial
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool Box II, 1338 E. 3rd
*Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
*The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th
832-1269
610-5323
838-9792
744-4280
585-3405
745-9998
280-1316
834-4234
660-0856
584-1308
835-2376
749-1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Assoc. in Med: & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41 665-4580
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 IE. 15 712-1122
*Borders Books &Music, 2740 E. 21 . 712-9955
*Borders Books & Music, 80i5 S. Yale 494-2665
Brookside Jewelry,.4649 S. Peoria 743-5272
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria 746-0313
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth 295-5868
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial 369-8555
Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 592-0460
Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria 744-9595
Four Star Import Automotive, 990,6 E. 55th P1. 610-0880
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica S~i. Med. Ctr. 628-3709
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st 742-1460
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning 459-9349
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440
*Sandra J: Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E Skelly 745-1111
*International Tours 341-6866
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering 747-0236
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening 582-8460
*Kerfs Flowers, 1635 E. 15 599-8070
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 747-5466
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha 585-1234
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd 584-3112
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 663-5934
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664-2951
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo 838-7626
*The Pride Store 743-4297
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101 747-5932
Richard’ s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617
Teri Schutt, Ellen & Co. 834-7921, 748-0224
Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-7829
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S~ Lewis 481-0558
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counsding 743-1733
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767
www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays & Lesbians
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579-9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
"Black&White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 583-7815
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
POB 4140. Tulsa, OK 74159, e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlinEnet
Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal
Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry
Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lament Lindstrom, Esther
Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw
Member of The Associated Press
Issued around the 1st of each month, the entire contents of this
publication are protected by US copyright 2001 by Tulsa
Family News and may not be reproduced eitherin whole or in
part without written permission from the publisher. Publication
of a name or photo does not indicate a person’ s sexual
orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for publication
unless otherwise noted, must be signed& becomes the sole
property of Tulsa Family News. Each reader is entitled to ~4,
copies of each edition at distribution point.
Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248,
BILiG/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
Ch~lpFri~q~,,Conunerce,.Bldg,.;,~616~.S.:B_Oston. :...585-.120! ~ :. ~Ol~,:J~h,°~u~e~gn’_lP~anM~ntg°mery - 5500~-6225]~65~
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 :’~ 742-2457’ " "-
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa- Lesbian & GayCatholics & ,
Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140 "_
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777 ¯
*Free Spirit Women’ s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
*Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834~8378
*HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstries,1517S. Memorial 224-4754
*MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral PI. 748-3111
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tulsa
PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
St. Aidan’ s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882
St. Dlmstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
*St. Jerome’ s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
Soulforce-OK, Rt.4, # 3534, Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
*TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, Gay Comm. Center 743-4297
TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvocacy Coalition,POB2687,Tulsa 74101
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform]Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*Tulsa Gay Community Center, 21 st &Memorial 743-4297
Unity Church of Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
BARTLESVILLE
Bartlesville Public library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
TAHLEQUAH
Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Autunm Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734
Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main 501-253-7457
DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 50 1-253-6807
Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445
MCC of the Living Spring 50 1-253-9337
Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253-2776
could not be condemned just because it is
¯ different.
"Perhaps it is repugnant to heterosexuals
¯ to contemplate persons of the same sex
¯ engaging privately in oral or anal sex; how-
, ever, to enact a law in Arkansas which
¯ criminalizes such conductbetween consent-
¯ ing adults violates the Arkansas constitution,"
the judge wrote.
¯ Ruth Harlow,legal director oftheLambda
¯ Legal Defense and Education Fund in New
¯ York, whichrepresented the group, said that
¯" even though no one was prosecuted, its
¯ members did notlikebeing branded as crimi-
: nals. "The law hangs over their heads and
¯ treats them like second-class citizens," she ¯
said. ’~It says it’ s illegal:when yogi do it but
¯_" not whenyourneighbordoes, as king as they
¯ are heterosexual?~- .:,~r:. ~,:
~2 Darrin-W,illiams;cNef"of staff£or Arkansas
Attorney General" Mark Pryor; said the
office would decide on an appeal later. The
Arkansas law carried a $1,000 fine andup to
a year in jail.
Bogard said his opinion was not an endorsement
ofhomosexuality nor a critidism.
’‘This court’ s opinion today should not in
any way be deemed to condone or condemn
any particular lifestyle or the moral behavior
associated therewith," he said. Kansas,
Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah have
similar laws.
if the public wasn’ t willing to accept it, she
said.
Her study says the way Gays and Lesbians
appear in the media may make some
people more comfortable acting on homosexual
impulses.
Buffer said that thepercentage of people
who reported having had these experiences
is small. ’Tmnot documenting a full-blown
revolution," she said.
In 1988, 74.9% of respondents said that
sex between two people of the same sex is
always wrong. By 1998 that number had
dropped to 54.6%, according to the General
Social Surveys.
Buffer. said the findings will have critics
and supporters. The religious right, for example,
might use the study to show how
America has become too tolerant of homosexuality,
she said. Gay and Lesbian actiV-
: ists might beupsetby her suggestion that the
¯ data indicate sexuality is, at least in some
: cases; cultttrally constructedrather thanbio-
¯ logically determined. ¯
Butler speculated that there may b~ sev-
~ eral reasons tolerance has increased, such as
: declassifying homosexuality as a psychiat-
¯ ric diseasein the 1970s and the growth ofthe
Gay Pride movement. The latter, she said,
¯ may have forced people to question their
¯ long-held beliefs. "But there is still a lot of
¯ intolerance," she said.
Federal Hate Crimes Bill Reintroduced
Bipartisan Bill Will Expand Federal Law to Include Gender, Sexual
Orientation, and Disability; Expands Enforcement Powers
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senators Gordon "
Smith (R-OR) and Edward Kennedy (DMA)
with Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA),
Congresswoman Connie Morella (R-MD) "
and Democratic colleagues re-introduced ¯
federal hate crimes legislationin Congress
today, advancing an important policy dis- ¯
cussion onbias-related violence across the ¯
The Local Law Enforcement Enhance- ."
merit Act of 2001 is a bipartisan bill which "
wo.uld extend existing federal hate crimes ¯
laws to include gender, disability, and
sexual, orientation. Thebill has 51 cospon- "
sors m the Senate and 180 in the House. "
"A government’s first duty is topmtect ¯
and defend its citizens. Ourlaws~shoulddo ¯
that by reflegting oat.highest values, .not "
by sheltering ourlowestfears~’7 said Smith.
’XDver the past several years~ .Americans
have been listening with their hearts, not
just their ears, and they are ready for a hate "
crimes bill. I am confident that Congress ¯
will Pass legislation this year so that the ¯
potential victims of hate crimes know that
the federal government is on their side."
Senator Smith first sponsored.the bill ¯
with Senator Kennedy in 1999 and intro- :
ducedit as an amendment to legislationin "-
as voting. In addition to the newcategories,
the Local Law EnforcementEnhancement
Act will broaden federal jurisdiction
to include hate crimes that cause death or
bodily injury.
The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement
Act would give federal prosecutors
the discretion, under the direction of the
Attorney General, to ’prosecute violent
crimes against individuals based on their
actual or perceived race, color, religion,
and national origin.
The bill also gives power to the Attorney
General to determine, on a case by
case basis, wla~ther interstate.commerce
was affected or involvedln violent crimes
against individuals Od. the basis oftheir
real or perceived gender, disability or
sexual orientation, and federalize such
prosecutions as well. The bill also gives
the Department of Justice the ability to
provide needed federal technical and financial
assistance to state and local authorities
upon request for local investigation
or prosecution of bias-related crimes.
Rich Tafel, executive director of Log
Cabin Republicans, a Gay political group,
noted, ’Xve applaud Senator Smith, Senator
Specter, Congresswoman Morella and
both 1999 and 2000. Currently;.federal
law only "permits prosecution, of a hate
crimeifthe crime prevents the victimfrom i C°ngresS and for our country."
exercising afederallyprotectedright, suCh.,~., .. - ’~
Reception immediately following.
Tickets: $15.00, At the Door: $20.00
" The Pride Store @ Tulsa GLBT
Community Center; 2114 S Memorial
orby calling 918.743.4297 or toll
free (outside Tulsa)-at 866.335.9074
Sunday, Jund 3, 2001
Tulsa Interfaith Service
Sponsored by TU BLGT Alliance
Sharp Chapel, TU, 3pro
Monday, June 4, 2001
Council Oak Men’s Chorale Concert
Presented by Tulsa City/County.Library
"Diversity in Song"
Aaronson Auditorium, Central Library
3rd and Denver, 7pro
Monday, June 4, 2001
Family Law Panel
Presented by Tulsa City/County Library
Professor Linda Lacey; TU Law School
and a panel of family law experts.
Helmerich Library; 91St and Yale, 7pro
Tuesday, June 5, 2001
Art :Exhibit: "Embracing Art"
¯All- Souls Unitarian Church
2952 S: Peoria Avenue, 6-9pro"
Thursday, June 7, 2001
. GLBT Film.Festivai
Sponsored by Tulsa City/County Library
’‘Diversity in Film"
Aaronson Auditorium, Central Library-
3rd and Denver, 7pro
: .the Republican sponsors of thislegislation
¯ for leading a crucial policy.discussion in
¯ Friday, June 8, 2001
¯ TOHR Diversity Gala
; .....Benefiting TOHR and
Diversily Celebration 2001
¯ "Death Be Notpr0ud"
". Speakers and Parade Grand Marshalls:
: Ms. Gabi Clayton, Olympia, WA
¯ Ms. Dorothy Hajdys
Ms. Nancy Rodrigues; Houston, TX
Ms. Carolyn Wagner, Little Rock, AR
"Community HerO" Awards presentation
honoring those in the local GLBT
community who educate the public
through their everyday actions and lives.
Tulsa Country Club, 701 N. Yukon Dr.
7pro, reception & silent auction
8pro dinner,.$100/ea. $1,000table of
eight. Sponsorships available.
Reserved seating available by calling
918.743.4297 or 866.335.9074
Saturday, June 9, 2001
The Pride Parade
Cherry Street (15th Street) to
BoSton Avenue to 18th Street to
Veterans Park
Start at 3pm, Hoat/marchers begin
assembling at lpm.
" During the first year of this publication,
: in May of 1994, this newspaper covered
¯ three raucous , packed publichearings about
¯ a proposal to add sexual orientation to the
¯
City of Tulsa’s largely meaningless hu-
¯ man rights ordinance.
I say meaningless because violating the
: ordinance zs only a misdemeanor. Any
: r_eal backing for civil rights for citizens
¯ comes from federal laws which.don’t in-
" elude "sexual orientation," and therefore
¯ don’t cover Gay people. (For the record,
¯¯ they don’t cover straight people either but
we’ve hardly seen that that’s a problem.)
: The hearing brought out the best in
.. some but the worst in many. Some who
had not really seen the need for including
¯ sexual orientation saw the need just by
¯ listening to the bigotry expressed at the
: meetings.
¯ Now this many years later, the City’s
: Human Rights Commission/Dept. is look-
" ing at these issues again, thanks it seems,
¯ solely to one TU student’ s efforts and just
¯ because she cares about justice -since
¯ she’s, as they put it, "straight but not
¯ narrow." What they’re doing is holding
_. "focus groups" which is all well and good
¯ but it~ s much like writing another report as
¯ the last group who looked at these issues
¯ did back in ’93/94. It will take up time and
¯ energy but accomplish little especially ¯
since what’ s needed really hasn’ t changed.
." since’94,norhas it changedfrom theearly
¯ ’80’ s when a similar effort was attempted
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered
people need to have the same fund
mental civil rights protections which other
minorities have by law and which the
majority has by dominance. This includes
equal opportunity in housing and employment
and benefits.
This means that if landlords or home
sellers cannot refuse someone because of
their race or religion, they should not be
allowed to do so because of sexual orientation.
Ditto for job hiring, advancement
and equal pay/benefits for equal work.
Ditto, ditto for eqnal legal protection for
spouses and families, regardless of whether
these are menand women, men and men or
women and women;
But for it to go anywhere, it will require
themayor and some city councilors to give
a damn. For at least 7 years, MayOr Savage
could, and has been asked to, di:rect the
Tulsa Police to includemo~e than just race
and religion in their "diversity" training.
While rumor has it that this trivial change
may soon happen, why has she waited so
long? And while some city councilors
know what’ s right, none have the courage
to work for civil rights. They all want to
wait till it’ s safe for them to vote ’~yes," fill
there’s a majority. But every earlier civil
rights struggle lost batdesbefore prevailing.
We can’t get anywhere when our
"leaders" won’t talk about our issues.
Focus groups, are nice. But we already
know whatis needed. Wejustneed Savage
under the city commission form of gov- :. mid Watts and Williams and Turner to do
eminent. -" it~. - Tom Neal,. editor & publisher
Rights Bills.Go Forward in 3 .States
WASHINGTON - The Human Rights "- now heads to the Senate, and Gov. Ruth
Campaign (HRC) late in March praised. ¯ .Ann Minner has pledged she will sign the
activists in Maryland, Delaware, and Illi- " bill if she gets the opportunity.
nois for advancing bills in their respective
legislatures that would prohibit discrimi~
nation based on sexual orientation.
’q’his Was aweekthat saw greatprogress
due to the outstanding efforts of activists
in Illinois; Maryland and Delaware," said
HRC Field Director Seth Kilbourn.
know it will be a tough road, but we hope
thattheselegislatures will continue to stand
up for equality and vote these bills into
law."
The Illinois House of Representatives
approved ameasure that would add sexual
orientation to a state law that bans diserimination
against people forjobs, housing,
public accommodations or credit. It
now heads to the more conservative Senate.
But supporters of the bill got a boost
when Senate PresidentJames "Pate"Philip
said he plans to givethe issue a committee
" No.entries after-2:45pra hearing instead of delaying it. ’I want .to
Featuring: express my gratitude to my colleagues in
Entries from-across Oklahoma and
the Midwest Region
ComroR~ity Heroes
Oklahoma’s largest Pride Flag
Diversity Festival
Sponsored by: .Bud Light & Eastern
Oklahoma Beverages
Veterans’ Park
1875 So. Boulder Ave., 3pro
the Honse for their support," said Illinois’
only opehly Gay staterepresentative, Larry
McKeon, (D) who sponsored the bill. "I
strongly encourage the Senate leadership
to allow the bill to be moved tothe Senate
floor for a vote by its leaders."
The Delaware House of Representafives
also passed a similar bill that would
ban discrimination based on real or perceived
sexual orientation in employment,
housing, public works contracting, public
accommodations and insurance.. The bill
¯ ’~-Iopefully today brings us closer to a
¯ time when our differences are not seen as
" reasons for division and strife, but as op-
: portunities for educafionand celebration,"
¯ said Peter Medwick, state coordinator,
: Delaware ACLU Lesbian and Gay Civil
¯ Rights Project. If these bills become laws,
¯ these states wouldjoin Hawaii, California,
: Vermont, New Hampshire, Wisconsin,
: Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island,
: Massachusetts, Connecticut and Nevada
¯ as states that already outlaw this type of
: discrimination.
:. Marylandhas the best chance ofbecom-
: ing the twelfth state to ban anti-Gay dis-
, crimination. The state Senate voted for a
~ measure to prohibit discrimination based
¯ on sexual orientation in honsing, public
: accommodafions and employment (see
: related story, p. 5).
¯ With ctn’tinued lobbying from the Gay
: civil rights group,_F_ree StateJustice, the
¯ House is also expected to pass the bill. ¯
Gov. Pan’is Glendening, amajor advocate
: of the Anti-Discrimination Act of 2001,
¯ will sign the bill into law if it reaches his ¯
desk. ’q’he Senate vote makes this a his-
: toric day for civil rights," said Blake
: ~umphrey, __m,_,a~a,_,,_,gin~,.gdirectorofFree Srate
Jnstiee, the state s Gay civil rights-lobby.
: "Maryland senators listened to their con-
~ stituents and’voted to end discrimination.
: In voting by such a wide margin, senators
¯ also sent amessage that bias and hate will ¯
not be tolerated in the Free State."
Lutherans Don’t Kick Out
Gay Friendly Church
KANSAS CITY, Mo.. (AP) ~- A Lutheran church
official has decided not to ejec~ a Kansas City congregation
that installed a Lesbian pastor who refused to
commit to a lifetime of celibacy. The pastor, Donna
Simon, found out that Abiding Peace Lutheran Church
will not be ejected from the membership roster of the
Evangdical Lutheran.Church in America. "For now, ¯
we’ve inherited eternal life,, a jubilant Simon said. "
Last October, the nearly 40 members of Abiding "
Peace, a predominantly Gay church in Kansas City, ¯
chose to defy the rules of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church by installing Simon. Simon’s sexual orienta- "
tion was not the issue. The Evangelical Lutheran ¯
Church in America, with about 5 million members ¯
nationwide, allows Gays~and Lesbians to be ordained ".
as minister~~if they pr0iiiise’lifelong celibacy.
Simon, 35, refused to make sucli-apromisei Because
of thhtTthe EVaii~dicdl~Eutheran~urch in, Ameri~ ¯
neveriofficially:approved~her for 6~dinafion " " ,"
When,o~rO~t.28~ AbidingPeace otdained her :,
anyway, it Committed ~in act of "eccleSiastic disobedience."
Thelast churches to ordain noncelibate Gay and
Lesbian pastors - St. Francis Lutheran Church and
First United.Lutheran Church, both in San Franciscowere
suspended in 1990 and ejected in 1995 from the
membership roster of the Lutheran Church.
However, after months of contemplation and discussion,
Bishop Charles Maahs, head of the Lutheran
synod in Missouri and Kansas, recommended the
Church be censured and admonished. That action bars
Abiding Peace’s members from taking part in a select
number of church committees. Abiding Peace, however,
will continue to be amemberofthe greaterfamily
of Lutheran Churches.-
Maahs said one reason his punishment was light is
that he believes it. is time to foster more discussion on
the question of Gay and Lesbian pastors. ’The ELCA
encourages this dialogue," Maahs said. "I know the
chief purpose of their calling and ordaining this pastor
is really to be in mission and ministering. The thing
that is important in all of this is that they have Shown
themselves to be people of good faith."
Colorado Senator Praises
¯ Scouts for Being Anti-Gay
DENVER (AP)-Aresolution praising the Boy Scouts
that succumbed to criticism this week was unfairly
branded as anti-Gay, its sponsor said. Senate Minority
Leader John Andrews, R-Lakewood, let his resolution
die rather than renew a fight that flared when the
measure was first considered by the Senate.
The resolution praised the Boy Scouts for standing
up for freedom of speech when they oppo_sed Gay
members. "It was framed as if it were an anti-Gay
resolution," Andrews said. "It was not. All itwas doing
was observing the Supreme Court has said private
organizations can be private." "America has gotten
very permissive about its morals and laws as far as
sexuality goes," Andrews added. The commendation
was part of Andrews’ resolution to create "Scouting
Week in Colorado."
A Minnesota United Way
Cuts Off Boy Scouts
WINONA, Minn. (AP) - The United Way of Greater
Winona plans to cut off funding to a pair of local Boy
Scout councils that refused to sign an agreement not to
discriminate againstGays. PeterWalsh, the local United
Way-president, said that his group won’t fund any
groups thatrefuse to sign thenondiscriminationpledge.
The U.S. Supreme Court last year ruled that the Boy
Scouts could refuse to allow Gay leaders. Since then
someUnited Way organizations have decided to stop
funding their local Boy Scout councils.
The Winona United Way currently funds the
Gamehaven Council, basedin Rochester, and the Gate-
" way Area Council, basedin LaCrosse, Wis. Duringthe
¯ currentbudgetyear, whichendsJune30,theGamehaven
Council received $16,473 and theGateway AreaCoun-
¯
cil received $2,108, said Beth Forkner Moe, the United
¯ Way chapter’s executive director.
Mike Diamond, executive director of the Gateway
Area Council, said the local scout organizations were
not free to sign. ’q’here are clauses in the agreement
that go against the policies of the Boy Scouts of
America nationally," he said.
Richard Good, executive director of the Gamehaven
Council, read from the Scouts’ official position: "We
believe open homosexuals should not provide a role
model for Scouts that is inconsistent with the Scout
Oath and t_~w. The Boy Scouts of Americardoes not
accept avowed homosexuals as members or leaders."
The loss of funds will definitely be felt. Goc~!~. :said
UnitedWayfunding accounts for about halftheadministrative
budget for the 22 troops and 1,100 Scouts in
Winona County.
¯ But for the Scout leaders, it’s a matter of principle.
’’We are a private organization with the right to maintain
our own standards ofleadership and decide who is
appropriate and not appropriate as adult leaders, x,n -
mond said.
Police InvestigateAlleged
Hate Crime at URI
SOLrI’H KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) - An assault on a
Gay University of Rhode Island graduate student will
be investigated as a hate crime, police said.
Kevin Bliven-Baker, 36, said three men confronted
him after he left a campus meeting of the Gay, Lesbian
and Straight Society. Bliven-Baker said one of the
attackers bumped.himwith his shoulder, knockinghim
into a snowbank, while another called him faggot. URI
President Robert Carothers.called the alleged assault
"repugnant."
~ Bliven-Baker reported the March 8 confrontation to
campus police this week, The Providence Journal
reported. "I used to feel really safe on this campus, and
¯ I know I have to watch myself now," Bliven-Baker
¯ said. URI Police Capt. Brian Cummings said he believes
the suspects were students. No arrests havebeen
made.
¯ KC Synagogue Opposes
Boy Scout Bias
." KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A synagogue that spon-
¯ sots one of the city’s oldest Boy Scout troops has
: decided to oppose the national Boy Scouts’ ban on
. Gays. The executive board at Congregation Beth Shalom
in Kansas City, which sponsors Troop 61, plans to
: send aletter requesting that the organization rescindits
¯ ban on Gays from its youth membership and adult
leadership ranks. ’’We are inclusive; we will not discriminate,"
Beth Shalom Rabbi Alan Cohen said.
¯ Troop 61 Was founded in 1925 and has seen 300 of
its 1,500 or so boys become Eagle Scouts, including its
." current scoutmaster, RonFredman. Fredmandisagrees
¯ with the ban on Gays, but he is not willing to disobey ¯
the national organization - a move that has cost other
troops their charters. "I don._’t want to be put in a
¯ position that could.lead to the death of (Troop) 61,"
¯ Fredman said. "I don’twant anything to get in the way
of this troop’s mission, which is to turn boys into
~ leaders."
~ TheTroop 61 will receive a copy of the letter that the
¯ synagogueis sending to the national council. Fredman
¯ said Troop 61 leaders will prepare a response to Beth
¯ Shalom’s position. Cohen pointed out that the letter is
aimed at the no-Gays policy and should not be perceived
as a criticism of Troop 61.
Find out for yourself how good the Lord is! - Ps. 34:8
Come share the
goodness of the
Lord with our
community
. Sunday Morning
11:00 AM
Children’s Worship
During Service
MCC United
Rev. Cathy Elliott, Pastor
1623 N. Maplewood (918) 838-1715 mcctulsa@aol.com
Community
- Unitarian Uni versalist
Congregation
at Community oJHope
2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595
A Welcoming Congregation
HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm
1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754
The Open Arms Project
Young Adult Support Group
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
918-584-2325
Mingo Valley Flowers
9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145
918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-~.AA-5934
Family Owned & Operated
Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW
Child, Family, Individual & Couple Psychotherapy
(918) 743-9559
2121. South Columbia;-Suite 420
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518
The Pride Store
21st Street & Memorial
Tulsa Gay Community Services Center
743-GAYS (743-4297)
6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday
12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center
583-1248
Red Rock.Tulsa
Free Confidential HIV-Testing:
Walk-in Clinics
Tues. & Thurs., 5 -8 pm
at the Center, 1307 East 38th
Daytime appointments available.
Call for more information:
918-584-2325
G
AllliIrlI:an Red Cross
American Red Cross
Tulsa Area Chapter
10151 East Eleventh
Tulsa 74128
Dannette McIntosh
Diversity Co-ordinator
838-1100
Saint Aidan
4045 N. Cincinnati, 425-7882
Saint John
4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381
OPENARMS
OPENMINDS
OPEN IqFARTS
Saint Dunstan
5635 East 71st, 492-7140
Trinity
501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128
The Episcopal Church Welcomes You
National Boy Scout leaders defend the policy, saying
homosexuals are not good role models. Several
groups nationwide, have since pulled sponsorship of
Scout troops and barred troops from longtime meeting
places and some Eagle Scouts have returned their
badges in protest.
Houston Chapel Ends
Anti-Gay Discrimination
HOUSTON (AP) - A I-Iouston chapel known as a
refuge for human rights supporters has reversed a 30-
year-old policy banning same-sex union ceremonies
from being performed there. The Rothko Chapel was
founded by philanthropists John and Dominique de
Menil in 1971 as a sanctuary for people ofall faiths and
those committed to human rights.
About 20 wedding ceremonies are pe.,.~rformed at the
chapel eaCh.year. Thepolicy excluding Same=sexumons
was imposed when it-opened as per the wishes of
Domini.qiiede Menil;whodied in 1997at theageof89.
The’C~ap.el’s board of directors decided thi~ monthto
start all0~ving same-sex unions at the chapel. "It was"
a decision of Mrs. de Menil after consultation, with
different religions,’" said Nabila Drooby, former executive
director of the chapel who helped recommendthe
change. "It was takenby the board, too. Itwas
not hers alone. But times have changed."
Clarence Bagby of HoUston, a board member of the
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said he was
thrilled with the switch. Bagby had criticized the
chapel know.n for opposing discrimination for banning
same-sex umons.
Chapel.presidentFrances Farenthold saidthe change
came after a yearlong study. "It was a concern ofmine
when I first heard about it," she told the Houston
Chronicle in Thursday’s editions. ’’I’ve always identified
with the Gay community in this city. I believe in
inclusivity." Same-sex unions would be strictly ceremonial
and are not recognized in Texas.
Transsexual Dancers
Allege Discrimination
NEW YORK (AP) - Two transsexual dancers have
filed a sextml discrimination suit against a trendy
nightclub after they say they were fired because the
club wanted to hire "real girl" dancers.
Amanda Lepore and Sophia LaMar, have filed a
$100,000 discrimination suit against Twilo, charging
they were wrongfully terminated simply because they
had once been men. "What are we supposed to have a
baby while go-go dancing or something?" Lapore
asked The New York Post.
The two women said they were fired last February
after several years working atthe club. "They’re worldclass
entertainers an~d they hadneverbeenreprimanded
by the club in any way," said the pair’s lawyer Tom
Shanahan. The club’s lawyer, Peter Sullivan, called
the suit "unfortunate," and insisted that the two. were
¯not fired as the result of discrimination. "Iqais is the
place that’s probably the most sensitive to the transsexual
community in New York. This is not an establishment
that discriminates against Gays or transsexuals,"
Sullivan said.
Lepore and LaMar, who work at a number of other
clubs around the city, say they are pursuing the suit
because "we need to protect other transsexuals."
Vatican Denies Sexual
Abuse of Nuns by Prtests
VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican denied a report
in the National Catholic Reporter that says sexual
abuse of nuns by priests, especially in AIDS-ravaged
Africa, is a serious problem.
The article is based on five reports by senior mere-
¯ bers of women’s religious orders and a priest going
¯¯ back to 1994. The National Catholic Reporter said the
reports have been discussed at top Vatican levels.
¯ Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls acknowl-
¯ edged there were isolated cases of priests sexually ¯
abusing nuns, but said the problem is "restricted to a
¯
limited geographic area." Navarro-Valls said the
¯ Vatican was working with the leaders of religious
orders and he stressed the ’~aeroic" work of many
priests and nuns.
According to the National Catholic Reporter, priests
afraid of contracting AIDS sometimes ulrn to young
nuns, who are seen as "safe" sexual partners. "In a few
extreme instances, according to the documentation,
priests have impregnated nuns, then encouraged them
to have abortions," the magazine said.
In one case reported by Sister Maura O’Donohue, a
physician and member of the Medical Missionary of
Mary, a priest impreg~at.e~ a.~.~.t~n..,;then arr,m!ged fo~ an
abortion. She died :d~ng the al~0rtion and.he 0ff~CiatedatherftmeralMkSs,.
:i’ ".~ " "~ : .-
Therepolt.scite&!~~ ~eN.a~ofial c.ath0!i~ Reporier
also say that nuns i~h0-b~meil~eg~fifi~i ~.e. often
forced to leave their.rrders, While 0ae pfieSt~.invol,~ed
are allowed to contiiiue their minisixies.Th~ Vatican
statement was issued after the Italian media rehashed
the article. The Vatican had refused comment to the
National Catholic Reporter.
The National Catholic Reporter said there are no
comprehensive statistics on the sexual abuse of nuns,
¯ but the "frequency and consistency of the reports...
¯ point to a problem that needs to be addressed." The
reports citedby the National Catholic Reporter link the
¯ problem to cultumlattitudes toward celibacy as well as
to the fear ofAIDS and to traditions of female subser-
: vience.
Civil Rights Bill Appro.ved
by Maryland Commtttee
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Legislation to ban discrimination
against Gays cleared its biggest hurdle at
the end of March, winning narrow approval in a Senate
committee where it had died the last two years.
Gay civil rights activists, some choking back tears,
embraced and shookhands in a quiet celebration of the
victory they had won with strong backing from Gov.
Parris Glendening, who. made the bill on~ of his top
priorities this year. The 6-5 vote in the Judicial Proceedings
Committee will send thebill to thefloor of the.
Senate for debate.
Nancy Meyer, co-chairperson of Free State Justice,
which lobbied for the bill, said she is confident there
are enough votes in the Senate and House of Delegates
to pass it. But supporters have less than three weeks to
get the proposal through the Senate,-the House Judiciary
Committee and the House of Delegates. The
biggest danger would be a possible filibuster in the
Senate. Supporters of the bill werejust happy they had
finally gotten it out of the committee.
In a news conference minutes after the vote,
Glendening hailed the decision as "a tremendous victory
for justice and fairness and inclusion in Maryland."
"We cannot legislate acceptance. We cannot
wash out hatred out of cruel and callous hearts," he
said. But the governor said passage of the law would
protect Gays and Lesbians from discrimination on the
job and in housing.
Abouthalf of the people in Maryland are covered by
local Gay rights laws in Baltimore city and in Howard,
Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties.
Glendening’s bill would extend protections to the rest
of the state by adding sexual orientation to a law that
prohibits discrimination based on factors such as race,
religion and gender.
Thebill was.approved in cornmi tree afterabout three
hours of discussion spread over two days.
Gay Health Issues
More Than AIDS
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Vickie Smith said :
she was 30 before she found a gynecologist
in whom she could comfortably confide
that she was a Lesbian. "I certainly ~
hadn’t had anyone who didn’t, like, make ¯
aface," Smith said about thedoctors she’d -"
seen before .visiting Dr. Fe Mondragon. :
Often, she said, male gynecologists told
her, "You don’t seem to be sexually active
. . . Someone your age should be very
active." "
Fears of doctors giving moral lessonsor
simply not understanding the mechanics
of non-heterosexual practices can lead -"
patients to avoid discussing intimate de- ,"
tails withhealth professionals, or worse, to °
steer dear of health care altogether.
To help solve these problems, the Em- "
pire State Pride Agenda lobbied state leg- "
islators for $5 million to educate health ¯
professionals and provide support and re- ;
sources for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgendered people. In the past three ;
years, the Pride Agenda successfully lobbied
for a total of about $5.5 million in
state money for similar projects. "We’re ".
kind of the last ones left in terms of
underserved communities," said Sheila
Healey, Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation
program director.
Between 5% and 12% of nursing students
questioned in a 1998 study said they -"
despised Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual :
people, according to a study in the Journal :
of Nursing Education. More than half of -
the Black people who answered a 1999 .
Kaiser Family Foundation survey said that
they felt health care professionals treat ;
people unfairly based on race or ethnicity ,.
either very often or somewhat often. 62%
of Latinos said the same thing.
Mondragon, Smith’s gynecologist, does
not advertise any attempt to attract Lesbians
-or any specific group. One wall inher
office is filled with photos of babies she’s
delivered-mostly to heterosexual couples.
She also has helped Lesbians start families.
And Mondragondoes not ask patients to
reveal their sexual habits, or lack thereof,
but takes care not to assume the patient’s
sexuality. ’’We don’t ask, ’Do you need
contraceptives?’" said Mondragon. ’’We
ask, ’Do you have a need for birth control?’
We try to eliminate any kind of
assumptions." "If youbill yourselfas (providing)
women’s health services," she said,
’~hy shouldn’t that include the knowl-
.edge of what Lesbians do or what they
need?"
Pot Club At US
Supreme Court
vent marijuana from being given to seriously
ill patients for pain relief.
The cooperativd is a distribution club
operating under California’s Proposition
215, the voter-approved law that allows
the possession and use of marijuana for
medical purposes on a doctor’s recommendation.
That’s where Alcalay used to
get his marijuana. But he’s had to look
elsewhere since the federal government
sued the cooperative and five other California
pot clubs in 1998 to prevent them
from distributing the drug. Afederal judge
sided with the government. But last year,
the 9th U.S. Circuit Court ofAppeals ruled
that "medical necessity" is alegal defense.
California officials, including Attorney
General Bill Lockyer, argue that the state
has the right to enforceqts medical marijuana
law, which was approvedby voters
in 1996. Distribution dubs sprang up because
Proposition 215 iS~silent on how
patients will get marijuana, outside of
growing and harvesting it themselves.
The Supreme Court is not looking directly
at Proposition 215, but rather at
whether medical necessity may be used as
a defense against federal drug bans. It’s
unclear whether *he justices will rule on
that general issue or rulemorenarrowly on
how lower courts have handled this case.
If the court says "Yes" to the necessity
defense, it could make it easier to distribute
medical marijuana in California and
the eight other states with similar laws -
Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington,
Arizona, Maine, Nevada and Colorado.
Justice Department lawyers declined to
comment on the case. They have argued
that allowing dubs to hand out marijuana
compromises the government’s ability to
enforce federal drug laws.
Advocates say marijuana is a reliable
and nontoxic therapy that in some cases is
the only relief for suffering people. That
point of view was endorsed recentlyby the
Institute of Medicine. The institute, which
was asked to examine the issue by the
White House drug policy office, said that
because the chemicals in m~ijuana ease
anxiety, stimulate appetite, ease pain and
reduce nausea and vomiting, they can be
helpful for people undergoing chemotherapy
and people with AIDS.
Alcalay, a 59-year-old physician who
serves as theclub’ s medical director, started
using marijuana to keep down his medication
after he was diagnosed with HIV in
the 1980s. HIV turned into AIDS and in
the mid-1990s Alcalay almost died from
an intestinal illness that ran roughshod
over his wedkened immune system. He
credits marijuana with keeping him alive
until the advent of drugs that boosted his
immune system and wiped out the inteStinal
bug.
Alcalay didn’t make it into the book
about dying. Recently, he ran into the
author. "He was surprised to see me,"
Alcalay said. -
On the Net: Oakland Cannabis Coop:
http://www.rxcbe.org
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - A few years
ago, an author writing about death asked
ailing AIDS patient Michael Alcalay how
hewas accepting, dying. "I’m not accepting
it," Alcalay retorted. Alcalay is alive
today~thanks.in ~part~ he believes,~.to doses
of marijuana~that :heiped him j.keep hiS~,~:- 1 In 9SouthAfriCans
m~eines::do~ ana~. iippetite.’~p as-lie. :,, AreHIV. Positive/" foughtthcdisease.. ~:~..... ~ :’ ~:,........ - ¯ ’
Alcalay was in the audience as~.lawyerg,~-~’ ~- PRETORIA, -Sonth Africa (AP).#.One.in~i;~
try to~convtnee :the U~.S.---,Supreme:,Court~ -:: rune South Mn~.c.c.c.c.c.c.c.c.c:am ~s. HI.V-posm~e~,~e:,
that federal anti-drug,laws ShOuldg’t pre~-7~ government sa~d, more than prev~ousty,
/
thering
April 20-23. 2001
Osage Hills State Park
Pow Wow
Non-Talent Show
Talking Circles
Crafts
Give-away
Stomp Dance
Fellowship
Native Games
Guest Speaker
John
For more information and to be put on
the ailing list, call:
Hawk ke -...918-382 1276 Tommy
Ch sbro - 9 r .
~lob.al. "
~’is i011 local
action
April 11, 2001
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Allen Chapman Activity Center,
The University of Tulsa
Planned Parenthood of Eastern Oklahoma and
Western Arkansas, Inc.
and The Universi~ of Tulsa
with the support of
~ Planned Parenthood" Global Pariners~
Want to save Money and
Help Build a Community Center?
Switch to Rainbow Communications
Long Distance and-More, 10% of Revenues Will Benefit
Tulsa Oldahomans for Human Rights
Ca_pim) C~p~n~n4"Gene(~il~Fun~
call 665 I ’or’ev ni g at r4 7 602.
thought in a country that already has the
world’s largest population of infected
people. In the hard-hit eastern prbvince of
KwaZulu-Natal, the infection rate was
greater than one in every three people, a
government study said.
The study conducted at 400 clinics nationwide
concluded that about 4.7 million
In South Africa, leading drug companies
went to court this monthto blockalaw
that would let South Africa both import
generic drugs andmake its own. But as the
West pays more attention to demands for
affordable HIV drugs for sub-Saharan
Africa, theimpoverished regionwithmore
than two-thirds of the world’s HIV-posi-
South Africans were HIV-positive as of : tiv¢ people, drug.makers simultaneously
the end of 2000. Previous government " announced a rapid-fire Series of concesestimates
had put the figure at 4.2 million,
or one in 10. About 24.5% of women
attending public postnatal clinics were infected,
up from 22.4% in 1999, the study
based on a sampling of 16,000 pregnant
women found.
Health Minister MantO Tshabalala-
Msimang said the figur.e.s represented a
leveling off from th~’St~iJ rise in theearly
to mid- 1990s, but said the pattern ofinfection
suggested that prevention efforts
needed to target those who were in stable
relationships and might have thought they
were less vulnerable.
Most HIV-positive South Africans cannot
afford the drugs that could prolong
their lives. Last week, President Thabo
Mbeki rejected calls to declare a state of
emergency to allow .the nation to import
cheaper generic drugs to deal with its
AIDS crisis. Declaring a state of emergency
would allow South Africa to produce
the generic drugs without breaking
World Trade Organization rules on bypassing
patent laws.
Mbeki told parliament a state of emergency
was not needed because South Africa
has its own law permitting both importation
and production of generic drugs
-althoughimplementation has been stalled
by a. lawsuit brought by major drug compames.
Africa Fighting
High Drug Costs
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) - Far from
the big courtroom battle over HIV-drug
patents in South Africa, the West African
nation of Ivory Coast quietly imports
knockoff generic HIV drugs as it has for
years - without fuss, patent payments or
apologies.
"Believe me, I don’t care," Kassim
Sidibe, director of Ivory Ctast’s AIDS
program, said of patent rights. ’XDur concern
is what we can do for our people,"
said Sidibe, who runs the national program
out of a dusty concrete compound in
a workifig-dass Abidjan neighborhood.
"The lower the prices are for us, the better
for our people."
With that attitude, Ivory Coast has become
one of the first African nations to
negotiate at-cost deals for leading HIV
drugs. And now the country has reached a
new deal that is expected to bringdownthe
cost of amonth’ s HIV dru~treatment from
$410 this year to $88 to-$112 next year.
Senegal, Rwanda and Uganda announced ."
similar deals with drug makers this month.
In the West, a month’s HIV treatment -
wo.ul,d cost about $1 ~000.......
~ It s anexampleoftheWes~tiretheWes~ -
big drngmake,are f~ci.~g(~ generics"
.’Wefeel drugm~kersshould~|kel~mfi~,
mEm’opeandNorthAmerica,, stud !dibe.
¯ sions in receht weeks.
¯ Most have been price cuts for Africa, to
: production cost or even below. Bristol-
: Myers Squibb wenteven further last week,
¯ saying it would make its patent for the
drug Zerit available in South Africa at no
: cost- effectively opening the market to its
¯ generic competitors. Bristol-Myers
. stressed it would stickwith the drug corn-
: panies’ lawsuit in SouthAfrica, however-
] portraying the case as a broad defense of
¯ patent rights fbr all its drugs.
¯ It’s a different story in the rest.of sub-
Saharan Africa, where Bristol2Myers says
:- it holds no patents for its HIV drugs. So
when it comes to acquiring HIV drugs
there, it’s a little more like the Wild West.
° In Ivory Coast, the government gets the
HIV drugs it wants by taking bids for them
worldwide. When two of the bids for 2001
came back for knockoff drugs at what
Ivory Coast deemed the lowest and best
offer, Ivory Coast took them.
The national AIDS program shipped in
AZT .and stavudine from a Bombay-based
generic company, Cipla Ltd., bypassing
their brand-name makers, GlaxoSmith-
Kline and Bristol-Myers. Bristol-Myers
markets stavudine as Zerit. The result was
"- a 20% savings in the average monthly
therapy- down to $410 from nearly $500,
said Makan Coulabily, an official with the
.AIDS program.
Sidibe, thenational AIDS director, didn’t
bother to determine whether there were
patent rights at issue or not. "We bargain
until we get the minimum price," he said.
Yale: Undue Profits
From .AIDS Drug?
....’Not-from us; We don~t have anythingy. ~ -returned.requests for comment~.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - Some 600
researchers have signed a petition calling
on Yale to help make a university-owned
AIDS drug more available in developing
nations. The petition drive was launched
lastmonth,justafter Bristol-Myers Squibb,
whichmanufacturers the drug d4T, pledged
to cut the price in South Africa and not
contest if generic drugs are distributed,
The seeds of the protest were planted
when Yale licensed the drug, known commercially
as Zerit, developed on campus
in 1987, to Bristol-Myers Squibb. It was a
relativelycommonagreement thatallowed
the university to retain the drug’s patent
and receive royalties while its research
was distributed to millions. In turn, the
company conlrolled manufacturing and
distribution strategies.
"I became a scientist because I wanted
to helpcreatenew cures for diseases around
the world," said Fran Balamuth, a :Yale,.
immtmobiologist who circulated the petition.
:~’Now.Lfind ttmtiY~!,e.is:.turning
results of pdblicly funded research;into.,
Ne_ither ¥~,no~ Bri~tol-My~s Sqifibb.
by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor
"My music often unfolds like the book ¯
of my life," says Stevie Nicks. And that "
being said, ’Trouble in Shangri-La," is an
excellent read as well as a listen. It’ll be "
nice to hear some New Stevie on the radio ¯
- and the New Stevie is fabulous! ¯
Hernew album (heardmpromo form) is ¯
a winner. Her voice is
dearerand strongerthan
before. "Haunting" is a
word I would apply to
this album as a wholeit
does’~n~t
S te~ile’; " ~XiSre~~d
some’: d6ubi
abiliii\~!~it.: o~e p~,
aslCJn~iTo~n eeff~~ to
work with her on some
songs. Andhe said, ’~No
... You don’ tneed anyone
to help you with
your songs. Do it Yourself."
And so she has,
and done an excellent
job at that. In fact, that
story became a song itself,
"That Made Me
Stronger."
Stevie does country proud i~ her ’Too
Far From Texas," which I loved, though.
I’m not too partial to country. DiXie Chick
Natalie Maines guests on this track. Stevie
couldeasily cross over, andifwise,Wamer-
Reprise Records will’ capitalize on that.
Another track, ~andlebnght, h circulated
widely in demo form, being from
the early 70’ s, and is wonderful to hear in
finished form, with the.edge of experience
that Stevienow has in her voice. "Bombay
Sapphires," with Macy Gray guesting, is
another track that has a driving beat with
that lost quality of regret and lost love.
"Fall From Grace" is a rocker, good for
that day-after-being-dumped-angry moments.
According to Stevie, it will be
included On the tdur. ’~t’ s the perfect balance
to ’Edge of 17,’ in terms of energy.
It’ s a great song to rock out to"
Lestyou thinkit all:recrimination songs,
there are a couple of hopeful songs about
love gone right (although no one does.
anger like Stevie). ’~Love Is," a closing
epiphany, with Sarah McLachlan onpiano
and guitar and background vocals, is an
ode to what one does for love, and that
even in the brightness of theflame, thereis
darkness, and vice versa.
The TroubleInShangn-La albumwas
started before the 1997 Fleetwood Mac
"Dance" album and tour, and has been
well worth thewait. It is as strong analbum
as her "Belladonna,"and anequal for ’The
Wild Heart."
No outdated Stevie here, she has successfully
reinvented herself for the new
millennium. "To not grow is to die," She
asserts, "ofcourse, youwantto workwithin
a framework that best suits your talent and
style. But you also want to continually
shake things up.
’Trouble in Shangri-La" has a spare
acoustic sound, and in spite of the fact
there are many producers,has a sound that
carries all the way through, much like a
narrative. The songs stand on their own,
yet work exceptionally wall ~ a collection.
Noother artist seems to have that gift for
writing songs that can touch on such universal
themes thatonecaneasily see events
in one’ s ownlife mirrored in the music and
lyrics of an artist. And
that is the magic of
Stevie Nicks;friends for
whomI’veplayedthese
tracks or sent these lyrics
(an’d those of past
albums) are astounded
by just how close they
come to describing
these events with amaz=~ "
ing details. And that is
the connection and why
I have always looked
~orwardtoanew release
by this artist.
Fleetwood Mac is
confirmed to be going
back into the studio in
September to record a
new album after
Stevie’s tour for
: ’Trouble." The big question on that is
¯ whether Christine McVie can be lured out
of retirement to participate. She’s quite
¯
happy puttering around her manse in En-
: glandanddoesn’t wanttobebotheredwith
¯¯ musicmaking; it seems.
More likely, her arthritis is.so bad that
¯
playing keyboards is simply too painful;
along with the fact that she hates touring;
and the attitude I noticed when The Mac
: toured for the Dance album in 97. Shejust
: seemed to be so bored up there, staring
¯ listlessly at the crowd and mouthing along
¯ with Stevie and Lindsey’s songs during
¯
the lead vocals.
¯ Personally, I dbethrilled,butthen, that s
¯ me. Hey, I’ll put on a blonde wig, and we
¯" sing in the same key... And I can fake the
¯
piano, with the backup keyboardists like
: she had on the Dance tout.
¯ If you caught the Judy garland biopic
: last month, you were lucky. The perfor-
~ mances were top notch, and the actors to a
: tee were so on target with the mannerisms
~ and voices that it was downright eerie. I
¯ hadan ardent interest in Judy’ s musiclong
¯
before I knew I was supposed to.
¯ Thebestintroduction to her workcanbe
: :found in the "Judy: The Complete Decca
Masters"box set, well worth theprice. Her
¯ earliest works are there, along with some
¯ gems that were overlooked. Her career
¯ spanned two periods, really - the MGM
¯
years, and then the concert years. ’The
¯ London Sessions" hard to find but still in
: print, is a good survey of the latter.
¯ The recently remastered "Judy At
¯
Carnegie hall" is a "must have," as the
¯ sound onit is incredible andit really is like
¯ you are there. It’s a wonderful document ¯
of the power of her live performances.
¯
During my aforementioned phase of
: "Judy beforelknew I was supposed tolike
¯ her"-ness, I really only liked the MGM
: stuff; the countess soundtracks to gems
¯ like ’%Vizard of Oz," see Amuse, p. 9
Stevie Nicks
Mozart’s
Underwritten by
The John Steele Zink Foundation
April 21, 27, 29, 2001
TulH I~urftcmlnl Arts Cent~r
Call 587-4811
www.tulsaopera.com
Timothy-W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for justice
& equality for Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partne)ship Planning,
Personal Injury,Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
Weekend and evening appointmenl.s are available.
Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC
Certified Public Accountant
a professional corporation
Lesbians and Gay men face many special
tax situations whether single or as couples.
Electronic filing is available for faster refunds,
4021
747-5466
South Harv,ard Aventi , Suite210, Tulsa 74135
"Meet Me In St. Louis,"-"Easter Parade,"
and so on from 1937 to 1950 or so
when MGM fired her. Only after the
miniseries aired have I really listened to
the post MGM stuff, and discovered how
good it really was.
Dorothy’s voice is
a bit older, but also
wiser, and a bit more
technically refined.
For an example of
this, rent "Wizard of
OZ" and then watch
1954’s "A Star Is ¯
Born." Judy’ s transformationfrom
child
star to actress is fully
evident in these two
pictures.
And she was vastly’underrated as an actress.
For example, her performance in
"The Clock" is classic, and it’ s a film that,
while ab-grademelodramaoflost loves, is
elevated to high art by her first, and only,
non-singing dramatic performance.
My friend Karin, of the "raging Lesbian"
column, adds this caveat: "The only
thing I would add is after the bit about
’The Clock "- you NEED to mention that
she also was nominated for Best Supporting
Actress for "Judgment at Nuremburg"
or you’ll have queens descending from
places you didn’ t think existed in Tulsa! It
was an excellent performance. VERY
small, but very effective."
Judy was nominated for an Oscar for "A
Star is Born," which she should have won,
but didn’ t due to politics. As for the queens
coming from places I didn’ t know existed
descending upon me, well, that doesn’t
really sound so bad...
Listening to her music made from 1936
to 1968, I am struck by how much of it is
so deceptively simple and eminently
hummable. When’ s the last lime a tune on
the radio had you humming along because
the melody was so infectious it stayed in
your head?
And intelligent lyrics that sdl the song
arefew and far between these days as wall.
Songs like ’~Zing! Went the Strings of My
Heart" were and are really wall written and
fun songs - to listen to and to sing. If
you’ ve never heard of these songs or heard
them at all, go grab a Judy Anthology -
there’ s lots of them that feature the early
stuff- and take a listen. You’ll be glad you
did. Rumor has it that Capitol, which was
her recording label from 1955 until her
death, might reissue all the albums she did
for them as a complete set, along with
outtakes and unreleased songs. Hopefully,
this will happen, while her star is again
making a comeback. Its a damn shame she
isn’t still here to see it.
By the way, for those too young to
know, the anniversary of the Stonewall.
Riots, June 22, when drag queens and their
friends fought back after one too many
police raids and harassment occurred in
New York, heralding the beginnings of
contemporary activism for equal rights for
Gay and Lesbian folk, happened the day of
Judy Garland’s funeral.
According to mythopoetic interpreta-
"... No other artist seems
to have that fft for writson
s that can touch
on such universal themes
that one can easily see
events in one’s own llfe
m~rrorecl m the mus,e
lyrles of an artist....
: tions of that days events, many linked thc
¯ two events together, even though there’ ~
¯ no hard evidence to support it. And upon
: such things are miniseries made of, and
¯ based on.
¯¯ If you get the chance to rent or buy
"Broken Hearts Club," do. It’s a good
¯ addition to theGay moviecollection we all
have. Featuring the
ever-hunky Dean
Cain "Lois and
Clark: The New Adventures
of Superman";
and the father
from "Frasier," John
Mahoney; along with
Andrew Keegan "10
things I Hate About
You"; MattMcGrath
"Boys Don’t Cry";
Mary McCo~,.mick
’a:’ri~ate Parts. :, and
¯ Nia Long "Soul Food," written and di-
¯ rected by Greg Berlanit, co-executiveproducer
of "Dawson’ s Creek."
: The plot, as such, is simple - a slice of
¯ life in the Gay (can’tcall it90’s anymore,
¯ what do we call it? The Gay thousands?)
: 2000,withaseries ofvignettesintertwined
¯
by the theme of friendship among Gay
¯ men.
¯ We meet Dennis on the eve of his 28th ¯
birthday, who is whining about his dys-
¯ functional family of friends, indecisive as
_. to whether they’re the best or worst thing
¯ that ever happened to him. ¯
There’ s Benji, the youngestgroupmem- "
¯ ber, a punk wannabe witha penchant for
¯ gym bunnies; Howie, the psych student
¯ who thinks too much andlives to little (no,
¯ that character was not based on yours
¯ truly...); Cole, the actor bunnyboy who
¯ candono wrong, lovin’emandleaving’em
¯ as fast as you can say revolving door who
¯
also "accidentally" keeps stealing every-
" one else’s guy; Patrick, the cynical quip-
. ster (now, that’ s based on yours tntly); and
¯ Taylor, resident drama queen (no com-
" merit), who, until recently, prided himself
¯ on his long term relationship. Rounding
.. out the cast is Jack, the patriarchal force of
¯ the group. ¯ Andof course, everyone ends up at each
¯ others’ throat after tragedy strikes, and
with aMickey Rooney/Judy garland wrap-
" up, ends up friends again. The plot, as
¯ such, is somewhat scattered, not really
¯ sure where to focus; and of course, we’re
¯ dealing with "types" here, but the actors
turn in fine performances all, and the film
¯ is enjoyable and does provide afew laughs
¯ and insights. 3 & 1/2 out of 5 stars. ¯
¯ It’s a fun film, and fairly accurate in its
portrayals - we all.know people like this -
¯ Ijust wish there were morefocus. The film
¯ simply tries to come at the issues it raises ¯
from everyone’s perspective, and it left
~ me thinking that if the director and writer
¯ had chosen maybe two.or three, it would
.. have been more cohesive and a tighterfilm
¯ with more intensity and character development.
." Locally The TU Gay and L~sbian Film
¯ Festival runs April 5-7, starting at 7pm on ¯
the 5th and 6th and 2pm on the 7th in the
." Business Administration Hall. Films to be
shown include Salut Victor, Orlando,
¯ Westler, Homoteens, seeAmuse, p. 10
by Lamont Lindstrom
Enthusiastic pornographers now flood
my. m,ailbox wi0a catalogs.. (And let me
pause here to thank whichever magazine
sold its lnailing list.) I was picking through
one ofthesefour-colorbrochures
recently, eyeballing
lurid blurbs for videos an.~
DVDs. "Raw" sex,
seems, is a major selling
point. Hot condomless
pornos must either date
back to an era before the
HIV epidemic or are new
productions that cater to a
pow,e.rf,ul,, emerging s;e,.xual
fetish: "oatebacking.
Public healthofficials
and HIV prevention workers
ate anguished, although
probably not surprised, to
find that the prohibited has
become the desired. But
there ismore to the story of
why barebacking, nowadays,
sells pornographic
videos. True enough, we
often want_what others say
we should not have. But
our desires also reflect our
worldview - or what might be called our
culture’s mythic tmderstandings.
Thumbing throughthat catalog,notthose
fleshy photos, it was text that caught my
eye. Several pithy terms have sprung
quickly into use to describe unprotected
sex. These same-few words appear again
and again in video advertisements~ in personal
adsi and_in website mission state-.
merits such as for this Yahoo! Group: ’The
world’s largest bareback list. THE list for
menwholove their sex condom:free, guilt: ."
free, hot, and spermy."
Barebackers are gay men who e~tjoy ..
raw, skin-to-skin, n~atural sex with other :
men." So condom-free is now bareback; :
it’s skin=to-skin; it’s natural; it’s raw. ¯
~ "Skin-to-skin;" yes. And! get "natural;"
and also the cleverness of ’*oarebackingy
But why "’raw?" Straight away comes to
mind a Classic 1960s analysis by the celebrated
French anthropologist Claude
Levi-Strauss. LevbStrauss’ ’~ntroduction
to the sc~en,ce of. mythology" was published
in English, in 1969, as The Rawand
theCooked. Asa strncturalist, Levi-Stratus
believed he could locate the essential architectural
elements, underlying any cultural
productionbe this marriage customs,
or totemic taboos, or myth. He claimed
that the human brain is.neur01ogically
Structured to think in dualisms, binaries,
and oppositious. We:define One thing in
terms of another, and vice versa:
. A principal,dualism, that I_~vi-Strauss
discovered in his South American Indian
myths is an opposition betweennature and
Culture. Nattir~iis nature.While Culture iS
anything that people create: Level-Strauss
argued that htima~s think mosfly in. concrete
terms rather than abstract. Outmyths
: v~hile fundamentally playing with an
intangible opposition between nature and
culture ~ rephrasethis: abstract concern
concretely as a matter of raw food versus
cookedfood.Themwis natural; the cooked
.. cultural-; and cookingis any sort of techno-
: logical process (condoms, say) that trans-
¯ forms nature into culture.
Americans share with many people
¯ around the world the symbolic predilec-
"... Americans slmre
with many people
around the world the
symbolle predileetlon for
equatln~ food and body,
eatln~ and havln~ sex.
(Keep thls in mind next
time some drunk
hollers out ’Eat me!’)
This sort of symbolism
is ’iconic’ ... insofar as
it ,naturally eehaes the
realness of bodie~:
Our multipurpose
mouths do more than
tion for equating food and
body, eating and having
sex. (Keep this inmindnext
time some drunk hollers out
"Eat me!") This sort of
symbolism is "iconic" (in
the language of American
semioticianCharles Pierce)
insofar as it naturally echoes
the realness of bodies:
Our multipurpose mouths
do more thanjust food-processing.
We use food
(twinkles, chocolate; vanilla)
and its qualities (hot,
sweet, hunky) as alanguage
in which- to talk about sex.
Food is either raw or
cooked and so, we imagine,
is sex. Skin-to-skin sex
is natural andtherefore uncooked-
orraw. Condoms,
conversely, cook the expejust
food-proeessln~. " rience. Barebacking, also,
’ ’ is natural in that one rides
¯ the horse without a saddle (a device that
¯ cultures, or cooks the ride). The symbolic
: connections, here, are even clearer in
: Frenchwhereddingahorsewithn0 saddle
¯ is "monter crn," which translates as "ride -
¯ raw." Or;in an.English parallel, "to sleep
¯~ in the raw"me,arts to sleep naked- without
:- any transformingpajamas. - : ’.~-
¯ Raw. sex sdls videos not only because it
¯ is forbidden and therefore guiltily tempting.
It sells videos because it is natural and
therefore desirable. Whichis better? Natural
foods or processed foods? Sincere
emotion or social pretense? The untamed
forest orthe zoo?
But things aren’t so simple or so one~
sided. Now which is. better? Bloody cow
flesh or steak? Dank caves or cathedrals?
: HIV or medicine? Humans always value
¯ culture - cooking - as much as we do
: nature: Culture’s devices that transform
: the world make us human. Cooking draws
¯ the line between humanity and animal
: nature. This is the message that Levi-
: Strauss read in his myths.
¯¯ Raw sex may be.good because it is
natural, but condomed sex might similarly
." be appreciated justhxcause irishin fact,
¯ cooked - that is to say, it is refined., civi- ¯
lized, and technological. Gay men in par-
: titular should appreciatethis distinction.
¯ Many. mythologies - yet another dual-
" ism - position women as.natural in coun-
: t.erpoint to cultured men. Raw sexis feral-
¯ rune (thatis, natural, and perhaps hetero-
: sexual)while cooked sex is masculine
: (cultured, homosexual). H-IV prevention
¯ efforts ~have attempted to play up the ur-
¯ bane sophistication of condoms - their
¯ colors; textures, tastes, and playful meth-
¯ ods of use. They could,no doubt, domore. ¯
Condomsl- as a mode of cooking - can
: make things hotter.
: Lamont Lindstrom, Ph.D. teaches an-
. thropology at ihe University of Tulsa.
program that targets and attracts the Black ."
Gay community. "Fhere’s an enormous -
complacency about contracting HIV," "
Kegeles said. "It’s not a big issue any- "
more. People still remain healthy and ¯
strong: They think they can take two pills
in the morning and two pills at night."
Kegeles said the Gay black commumty
hasn’t been studied sufficiently, and :it
needs to be examined more closely because
Gay Black men do not necessarily
frequent mainstream Gay bars and other "
venues. In addition, she said there’s a ¯
larger stigmaattaehedtoBlackGays. Many ¯
~ do not even admit they have sex with other "
men, Kegeles explained.
Leniere Miley, assistant coordinator at
the House of Latex Project in New York, ¯
said it’s important to seek out Black Gay
men and educate them about the risks of "
unsafe sex in a message that appeals to ¯
them. He said it’ s a toughjob that goes far
beyond simply sponsoringhip-hop dances
and posters depicting Black culture.
’~eople have different ways ofcommu:
nicating and hearing things," Miley said.
"Maybe the people in the .Black community
couldn’ t hear it. Ithas to be tailored to
the communities they’re going to."
On the Net: www.amfar.org
To report hate sp~-ch or I
violence, call the Gay " Community Center: 743-4297 I
Summer in my Veins, High Art, Poduck
andPassion, and To My Women Friehds.
The Bonnie Rideout Scottish Trio finishes
outthe PerformingArtCenterTrust’ s
Celtic Music Series. It should be a good
¯ time for all, especially if yon,re a fan of ¯
traditional. Celtic fiddling. April 6-7, 596-
¯ 7111.
¯ "AnAll-AmericanEvening"is theTulsa
¯ Ballet’S tribute to American choreogra-
¯ phers. Featuring the Oklahoma premiere
’of Balanchine’s "Who Cares?" with
Gershwinmusic, Paul Taylor’ s ’~2ompany
B"withAndrews Sisters, music,andAgnes
DeMille,s "Rodeo", (usually featuring a
nearly naked cowboy, but given the ads
I’ ve seen for this production, it looks like
no such treat is in store). April 6-8, PAC,
749-6006.
For country queens, three of country’s
queens will be performing April 7 at the
¯ MaxwellConventionCenter~.JanieFricke,
:. Lacie J Dalton, and Juice Newton will be
: a-hootin, and a-hollefin.584-2000.
¯ For queens of the Garden, it,s time for
¯ Tulsa’s Spring Garden Mart from the 13-
: 14 at Tulsa Garden Center; 746-5125.-
: April 19-28, Heller Theatre presents
¯ ’WitalSigus"; by Jane Martin, featuring
: monologues by some of Tulsa’s most tal-
:. ented actresses, 746-5065.
¯ And last but hardly least, Tulsa Opera
: presents "The Marriage of Figaro" by
" Mozart April 21, 27 and 29. 587-4811.
IGTA member
Call 341. 6866
ntern tion
ToursIormoreinlormation.
"TULSA COUNTY
DEMOCRATIC
Country Club Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 74%0236, T.~es.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm
Tulsa’s only
.College Hill
Presbyterian Church
In response to God’ s Love,
College Hill Presbyterian Church
is a community of God’ s people
called to tell others the
Gospel of Jesus Christ
through worship,
service, and evangelism.
To nurture our faith, we gather for
worship, prayer,
study and fellowship.
Trusting in a living, loving God,
we seek to become a compassionate
voice for peace and justice.
Our congregation welcomes all
persons who respond in trust and
obedience to God’s grace
in Jesus Christ, and desire to become
part of the membership and ministry
of Christ’ s church.
Membership is open to all people
regardless of race, ethnic origin,
worldly condition, marital status, or
sexual orientation.
by Karin Gregory ¯
Do you ever feel like your life is a .
Broadway play, a Hollywood movie, or a "
television sitcom? Of course you do -
you’re Gay! Some of you even think your "
life is a 1930’s Hollywood musical, or La ¯
Boheme, or Rent, but we’re talking here ¯
about a Gay couple. No, not that kind of "
couple- not the butch/femme, but the Gay
man/Lesbian couple. The kind of couple ¯
that doesn’t require a lawyer if things "
don’t work out. Fm in a Will And Grace "
situation, but we’re both Gay. So we’d ¯
comemoreunder the heading ofthat Broad- "
way play/Hollywood movie/television .
sitcom, The Odd’Cmiplb’. One guess as to "
which one of us is Felix! ¯
As you recall from the play/movie/TV ¯
show, Felix, the neamik, was kicked out of "
his house by his wife and comes to live "
with his sloppy friend, Oscar. Things were ¯
a tad different withus- Lesbian Oscar was "
takeninbyGay Felix, butwewon’ tquibble
over little things. Both characters had ex- ¯
spouses, and I suppose you can’t get more ¯
EX than SHE WHO MUST NOT BE."
NAMED. When I first moved in, Gay "
Felix had just met ’~the one." Yeah, right.
When ’~he one" treated him much like I ¯
had been treated (except ’~&e one" actually
communicated!), who was here to "
hold him, talk him down from varioul
ceilings in the apartment, and generally ¯
offer comfort and support?Lesbian Oscar "
of course. "
Being withGay Felix guarantees there’ s ¯
always drama in the place. Whether it
deals with "the one" of the week, our dog "
Roxie and her many weirdnesses, or just
mundane money problems, it is NEVER a ¯
dull life. Simple problems are always "
turned up twelve notches with us. If we "
have a problem with the apartment corn- °
plex, we decide to move! The fact that we ¯
can’t afford to break the lease doesn’t "
occur to us at the time. You have a mad "
queenand apissed-offdyke on yourhands. ¯
We should have a sign above the door that ¯
reads, "Abandon logic, all ye who enter." "
And I’m now walking a dog, like a true "
Lesbian. Gay Felix came in one night, ¯
laughing, because the dog now lifts her ¯
leg. Who was blamed? Lesbian Oscar, "
who oftenplays her favoritemusician (and "
we all know who she is by this time, don’t
we?) while the dog sits on the bed listen- ."
ing. So when she lifted her leg when I "
walked her, I praised her, calling her Me- "
lissa and Butch. ¯
I have to say that I’ve never known any ¯
one person, even Felix Unger from the
play/movie/TV show, to wash so much
clothing. Gay Felix doesn’ townthatmany ¯
clothes, butdanm if I don’ thear the washer
and dryer going on and on each night and ¯
morning. Maybe some of you Gay men :
can enlighten me on this subject. I’m at a
total loss. Gay Felix even remarked early °
on in our nightly, daily, aftemoonly, etc., °
clothes washings, "I never thought I’ d see ¯
bras h..a~.ging fr~o~ MYlauladry area. tsut
~ foldpanties, anddehl wlthvanous women s "
:issues as best he can. " . ¯
Like Fehx Unger from the play/movie/ ¯
" TV siio v;Gay Felix t3 c3oL "
does so on occasion. He makes the most
seemingly plain dinners gourmet feasts.
And he’s even started us on an exercise
program. Gay Felix plays Mr. Motivator
.to Lesbian Oscar’ s couch potato. No grass
grows under a queen’s feet, I’ve come to
realize.
Because most Gay men believe Lesbians
have no decorating taste 01mph!), the
very few things I have in our living room
I’ve had to fight for. My room has been a
work in progress for almost three months
now. But at least the boxes are off the
middle of the floor. I now have carpet! I
never knew since I moved in that I had
carpet. And you know how important carpet
i~ for Lesbians.t I couldn’t hide my
sexual preference even if I wanted to. The
reason? Gay Felix introduces me t0’each
and every one of his friends: as "my Lesbian
roommate."
Another thing that’s similar to the play/
movie/TV show is that we do things together.
Like going to Gay clubs in Dallas
(would we go anywhere else at night?).
True, Gay Felix is 24 years old as opposed
tomy45 years of age, and I’msure it looks
like I’m takingmy son to Gay bars. People
must wonder just what kind of mother I
am! I’ve seen more dnmken people in the
past few months than I did when I was in
my twenties and drank myself. I’ve also
met more people in the Gay comlnunity of
Dallas than I ever have before. Too bad
they’re all drunk at the time. I have to
reintroduce myselfeach time. It’ s funny to
see Gay Felix at the bars. ¥ou hear various
things as he walks by, like, "Oh, is he
hot!"; "Girl, look at that!"; and ’Td take
him home!" He’s one of the cutest men
I’ve met, yet he doesn’t think so.
The inevitable question about how the
roommate handles the boyfriend situation
comes up here as well. I’m introduced as
the Lesbian Roommate (I almost think
that’ s my name now), and we start talking.
Imagine, a twenty-something man talking
to me instead of jumping into bed right
away. I don’t know if I’d do the same
thing. But I think Gay Felix wants my
views on the guys he brings home - a
woman’ s perspective,ifyou will. Hell, we
all know how easy ! am. If the guy’ s nice
to me, I tell Gay Felix to keep him!
And Lesbian Oscar, Mespite her best
intentions, is slowly .becoming domesticated.
You heard me, grrls! Some things
that I would never have bothered about
beforejump out atmenow. Duston theTV
screen comes to mind. I wipe the kitchen
counter every time I’mfinished with something
in there. I now have places to put my
things, and most of the time I actually
manage t.o putmy things backin the proper
place!
If you’re wondering if a relationship
like this can work, I’m telling you it can.
We don’t fight, and when I do get bitchy
(who, me?), Gay Fclix knows exactly what
to say to snapme back and makeme lau~gh.
Wouldthis work wlthjU~t
tole$,anc.¢, !evel, for a ragLng Lesbian
higii .~ ~ s!~yScraper. No~:~i~-iy:~y~r~"
you, f~.d are like thaL Tiffs is or~e m~ I:
want~0 live witli
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
presents
Divers"ity
ration 2 1
Saturday, June 2, 2001
TOHR Follies 2001
"From Here to Eternity"
Avondale Studio & Theatre (the old Delaware Playhouse)
1511 So. Delaware Ave., 8pm
Reception immediately following.
Tickets: $15.00, At the Door: $20.00
The PriMe Store @ Tulsa GLBT
Community Center; 2114 S Memorial
or by calling ~918.743.4297 or toll
free (outside Tulsa) at 866.335.9074
Sunday, June 3, 2001
Tulsa Interfaith Service
Sponsored by TU BLGTAlliance, Sharp Chapel~ TU, 3pm
Monday, June 4, 2001
Council Oak Men’s Chorale Concert
Presented by Tulsa City/County Library
"Diversity in Song"
Aaronson Auditorium, Central Libmrym 3rd & Denver, 7pm
Monday, June4, 2001
Family Law Panel
Presented by Tulsa City/County Library
Professor Linda Lacey, TU Law School
and a panel of family law experts.
Helmedch Library, 91st and Yale, 7pm
Tuesday, June 5, 2001
Art Exhibit: "Embracing Art"
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria Avenue, 6-9pm
Thursday, June 7, 2001
GLBT Film Festival
Sponsored by Tulsa City/County Library
Aaronson Auditorium, Central Library, 3rd and Denver, 7pm
Friday, June 8, 2001
TOHR Diversity Gala
Benefiting TOHR and Diversity Celebration 2001
"Death Be Not Proud"
Speakers and Parade Grand Marshalls:
Ms. Gabi Clayton, Olympia, WA, Ms. Dorothy Hajdys
Ms. Nancy Rodrigues, Houston, TX, Ms. Carolyn Wagner,
Little Rock, AR
"Community. Hero" Awards presentation honoring those .in
the local GLBT community.
Tulsa Country Club, 701 N. Yukon Dr., 7pm, reception&
silent auction, 8pm dinner, $100/ea. $1,000 table of eight.
Sponsorships available. Reserved seating available by calling
918.743.4297 or 866.335.9074
Saturday, June 9, 2001
The Pride Parade
Cherry Street (15th Street) to Boston Avenue to
18th Street to Veterans Park
Starts at 3pm, Float/marchers begin assembling at lpm.
No entries after 2:45pm
Featuring:Entries from across Oklahoma and
the Midwest Region
Community Heroes
Oklahoma’s largest Pride Flag
Diversity Festival
Sponsored by: Bud Light & Eastern Oklahoma Beverages
Veterans’~ark, 1875 So. Boulder Ave., 3pm
Featuring~Entertai:nment, Speakers, and more.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
[2001] Tulsa Family News, April 2001; Volume 8, Issue 4
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
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Tulsa Family News
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Tom Neal
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
April 2001
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Tom Neal
Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, March 2001; Volume 8, Issue 4Image
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/611
2001
advocacy
AIDS
AIDS drugs
arts and entertainment
Boy Scouts
businesses
churches
College Hill Presbyterian Church
discrimination
Elton John
Eminem
gay bashing
Gay/Straight Alliance
George W. Bush
Glaxo SmithKline
hate crimes
HIV
HIV testing
Karen Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
LGBT police
Merck and Co.
military inclusion
Murder
Openarms Youth Project
Partner Benefits
performing arts
Pfizer
Presbyterian Church
Ragin Lesbian
Red Cross
Red Rock Tulsa
restaurants
Soulforce
STDs
the closet
tolerance curriculum
Tom Neal
TU Bisexual/Lesbian/Gay/Transgendered Alliance
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
United Way
-
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Tulsa .Red Cross
Pledges to Diversity
TULSA (TFN)- In a recent interview with chief executive
officer Roger Dahl, Polly Bowen, chief administrati,~
e officer, Melissa Ramirez, public relations officer,
and new diversity co-ordinator Dannette McIntosh, the
Tulsa Chapter of the American Red Cross (non-blood
services) discussed their new "diversity" policy.
The policy, which applies to paid staff and volunteers,
recognizes explicitly "sexual orientation" as well
as statuses which traditionally have legal recognition.
The written policy states the intent for the "American
Red Cross to be an inclusive community, free from
discrimination and prejudice." The statement includes
a signature line which volunteers or staff must sign.
According to Dahl and McIntosh, the change is in
keeping with traditional Red Cross goals~vhich strove
to provide services to all based only on need. But in a
recent organizational review, see Cross, p. 10
Transgendered Cop to
Speak at TOHR Meeting
TULSA (TFN) - On March 13, Tulsa Oklahomans for
Human Rights (TOHR) will its monthly membership
meeting. In addition tO a social period beginning at 6:30
with soft drinks, and organizational business at 7:30, the
meeting will feature a speaker whois opeul.y transgendered
and who is an Oklahoma City police officer. The
speaker is knowledgable in self-defense techniques.
Other business will include budget and other announcements
about this summer’s Diversity Fest and Parade.
Later in the month,TOHR will host the second of the
Gill Foundation fundraising seminars. Some 21 groups
have joined TOHR in this training, most of whom are
not Lesbian or Gay groups. They include Tulsa Opera,
Tulsa Philharmonic, NARAL, the Tulsa Boys Home,
Neighbors on the Line, the League ofWomenVoters, as
well as Council Oak Men’s Chorale, HOPE, Tulsa
CARES, and PFLAG.
On March 24, at 7pro, TOHR wil! host a pot-luck
dinner at the Center. Also, TOHR and Red Rock Behavioral
Health Services are implementing two new
programs. The first is a Coming Out group. This program
is designed to assist persons who are in the initial
stages of dealing with their sexuality. The program is
open to women and men. Meetings will take place at the
Community Center each Tuesday night at 7pm.
see TOHR, p. 11
MJ DIRECTORY P. 2 ~ EDITORIAL P. 3
US & WORLD NEWS P. 4
~ HEALTH NEWS P. 6
Z ENTERTAINMENT + MORE P. 8
GAY STUDIES/RAGING LESBIAN P. 10/11
Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans,
Jenks Senior S.tarts
Gay/Straight Alliance
JENKS, AMERICA (TFN) - When right wing Utah US Senator
Orrin Hatch created an equal access bill to allow student religious
groups to use public school facilities, he probably never dreamed
he was also making it possible for Gay and Gay-friendly high
school students to start Gay/Straight Alliances - even in conservative
Oklahoma.
But in Jenks, one ofTulsa’ s suburbs (which like Broken Arrow
grew from a small farm town in the 60’s and 70’ s as Tulsa whites
fled integration in Tulsa Public Schools), an 18 year old senior
did his homework, knew the law, bucked the system, got some
help and got a Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) started.
Kevin Barker said he once didn’t think he’d be the one to start
a GSA. He is friends with Will Allen and Kent Doss, other young
Gay activists and knew Allen had helped start a GSA at Tulsa’s
Washington High. Doss encouraged Barker to take the initiative
but Barker characterized himself as one who once considered the
DC based Human Rights Campaign as "too radical." But as he
went through his "coming out" process, opening up to his friends
and school community - and generally being accepted, he reconsidered.
And that’s when he started researching equal access
laws, and looking at other resources.
By the middle of last fall, he was ready and went to Jenks High
School administrators and, not surprisingly, started to get therunaround.
Perhaps school officials thought they could stall or bluff
him enough that he’d give up. But Barker called for help and
contacted the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network’s newest
chapter in Oklahoma City.
OKC GLSEN co-chair Rhouda Rudd received an e-mail from
Barker and forwarded his letter to other members of the chapter.
Chapter members Rob Abiera and Joe Quigley suggested that
Barker contact Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR).
Qnigley, oneofthefoundingmembers ofOklahomaCityGLSEN
and a teacher of several years’ experience, also sent a list of
contacts, see Jenks, p. 2
In Or Out: Effects of the Closet
TULSA ~TFN) - What are the psychological effects of being in
or out of the closet for GLBT’s will be the subject of the next
Sou!force In Oklahoma at a Tulsa meeting on Monday, March
19th. Dr. Shirley Hunter, fromOklahoma City, who is a Licensed
Professional Coun.selor and a Licensed Marital and Family
Therapist, will be the guest speaker.
According to Soulforce In Oklahoma, religious groups often
covertly or overtly encourage Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender
persons to remain silent within churches about their sexuality or
risk the possibility of rejection. Many faith groups advocate a
"don’t ask -.don~t tell" policy for their congregants and ministers.
As a consequence, GLBT folks struggle with the decision
whether or not to come out. Dr. Hunter will speak on the subject
of coming out and lead a discussion for audience participation.
The meeting will be from 6-8pm at the Tulsa Gay/Lesbian/
Bisexual/Transgender Services Center. The center is located at
2114 S. Memorial, Tulsa. (918-743-4297).
Shirley Hunter started her private practice in psychotherapy in
Oklahoma,City in 1978. The focus of her practice has been for
Gays, Lesbians and their families. Dr. Hunter was instrumental
in establishing the first Gay help line in Oklahoma City in the
early 80’s. She was also a participant in the first homosexual
hearings of the United Methodist Church, and served on the task
force for homosexuality at Church of the Servant, one of the
state’s largest Methodist churches. Dr. Hunter has spoken to
groups throughout the stateinduding university groups, community
groups, and professional groups concerning Gay, Lesbian
andHIVissues. Dr. Hunter and herpartner, Jan Tipton, have been
together for almost 23 years, and they reside in OKC.
In Tulsa, the group meets on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each
month and is a grassroots movement ofGLBT and allied people,
from diverse rdigious traditions who are dedicated to bringing
about justice for the GLBT community. For more information
visit the Soulforce National website at "www.soulforce.org" or
contact local members: Karen at "karen@cwis.net", 918-452-
2761, Sue at "knalig@worldnet.att.net", 587-3248, or Femando
at "Pandafe477@cs.com", 295-0030.
Our Families + Friends
Presbyterians Hold
Gay Spirituality Event
TULSA (TFN) - Tulsa’s College Hill Presbyterian
Church, 10ng knownas theprogressive church among
local congregations is sponsoring a weekend retreat
for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender persons.
The event called, "Re-Connecting Body and Spirit"
will be on March 16-18 at the historic Presbyterian
camp Dwight Mission near Muskogee.
It’s billed as "A Weekend Retreat about Spirituality,
Sexuality and Building Relationships to Last A
Lifetime..." and features as facilitator, the Reverend
Laurene M. Lafontaine. Lafontaine is an out Lesbian
and an alumnae of Princeton Theological Seminary,
and serves as "pulpit supply" (floating minister) for
Denver area churches. Lafontaine also teaches and
coaches at Saint Mary’s Academy in Englewood,
Colorado.
"Re-Connecting Body and Spirit" seeks to help
individuals marginalized by repressive church policies
around matters of sexuality. The retreat hopes to
help individuals to re-connect spirituality with identity
to help build an inclusive faith community. Organizers
say that the retreat’will offer opportunities for
worship, discussion, recreation, bonding, and alliance
building. The goal is to build a church for
everyone.
The event will start after 6pm on Friday evening as
participants arrive. That evening will be a get acquainted
time with no formal programs except for a
Vespers service at 10pm. Saturday will combine
fellowship at meals with workshops from "Religion
and Spirituality: Our Images of God," to "Discovering
and Making the Connections between Sexuality
and Spirituality." Sunday momingworship follows
breakfast, see Retreat, p. 11
¯
Presbyterians Vote On
Anti-Gay Amendment
¯ US/TULSA (AP/TFN) -Around the United States,
¯ regional governing bodies for the Presbyterian Church,
¯ U.S.A. are voting on a measure called "Amendment
O."The amendment is another product of the30-year
¯ struggle over homosexuality, that has gripped the 2.6
¯ million-member Presbyterianchurchand othermain- ¯
line Protestant denominations. The proposed amend-
" ment, passed by the national governing body of the
¯ denominationin2000,wouldruleoutinvoking"God’s ¯
blessing.., on any relationship that is inconsistent
¯ with" the view that people should live "in fidelity
¯ within the covenant of marriage between a man and
¯ a woman or in chasti,ty in singleness."
~ The proposed amerldment would insert an instruc-
~ tion in the church’s governing Book of Order that
¯ Presbyterian churches and clergymust not approve or ¯
invoke God’s blessing on any relationship but those.
¯ For some Presbyterians, that raised the specter of
¯ babies-denied baptism if born out of wedlock, or
refusing marriage to couples who had lived together
~ for years.
¯ At press time, theproposedban on same-sex unions
was failing nationally, 39 to 67, according to an
unofficial count on Presbyweb, one of several independent
church groups posting running vote totals on
¯ the Interact. However, all sides expected the margin
to tighten by the May 25 deadline.
South Louisiana Presbyterians voted to reject
Amendment O. The vote marked the first time that a
majority of the leaders for the more than 13,000
¯ Presbyterians in the southern part of Louisiana have
granted a victory to Gay Presbyterians. It remained
unclear, however, if the vote meant they approve of
¯ Gay marriage.
Some commissioners of the Presbytery of South
Louisiana, see Vote, p. 2
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine
*CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Play-Mor, 424 S. Memorial
Pol6 Grill, 2038 Utica Square
832-1269 "-
610-5323 :
838-9792 ."
744-4280 ¯
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main 585-3405 "
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st 745-9998 "
*Schatzi’s, 2619 S. Memorial 280-1316 :
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan 834-4234 ¯
*TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial 660-0856 "
*Tool Box II, 1338 E. 3rd 584-1308 "
*Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan 835-2376 :
*The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 749-1563 ¯
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals "
Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000 :
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 "
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41 .
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21 "
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale
¯
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria ",
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth "
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis ."
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 "
25O-5034
665-4580
712-1122
712-9955
494-2665
743-5272
746-0313
295-5868
581-0902, 743-4117
622-0700
749-3620
744-5556
838-8503
369-8555
584-0337, 712-9379
592-0460
744-9595
610-0880
628-3709
808-8026
742-1460
459-9349
744-7440
745-1111
341-6866
712-2750
582-3018
747-0236
582-8460
599-8070
747-5466
585-1234
584-3112
663-5934
664-2951
838-7626
743-4297
747-5932
834-0617
834-7921, 748-0224
260-7829
481-0558
835-5563
743-1733
665-2222
592-0767
www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays &Lesbians
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579-9593
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial
Ross Edward Salon
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Mmn
Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. P~,o.ria
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th P1.
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr.
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st
Learme M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly
*International Tours
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo
*The Pride Store
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning
Teri Schutt, Ellen & Co.
Paul Tay, Car Salesman
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan
- *Whittier News Stand, 1 N Lewis
743-2363
587-7314
583-7815
583-9780
585-1201
& Florence
587-1314
747-6300
749-0595
748-3888
712-1511
,M1 Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria
Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6
B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr.
Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th PI.
Church of the Restoration UU; 1314N.Greenwood
*Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation
Council Oak Men’s Chorale
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159, e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net
PubLisher + Editor: Tom Neal
Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Kati~egory, Barry
Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom,-Esther
Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw~ -.
Member of The Associated Press --~_~ _
Issued around the 1 st of each month, the entire conte~s of this
publication are protected by US copyright 2001 by Tulsa
Family News 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 Tulsa Family News. Eachxeader is entitled to 4
copies of each edition at distribution poi~.~:-~_-
Additional copies are available by calling 58~3~.
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E.-31~-~., 742-2457 ¯
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catl:~oliEs & ¯
Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 -- 355:T140 ,
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free SpiritWomen’s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827 "
Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438 "
*Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
¯ HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
¯
*HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstrie~, 1517 S. Memorial 224-4754
¯ *MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
¯ NAMES Project, 3507 E. Adunr~tal P1. 748-3111
¯
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
¯ OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
¯ *OSU-Tulsa
¯ PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901
¯
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
¯ Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118.74152
R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
¯ *Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
¯
St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cindnnati 425-7882
¯ St Dunstan’s E iscopal, 5635 E 71st 492-7140
*St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
¯ Soulforce-OK, Rt.4,#3534,Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761
¯ *Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
¯ *TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
¯ Tulsa County Health Department, 4616E. 15 595-4105
¯ Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
¯
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, Gay Comm. Center 743-4297
¯ TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvocacyCoalition, POB2687,Tulsa 74101
¯ T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform]Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
¯
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
¯ *Tulsa Community College Campuses
¯ *Tul sa Gay Commumty Center, 21 st &Memorial 743-4297
¯ Unity Churchof Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
¯
¯ BARTLESVILLE
Bartlesville Public Library,600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
¯¯ TAHLEQUAH
Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
¯
Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
’ k Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734
Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main 501-253-7457
¯ DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 501-253-6807
¯ Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445
: MCC of the Living Spring 501-253-9337
¯ Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253-2776
¯ Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332
Positive Idea Marketing Plans " 501-624-6646
White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074
¯ JOPLIN, MISSOURI
¯ Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 41%623-4696
¯¯ aregional grouping of71 local Presbyterian
churches, said they were voting against a
¯ national proposal to ban same-sex unions ¯
because it seemed incidentally to ban much
¯
else, such as baptizing children of single
¯ mothers. Commissioners defeated the proposal
77-63, sending their vote to headquar-
¯
ters of the Presbyterian Church in Louis-
¯ ville, Ky., where the votes of the nation’s
¯ other 172 presbyteries are being tallied.
: The Presbytery of Greater Atlanta which
~- represents 110 churches voteddownAmend-
" merit O, while its counterpart in northeast
¯ Georgia voted the other way. The 256-225
Atlanta vote agmnst the amendment came
~ by paper ballot after an hour’s discussion.
: The Northeast Georgia Presbytery voted in
¯ favor of the amendment 65-61. "We had a
~ very spiritual, pastorally sensitive and open
¯ debateeven thoughour votewas very close,"
said the Rev. Keyon Meeks Jr., executive of
the presbytery.
Currently, according to a ruling last year
by the denomination’s highest court, ministers
in the denominationmay perform samesex
blessing services as long as they are not
c.o.nsidered the same as marriage ceremorues.
-
The Presbytery of Eastern Oklahoma is
scheduled to vote on Amendment O, along
with a number of other proposed amendments
on Tuesday, March 6 at John Knox
Presbyterian Church.
¯ TOHR’s president Kerry Lewis (who is
an attorney) and the Oklahoma chapter of
¯ the American Civil Liberties Union pro-
" vided him with legal advice on how to deal
¯ withresistance on the part of the principal at
¯ Jenks High School.
: Barker’s experience with his principal’s
¯ stalling might now seem funny. He was
¯ asked to give them more time, told that they
¯ had to talk with the school attorney whojust
: happened not to be available, etc. but who
¯ suddenly became much more accessible af-
¯ ter Barker called local mainstream media: ¯ Apparently shortly afterreceiving calls from
: TV and Tulsa World reporters, inducting
¯ Ch. 8’s Glenda Silvey, Barker was called ¯
into the principal’s office where he received
", something that resembled an apology.
¯ However, since receiving approval for the
¯ group, the GSA has continued to struggle to
¯ receive equal access to school resources
," which other groups take for granted. This
: harassmentranges from the sudden enforce-
¯ mentonrules abouthanding out flyers (rules
¯
that had never been enforced recently) to
¯ having their group announcements in the
school bulletin printed in miniscule type.
¯ Despite the struggle, Jenks GSA had a ¯
successful first meeting with 40 people at-
" tending, about 30 of whom were not Gay.
¯ And the success in Jenks appears to have
¯ inspired the formation of groups at Tulsa
¯ Rogers, Union High and in Broken Arrow.
¯ As Barker notes, if it can happen at Jenks,
¯ then it can happen anywhere, and he stated
¯ in an e-mail to his allies, "the law, and God
" was on our side for this one, and we did it!.
¯ .do not be discouraged, the world will
iswhereyoucanffmdTl~N.NotallareGay.ownedba,,a~.~o.,.,IH~my~"~’~ ¯ change, even if it is one person at a timeF’ ,....
by Elizabeth Birch, executive director
WASHINGTON (Feb.2 !) - As we begin a new political reality with Georg~W. Bush as
our nation’s 43rd president and Republicans in charge of Congress and the White House
for the first time in four decades, supporters ofGay equality have expressed apprehension
about what this political moment portends for Gay issues.
While the question remains largely unanswered, we can gain some comfort in noting
that we are also living in a reality of growing public distaste for anti-Gay behavior,
whether by self-righteous radio hosts or misguided office seekers. In the marketplace of
ideas, anti-Gay positions are finding fewer and fewer takers - a point not lost on our new
president.
"... we can gain some comfoit
in noting that we are
also living in a reality of
growing public distaste for
anti-Gay behavlor, whether
by self-rlghteous radio host,-
or misguided office seekers.
In the marketplace of ideas,
anti-Gay positions are
finding fewer and fewer
takers - a point not lost on
our new president.. ¯."
1992, by the Gallup organization whether Gays should have equaljob opportunities, 71%
Of those polled said "yes." By 1999, 83% said "yes." When asked by Gallup whether
homosexuality should be an acceptable lifestyle, in 1992, 38% said"yes." By 1999, 52%
had said"yes." In 1995, apoll conducted by Lake Snell Perry showed Independents, akey
Bush constituency, when asked whether they thought Gay rights were equal rights or
special rights, 41% said "equal." By 1998, that number jumped to 55%.
This data underscores an increasingly supportive electorate that will provide a firm
foundation on which we can build relationships with thenew administration. The lessons
we have learned since 1994 when Republicans took over the Senate and the House of
Representatives, is that public opinion has provided us with vital leverage. Working with
allies inside and outside of Congress we have been able to stop every anti-Gay legislative
attack, and there were many, except one, the Defense of Marriage Act. During this period,
the Employment Non Discrimination Act came within one of vote of passing the Senate
and though it has yet to become law, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act passed the Senate
by a wide margin and the House passed a non-binding resolution supporting the measure.
Our progress does not rest with any one individtml, political party or component of
government. It comes from making our case to the American people, who at the end of
day, will be the final arbiters of judgment regarding our nation’s leaders.
When the new President Bush nominated former Missouri Sen. John Ashcroft to be
attorney general the conventional wisdom among most Gay advocates was that the
President would have had a tough time picking someone anti-Gay. The fact that the
attorney general can have a direct, dramatic impact on the lives of Gay people only
exacerbated the apprehension surrounding the nomination. What transpired during the
confirmation process was unexpected. Sen. Ashcroft felt the political need to state
unequivocally under oath thathewouldnot discriminateonthebasis of sexual orientation,
apositionhe never took (orhad to take) until coming before the full body ofpublic opinion
represented by the entire Senate. Of course, we will judge him by his actions, not his
words.
After eight years of the Clinton Administration, our community, its orgamzations and
leaders are looking at what lies ahead in this new, more ambiguous environment. Not all
will come to the same conclusions and not all will be driven by the same priorities, but
most are motivated by the goal of equality for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgendered
Americans. At the Human Rights Campaign, we campaigned vigorously for A1
Goreforpresident.Wethoughtherepresented the besthopefor ourcommumty and would
offer the best environment to move our issues forward.
That did not come to pass. The campaign is over. It is time to govern. Thenew president
has completed his transition from campaign to governing. So too does HRC move from
campaigning to making sure the new administration governs fairly and inclusively. We
will accomplish this by using political acumen, relationships with Congress, the moral
imperative and the growing support of public opinion.
The Washington, D.C. based Human Rights Campaign is the largest US civil rights
organization focused On Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered issues. HRC engages
in education and lobbying at thefederal level. Call HRC-Tulsa at 582-4673.
President Bush has largely tried to
sidestep Gay issues throughout his public
career. When he has been pinned
down on issues, he mosdy tries to balance
his positions by trying not to appear
intolerant, yet not alienating his
socially conservativebase. Hehas commendably
stated he will not discriminate
based on sexual orientation. However,
his statements have consistently
been tempered with implications that
homosexuality is a private matter underscoring
the inequity contrasted by
heterosexuality being an obvious public
matter. Despite his strategy ofavoidance,
President Bush has taken a few
positions as governor and during, his
campaign that are not Gay-supportave,
most notably his support in the spring of
1999 for a law that would ban Gay
people from adopting children.
The public has come along way over
the course of the last eight years toward
support of Gay issues. When asked in
by Christian Grantham
The first time I heard songs from the Marshal Mather’s LP by tapper Eminem was on
MTV. The music didn’t seem all that different from everything else the network played,
: and I didn’t pay too much attention. It wasn’t undl the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation (GLAAD) publicly critiqued the album and led protests at the MTV Music
~ Awards against the artist that I gave it another listen.
¯ The questionable content that concernedGLAAD was lyrical prose depicting violence
" against Gays and women. The lyrics were a perfect vehicle for the organization to
] demonstrate how homophobia has permeated our culture. Like a predictable,virus, the
controversy acted as a host and propdled the artist’s content into the spotlight whe4e art’ s
¯ success i s often measured.
¯ The lyrical content is disturbing. But "disturbing" can describe pretty much any
¯ provocative art. What’s great about the album is F,minem’s presentation: it’s angry, it’s
raw and it’s real. It’s so real, in fact, that Eminem took criticism from Gay and Lesbian
leaders and publications for somehow inspiring society’s homophobia.
Supporters like Madonna, Stevie Wonder and Elton John came to his defense reminding
us that blaming, the artist for society’s ills cuts both ways. Who knows how many
unwanted pregnancies in the 80s Madonna is responsible for, right? It wasn’t until Elton
John agreed to perform with the controversial tapper at the Grammy’s that the shit hit the
"fans," so to speak.
"... The lyrical content is
disturbing. But "disturbing" can
describe pretty much any
provocative art. ~/hat’s great about
the album is Emlnem’s presentation:
it’s angry~ it’s raw and it’s real ..."
Caught off guard, GLAAD quickly
urged Elton John to live up to the standards
for which he was presented
GLAAD’s Vito Russo Award the previous
year for outstanding work with the
Gay and Lesbian commumty. Activist
Robin Tyler said in an open letter to
Elton John that he was "spitting on the
grave ofMatthew Shepard." Gay.corn’s
Michael Signorile wrote that it was "arrogant
of Elton John to use his power in
a way that undercuts an entire movement" unless he got a permission slip from the
executive directors of the Gay and Lesbian movement. GLAAD’s Executive Director,
Joan Gerry, implored Elton John to "not perform with Eminem at the Grammy Awards."
Dr. Dre’s protOg6 learned from the best and rode it all the way to the bank.
Gay and Lesbian attacks on tapper Eminem scapegoated the artist and a marginalized
medium for society’s homophobia. The tactic was long popular with religious political
extremists to blame Gays and Lesbians for everything from child molestation to broad
declines of morality. Gay and Lesbian activists argued Eminem was scapegoating Gays
and women inhis prose. Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!
If anything, our movement s duet w~ Eminem exposes our own occasional reliance
on questionable tactics. It also highlights whata willing danceparmerwemake for people,
such as Eminem, by rushing headlong ires giving them the attention they so desire.
What’s worsemour apparent role as "art critic" is the pressure of political expectations
placed on artists we ceremoniously award. Elton Johnis an entertainer who owes creative
control to no one but himself. If he wishes to play the"Uncle Tom," as letters to the editor
describe him, let’s pick up Elton’s depiction and talk about the Uncle Toms in our
commtmi.ty. Or is this a sore spot for folks? If the duet is about homophobia in your face,
let’s address what we’re doing about it and not "who should and shouldn’t artistically
represent it and why."
Elton John isn’t the only artist to experience this from our community. In a discussion
I had on GayBC with Queer As Folk’s Executive Producer, Ron Cowen, he balked at
activist demands that QAF’s story line represent diversity, as though it’s his job to be
social engineer. If art reflects a less than politically correct reality, we all have short
comings to address.
Charles L. Mackay, LL.D, once wrote in Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the
Madness of Crowds that people "think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds,
while they only recover their senses slowly; and one by one." Our movement’s reaction
to Eminem and Elton John show Gays and Lesbians aren’t immune to being apt hosts.
Many of those who attack F.minem hide behind claims that his rap is not art and is a true
confession. The last I recall we left deciding what is and isn’t art to Congressman Jesse
Helms and NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Madness makes strange bedfellows of foes. I
wonder what our friends must be thinking?
Madonna, no stranger to the controversy herself, said in the L~A. Times that Eminem is
simply’~reflecdng what s going onin society right now and That is what art ~s supposed
to do." Stevie Wonder also pointed out that "art is a reflection of our society, and people
don’t like to confront the realities in society." As long as Gay and Lesbian leaders dodge
the"realitiesmsoc|ety ln favor of lynching homophobla smessenger, allwe refunding
is an endless game of"whack the mole." I’d settle, however, for old fashion activism over
playing art critic any day. In the least case, it would be great to get a heads up on when
it will be Howard Stem, David Geffen or Ru Paul’s turn.
William S. Burroughs, a founder of the Beat Generation, himself Gay and brought to
court over the questionable content of his novels, once said "The next revolution will be
iwgnOrin~ others out of existence." I have to wonder someumes if the free market of ideas
ould l~ave left Eminem at the bottom had we not lifted it up as a pet example rather than
focusing on society’s ills his art reflects. Enough about Eminem.
Christian Grantham has a talk show on GayBC Radio Network. www.gaybc.com
School Board to Consider
Advocate for Gay Kids
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Appointment of a full-time
advocate for Gay.and Lesbian students is desperatdy
needed in Madison to combat harassment, ignorance
and indifference such students face, supporters of the
proposal say. "The level of despair, the level of crisis,
is often quite severe," said Michael Apple, an education
professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madi-
S°~o specificjob description exists yet, but a preliminary
proposal Calls for the advocate to work with
district departments to make them more inclusive and
help Gay and Lesbian students with their studies and
probiems. The position could be filledby the end of the
year pending board approval.
Dr. Paul Grossberg of University Health Services
said a presidential task force found about one of every
three youth suicides involv,e~, teen-agers struggling
with tt]eir sexual orientation. It is unconscionable for
usas acommtmity tobesllentaboutthislssue, hesmd.
The Madison district has similar full-time teachers
that work with Southeast Asian, Hispanic and American
Indian students. Only eight other districts in the
country areknown to have full-time advocates for Gay
students, according to the n T h e
proposal has drawn several opposing letters to area .
newspapers. .
Gay+Military Stepfamilies "
Face Challenges
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Beyond the basic complexities
confronting most stepfamilies, those in the mil!-
tary and those headed by same-sex couples face additional
daunting challenges, experts told a U.S. conference
at the end of February.
For military stepfamilies, temporary overseas deployment
of a spouse may leave a.stepparent alone
with children who have yet to accept a new authority
figure. Same-sex couples may have to cope withprejudices,
and their children may struggle in explaiuing the
family structure to others. The issues were raised at the
National Conference of Stepfamilies, a first-of-itskind
symposium bringing together experts from a
variety offields to consider ways ofimproving support
for stepfamilies.
Francesca Adler-Baeder, a parent education specialist
affiliated withComell University, discuss.edher
work with the U.S. Defense Department, trying to
identify the problems posed by stepfamilies in the
military. About 55% of all service members are marfled,
and at least one-fifth of them are estimated to be "
in stepfamilies, she said. ¯
Anne Bernstein, a family therapist and professor at ~
the University of California-Berkeley, discussed the
distinctive challengesfacing same-sex couplesincases ¯
where one ofthem has custody of one °rm°rechildren
at the time the adults become partners. "Even more
than other stepfnmilies, these fnmilies are at variance
with the models in our dominant culture," Bemstein
said. "These people can fed invisible or rejected as a
family."
She said members of such families may have difficulty
finding the right terms foreach other; a child
,,n~,~ht fumble for a replywhen asked by a teach,e,r,~
~-ho is this person who picks you up from school?
..Bemstein said most of the same=sex Couples she
works with are Lesbians, but she has detected particular
problems faced by some Gay men thrust.into
stepfather roles. "For Gay men, being a parent is often
not what one expected to include in one’s-life story,
she said. "Being a stepparent is a very different
lifestyle."
Bernstein said her home town of Berkeley, California,
is rdatively tolerant, but noted that some same-sex
couples with childrenin other areas fear stigmatization
- or possibly even losing custody of the children - if
their sexual identity, becomes public. "These issues are
not easy, especially when youhave children," she said.
The final full session of the conference ended with a
~leaby organizers for more energetic lobbying in state
legislatures on behalf of stepfamilies. "State laws give
almost no lega~ recogniuon to the residential stepparent,’.’
said Margorie Engel, president of the Stepfamily
Association of America. "Thelegal system focuses too
exclusively on bloodlines."
Tolerance Curriculum
Criticized in Santa Fe
SANTA FE (AP) - A minister and a parent say the
tolerance curriculum approved by the Santa Fe school
board for middle and high school students needs to be
redone.. The school board last week approved the
curriculum, which recognizes homophobia as s~xual
violence. The Project Glyph Anti-Homophobia, Prejudice-
Reduction Curriculum is optional for teachers to
use, and parents will be notified before the lessons in
case they want to excuse their children.
Michdle Parker, parent of an elementary school
child, said she stopped reading the curricuium after the
glossary, which includes definitions for transsexual,
transvestite and transgender. Bisexuality and homosexuality
are listed as normal behavior -definitions the
:urriculum attributes to the American Psychiatric ,A.~s-
~ociation. Parker said the definition of homosexumxty
~ontradicts the teachings of theRoman Catholic Church.
"We believe it is not a normal state of being, she sa~ .
Pa~ker saidhomosexuals should be treated with respect,
but that the school district should throw out the,
project and start over.
The Rev. Canon Dale Coleman of the Church of the
Holy Faith Episcopal, who has two children in the
t-~ublic schools, also said the curricu" lumne.e...ds resvaiisdi,n,Ag. "I wouldbeall for atolerance curnculum, he ¯
Christian cannot support prejudice or violence against
kids." However, he said Project Glyph takes "axi extreme
position" in labeling as normal various kinds of
sexual lifestyles. Curriculum advocates say the lessons
are necessary because teen-agers are confronted with
derogatory slang about homosexuals and song lyrics
about beating up homosexuals and that some students
are ridiculed in school.
The project was created by the Santa Fe Rape Crisis
CentJer. Some.. ministers spoke,,out against the curricu-,,
lum, feanng xt would promote ahomosexual agenda.
But the Santa Fe Ministerial Alliance said lastApril it
stood behind the tolerance-based project. The curriculum
covers sexual orientation and gender identity;
homophobia and how it affects everyone; and how to
be an ally to people of all orientations and help stop
violence.
The four school board members at the meeting
supported the curriculum. Supenntendent Vero_ni.’ca .C.
Garcia also spoke favorably of the program, calling ~ts
subject a "human rights issue." Mayor Larry Delgado
has endorsed the program, too.
Project Glyph, part of the Santa-Fe Rape Crisis
Center, first approached the board in Novemberi999
with its effort to make Santa Fe safe and inclusive for
all youth, especially Lesbian, Gay, bisexual and
transgender children.
Some Santa Fe ministers then spoke out against the
curriculum, fearing it would promote the homosexual
lobby’s agenda. But the Santa Fe Ministerial ,Alliance
said in a letter last April iLstood behind the tolerancebased
project. The curriculum covers sexual orientation
and gender identity; homophobia and how it
affects everyone; and how to be an ally to people of all
orientations and help slop violence.
Project Glyph staff plan to make presentations to
students next week. The curriculum will be modified
for middle school students. In a class of30, on average,
there are three to eight students who identify or might
someday identify themselves as Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual,
the curriculum states.
Find out for yourself how good the Lord iS! - Ps. 34:8
Come share
goodness of the
Lord with our
community
~Sunday Morning
11:00 AM
Children’s Worshi p
During Service
MCC United
Rev. Cathy Elliott, Pastor
1623 N. Maplewood (918)838-1715 rncctulsa@aol,con
Community
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
at Community ofHope
2$4~ South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0~9~
A Welcoming Congregation
OUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm; Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm
1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754
The Open Arms Project
Young Adult Support Group
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
918-584-2325
I
Mingo Valley Flowers
9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145
918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-4AA-5934
Family Owned & Opbrated
Trinna L. ,W. Burrows, LSWs ACSW
Child, Family, Individual & Couple Psychotherapy
(918) 743-9559
2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518
The Pride Store
21st Street & Memorial
Tulsa Gay Community Services Center
743-GAYS (743-4297)
6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday
12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center
TOM NEAL
BUILDING & GARDEN
DESIGN
583-1248
Free
Red Rock Tulsa
Confidential HIV Testing
Walk-in Clinics
Tues. & Thurs., 5:8 pm
at the Center, 1307 East 38th
Daytime appointments available.
Call for more information:
918-584-2325
G
American Red Cross
American Red Cross
Tulsa Area Chapter
10151 East Eleventh
Tulsa 74128
Dannette McIntosh
Diversity-Co-ordinator
838-1100
Saint Aidan
4045 N. Cincinnati, 425-7882
Saint John
4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381
OPENARMS
OPEN MINDS
OPENI-tFAI~S
Saint Dunstan
5635 East 71st, 492-7140
Trinity
501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128
The Episcopal Church Welcomes You
School board member Donita Sena said she was
alarmed after reading the results of the district’s recent
Quality of Education Survey. Only 47% of Santa Fe
high school students believed students at their schools
were treated equally regardless of sexual orientation,
while 71% of high school staff believed students were
treated equally. "The kids are saying something obviously
different," Sena said. "If this curriculum is going
to help teachers, we need to do it."
Scottsdale.Considers
Partners Health Benefits
SCOTI’SDALE, Ariz. (AP) - The Scottsdale City
Council is considering extending health care benefits
to the domestic partners of city employees, including
same-sex partners. The city’s proposed health care
plan’was devised in part to bolster Scottsdale’s efforts
inrecruiting andretaining workers in a competitivejob
market.
The number ofjob applications for openpositions is
down, as is the overall quality of candidates, said Neal
Shearer, the city’s human resources administrator.
"We want to eliminate whatever barriers we can that
impede our ability to attract and retain the talent we
need to get thejob done," Shearer said. City employees
have also begun requesting the benefits, and officials
hope to extend the policy to avoid any perception of
discrimination, he said. Eligibility requirements still
are being determined.
Gay civil-rights activists see Scottsdale’s benefits
proposal as part of a trend, said Steve Brandwein, a
board member forthe Arizona Human Rights Fund, a
Gay civil-rights advocacy group. "City councils and
city human resources departments are learning just
like corporations are that in order to remain competitive
this is very sensible business," Brandwein said. In
the state, Phoenix, Tempe, and Tucson also offer
benefits to domestic partners.
But an attorney with a history of challenging domestic
partner policies nationally said the benefits would
weaken morality. "One of the strongest reasons we
oppose any attempts to broaden public support for
alternative lifestyles such as the (domestic partner)
ordinances or city actions do, is that they really do
weaken the value of marriage," said Alan Sears, president
and general counsel of the Alliance Defense
Fund.
Suspects in Gay’s Murder
To Be Clinically Evaluated
FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) - The trials of two teenagers
charged in the murder of a Gay Black man from
Marion County could be delayed by requests for psychiatric
reviews. Special Prosecutors Scott Smith of
Wheeling and Stephen Keuney of Charleston have
asked Circuit Judge David Janes to have both teenagers
reviewed by a psychiatrist.
David Allen Parker, 18, is tentatively set to stand
,trial in Beckley on March.26, while co-defendant Jared
Matthew Wilson is scheduled to appear in a Wheeling
courtroom on May 29.
The teen-agers are charged with first-degree murder
and could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted of
beating 26-year-old Arthur "J.R." Warren to death in
Grant Town in July. Their trials are expected to last
about a week.
The teens have been interviewed by a psychologist,
but neither has been examined by a psychiatrist, the
prosecutors said in a filing with the court. Forensic
psychologist Dr. William Fremouw has found both
defendants mentally competentto stand trial andcriminally
responsible at the time of their alleged attack on
Warren, according to court documents. Still, Parker’s
lawyers have indicated they may pursue a diminished
capacity defense.
The beating of Warren began early July 4 when
Parker became angry with the victim for telling others
about a sexual relationship the two had. After drinking
beer and snorting a crushed tranquilizer, Parker allegedly
starting hitting Warren with his fists and stomping
on him with steel-toed boots.
In his statement, Wilson told investigators he participated
briefly in the beating for fear Parker’s rage
would turn on him. The then-17-year-olds are also
accused of taking Warren’s body to a rural road and
driving over him four times with a Camaro in a failed
effort to stage a hit-and-run.
College Claims Adequate
Response to Hate Crimes
LYNDON, Vt. (AP) - Lyndon State College officials
have denied accusations that the college is ignoring
hate crimes on campus. Officials responded to claims
made last week by a sophomore student who said
college administrators retaliated against him because
of his Web site, http://lyndonsucks.homestead.com.
The site by Jacob Fortes, of Lowell, Mass., who is
not Gay,accuses officials ofignoring student concerns
about hate crimes, and mentions alleged hate crimes
that target Gays at LSC.
College President Carol Moore said Fortes made
"outrageous claims." "I think we’ve done a good job
and have responded quickly to some of the concerns
about the homosexual climate on campus." Moore
said. "We feel we have enough data to show that we
have tried to set up programs to protect our Gay and
Lesbian students." Moore said the school has pursued
every incident of harassment that has been reported.
As well, the college has increased efforts to raise
awareness on the campus about Gay and Lesbian
concerns, she said, including holding open forums
attended for students and faculty members. Of the
nearly 1,100 full-time students at LSC, about 25 arein
the Gay and Lesbian Alliance, though not all are Gay
or Lesbian, she said.
Moore confirmed reports that a Gay student left the
campus last year because he was uncomfortable. "The
studentfelt he was injeopardy physically and we could
not guarantee round-the-clock protection for him," she
said. The situation reflects society and LSC ]s not
umque in dealing with these issues, Moore said. "You
can educate but sometimes it just doesn’t take," she
said.
Ex-United Way Staffer
Attacks BSA Funding
NEPTUNE, N:J. (AP) - A former finance director for
the United Way of Monmouth County has filed a
complaint to try to stop the nonprofitfromfunding Boy
Scout troops. Maureen Glover’s complaint with the
state Division of Civil Rights charges that she was
subject to a hostile work environment because the
agency funded the Scouts. She worked for the charitable
umbrella organization from last June until she
resigned in January.
Glover, 45, told the Asbury Park Press of Neptune
that on her first day of work, she was happy to sign an
ethics code that prohibited discrimination on the basis
of race, creed, age, sex or sexual orientation. Days
later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Boy Scouts
".of America could bar Gays from leadership positions
m a case that originated in Monmouth County.
Glover accused her employer of violating its own
ethics code. She said it was particularly distressing to
find herself as finance director writing checks to the
same Boy Scout council that ejected James Dale as
scouunaster after learning he was Gay, an action that
led to the Supreme Court case.
Jim Borque, executive director of the Monmouth
County United Way, said he disagreed with Glover’s
charges, but declined to elaborate, citing the pending
litigation.
California Men’s
Syphilis Rate Rising
ATLANTA (AP) - An outbreak of syphilis
in Southern California last year has
provided alarming new evidence that Gay
and Bisexual me~ are lowering their guard
against AIDS, the government said.
More than half of the syphilis cases in a
four-county area during the first half of
2000 were in men who reported having
had at least one male sex partner- up from
26% a year earlier.
Health officials said that the numbers
are a signal that Gay and Bisexual men,
encouraged by news of powerfully effective
drug cocktails andlonger lifespans for
AIDS patients, are wonying less about
HIV. Both HIV and syphilis are sexually
transmitted; condoms can protect against
their spread.
HIV "is no longer perceived to bethe
threat that it once was," said Dr. Ronald
Valdiserri, deputy director of the National
Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention,
which is part of the Centers for .Disease
Control and Prevention. ’q’hese are very
serious findings."
The Southern California cases and similar
outbreaks in other major cities came
after the national syphilis rate dropped in
1999 to its lowest level on record. Just
6,657 cases were reported in 1999, the last
year for which national figures are available,
or about one case per 40,000 people.
Syphilis outbreaks inmajor cities"show
that the disease can make a comeback,"
said Ken August, spokesman for~CaliforniaDepartmentofHealth
Services. ’tit’ s
important for health-care providers to ask
patients about theirbehavior and to deliver
a strong prevention message."
In four California counties - Los Angeles,
San Diego, Orange and Riverside- 66
of 130 syphilis cases from January to July
2000 were in Gay or Bisexual men, compared
with 26 of 100 cases in the same
period in 1999.
Of the 66 cases in 2000, 33 reported they
had had anonymous sex, and 17 said they
had met sex partners in bathhouses. Only
oneinfivereported using acondomduring
his most recent sexual encounter, and two
in five reportedusing illegal drugs. ’¢rhese
men were engaging m high-risk sexual
behavior," Valdiserri said. "When we see
reports of increasing risk behaviors, that’s
when we take action. We don’t wait till we
see the spike nationally" in HIV.
Thirty-four of the 66 men reported they
were HIV-positive, and nine said they did
not know their HIV status. "You’ve got
people who are doing well on the (HIV)
drugs andbelieve then that they don’thave
to worry about infection," said John
Schtinlaoff, chief of public health operations
for Los Angeles County. "Some
people argue that there is burnout. They
get weary of being protective." The CDC
recommended a search for new, innovative
ways to get the safe-sex message to
Gay and Bisexual men in large cities.
Syphilis infections in 1999 remained
concentrated in the South, with roughly
one case per 22,000 people. Three-quarters
of syphilis victims nationwide were
black. About 300 syphilis cases were reported
in 2000 in California.
Agency to Offer
Free AIDS Drugs
BOMBAY, India (AP) - An international
aid agency said Friday it will distribute an
anti-AIDS drug purchsed from an h~dian
company free of charge in 10 countries.
Doctors Without Borders - or Medecins
sans Frontieres - will buy the anti-AIDS
cocktail from the Indian company Cipla
Ltd.
"In general, wherethe Cipladrug will be
used, it will be supplied free of cost. Wherever
it is purchased by governments, it
would be sold at reduced prices," Daniel
Berman of the agency’s Access to Essential
Medicines campaign told The Associated
Press. Berman said the agency will
begin distributing the drugs "over the next
couple of months."
On Feb. 7, Cipla offered to sell a threedrug
anti-retroviral cocktail to Doctors
Without Borders t’or $350 per person, per
year, if the aid agency agreed to distribute
it for free and took care of the legalities of
importing it. Cipla also offered to sell the
triple-combination therapy drugs to governments
for $600 per patient instead of
the $10,000 to $15,000 charged in the
United States and Europe.
The Bombay-based company says it
could manufacture the drugs cheaply becauseproduction
costs arelow in Indiaand
it makes the raw materials.
Berman along with Madrid-based pharmacist
Carmen Perez met three top Cipla
officials inBombay and said the aid agency
would integrate some of the Cipla drugs
into antiretroviral pilot programs in-10
countries. "We will be using these drugs in
thesepilotprograms."Hedeclined toname
the 10 countries, but said the program had
already begun in Thailand and Cameroon. -
Berman said drug authorities from the
United States, Australia, South Africa and
Germany had visited the Cipla plant and
certified standards.
A joint statement by Doctors Without
Bordersand Cipla said: "Governments of
developing countries canimmediately take
advantage of the offer... This offer is
available without restrictions in time, geography
or quantity."
The Cipla offer raised concerns Lhat
patent laws may be breached in some
countries. In South Africa, 42 pharmaceutical
comparfies have filed a lawsuit to
prevent the government from distributing
genericAIDS drugs becuase it~nay violate
World Trade Organization rules.
Under theWTOrules, governments can
issue compulsory licenses that allow genetic
drugs to be manufactured if they
declare a national health emergency.
The AIDS cocktail on offer consists of
two 40 milligram tablets of stavudine, two
150 milligram tablets of lamivudine and
two 200 milligram tablets of nevirapine.
: GlaxoSmithKline of Britain developed
: lamivudine, also known as Heptovir, ~ihd
: Boehringer Ingelheim of Germany holds
¯ the rights to nevirapine under the name
¯" Viramune. Bristol-Myers Squibb holds the
~ international patent on siavudine.
The companies have been negotiating
deals with individual governments to lower
prices. Boehringerrecentlylowered prices
by 80%. GlaxoSmithKline announced that
¯ it wouldlowerprices by 90%for nonprofit
Im
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Power
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Public Service Company of Oklahoma
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SPIRITUAL
No More Tithes, Offerings, or Special
Gifts Until Churches End Their False
Teachings Against God’s Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender Children
Make Every Sunday Your
"Faithful Dissenter Sunday"
VIOLENCE Withholding support (for even one Sunday) will
empower you and help bring truth to your
church or denomination.
Consider your situation:
(1) If your local congregation is not. fully welcoming~ fill in the blanks below and
drop it into the offering plate. Send your donation instead to the church or
organization of your choice.
(2) If your congregation is fully welcoming, but your denomination is not, withhold
the percentage (10% to 15%) that goes to your denomination.
(3) Ifyou have left a church that is not fully welcoming, consider a one-time return
visit to drop a card in the offering plate with a note explaining why.
Write a note on the back or add a letter to explain your actions-lovingly.
Do lustice. See your spirit renewed and your church transformed.
Let us include you on our Honor Roll ofFaithful Dissenters. ,
Send your name or initials with a brief account to: HonorRoll@sou]force.org
For centuries, anti-homosexual religious teachings have led to
suicide, wasted lives,-discrimination and violence.
I am withholding my gifts until God’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender children are fully welcomed by this church and/or denomination.
Today, I amwithholding my tithe/offering/special gift (or portion
thereof) from and contributing it
to because it welcomes and provides
serAces to ~God’s chiMren equally.-~-~--~~
as much my moral obligation not to cooperate with evil as it is to
cooperate with good."- Ga~9m
This bulletin insert is provided by Soulforce as part of its
"Stop Spiritual Violence" campaign.
your speci~needs! 800-559-1558 ~n~-~.NewNest.com
agencies - effectively matching the Cipla
offer.
Cipla Chairman Yusuf Hamied said he
welcomed moves by multinational companies
to slash prices. "Since our initial
outburst, things are moving in a positive
direction. That is very satisfying,"Hamied
said in an interview over the phone.
Merck Begins
Vaccine Trials
NEW YORK (AP) - Pharmaceutical
manufacturer Merck & Co. has begun a
small-scale human trial of a new experimental
HIV vaccine, TheWall StreetJournal
reported at the end of February.
The new vaccine has been able to prevent
laboratory monkeys exposed to an
extremely vindent strain of the disease
from contracting it, sources close to the
trials told the Journal. This has AIDS scientists
watching the results of the trials
very dosdy. The company would not discuss
the details of the laboratory trials, but
did say it began testing the vaccine in
healthy, uninfected volunteers last week.
The drug is not the firstpossible vaccine
to go into human trials. At least a d~iten
.other companies are currently experimenting
with a possible vaccine, but scientists
familiar with the Merck trials say that their
drug is among the most promismg.
Merck official said they were reluctant
to release any details regarding the trials
before making a.formal presentation at a
scientific forum in April, lest publicity
raise false hopes.
Priest Challenges
Drug Companies
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Expanding an
international campaign to make AIDS
drugs affordable in the poorest nations, an
American priest who works with HIVpositive
orphans in Kenya said he planned
to import cheap, generic medicines from
India,
Importing the drugs, which are the
equivalents of patented medicines, is_illegal
in Kenya. However, the bigger fight
for the Rev. Angelo D’Agostino could
comefrom pharmaceutical companies who
own patents on the drugs.
What D’Agostino fears is a lawsuit in
Kenyalike the one42pharmaceutical companies
filed in South Africa to prevent that
government from distributing generic
AIDS drugs. "I am sick and tired of doing
funerals," said D’Agostino, who rims-the
Nyumbani Orphanage, home to 70 HIVpositive
orphans. He also treats 150 to 200
children living nearby.
The orphanage recently received private
donations to buy drugs, but brandname
medications cost $500 a month per
child, D’Agostino said. A generic equivalent
offered by the Bombay, India-based
Cipla Ltd. would cost the orphanage $20 a
month per child.
There are legal loopholes D’Agostino
could use to bring the drugs into Kenya,
but they only provide for a small amount.
And besides, his plan to go to India, buy
the drugs and bring them back for his
orphans seems feasible. Kenya’s minister
for public health, Dr. Sam Ongeri, said he
doesn’t expect the government to stop
D’Agostino. Also, Ongeri noted, the government
is expected to pass a bill in parliament
next month that would allow aid
agencies to legally import generic drugs.
The obstacle, Ongeri said, will likely be
the drug companies. "The pharmaceutical
industry should rise to the occasion and
drop their prices in good time before we
getto a level of (political) crisis," he said.
One in eight Kenyans between the ages
of 15and 49 are HIV positive, Ongeri said.
Providing them with the patented drugs
wouldcostbetween $141 millionand $167
million - more than the country’s entire
annual health budget of $115 million.
Cipla offered to sdl Doctors Without
Borders the anti-AIDS cocktailifthe group
agreed to distribute itforfreeandtook care
of the legalities of importing it. The group
has agreed to help D’Agostino obtain the
drugs.
GlaxoSmithYdine declined to comment
on D’Agostino’s plan. However, in announcing
the company’s earnings,
GlaxoSmithKline chief executive Jean-
Pierre Gamier said patents are not the
obstacle to supplying developing countries
with medicines - poverty and weak
health care systems are.
Requests for commentfrom Boehringer
and Bristol-Myers Squibb were not answered.
However, a Boehringer spokesman
asked about Cipla earlier this month
said "intellectual property rights should be
protected."
GlaxoSmithKline
Has 13% Profit Rise
LONDON (AP) - Strong sales for its respiratory,
antiviral andcentral-nervous-system
drugs helped boost GlaxoSmithKline
PLCprofits by 13%last year, thecompany
announced recently. Pretax profit for the
year ending Dec. 31 was 5.33 billion
pounds ($7.73 billion).
Theresults "demonstrate that in the new
company, we have underlying strength
which wasn’t slowed by the long preg~
nancy pause of the merger," said CEO
Jean-Pierre Gamier.
Antivirals - including the company’s
HIV treatments - rose 15%. Sales of the
firm’s HIV drugs grew 14%.
Pfizer Distributing
Free AIDS Drug
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -
TheU.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Corp.
said Wednesday it will soon begin distributing
the drug Diflucan free to HIV and
AIDS patients at government hospitals
and clinics. Distribution of the drug will
begin "within the next few weeks," ajoint
statement from the health department and
Pfizer said.
The departr~ent removed a roadblock to
the distribution by approving Diflucan for
the treatment of esophageal candidiasis, a
fungal infection of the throat that occurs in
¯ up_to~4-0% of AIDS patients. The drug,
genetically known as Fluconazole, is already
used in South Africa as treatment for
cryptococcal meningitis, an infection of
the brain that occurs in 10% of AIDS
patients.
by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor
Happy Spring Equinox! -Also known as
Easter, takenfrom thenameof aPhoenician
goddess offertility,Oestre or Ostara, from
whence we get the imagery of bunnies and
eggs. The hare was an animal sacred to
many goddesses, and the egg was symbolic
of the cycles of life, ~e cosmos, as
wellas eternity. Inmany
prechristian cultures,
this was also the time
for the rebirth of the solar
god, of which the
latest was Jesus. This is
the time many scholars
say he was" actually
born. Sothere’ s the little
bit of learning channel
info for the month - let
it never be said that this
column is not educational.
Well, Tannhauser
was certainly an event
not to be missed. Lovely
voices, deeply symbolic
staging and sets, and
some laughable and
fabulous costumes. And
that was just the audience! Actually,
Wagner’s 3+ hour long gnashing of teeth
and clLristian guilffest was agonizing in
terms of plot, but beautiful in terfns of the
caliber of talent and voice.
Oh, and pity the fella that dates someone
who wants to major in costume design, all
you’ll hear about is how people look, what
they wore, and why they shouldn’t wear it.
It was a toss up between who was more
superficial - the characters onstage or the
one critiquing everyone else’s superficialities.
I mean, who the hell cares whether
apatron wore a dress that was too big in the
bosom for the equipment she had to put in
- it? Itmay be it’s a dress a friend loanedher
since she couldn’t afford a dress of her
own and she had to make do! Certainly not
worth a 30 minute diatribe on the evils of
wearing a dress too big for your bust.
Oh, and I love attending cultural events
in Tulsa - where the woman next to me
kept sniffing- wetly andnoisily- throughout
the show. I cut slack for that- and her
hOrrifically noisy nose-blowing-because
if you’re sick, you’re sick. BUT STAY
HOME! However, when she started chewing
gum with her mouth open and smacking
like a cannon, I’d had enough. They
left after the second act, I don’tknow why.
.. Andthen there was the3 year oldbehind
~ us - who was incessantly noisy and irkstme,
simply because she could be. The
child was driving both I and my companion
to distraction Finally, she started smacking
On candy - loudly, noisily, and obnoxiously.
I spoke to theparents, who thenhad
a heated exchange in a foreign language.
They too left after the second act. It is very
interesting that an event can be so easily
eclipsed by the actions of inconsiderate
audience members.
Stomp, on the other hand, was a wonderfully
engaging and humorously magi.’-
cal romp wherein the cast created.musac
from the most unlikely of objects. I will
¯ never look at aplastic bag again as merely
¯ abag. The cast was amazingly diverse, and
¯ immensely handsomeandbeautiful in their
¯¯ ownways. Infact, itwas ashow where one
would expect a bunch of athletic dancers,
¯ and the people in the cast were refresh-
- ingly real - and hll the more beautiful for
¯ it. And it was a rousing evening, marred
only by the occurrence
several times of
people’s cell phones -
not part of the act - and
some who amazingly,
held conversations
while the show was going
on. Lovely invention,
the cell phone. Allows
for intrusive rudeness
at an unprecedented
level on a massive
scale. The inventor,
as well as the users,
should all be burnt at
the stake. But that’s just
my opinion. Apparently
these people have not
the intelligence to figure
out what the OFF
button is for; or don’t
¯ have the basic intelligence to leave the
~ danm thing in the car, if you can’t figure
¯ out how to work it.
¯ Cirque De Soleil (CDC), the utterly
¯ amazing acrobatic troupe, has put some of
its acts together with a story, and created
" "Journey Of Man," an IMAX 3D film
¯ opening in Tulsa March 9. The film fol-
¯ lows the stages of human development
¯ from birth to maturity celebrating the hu- ¯
man spirit. The film was recently honored
¯ by the Giant Screen Theatre Association
¯ as the Best Film of 200; and if you’ve
¯ never.seen Cirque De Soleil, I can’t urge
; you enough to take in this flick. You will
¯ be amazed at what some of the folks can
do. I look forward to seeing this film, as it
¯ promises to be the next best thing to actually
being at a CDC performance.
If you love tap dance and beautiful men,
¯ then Tap Dogs is well worth the price of
: the DVD or Video. About the same vin-
¯ tage as Stomp,it is a festival of percussion
¯ and music featuring tap dance, and would
¯ be well worth seeing just to marvel and ¯
what these dancers can do.
¯ Andin the latest on the wonderful world
¯ of Nicksiana,. Stevie’s album has been
pushed back to early May alas. "Singles
should start appearing on radio in April,
though, and the new album is generating
rave reviews. Lending voices to the album
are Sarah McLachlan, Macy Gray (that
should be interesting), one of the Dixie
Chicks, and Sheryl Crow. I still think she
and Melissa Etheridge should do a duet; I
would be incredibly powerful. Oh well,
next album...
Thefinal concertofthe 2000-2001 Tulsa
Philharmonic Lollipops Scries will bepresented
Sunday, March 18, 2001, at 2pro in
theWalter Arts Center atThe Holland Hall
School. Maestro Edwin Outwater has
planned a concert entitled "Music on the
Move," with music depicting all forms of
movement see Amuse, p. 9
"...Well, Tannhauser was
certainly an event not to be
missed. Lovely voices, deeply
symbolle sta~in~ and sets,
and some laughable and
fabulous costumes. And that
was just the audlenee!
Actually, Wagner’s 3+ hour
lon~ ~nashln~ of teeth and
Christian guiltfest was
a~onlzln~ in terms of plot,
but beautiful in terms
of the eallber of
talent and volee...."
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 appointmenls are available.
Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC
.Certified Public Accountant
a professional corporation
Lesbians and Gay men face many special
tax situations whether ,single or as couples.
Electronic filing is available for faster refunds.
747 - 5466
4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135
The University of Tulsa
Bisexual/Lesbian/
Gay/Transgendered Alliance
presents their
Annual Film Festival
Evenings on April 6 & 7
Sunday afternoon, April 8
TU Campus, 6th& Delaware
Selected titles:
Westler, Summer in-My Veins,
High Art and more.
Exact times and auditoriums to be announced in next
issueand will be available at the Community Center.
"Plastic Jesus" by Poppy Z. Brite the record charts and the covers of
reviewed by Barry Hensley : teenybopper magazines as the rock group
What would happen if a cutting edge " The Kydds.
author wrote a fictional account of the ¯ WhenHaroldismurderedbyroughtrade,
loving, sexual relationship between Elvis " Seth and Peyton begin their inevitable,
and Colonel Tom Parker? I’ll bet there " loving, sexual relationship. A couple of
would be charges of
blasphemy, calls for
boycotts against the
publisher and death
threats to the author.
Fortunately, author
Poppy Z. Brite has
chosen, notElvis, but
the Beatles to take
down the lavender
road, and their fans
seem to be much
more understanding,
since not a peep of
protest has been heard about this fanciful
romance between the icons we know as
Paul and John.
Ourstory starts, surprise(!), with a shooting
onacoldNew Yorknight. Seth Grealy,
fading rock star, hits the sidewalk in a
spreading pool of blood. A woman in the
horrified crowd recognizes him and takes
the opportunity to scoop up ablood soaked
piece of paper, quickly running away with
the priceless souvenir. The murderer turns
out to be a Christian Fundamentalist who
assumed Seth was spreading AIDS.
Looking back on Seth’s early years in
rural England, we discover him jamming
at a local club with friends, particularly
guitarist Peyton Masters. They are being
closely observed by Gay record manager
Harold Loomis. Well, you guessed it!
UnderHarold’s careful guidance, the boys,
plus two friends, quickly rise to the top of
and transportation. The concert begins at
2pm with pre-performance activities, Including
a musical petting zoo and other
special surprises, beginning at 1:15pro. In
this gravity-defying concert, Maestro
Outwater and the Tulsa Philharmonic will
present music that’ s really "going places,"
including Leroy Anderson’s Horse and
Buggy, Johann Strauss, Pleasure Train
Polka, Eduard Strauss, Skater’s Waltz,
and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov,s Flight of
the Bumblebee. With the help of a special
conductor’s assistant giving introductions
to each of the orchestra’s instrument families,
this concert combines the best of
entertainment and education.
With combined sales approaching the
300,000 mark, Robin Spielberg is one of
today’s most popular and prolific contemporary
pianist/composers. On March 25,
2001, she will perform what promises to
be amost memorable evening Of her spellbinding
compositions on the Steinway piano
at The Tulsa Performing Arts Center.
The evening will include Ms. Spielberg’s
compelling and oftenhumorous story-telling
and feature new works from her latest
CD, Dreaming of Summer. The concert
will begin at 3pro Ms. Spielberg will
autographCDs and sheet music following
the performance. Theconcert is madepossible
in part by a grant from the Tulsa
"...What would-happen if a
euttlng edge author wrote a
fietlonal aee0unt of the loving,
sexual relationship between
Elvis and_Colonel Tom
Parker? . . . Fortunately,
author...Brlte has chosen,
not Elvis, but the Beatles..."
years later, in 1969,
the Stonewall riots in
New York City inspire
Sethand Pe.yton
to wander rnto
Greenwich Village,
giving interviews revealing
their relationship.
A Newsweek
cover, chronicling
their love for each
other, soon follows,
as does a marriage
ceremony in Holland.
The boys have conveniently forgotten
to tell their bandmates about all of this
and The Kydds are soon history. Fame
proves exhausting, and Seth and Peyton
soon slip into semi,retirement until Seth’s
untimely murder.
HOW different things might have been if
Paul and John had really followed this
path! In the author’s afterword, Brite comments,
"I have always believed the world
would be a better place today if John and
Paul had been lovers. Yes, I know they
weren’t Gay. That has nothing to do with
it. This is fantasy." But what an intriguing
fantasy it is t ffyou enjoy wishful thinking,
check out Plastic Jesus and find out what
might have been.
Check for Plastic Jesus at your local
library, or call 596-7966 to get a copy.
Barry Hensley is a librarian with Tulsa
City-County Library System.
Performing Arts Center Trust Ms.
Spielberg has recorded nine CDs, performed
two sold-outconcerts at Weill Hall
at Carnegie Hall, toured the country an
concert and has made numerous television
appearances, including features/interviews
and performances on "CBS-This Morning"
and "LifeTime Live," and "ABC
News." Spielberg’s music has also been
featured on scores of radio programs, and
her work in music & healing has received
attention in Parenting magazine, The New
York Times, and The Washington Post.
Robin Spielberg-will perform at Tulsa
Performing Arts Center on March25,2001
at 3pro. Tickets can be purchased by calling
918/596-7111. Tickets are $12, and
$10 for seniors & students. More information
on Robin Spielberg and her recordings,
can be found on the world wide web
at www.robinspielberg.com
The2000-2001 Tulsa Philharmonic Pops
Series-continues with guest star Roger
Williams on Friday, March 9, 2001, and
Saturday, M~ch 10, 2001. This consummate
entertainer conducts and performs
on this memorableprogram. Performances
will be presented at 8pm in the Chapman
Music Hall of the Tulsa Performing Arts
Center. Playing the music that has served
as the soundtrack of three generations,
Williams will tickle the ivories with such
favorites as Autumn Leaves, Talk to the
Animals, From a Distance, and a medley
including Feelings and Chariots of Fire.
Gay Studies: Pilgrimage
by Lament Lindstrom
"Nasir," I once asked my Gay Malaysian
friend, "are you ever going on the hadj?"
This is the fifth pillar of Islam - the duty of
all good Muslims to worship
in Mecca at least once
in life. "Maybe," he said,
"when I’m older. But noW"
I’m having too much fun as
a Gay pilgrim in America."
Gay pilgrims came to
mind last month when I
walked down Ocean Drive
in South Beach. There, up
ahead, shining brightly in
the Miami sunshine was
Gianni Versace’s weddingcake
mansion sporting a
modestly phallic observatory
dome. Andthere, at the
footofthosefamously once
bloodstained steps, were the
Gay pilgrims fervently
snapping pictures. Some of
these, no doubt, were fash-
¯ studied- still demand that devotees make
: weekly pilgrimages down to the coastal
¯ village where the Movement is headquar-
¯ tered. There, these pilgrims worship at the
¯¯ Movement’s spiritual center, their physical
presence a marker of
their fidelity.
Thepilgrimage- sacred
traveling - knots together
identity and place. Sacred
travd reminds us of who,
what, and why we are.
Today’s nation-states,
which in part modeled
themselves on medieval
religious institutions, borrowed
rituals of pilgrimage.
The U.S., for example,
is splattered with large
numbers of National
Monuments and National
Historic Sites that we
should visit in order to
learn about ourselves. The
Alamo, Mount Vernon,
Gettysburg, the Arizona Memorial, and
many more. These places are all much like
church. Any rude chatter, hoofing, or
hollering will quickly attract shushing
guardians, of these politically sacred pilgrimage
sites.
Most of these places, of course, commemorate
mainstream, white-bread
America. Still, multicultural politics have
boosted the visibility, nowadays, of minority
histories. African-Americans tour
the birthplace of George Washington
Carver in Diamond, Missouri. Japanese-
Americans pilgrims drive out to Tule Lake
in Modoc County, California, site of a
WW2 internment camp. Jewish-Americans
visit the monument to Revolutionary
War financier Haym Solomon in Queens,
New York. Feminists pay homage at the
Suffragette Memorial inWashington, DC.
But what of Gay and Lesbian pilgrims?
Where might we go?
" ’Naslr,’
I once asked . . . ’are
you ever going
on the bade’. ,.
- the duty of all good
Muslims to
worship in Mecca at
least once in life.
’Maybes’ he said, ’when
I’m older. But now I’m
having too much fun
as a Gay pilgrim
in Amerlea.’ "
ion pilgrims. But others, like me, were
there in reverence of the lingering spectacle
of Versace’s and Cunanan’s deadly
homosexual encounter.
Pilgrims. The word derives from old
Latin roots meaning "across the field"
which came to refer to traveling in fol:,eigu
parts. Organized religions have profited
by regularizing the pilgrimage. Besides
the Islamic ’hadj,’- Roman Catholic Popes
beginning in 1300 have declared Jubilee
years, inostly recently Armo Santo 2000,
during which visitors to Rome may rack
up spintual blessing points:
In pre-industrial and pre-literate social
orders, communication between religious
leaders and followers demanded physical
mobility. There was no TV, no radio, no
newspapers. Instead, one had to travel to
the source to hear and see in person. Leaders
of the John Frum Movement- ahomegrown
South Pacific religion that I once
the Tulsa chapter has identified a number
of areas in which to improve. These range
from adding more Spanish speaking staff
or volunteers to help in disaster relief to a
new program in development to create a
diversity curriculum in area high schools
to address the challenges Lesbian~and Gay
young people face. The group has offered
a tolerance curriculum for some time but
this new program which is being developed
with a local Unitarian church, and
With input from Youth Services of Tulsa
and PFLAG, is explicit in addressing anti-
Gay attitudes, noted Bowen. Dahl added
thatthenew program specifically has board
support.
Dahl and his colleagues expressed frustration
at the negative reputation which
their part oftheRed Cross has for anti-Gay
bias based on the ban on blood donations
by any man who has had sex with another
man since 1980. Many are not awar9 that
the American Red Cross Blood Services
have a separate director and board even
though they share theirname and building.
The policy is not set by the Red Cross but
by theFederal Drug Administration (FDA)
which recently reviewed the ban and reendorsed
it. Gay civil rights activists have
argued that a ban based on group status
rather than on risk factors is biased and
while might have beenappropriate in the
earliest years of the HIV/AIDS pandemic,
is no longer good science.
However, Dahl acknowledged that the
Red Cross might be more active in challenging
the policy, and noted that individual
chapters may sponsorresolutions at
their national meetings. The Tulsa chapter
has a resolution addressing bias against
the Jewish equivalent of the Red Cross
which has yet to be accorded equal status
as Muslim and other groups. Dalai indicated
that the Tulsa chapter might address
the blood donation restrictions issue in a
similar fashion.
For more information about volunteering
Or American Red Cross diversity efforts,
contact Dannette Mclntosh, Tulsa
Area Chapter diversity coordinator, 918-
831-1215.
Want to save Money and
Help Build a Community Center?
Switch to Rainbow Communications
Long Distance and More, 10% of Revenues Will Benefit
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
Capital Campaign and General Fund
For more information,
call 665-3401 or evenings at 447-8602.
T )C Tulsa Oratorio Chorus
COUNCIL o
KAMCHATKA
Sunday, March 11, 7:30pm, $10
Holy Family Cathedral, 122 W. Eight, 748-3888
Drummers of Japan
March 4
7:30 p.m.
Chapman Music Hall
Tulsa Performing Arts Center
3rd & Cincinnati
Tickets
$17.50, $27.50, $35
Call. 596-7111
Outside Tulsa:
1 800 364-7111
www.tulsapac.com
presented by the
Tulsa PAC Trust
"Perfection n music"
Boston Globe
"Total brain massage"
Independent on Sunday
"... waves of percussive
sound that seemed to turn
Carnegie Hall itself into a
resonant cavity ..."
New York Times
IGTA member
Call 341, 6866
lntem ational
Tours or oreWor t o,.
TULSA COUNTY
DEMOCRATIC
PARTY
Country Club Barbering
Custom Stylingfor Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, T,nes.-Fri.,. 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm
Tulsa’s only
professional
body-piercing
. College Hill
Presbyterian Church
In response to God’s Love,
College Hill Presbyterian Church
is a community of God’s people
called to tell others the
Gospel of Jesus Christ
through worship,
service, and evangelism.
To nurture our faith, we gather for
worship, prayer,
stud~ and fellowship.
Trusting in a living, loving God,
we seek to become a compassionate
voice for peace and justice.
Our congregation welcomes all
persons who respohd in trust and
obedience to God’s grace
in Jesus Christ, and desire to become
pai-t of the membership and ministry
of Christ’s church.
Membership is open to all people
regardless of race, ethnic origin,
worldly condition, marital status, or
sexual orientation.
Sunday Worship 1 lam
712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800
(One block west of Delaware and the
University of Tulsa Campus)
by Karin Gregory
Super Bowl Sunday is way behind us,
butmy heart feels like the football: kicked,
stomped, beaten, thrown, punted. Oh, and
abandoned. We must never forget abandoned.
So abandoned that I spent
Valentine’ s Day withmyroommate’ s dog.
And I thought the Irish had luck! Oh, right
- I confused that withmy father tellingme
that everything a Gregory touches turns to.
.. to.., well, it certainly ain’t gold. After
44 years of running from love in all shapes
and forms, I smacked dead into it with the
arrival of a woman who, apparently,
thought I was just a novelty.
OK, you’re saying, "But what did the
raging Lesbian expect?" With all my Gay
male friends falling in and out of love as
quickly as they change their clothes, you’d
think I’d have learned, at least by proxy.
But nooooo - I believed that women were
different from men.
So I plunged in with eyes wide shut,
listening to a voice from God telling me
things no MAN had ever said. Or maybe I
just wasn’t interested enough to listen until
now. She said she was a very physical
person, and the woman involved with her
had to love sexas much as she. Saying a
silent, "Thank you, God!", I watched her
beautiful eyes look back at me and all I
could do (since by now my blood had
rushed DOWN from my head) was to
wonder, "Whatdoes she see inme?"Maybe
because I’m a newbie, or maybe because
I’ve been around the Gay community for
so long, I have no problem showing affection.
Holding hands in the open, arms
around each other, kissing on a public
residential street in Dallas felt, for the first
time in my life, natural. When she told me
she wanted me to spend a weekend with
her after we’djust met a few hours before,
did I balk? Hell, no! And that IS a first for
me!
I know it was hormonal in the beginning.
When I tried to be straight for so
many years, I found kissing a man to be
extremely strange. Atfirstteethuponteeth,
inadequacy on my part, as well as detachment,
until it degenerated into making my
grocery list in my head while his tongue
was in my throat. Blech! But this! I just
assumed I never got it- the fireworks, etc.
That first night on the street with her, I felt
the full light show, complete with thunder
andearth-shattering enlightenment I should
have felt about 20 years ago. I must confess
that kiss was so powerful that I gave
$5 to a panhandler on my way home. He
probably sits at that exact corner every
night waiting to catch happy Lesbians on
their way home.
Although I knew it was Lesbian lust, I
trudged blindly ahead, not knowing or
caring what the future held, but damned
determined to enjoy every minute of it.
And enjgy I did in October with this same
woman in South Texas who spoke to me
romantically. I left with a VERY healthy
ego, and got a hint of what it must be like
to be a straight man. I also left with the
promise of another weekend the next
month, this time at my place. She kept up
this farce, even singing to me on my birthday.
Then the phone calls stopped, emails
became fewer and fewer, you know the
drill. At last came the inevitable -the
"Dear Jane" letter. You know that one -
the one that says she hopes wE’ll be friends
for a long time to come. Theone that’s the
very LAST message she sends. I’m sure
you’ve seen wildlife shows with the charging
rhino who suddenly forgets the target
he’s charging. Well, consider this woman
a charging rhino. Or maybe I’m that forgettable.
Or maybe she’s just a bitch.
My astute friend Jim tells me, after I’ve
called, written, and emailed to no avail,
that silence is my .answer. I like that - as
applied toANYONEelse but me! MyGay
male roommate says, "She just wanted to
get you into bed." Men - you can’t live
with ’em... pass the beer nuts!
Now I understand my friends who just
can’t seem to get over that relationship that
everyone around them knew was doomed
frbm the beginning. All my "forget about
him/hers" sound even emptier than they
must have to my friends. You know, it
hurts to remember; but it hurts more to
forget.
Have there been others since my experience?
There’ s the olderwomanwhobought
my dining room table and chairs. She got
into some financial trouble shortly afterward
and I "loaned" her the same amount.
She got more than that, too, one night
shortly afterward. Have I heard from her
since? Oh, why don’t you decide? Doesit
seem that I have a sign across my forehead
saying,"Horny Lesbian- Will Apparendy
Do Anything For Sex. PLEASE Fold,
Spindle, And Mutilate When Finished"?
But even after spending my twentysixth
Valentine’s Day in arow listening to
Janis Ian’s "At Seventeen", I still believe
in the romantic future. And in the luck of
the Irish. And that there really IS a pot of
gold at the end of the rainbow. Maybe this
Gregory will be lucky enough, come St.
Paddy’s Day, to believe that what she
touches can turn to gold. or at least believe
in love again. THAT would be lucky.
Karin Gregory is a Fort Worth-based
writer.
organizers note that the $50 fee will
cover bunk-room style lodging, meals on
Saturday and Sunday breakfast but that
some financial assistance is available for
those for whom the fee is too much. However,
they do emphasize that the deadline
is March 1 lth.
For more information, contact College
Hill Presbyterian Church, 712 S. Columbia,
Tulsa 74104, or call 592-5800.
Men’s Group. This program is d~signed
to assist men to learn ~t~m safe sex practices,
relationships, ~dotl~erissues. Meetings
will take place_~..~a~ Thursday night
at 7pm. :. _ .
FriMore
Lig ht
PR S B YT E R IAN S
RE:CONNECTING
BODY + SPIRIT
March 16-18 at the historic and.
beautifully wooded Dwight Mission.
A Weekend Retreat about
Spirituality, Sexuality and
Building Relationships to Last A Lifetime...
This LGBT specific event seeks to help individuals marginalized by repressive church policies around matters
of sexuality. The event seeks to re-connect spirituality with identity to help build an inclusive faith community.
Friday evening will be a get acquainted time. Saturday will combine fellowship at meals with workshops from
"Religion and Spirituality: Our Images of God," to "Discovering and Making the Connections between Sexuality
and Spirituality." Sunday morning worship follows breakfast. The $50 fee will cover bunk-room style lodging,
meals on Saturday and Sunday breakfast. Financial assistance is available.
The deadline is March 11th.
College Hill Presbyterian Church, 712 S. Columbia, Tulsa 74104, 592-5800
Original Format
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periodical
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[2001] Tulsa Family News, March 2001; Volume 8, Issue 3
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
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Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
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Tulsa Family News
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
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Tom Neal
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March 2001
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James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
MAry Schepers
Highston Walkinshaw
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Tulsa Family News, February 2001; Volume 8, Issue 3
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English
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/610
2001
advocacy
AIDS
AIDS drugs
arts and entertainment
Boy Scouts
businesses
churches
College Hill Presbyterian Church
discrimination
Elton John
Eminem
gay bashing
Gay/Straight Alliance
George W. Bush
Glaxo SmithKline
hate crimes
HIV
HIV testing
Karen Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
LGBT police
Merck and Co.
military inclusion
Murder
Openarms Youth Project
Partner Benefits
performing arts
Pfizer
Presbyterian Church
Raging Lesbian
Red Cross
Red Rock Tulsa
restaurants
Soulforce
STDs
the closet
tolerance curriculum
Tom Neal
TU Bisexual/Lesbian/Gay/Transgendered Alliance
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
United Way
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/f061325d38e6da549e9a56e4b036c108.jpg
388c9d4d13c234452b45ff6df2aace45
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f42a616a6a5cc6fecfeb4cec27576541
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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trkansas’Sodomy’
atute Challenged
LITI’LE ROCK (AP) - A judge heard motions for a
judgment in a lawsuit filed by a group challenging the
state’s anti-sodomy law in late January.
Last February, Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge
David Bogard rejected arguments that the state had
sovereign immunity from lawsuits. He cited an exception
allowing officials to be sued in their official capacity
when the remedy sought is injunctive rdief. Bogard
dropped Attorney General Mark Pryor as a defendant
but said the group challenging the 1977 law could
proceed with its suit-against local prosecutors.
Both sideshavefiledmotions for snmmaryjudgment,
asking Bogard to decide the case on the basis of briefs
and affidavits without the need for a trial.
Seven Arkansans sued Pryor and local,prosecutors,
including Larry Jegley, in an attempt to vold the 1aw that
prohibits certain sexual conduct see Law, p. 3
COMC and Tulsa Oratorio
to Host Russian Choir
TULSA - The Kamchatka Vocal Ensemble will perform
contemporary works, ancient liturgical music and
Russian folk songs at Holy Family Cathedral on Sunday,
March 11, at 7:30 pm. The Council Oak Men’ s
Chorale and Tulsa Oratorio Chorus havejoined to bring
this exceptional world-class ensemble for one performance
only.
Kamchatka Vocal Ensemble was founded in 1967 in
Petropavlovsk, Kanchatski, and is famous in Russia for
their high quality performances of challenging work.
Fromthe masterpieces of Rachmaninoff, sacred liturgical
pieces to native songs of the far east masterfully
arranged by its artistic director, Evgeny Morozov,
Kamchatka’s repertoire exemplifies the Russian experience.
The ensemble is a featured choir performing for
the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA)
national convention in San Antonio, Texas.
A. PozdnyakoV, Professor at Gnessin Russian Academy
of Music, aptly described the group in a recent
review, "listening to Kamchatka Vocal Ensemble,it is
difficult to believe it is a community choir. Its harmony
and pureness of sound, the tonal balance ofparts, all are
impeccable. A subtle musician and a master of his art,
Evgeny Morozov, has managed to put a superb performing
group inKamchatka, thoughit is appreciated as
one of the best choirs within Russia."
Ill DIRECTORY P. 2
~ EDITORIAL P. 3
US & WORLD NEWS P. 4
~.~ HEALTH NEWS P. 6
Z ENTERTAINMENT P, 8
GAY STUDIES P. 10
Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
Gay Folk + Friends March
In M. L. King, Jr. Parade
Soulforce in Oklahoma at theparade
TU’s BLGTAlliance marched as well as Tulsa PFLAG.
Ambassador Hormel Opposes
! TOHR n. February:
Black +iGay in Tulsa
TULSA - On Tuesday, February 13, Tulsa Oklahomarts
forHumanRights (TOHR) will hold its monthly
meeting at the Gay Community Center at 7pro. The
speaker will be Derrick Davis, longtime HIV/AIDS
educator, speaking about being African-American
and Gay in Tulsa.
TOHR will also hold the Wild Hearts Ball on
Saturday, Feb. 17, 8-miduight at Tulsa’s historical
Brady Mansion at 620 N. Denver. Tickets are $15 in
advance, $20 at the door and are available at the
Community Center, 2114 S. Memorial, 743-4297,
Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15th, on Cherry Street and at
Tulsa Floral Design in Brookside at 3404 S. Peoria.
Proceeds from the event will benefit The Pyramid
Project, the effort to build or buy a permanent home
for Tulsa’s Gay commtmity center.
Speaking of which,TOHR’ s board of directors has
voted to amend the name of the commtmity center to
The Tulsa Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender
Community Center. (editor’ s note: TFN will respectfully
abbreviate this when possible to LGBT Community
Center or just Community Center).
see TOHR, p. 3
Ashcroft as Attorney General
WASHINGTON (AP) - James Hormel, who became the first
openly Gay U.S. ambassador over the objections of then-Sen.
John Ashcroft and others, is retttming fire in urging the Senate to
reject Ashcroft’ s nomination as attorney general.
"I get no satisfaction from this," Hormel told The Associated
Press. "I am extremely disturbed that he was nominated for this
very sensitive post, and it concerns me greatly that he might be
serving as attorney general, given his stated positions on a variety
of issues."
The controversy over the nominee’s stand on Gay civil rights
issues widened at the end of January, when a health care expert
said Ashcroft asked him about his sexual orientation during a
1985 job interview. Ashcroft at the time was governor of Missouri
and the applicant, Paul Offner, was applying for a statejob.
"His first question was, ’Do you have the same sexual preference
as most men,’" Offner, of Georgetown University, told
.~ WTOP radio in Washington Thursday. "I was stunned. He
¯¯ launched fight into it." Offner’s story was first reported in The
Washington Post.
¯ Asheroft told his confirmation hearings that he has not dis-
" criminated against Gays while serving as governor and senator,
¯ andwouldnot consider sexual orientation in hirings at the Justice ¯
Department.
¯ Offner said Ashcroft’ s statement "certainly didn’ t seem to be
¯ true in my case." He said he contacted the Senate Judiciary
.. Committee about the 1985 interview. A friend of Offner, Kathy
¯ Sykes, said Offner told her about the interview right after it
¯ happened. "I remember he said, ’You won’t believe this,’"
¯ Sykes; a federal employee, said in an interview.
¯ Mindy Tucker, the Bush administration’s spokeswoman on
the Asheroft nomination, has said Ashcroft does not recall the
: meeting, nor would he begin an interview with a question about
¯ sexual orientation. ¯
Ashcroft and other conservative senators opposed the 1997
¯ nomination of Hormel to be ambassador to Luxembourg.
Tulsa Oklahomansfor Human Rights, photos: TFN
¯ Long-Term Battle. Seen
Over Gay Marriages ¯
By David Crary, AP National Writer
¯ NEW YORK - Like rival armies locked in trench
: warfare, activists supporting andopposing legal rights
¯ for same-sex couples are regrouping after bitter elec-
¯ tion campaigns and girding for future struggles that
¯ willlikely divideAmerica formany years to come. In
¯ state capitols, courthouses andcorporate boardrooms,
"_ Gay marriage and its variants - civil unions and
¯ domestic partnerships - will be an inescapable topic ¯
¯ for policy-makers, executives and religious leaders.
. In Texas, conservative legislators will try this year
¯ to make their state the 35th to adopt a law or consti-
¯ tutional amendment banning Gay marriage. In New
: York and Rhode Island, Gay lawmakers will intro~
: duce bills to legalize it.
¯ "It isn’ t going to happen overnight - there will be
¯ setbacksandright-wingbacklash,"saidEvanWoffson,
: a leading Gay civil rights lawyer with the Lambda
: Legal Defense and Education Fund. "That’s exactly
." how every civilrights movement in Americanhistory
¯ has proceeded." ¯
Last spring, Gay civil rights activists were elated
¯ when Vermont enacted its landmark civil-tmions
: law, becoming the first state to extend the rights and
¯ responsibilities of marriage to same-sex couples.
In November, Democratic Gov. Howard Dean -
¯ who signed the bill - survived an election challenge
¯ by a foe of civil unions, but more than 20 legislators
¯ who had supported the law were defeated. In Ne- ¯
braskaandNevada, ballotinitiatives proposing to ban
¯ same-sex marriage were approved with 70 percent
¯ support. ¯
"This will be along-term battle, like abortion," said
¯ Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth, a
¯ Washington, D.C., seeBattle, p. 2
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine
*CW’ s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Play-Mor, 424 S. Memorial
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica.Square
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*Schatzi’ s, 2619 S. Memorial
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool Box II, 1338 E. 3rd
*Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
*The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th
832-1269 ~
610-5323 :
838-9792 ~
744-4280 ¯
585-3405 :
745-9998 ".
280-1316
834-4234 ¯
660-G856 ~
584-1308 :
835-2376 ¯
749-1563 ¯
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Assoc. in Med: & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231. E. 41
Body Piercing by Nicoie, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21
*Borders Books.& Music, 8015 S. Yale
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
743-1000
250-5034
665-4580
712-1122
712-9955
494-2665
743-5272
746-0313
295-5868
581-0902, 743-4117
622-0700
749-3620 ".
744-5556
838-8503
369-8555
584-0337, 712-9379
592-0460
744-9595
610-0880
628-3709
808-8026
742-1460
459-9349
744-7440
745-1111
341-6866
712-2750
582-3018
747-0236
582-8460
599-8070
747-5466
585-1234
584-3112
663-5934
664-2951
838-7626
743-4297
747-5932
834-0617
834-7921, 747-4746
260-7.829
481-0558
835-5563
743-1733
665-2222
592-0767
www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays &Lesbians
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, SchOols & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579-9593
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial
Ross Edward Salon
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main
Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. P~oria
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th P1.
Cathy Furlong,-Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr.
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare
*Gloria Jean’ s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21 st
tzarme M. Gross, Insurance & financial plamaing
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly
*International Tours
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening
*Ken’ s Flowers, 1635 E.- 15
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo
*The Pride Store
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101
Richard’ s Carpet Cleaning
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors
Paul Tay, Car Salesman
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counsding
*grherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria
Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6
B/L/GiT Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr.
Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1.
Church of the RestorationUU, 1314 N.Greenwood
*Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation
Council Oak Men’s Chorale
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware
743-2363
587-7314
583-7815
583-9780
585-1201
& Florence
587-1314
747-6300
749-0595
748-3888
712-1511
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
POB 4140 Tulsa, OK 74159, e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal
Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry
Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche. Lament Lindstrom. Esther .
Rothblum. Mary Schepers. Hughston Walkinshaw
Member o! The Associated Press
Issued around the 1st of each month, the entire contents of this
publication are protected by US copyright 2001 by Tulsa
Family News and may not be reproduced either in whole or in
part without written permission from the publisher. Publica-
¯
tion of a name or photo does not indicate a person’ s sexual
orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for publication
unldsk otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes the sole
9roperty of Tulsa Family News. Each reader is entitled to 4
copies of each edition at distribution points.
Additional copies are available by calling583-1248.
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
Free SpratWomen s Center, call for location&info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
:riends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
*Tulsa c.A.R.E.S., 3507 E0 Admiral 834-4194
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
*House oftheHoly SpiritMinstries,1517 S. Memorial 224-4754
*MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral P1. 748-3111
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365~5658
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tulsa
PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
St. Aidan’ s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882
St Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
*~t. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
Soulforce-OK, Rt.4,# 3534, Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
*TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, Gay Comm. Center 743-4297
TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvocacy Coalition,POB2687,Tulsa 74101
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*Tulsa Gay Community Center, 21st&Memorial 743-4297
Unity Church of Christianity,3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
BARTLESVILLE
Bartles~cille Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
TAHLEQUAH
Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
¯ Tahlequah Unltarian-Unlversalist,_~CCCh~ur,c~h,,,,
918-456-7900
Green Country AIDS Coalition, r~D ~om 918-453-9360
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734
¯ Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main 501-253-7457
¯ DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 501-253-6807
¯ Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445
¯ MCC of the Living Spring 501-253-9337
: Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253-2776
¯ Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332
¯
Positive Idea Marketing Plans 501-624-6646
~ White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074
¯ JOPLIN, MISSOURI
¯ Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696
* is where you can find TFN. Not all are Gay-owned but allare Gay.friendly.
group th~,~ opposes legal recog~.".tion of Gay
couples. The people on our siae are every
bit as committed as the people ontheir side,"
he said.
While Nevadans must vote again in 2002
~efore that state" s constitutional amendment
takes force, the Nebraska constitutional
amendment has gone :into effect - and already
is a prime target for the Gay civil
fights movement.
The American Civil Liberties Union,
backed by other groups, is preparing a law.-
uit challenging the amendment,whichgoes
urther than other states’ laws. The amendment
bans legal recognition not only of Gay
marriage, but also domestic partnerships,
civil unions "and other similar .same-sex
relationships." - ?,.
"It’ s bee~ sold as a Defense of Marriage
amendment, but it’ s really an anti-family
maendment," said Tim Butz, executive director
of the Nebraska ACLU. "It makes it
difficult, if not impossible, for a Gay or
Lesbian family to plan for the future, for the
adoption of children, division of property."
Butz expects the legal challenge to take
several years and likely reach the U.S. Supreme
Court. "This is a national battleground
here," Butz said. "If this amendment
withstands the legal challenges we’ re going
to mount, the other side can go forward with
more confidence elsewhere."
Indeed, backers of the Nebraska amendment
are urging other states to broaden their
existing Defense of Marriage laws to address
civil unions. The aim wouldbe to deter
couples from going to Vermont for a civil
umon ceremony, then returmng home to
claim legal recognition. "Homosexual activists
have been very crafty in calling homosexual
marriage by another name," said
Guyla Mills, a leader of the campaign on
behalf of the Nebraska amendment. ’T ve
had many states contact me, interested in
doing the same .thing we did."
Mills movedafter the election to Virginia,
taking ajob with Kerusso Ministries, aChristian
group that encourages Gays to change
their sexual orientation. In a telephone interview,
she spoke repeatedly of animosity
,g,e.,n~ated during the Nebraska campaig9.
It s becoming harder and harder for people
to express any kind of opposition to the
homosexual agenda for fear of being called
hate mongers," she said. ’Tm not one to
throw in the towel... We’re going to hold
ground. We’re going to take back ground.’"
Amy Desai, a policy analyst for the conservadve
group Focus on the Family, said
proponents of Gay marriage underestimate
the grassroots opposition to their cause. "It
has been debated in ivory tower settings, by
the Holl~wood crowd, the political pundits,"
she said. "Your average morelanddad
voter, up until this point, hadn’t viewed
this as a real threat. Now they’re waking up
and saying, ’You can’ t force such a radical
i change on us without us becoming very
¯ In Texas, where state law explicidy de-
". fines marriage as between a man and a
¯ woman, some conservatives still want to
join the majority of other states in enacting
a Defense of Marriage law. State Rep. War-
; ren Chisum, who unsuccessfully sponsored
¯ similar bills see Battle, p. 11
Sound + Spirit: A Lost Opportunity
by Tom Neal, editor and publisher
¯
as well as Rebecca Ungerman who is openly Lesbian, it is "
Last weekend, Congregation B’nai Emunah, Tulsa’ s ¯ baffling not to be included. ."
Conservative branch Jewish congregation, held an un- Ungerman did perform with a wonderful group from ¯
usualconcert,"SacredLove, SoundandSpirit",hosted, as
¯ B’ nai Emunah, Kolot, whoseperformance was ahi ghlight "
is the radio show of the same name (Sound & Spirit) by : of the concert. But that group hardly becomes a Lesbian ¯
Ellen Kustmer. ¯ group because of her presence. Some argued that COMC
It was a remarkable event in many ways. The sanctuary :
was full almost to capacity despite the sleety, threatening ¯
weather. The performers were many and although a few ¯
were off key, and others couldhardly be heard due to poor
soundmixing,itwas amostly sweet, almost’-’alleMensChen ,
~verden bruder" kind of event - that is unless you were ¯
Gay or Lesbian. "
As one PFLAG mom said afterwards, "it would have ¯
been perfect if they’d just had the Council Oak Mens
Chorale too..." And why not have the Chorale (COMC)? "
After all, the program was a textbook example of pro- "
forma Tulsa-style "diversity" reflecting both this town’s
strengths and its serious prejudices.
Boston Avenue Methodist represented uptight,
homophobic large white Protestant Christian churches, a
guitarist from Saint Francis Xavier/Our Lady of
Guadaloupe did double duty for Catholic Christi~ins and
Latino Tulsans, All Souls’ Youth Choir pulled in the
Unitarian-Universalists,andtwo Black choirs represented
old-line Black Christian congregations and new big-boxbuilding
evangelical/pentecostal/fundamentalists. Just to
round out our "diversity," Archie Mason, Osage flutist;
performed and the City of Tulsa Pipes and Drums (minus
the drums - just the bagpipes were present).
So where were the Gay people?
We were present in the audience. Dennis Neill, TOHR
co-founder and business associate and’family friend of
B’ nai Emunahcongregationpresident Stacy Schusterman,
attended as did Jack Wallace, a Tulsa boardmember of the
Cimarron Alliance.
It Wash’ t that Gaypeople weren’ t interestedin the event.
COMC artistic director, Rick Fortner, approached the
organizers about participating but was blown off. Now
that probably wasn’t from any malice or anti-Gay values
but rather that the organizers had already filled up their
program and there just wasn’t any time left. In fact, two
key organizers, Laura Well and Sarai Brachman Shoup
both stated that they are sympathetic to Lesbian and Gay
people.
But the problem is, fundamentally, we, Gay and Lesbian
Tulsans just weren’t on their radar. When the effort
was being made to represent Tulsa "diversity", it should
have been just as high a priority that along with Blacks,
along with Native Americans, along with Hispanics, that
Gay and Lesbian people be remembered.
Given that the special events con~nittee includes a
number of people who work with or are friendly to
Lesbians and Gay men (Terry Silver-Alford of the TU
Theater dept., Jason Brimer, and B’nai Emunah’ s rabbi),
might not properly be included because it’ s not a religious .
group though certainly muchof-its music is religious and ¯
could have fit the program. ¯
"... Gays llke Jews are not "on-sight" :
mlnor~tles - we are not known by the color "
of our skin or by an epleanthle fold but
rather by our behavior - the manifestation .
of our bellefs~ And llke Jews who have "
hlstorleally been forced to convert in order "
to avoid perseeutlon, Gays frequently are .
asked to convert, or at least to hide any .
evidence of who we are..."
However, with the inclusion of Archie Mason whose
participation was rationalized by saying" Native American
music is’ spiritual’," the organizers moved onto shaky
ground. But with the invitation to the City of Tulsa Pipes
and Drums~ a clearly non-religious group included because
allegedly the Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery of the
Presbyterian Church, USA claimed that this was "Presbyterian
music", the orgamzers hope for a consistent application
of standards for inclusion flew away.
As one Gay man who attended ~ked, why not have
invited Saint Jerome’ s choir, or Community of Hope, or
one of the other local churches who are known for their
inclusion of Lesbians and Gay men.
Organizer Sarai Brachman Shoup, on staff with the
Schusterman Family Foundation, quipped that she should
not be expected to know that there are six Christian
congregations with significant Gay membership, since
she’s Jewish.
Indeed.
Shoup’s neither a Black Christian, Native American,
nor a bagpipe player nor a Latino Catholic guitarist, and
she found those folks. It’s a much better excuse that
Shoup’s relativdy new to Tulsa as is Weil. Others on the
conmaittee should have known better.
So what now? The event is over and most everyone,
indeed, many ofTulsa’ s mostprogressive, probably thought
it was just great - wasn’t it so "diverse"? Some will
complain that this critique just spoils a lovely event.
But Gay and Lesbian Tulsans do have the right to call to
account those who wave the ~’diversity" banner when they
between people of the same gender. The seven say their
constitutional rights are being violated because similar
contact between heterosexuals is not illegal.
The state argued that because the officials named in the
lawsuit ignore the sodomy statute, they should not be
sued. A lawyer for the seven had argued that the prosecutors
were sued because they would be the key people in
deciding whether the law should be enforced.
Susan Sommer, supervising attorney for the Lambda
Legal Defense and Education Fund, said that she will
argue that Arkansas’ law "violates the right to equal
protection because it singles out Gay men and women for
cnminal puuishment and stigma for engaging in the identical
conduct that is free tO their heterosexual neighbors."
She said the state’s only justification for the law "is
perceived public moral disapproval of homosexuality."
"This is just another way of saying that because th~ public
disapproves of Gay people, it can subject them to a special
rule that applies criminal sanction to their conduct but not
to others," she said. She also said the government "should
not be peering into Arkansas bedrooms to investigate
adult consensual intimacy." She said Arkansas, Oklahoma~
Kansas and Texas are the only states that have
same-sex sodomy prohibitions in force.
Bogard said Jegley could be sued because of his authority
to determine if legal actions would be brought in his
jurisdiction.
fall short of the standards which they themselves set. And
because Gaypeople share withTulsa’ s Jewishcommunity
similarities in the condition of being minorities, it is
reasonable to expect to be treated fairlyby thatcommunity
in particular.
Gays like Jews are not "on-sight" minorities - we are
no.t known by the color of our skin orbyan epicanthic fold
but rather by our actions, our behavior - the manifestation
of our bdiefs. (Obviously, racial or ethnic minority
Lesbians’ and Gays’ identity as Gay persons is not "onsight"
even if their racial identity is.) And like Jews who
have historically been forced to convert in order to avoid
persecution, Gays frequently are asked to convert, or at
least to hide any evidence of who we are. Also like Jews,
the prejudice and discrimination we face is often minimized
by some whopoint to those in ourcornmunities who
are successful despite the obstacles.
Tulsa’ s Jewish community, although small in number,
has been particularly successful and is wall placed to do
for others who are fighting for fair treatment and equal
opportunity that which was done for them not so many
years ago. The struggle for social acceptance, an end to
restrictive property covenants, the condenmation of open
prejudice, etc. came through the efforts ofmany non-Jews
as well as the efforts of Jewish Tulsans. These are the
origins of NCCJ, now the National Conference for Community
and Justice, formerly "for Christians and Jews" in
Tulsa.
Tulsa’ s deep rooted anti-Gay prejudices are not going to
go away by themselves. And it’ s more than evident that it
takes more than the members of a particular oppressed
group to end that oppression. It tookmen to get women the
right to vote. It took whites to hdp end segregation,
Christians to help Jews, Jews to help Muslims, and it will
take all of the above to create a world in which Gay people
can live in Tulsa with the same options as all others.
But to get there, neither Tulsa Jews, nor any others who
seek to do what is right, can sit passively aside, saving
political and moral capital. Jewish voices have influence
beyond their numbers - wejust need to begin to hear them
-just as we hear the voices of non-Jews coming to the
defense of the Jewish community when it is attacked (or
even when it is offended - like with Christian symbols
inappropriately placed on a fire-station).
And imagine if at the next such concert or event, the
voices of Council Oak Mens Chorale might be heard,
perhaps even ending the event with"We Shall Overcome"
- that old spiritual which speaks to the struggle of all,
whether Jewish, or Black, or Gay to survive oppression,
whether slavery, imprisonment, bodily and psychic assault,
or Nazi horrors. Maybe even Ms. Kushner will come
back for that.
(Editor’s note: Despite misgivings about the inclusiveness
ofthis event, Tulsa Family News donated an advertisement
to the Sound & Spirit event.)
2001 board members are Kerry Lewis, president, Vance
Reed, 1st v.p., Don Glass, 2nd v.p., Curtis Evans, secretary,
Beth Persac, treasurer, Wil Bruner, men’s outreach
coordinator, Greg Gatewood,marketing coordinator, Scottie
Hale, events coordinator, David Hoot, volunteer
coordinator, Lisa Pottorf, meeting program coordinator,
and Lindsey Vandeventer and Raven Ezeel, youth outreach
coordinators.
Planned for March but yet without a set date, the Center
will host a meeting of GLEAM, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
& Transgendered Employees of American Airlines.
Call the Center to cheek the date.
On Feb. 17 from 10-1pm, the Center will host a Gill
Foundation training program, Fundraising Fundamentals.
¯ TheDenverbased Gill Foundation selectedTOHRas one
of 10 US sites for this training For more information, call
the Center at 743-4297 between 6-9 pro, Mon. - Fri.
Civil Unions Bill Filed in
Hawaii Legislature
HONOLULU (AP) - A bill introduced in the state
House wonld grant Gay and Lesbian couples all the
legal rights ofmarried couples. House Judiciary Chairman
Eric Hamakawa and Rep. Ed Case introduced the
"civil unions" bill.
Hamakawa said he would have to discuss the issue
withfellow Democrats andcolleagues on the Judiciary
Committee before he could say if. the bill would be
given a hearing.
Case believes-the Legislature in 1997 committed
itself to provide same-sex couples with some of the
benefits that married couples enjoy. Although legislators
passed areciprocal beneficiaries law that extended
dozens oflegal benefits to registered same-sex couples,
Case said la~vmakers should do more. The bill introduced
by Case and Hamakawa would repeal and
replace the 1997 reciprocal beneficiaries law with a
new legal relationship, "civil unions."
Senate President Robert Bnnda said civil unions
aren’t a priority for the Senate. He said the same-sex
mamage debate split Democrats, and he does.n’ t want
to see that kind of division in the Senate agmn.
Mike Gabbard, chairman of the Alliance for Traditional
Marriage and Values, said civil unions would be
same-sex marriageby a different name, and calledit .an
insult to ~,oters who rejected same-sex mamage m
1998.
Anti-Gay Adoption Law
Rejected in Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK (AP) - Opponent~pf a bill that would
prohibit Gays from adopting didnr t get much time to
make their case, but they emerged victorious anyway.
AHousepanel voted 10-9 to reject abill by Rep. Randy
Minton, R-Ward, thatwouldprohibit Gays fromadopting
or being foster parents.
More than a dozen people in the crowded committee
room wore stickers saying ’Vote No on HB 1026, - For
Kids’ Sake,’ while others had buttons that read .Good ¯
Parents Come in Many Packages.’
But only one person on each side of the bill got to
have their say, as the committee bogged down in
questions for Minton and a strongly worded speech by
chairwoman Jo Carson, D-Fort Smith, trying to discredit
research Minton offered in support of his bill.
Minton cited several studies, including those by Family
Research Council psychologist Paul Cameron, that
he said showed children raised in homosexual homes
face greater risks. He said suchhomes are unstable and
that many homosexuals are more promiscuous..
"Homosexual households are not a suitable enwronment
for children because of their instability and
hostility toward a natural family," Minton said. "We
do not need to experiment with the lives of children."
Carson questioned his studies, and brought out a
report from the American Psychological Association,
whose research she said found that Gays’ parenting
styles are no different than those of heterosexuals.
"Cameron’s research methodology has been firmly
rejected by his peers in the research community,"
Carson said.
The Arkansas Child Welfare Agency Review Board
recently approved aban onhomo~s,e~xual fo~ste_r_..p.~en~t,s~
Since October, the Department oI tauman aervl~
asked prospective foster parents d, tttey are tJay. ,,,
you say yes, we will politely say, Th~aks, but no,
’spokesman Joe Quinn said, adding thatno one has said
they are homosexual yet. "We take them at their
word." Quinn said there has never been such a law or
regulationregarding adoptiom and that the department
is not.taking a position on the bill. ,
Minton said with such a dose vote, ana one memoer
absent from the meeting, "I’m going t,o work on some
people and try to bring it back again.’
Dr. Daniel Rifkin~ a lung doctor at Arkansas
Children’ s Hospital, said the bill "will hurt Arkansas’
kids." Rifkin said he sees many children with serious
medical problems or disabililies, and that few parents
will adopt them. He said because homosexuals know
what it’ s like to live with a"stigma" in society, they are
more likely to adopt these children.
Jerry Cox, with the local Family Council, supported
the bill. "We already discriminate when ~t comes to
adoption and foster care," he said.
Montana Senate Looks
at Job Protections
HELENA (AP) - A Senate committee considering a
bill on job protection for Gays and Lesbians took the
unusual step last month of accepting anonymous testimony,
and declaring it off the record.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Loreuts
Grosfield, R-Big Timber, ordered the committee’s
tape recorder shut off while the testimony was read. It
was presented as that of amanwholost his Montanajob
last month, after co-workers reviledhimforhis bisexuality.
A representative of the Montana Human Righ~
Network, Greg Haegele, read the statement and said
the man’s telephone number would be available to
committee members.
Several questioned the anonymity, saying it goes
against a law requiring openness in government and
casts doubt about the veracity of the testimony, but
Grosfield’s decision stood.
The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Senate
Bill 266, which would prohibit firing an employee
because of sexual orientation. "Doesn’ t that seem to be
an element of simple, fundamental fairness?" asked
Sen. Jon Ellingson, D-Missoula, the bill’ s sponsor¯
Opponents said that existing laws provide adequate
protection against dismissal, and that SB266 is part of
an effort to advance specialrights for Gays and Lesbians.
Ellingson s~d the bill would advance equal protection
under the law, not special rights. Avote against the
bill would be an endorsement of discrimination, he
~aid.
Supporters of the bill included Kris Marsh, who
works for a mental-health center in the Butte area and
said that two years ago she was "driven out of ajob that
I loved," after her employer learned she had a female
partner. Marsh said her job performance ratings had
been high. "I know you can’t change the minds and
hearts of individuals," Marsh told the committee. But
she saidlegislators can set a standard of employment
fairness.
George Bennett of the Montana Bankers Association
was among the bill’s opponents, arguing that
existing laws provide enough protection. "You can’t
discharge anyone because they’ re Irish or Lutheran or
Gay, or because they have big feet, Bennett said. Julie
Millam of the Christian Coalition of Montana called
the bill a "further attempt by the homosexual lobby to
advance their agenda- one that will settle for nothing
less than having codified into law the words ’sexual
orientation’ as a constitutionally prot..e.c.ted class."
The committee did not act on the bill, but may vote
: on it later¯
Police Park Sting
Defendent to Get Hearing
¯ ST. PAUL (AP) - A man ~onvicted of indecent con-
: duct is entitled to a court hearing on his belief that
¯ police authorities have unfairly targeted Gays for arrest,
the state Court of Appeals ruled. S teven A. Pinkal
was arrested in July 1999 at a secluded St. Paul beach
¯ frequentedby Gay men, according to court documents.
The court reversed the conviction of Pinkal and
¯ ordered a trial court judge to hold ahearing on Piakal
evidenee alleging discriminatory enforeement of indecent
conduct laws in St. Paul.
United in
God’s Love
MCC-United
Sunday Worship Reverend Cathy Elliot
11:00 am Pastor
1623 N. Maplewood 918/838-1715
Community
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
at Community o] Hope
2~45 South Yale, Sundays at lIam, 749-0595
A Welcoming Congregation
i-IOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm
1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754
The Open Arms Project
Young Adult Support Group
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
918-584-2325
-. Mingo Valley Flowers
9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145
918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-444-5934
Family Owned & Operated
_ I
Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW
Ghild, Family, Individual & Gouple Psychotherapy
(918) 743-9559
2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518
The Pride Store
21st Street & Memorial
Tulsa Gay Community Services Center
743-GAYS (743-4297)
6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday
12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center
TOM NEAL
BUILDING & GARDEN
DESIGN
583- 1248
Red Rock Tulsa
Free Confidential HIV Testing
Walk-in Clinics
Tues. &Thurs., 5 -8 pm
at the Center, 1307 East 38th
Daytime appointments available.
Call for more information:
918-584-2325
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712,2252
Burleson@kw.com
2651 East 21st Street, Ste. 100, Tulsa 74114
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The evidence includes statistics indicating that twothirds
of St. Paul’s indecent conduct citations in the
past three years went to Gay men arrested on the
Mississippi River beach where Pinkal was arrested,
said his attorney, Kyle White.
Pinkal also offered as evidence statements by a
former St. Paul police officer thatheterosexuals are not
charged with indecent conduct in similar cases, and by
people who heard a St. Paul prosecutor say that Gay
men convicted of indecent conduct should be compelled
to register as sex offenders.
A three-judge Appeals Court panel said that Pinkal
presented evidence sufficient to raise a reasonable
doubt about discriminatory enforcement of the indecent
conduct law, and that he is entitled to a separate
hearing on the issue.
The court also said that a trialjudge erred in allowing
a prosecutor to question Pinkal about his religious
beliefs, sexual orientation and HIV status. The cumulative
effect of those errors alone, however, was not so
great to warrant a new trial, the court said.
University Needs Better
Services forGay Students
SEATTLE (AP) - The University of Washington is
generally accepting of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and
Transgendered students, faculty and staff, but needs to
go beyond mere tolerance, a task force report says.
The report by the President’s Task Force on Gay,
Bisexual, Lesbian andTransgender Issues recommends
creating an office to assist such students mad offering
more courses in sexual studies. It also calls for providing
the same benefits to school employees with samesex
partners that are available to heterosexual couples,
and says school leaders could do more to include
sexual minorities in diversity discussions, which usually
focus on race and ethnicity.
"The overall thrust of the task force report is that we
have to move beyond issues of tolerance, and even
beyondjust mere acceptance, to a condition of affirming,
to actually affirm and celebrate the diversity that
GBLT people bring to theuniversity," said the task
force chairman, Philip Bereano, a teclmical-communication
professor at the College of Engineering.
The campus is free of overt hate crimes, but remains
a place where Gay and Lesbian couples probably don’ t
feel comfortable holding hands, the report says. Some
people responded to a student survey with such comments
as "The amount of tame, manpower and money
being spent (on the task force) is appalling - disband
and stop wasting taxpayer money," and "Stop being
queer."
The universities of California, Oregon and Minnesota
already have Gay, Bisexual, Lesbian and
Transgender resource centers, the report notes. Other
colleges, such as UC-Berkeley and the University of
Wisconsin, have academic programs in sexual minorlty
studies. The report was released last month by the
task-force, which was created in 1999 to examine
issues facedby Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual andTransgender
students, faculty and staff at the UW and recommend
ways to address them.
Aspen Police Investigate
Vandalism of Gay Flag
ASPEN, Colo. (AP) - A gesture of good will toward
the Gay community was transformed into what police
are calling a hate crime. A rainbow flag, a symbol of
Gay pride recognized worldwide, was hung from the
gazebo in Paepcke Park last week.
Police believe someone burned the flag less than 24
hours later. Pieces and black soot were all that was left
of the flag. "It will be classified as a hate-crime," said
police Sgt. Sandy Brownlee. Hate-crimes are rare in
Aspen, Brownlee said, saying that this is the first hatecrime
she has investigated in the eight years she has
been a police officer. Police have no suspects or leads
in the ease.
The flag was secured to the top of the gazebo with a
metal chain before the start of Gay Ski Week.. More
than 4,000 people attended the annual event that ran
through Saturday and raised money for charity. "It’s
terrible," Aspen Mayor Rachel Richards said of the
vandalism. "Aspen is imperfect like the rest of the
world. There are small-minded and intolerant people
here just as everywhere else."
Aspen was among the handful of Colorado communities
whose ordinances protecting Gays and Lesbians
from discrimination were criticized by proponents of
Amendment 2, which would have prohibited such
ordinances. The 1992 voter-approvedamendmentnever
took effect and was eventually ruled unconstitutional
by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Jim Tomberlin, acting director for the Aspen Gay &
Lesbian Community Foundation, called the incident a
"bombshell." "We are very sorry to see this very
serious issue here in our town," he said. "Traditionally,
we’ve never had any major incidents against our
guests here. We’ ve never had anything like this."
Initially, Gay leaders proposed hanging the rainbow
flags on lampposts along Main Street. Their proposal
was rejected by Aspen City Council, which said only
the government and institutions celebrating special
anniversaries could use the posts. Instead, a compromise
was reached allowing onerainbow flag in Paepcke
Park.
Next year, however, city officials promised the
group can fly rainbow flags along Main Street to
commemorate the 25th mufiversary of Gay Ski Week.
Wisconsin Scouts Prefer
Discrimination to Dollars
MENASHA, Wis. (AP)- Area Boy Scout officials say
they won’t adopt a policy banning discrimination
against Gays even though they could lose funding
from the United Way Fox Cities as a result.
TheUnitedWayFoxCities board ofdirectors adopted
a diversity statement in January that requires agencies
it funds to provide services to people regardless of
race, religion, Color, gender, nationality, sexual orientation,
disability or age. The Boy Scouts have a national
policy against Gays becoming scouts or scout
leaders.
’‘The Boy Scouts have served thousands of young
people in our area throughout the years and they have
wonderful programs," said the board’ s chairman, Tim
Higgins. "However, the fact remains, they have a
policy of discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The directors have decided that such a policy is not
consistent with the missmn or vision of our organization."
A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruhng upheld the
Scouts’ right to dismiss a New Jersey assistant scout-
~naster after learning he is Gay.
Rick Williamson, the executive for the scouts’ Bay-
Lakes Council, which represents Boy Scouts in 22
counties from Port Washington to the Michigan border,
said his organization was shocked by the move.
"We had hoped that the Fox Cities United Way board
would value pluralism and diversity, as well as community
service, and would continue to support the
Bay-Lakes Council on the merits of our contributions
to the Fox Cities area," he said.
Williamson said the council would form a task force
to look into the matter further, but would not deviate
from the national policy.
"The ’homosexual lifestyle’ does not provide the
appropriate role models for our members," he said.
"Homosexual conduct isn’ t consistent with our oath."
Williamson said the United Way Fox Cities provides
about $184,000 ofhis council’ s $580,000 budget
in the Appleton-Neenah-Menasha area. The council
has a total budget of $3 million. It receives $595,000
from 31 United Ways.
33% Young Gay NY "
Black Men Positive
NEW YORK (AP) - The AIDS virus is
striking hardest in New York City today
among youngblack men, anew survey has
found, with 33 percent of Gay or Bisexual
black men ages 23 to 29 testing_positive
for HIV. The study conductedby the city’ s
Health Departmentfound thatyoungblack
New Yorkers "are experiencing a larger
burden of the HIV infection," Sandra
Mullin, the department’s associate commissioner
of public affairs, noted.
Only 2% of the city’ s white Gay men in
the same age group were HI¥-positive,
while 14% of Hispamcs were infected, the
survey found. "We don’t have a solid
explanation for that because we don’ t see
the kinds of differentials in behavior between
black and white men to explain
this," said Lucia Torian, who directed the
study.
The Health Department surveyed 542
men who identified themselves as either
Gay or Bisexual. A new test was used in
the survey that allowed researchers to determineif
the’.mfectionhad occurred within
six months. The subjects in the New York
study were tested between March 1999 to
July 2000. Researchers said the men who
tested positive in all racial groups tended
to have had sex without condoms.
real version? The fake drug bears lot
¯ MNK612A, which is a real lot number
also found on an authentic batch. But the
¯
fake version bears the expiration date 08/
¯ 02. Genuine Serostim with that lot number
¯ bears the expiration date 08/01.
¯ On the Net: Food and Drug Administra-
¯ lion: http://www.fda.gov
i All-Time High in HIV
: Diagnoses in Britain
: LONDON (AP) - The number of people
¯ diagnosed with HIV in Britain last year is
¯ expected to be the highest ever, public
¯ health officials said. The Public Health ¯
Laboratory Service said 2,868 new cases
¯ of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, were
¯ reported last year, a 7% increase on com-
. parable figures for 1999. With some fig-
¯ ures still to be collected, the total is ex-
"- pected to exceed the previous high of
¯ 3,222 cases in 1985, the first year testing
¯ was widely available.
For the second year, the number of new
¯ cases was greater among heterosexuals
¯ than among homosexuals, with 1,315 her- ¯
erosexually acquired diagnoses compared
: to 1,096 among Gay and Bisexual men.
¯ The majority of the heterosexual cases
were acquired in areas with high rates of
¯
the virus, such as sub-Saharan Africa, the
¯ service said.
Dr. Barry Evans, head of the service’s
HIV division, said the increase in diagnoses
was not entirely due to a surge of
: recent infections. "Many of those being
o diagnosed are people who were infected
¯ some years ago but who are only now
: coming forward for testing," he said.
¯ More than 20,000 peoplein Britainhave
been diagnosed-as HIV positive, andh.~th
experts say about 10,000 others may be
infected without knowing it. ’Where have
also been large increases in sexually transmitted
infections such as gonorrheawhich
shows that unsafe sex is occurring and
people are putting themselves at risk of
acquiring HIV," Evans said.
FDA Investigates
Fake AIDS Drug
WASHINGTON (AP) - AIDS patients
ghouldimmediately checkthatthey weren’ t
sold a counterfeit version of the prescription
drug Serostim, because the fake could
be dangerous, Serostim’s maker has
warned. The Food and Drug Administration
has launched a criminal investigation
to track down whoever sold the fake drag,
which so far has been found in seven states
but could have been sold nationwide.
The composition of the fake substance
is not known. So far, its only reported side
effects are skinirritation and redness where
patients injected the substance. But offi-
Cials noted that AIDS patients risk at least
getting worse if they go without their real
Serostim. The drug maker’ s warning came
at the end of January.
Serostim is an injected medicine used
by about 6,000 AIDS patients to fight the
dangerous wasting that the virus can cause.
Manufacturer Serono Inc. says about 10
people initially received the counterfeit
version from pharmacies in California. So
far, the FDA has discovered the fake drug
in six other states-Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan,
New Jersey, Florida and Missouri.
Serono first learned of fake Serostim
when it receivedphone calls fromCaliforuia
consumers, longtime Serostim users
wondering why their newest batch looked
different or reporting unexpected skin irritations.
Laboratory tests showed the substance
wasn’t Serostim but an elaborate
fake, sold in boxes that closdy resemble
real. Serostim packages. Serono alerted
pharmacists and AIDS organizations to
the problem in late December; the FDA
told Serono to issue a broader warning
Monday to ~.ensure all. AIDS pafi.ents~get
the word.
How to tell the fake Serostim from. the
HIV Doubles In SF
Gay Men Since ’97 ¯
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)- Paul Torello is
upfront about his life. He sells sex on the
¯ streets for drug money, and he’ s HIV posi-
¯ five. It’s a story he tells all of his male
¯ clients before he lets them chose whether
¯ to proceed with or without a condom.
¯ But more.often than not, his words have
¯ little effect. "It’ s sex that they really want
: to have," Torello said. "That’s primarily
¯ the attitude in the city. It’ s a fun thing for
", them." That attitude is party responsible
¯ for an alarming new report released that
: finds the HIV infection rate has more than
¯ doubled among San Francisco’s Gay men
: in four years.
¯ The report estimates that 2.2% of-the
37,000 Gay menin San Francisco who are
not infected with HIV will contract the
¯ virus - up from 1.04%in 1997. If nothing
¯ changes, 748 Gay men in San Francisco
," will fall prey to HIV this year, the report
¯ projects.Thatdraftanalysiscombinesmore
than 25 studies by the University of Cali-
¯ - fornia, San Francisco, that surveyed some
." 10,000 Gay men.
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5,4 6.6
4021 SouthHarv.ard Avenue S te 2L0, Tulsa 74135
"’We’ve been at this for 20 or 21 years,
and people are tired of it," said Dr. Tom
Coates, director of the UCSF Aids Research
Institute and one of two dozen
researchers and experts on the panel that
released the report. "People would rather
not have to talk about difficult issues and
not take precautions if they think there’ s a
form of chemical s available to help them."
Indeed, the new antiviral drugs responsible
for extending the lives of many HIV
patients may big the biggest catalyst drivingup
the incidence rate ofnew infections.
Long life spans make it possible for victims
to spread the virus to more people,
said Mike Slmver, Mayor Willie Brown’s
adviser on AIDS and HIV policy and an
organizer of the research panel. In addition,
he said, the drugs - first released in
the mid- 1990s - have eased the horror of
watching loved ones die a slow, agonizing
death.
"Why is it going up among men having
sex among men?" said Coates, who’ s been
HIV-positive since 1985. "The whole idea
of Gay liberation is having sex with whom
you want to have sex. It’s breaking down
old moralistic barriers. But it carries with
it something lethal, and it’s hard for the
Gay community to come to grips with."
Coates said he’ s seen a 50% decrease in
HIV rates among intravenous drug users.
He also hasn’t seen any increases in the
heterosexual population. Yet a quarter of
the city’s estimated 46,800 Gay men are
HIV-positive. And 80°70 of HIV infections
in the city are among Gay men, the study
found.
That means stories like Torello’s aren’ t
uncommon. A native of Hamden, Conn.,
Torello, 36, came to San Francisco three
years ago and contracted HIV in the past
18 months. He was sharing dirty needles to
sh0ot-up speed and having unprotected
sex with whomever would pay. He’ s not
sure how he contracted the virus. Still, he
continues to prostitute himself. "Every
person who I ever hook up with, I tell
them. Always," said Torello. "But I’ve
only been turned down once or twice."
The increase isn’t unique to San Francisco.
Coates said numbers are on the rise
in Sydney and Vancouver. In addition, the
Centers for Disease Control and PreventioninAdantareports
anincrease in syphilis
and gonorrheaamong Gay males in Los
Angeles, Miami and Seattle.
"We’ re definitely concerned about Gay
men across the county," said R6bert
Janssen, the CDC’s director of the division
of HIV/AIDS prevention. "We’re
pulling together and have begun to look at
a variety of ways to improve intervention
and prevention programs for Gay men and
to be~n to look at specific things we need
to do.’ Oti the Net: http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu
800 Thai Men Over
60 Turn Positive
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - More than
800 Thai menin their 60’ s have contracted
the virus that leads to AIDS in the past two
years, often after unprotected casual sex
with teen-age gifts, the health ministry
said. The men seek sex withminors because
of the misconception there is less
risk of contracting the disease from them
than from intercourse with older women,
said ministry spokeswoman Nittaya
Mahaphol, citing a recent ministry report.
"We’re not sure if it’s because of the
sex-booster Viagra that drives more elderly
men back to sexual activity. But these
men are apparently turning to casual partners
or schoolgirl prostitutes to avoid getting
infected," Nittaya said.
Thailand has won international acclaim
for its success in promoting condom use to
quell an HIV epidemic that swept the
nation in the early 1990s, infecting about
one million people. The "100% condom
program" is credited with saving an estimated
200,000 lives.
Infection rates have consequently
dropped, but the age-old belief still lingers
that sexual intercourse with teen-age girls
- the younger, the better - is safe and can
rejuvenate aging men.
Theministry report, based oninterviews
with men who had contracted HIV, was
released in a week when a 64-year old
representatave of Thailand’ s upper house
of Parliament was charged with statutory
rape for having sex with five teen-agers.
The incident has scandalized the public
and dominated the front pages of national
newspapers. Senator Chalerm Phromlert
allegedly entertained the gifts at a hotel on
the outskirts of Bangkok and paid each of
them 4,000 baht ($93) to have sex. He has
since resigned.
South Africa Starts
New Drug Study
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -
The health department has launched a pilot
project to provide free anti-retroviral
medication to HIV-positive mothers and
evaluate its effectiveness in reducing the
virus’ transmission to their nnborn children,
officials said recently. The move
comes amid angry debate over the
government’ s often confusing response to
HIV and AIDS, which infect an estimated
4.2 million South Africans.
To date, anti-retroviral drugs have not
been made available through the public
health system. Authorities have argued
that they are too expensive and that their
safety has yet to be proven.
Over the next six weeks, the drug
Nevirapine is to be supplied to 18 hospitals
and clinics, which will issue it to
pregnant women who are HIV-positive,
said Dr. Noro Sinalela, head of the health
department’s HIV/AIDS program. The
results of the pilot study are to be evaluated
over the next year and, if effective, the
program is to be extended. Sinalela said
the country’s Medicine Control Council
approved the use of Nevirapine "about a
month ago" - a move that most AIDS
activists said they were unaware of.
"This is a huge step forward," said
Sharon Ekambaram of the AIDS consortium,
an alliance of 300 AIDS service
organizations: "It is a sign of political will
to deal with the problem. Very few of the
guidelines to date have talked about treatment."
Along with anti-retrovirals, the governmentalso
intends to provide HIV-positive
women with milkpowder, tominimize:the
chances of them passing thevirus to their
children through b~east=feeding. - ~i
by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor
Well, here we are at the time of year when
hearts and flowers appear magically everywhere.
St. Valentine’ s Day approacheth,
and I have a few thoughts to share.
First off, it was, like many other holidays
appropriated from the Roman feast of
Lupercalia, a celebration ~’n honor of a
goddess oflove. St. Valentine
was later grafted
upon the date to
christianize the festival
in hopes of converting
more common folk. As
for the love aspect of
the whole thing, here’s
anote Ijotteddown with
both a friend and myself
in mind. It seemed
worth sharing:
v,rhat a shame that so
many confuse love with
¯ well, you get the idea. "Trick" is another
¯ good film for that same effect, and has a
~ hilarious parody of aspiring actresses fea-
¯ turing Toil Spelling. Matthew Boume’s
~ homocentricversionofSwanLakeisavail-
" able on video, for those with more high-
. brow standards (it’s about the shirtless,
: flawless swans). If you don’t mind your
Stomp, photo: Lois Greenfield
sentiment dished
straight up, there’s
"Somewhere In Time,"
possibly the most romantic
movie anyone
could watch with someone.
It’ II leaveyou snailing
and crying by the
end. Finally, if you’re
into chicken, "Chicken
Run" is a wonderful
film, with enough romance
to keep tongues
clucking. OK, the puns
control and game playing. And how sad it
is that when love - acceptance and physicalattraction-
is offered on a silver platter,
gift wrapped with no strings attached,
that people run in terror from it, believing
no one could ever truly love them and all
their flaws and accept them simply for
who and what they are and the gifts they
bring to life.
Instead, they choose to ignore that gift,
preferring instead to run to those ~ho will
reinforce feelings ofinadequacy, who will
rip them apart with abuse and harsh words
and cruelty, instead Of lifting them up. Is
there something so comfortable in accepting
that, in perhaps remmning true to our
backgrounds, that we deny ourselves anything
better? We are all good enough,
smart enough, and worthy of acceptance.
Don’t settle for anything less.
And speaking of love, the one love of
my life that has outlasted any man and a
few women, songstress Stevie Nicks is
finally releasing her new album "Trouble
in Shandri La" on April 10th. She also has
a song on the SweetNovember soundtrack,
a tribute to a friend of hers who died of
complications from AIDS. I had the privilege
ofreading the lyrics and it is beautiful,
a song of love and of hope that one day,
there will be no such disease.
The song is "Touched By An Angel",
and here is a sample of the poetry she has
written: "NO ONE SAW US GO... NO
ONE SAID GOODBYE, BUT IN MY
HEART, I LEAVE GREAT EXPECTATIONS
THAT YOU WILL FIND THE
ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS,
AND TIL~T LIFE WILL ONCE MORE.
.. BEA CELEBRATION... ANDTHAT
YOU WILL BE TOUCHED BY AN
ANGEL."
Best Valentine gift this year: Music:
"Love Decides’!, Jane Olivor. Winner
hands down, sure to guarantee an evening
of gazing into another’ s eyes, warm gooey
feelings, and a cuddle. And ff not, then
you’re dating an ice queen whose heart
simply cannot be reached. Video/DVD:
"Broadway Damage", a wonderful romantic
comedy that has a predictable but swat
ending, is well-acted, and will leave the
two of you smiling.., and kissing.., and,
had to go somewhere!
And since this is about love, let me take
a moment to give the loves in my life a
valentine (appearing in no particular order):
Tom, for giving me a forum for
sharing some info about some wonderful
artists; Bonnie and Mariafor their laughter
and gifts of sdf they have brought into my
life, best of which is "The Bonnie and
Maria Show" - and the crock pot, a true
symbol of love if ever there was one;
Valerie, who makes sure we stay in touch;
J0ni, for being a kindred spirit and fellow
mischief maker and survivor of dysfunctional
families; Kate, for all the tides shared,
frustrations held, and tongues tied at work; -
Stefani, for all her love and support and
hugs for 17 years, and for growing into the
wonderful woman she has become - well
worth the diaper duties, the vom squad; to
Tari, for the drives to the hospital (on the
bumpiest roads possible) due to back
spasms at 3am, for being there, and for
taking on Morn; to Richard for taking on
would be bullies and exes who didn’ t want
to pay their share. To Mom,for being there
for 37 years, like it or not. To Peter, for the
same toys growing up (Chitty), the laughter,
and the asnides shared during parties
and dinners; Cody, for being a friend in
spite of me, and g~ving me the joy of
knowing that when i get to CA, I will know
someone there who. is relatively sane and
sweet; Chadforbeing such agreat ex-boss
and friend (I mis.s our chats!); Marti, for all
her wonderful smiles and stories and for
the big hugs; especially to Karin for the
last 14 years of putting up with my tears,
my jokes, and for .editing my poison pen
letters - and for sharing with me all the
joys and traumas since the day we met, as
well as knowing me better than anyone on
this planet - and still loving me, as well as
eventually growing fond of the music of
Stevie Nicks and sharing MelissaEtheridge
with me; Vic and Mary Neal, for the wonderful
dinners and poetry and laughs and
deep conversation and political rants over
the years; Terry and Paul for taking care of
puppies and finding me those CDs no one
else can get and for being there when I
lock myself out of my house;
see Amuse, p. 9
THE SMASH HIT RETURNSi.
Welcomed by
Wireless
Feb. 20-25-Brady Theate
All Carson Attractions locations,
584-2000
carsonattractions.com
20+ Groups, 477-7469
Presented by Celebrity Attractions. ¯ celebrityattractions.com ¯ ~.stompon|;ne.com
Drummers of Japan
March 4
7:30 p.m.
Chapman Music Hall
Tulsa Performing Arts Center
3rd & Cincinnati
Tickets
$17.50, $27.50, $35
Call 596,7111
Outside Tulsa:
1 800 364-7111
www.tulsapac.com
presented by the
Tulsa PAC Trust
"Perfection in music"
Boston Globe
"Total brain massage"
Independent on Sunday
"... waves of percussive
sound that seemed to turn
Carnegie Hall itself into a
resonant cavity ..."
New York Times
....... ,,
Don’ t let winter keep you inside hibernating-
there’ s plenty going on in Tulsain
February !
Holland Hall School will present-the
41st Annual Book Fair & Market (an annual
event since 1961). Organized by the
Holland Hall Parents’
Association., it
is the state’s largest
used book sale and
typically draws as
many as 10,000 patrons.
It’ s open Saturday,
February 24, 9 - 5,
Sunday, February 25,
noon - 5pro at the
Holland Hall Middle
School,5666 E. 81st
Street. Parking is
available on campus.
Admission is only $1
for adults 18 and ~ver
and is good for both
days. Besides books
and art, the Fair offers a"flea market" with
householditems, clothes, electronic goods,
records and CDs, kids wear and more.
Not to be missed are two very big bang
events: in February, Celebrity Attractions,
knownfor their Broadway shows, is bringing
back "stomp" at the Brady on Feb. 20
- 25. Part dance, mostly drumming, the 8
member group has played from London to
the Acropolis, all over television and their
work has won Obie, Olivier and Drama
Desk awards. Call 584-2000 for more information
and don’t miss them!
Early in March, one performance only
on Sunday, March 4th at 7:30pro, at the
Performing Arts Center (so get those tickets
now - March will be too late), the Kodo
Drummers of Japan return to Tulsa for the
first time in 10 years. Their performance
Frieda, Chewie and Luke for the licks and
grins; to the staff at Metro, who have
become friends and family away from
home; to Terry and Barry for making me
feel welcome when I first arrived and who
accepted me into their circle - special
thanks for the invite to the anniversary
bash, guys, it was fabulous; and finally:to
Brian, for refusing to let walls stand in his
way, for rocking my world, and for being
the one other gay man in OK who loves
Stevie Nicks almost as much as I do, who
knows who Linda Eder is, and for loving
me in spite of myself. And to my new
friend Lindsay, who bonded almost instantly
with me and shares my love of
Stevie’s music as wall. To all the people
who have gifted me with their presence in
my life, whose paths crossed with mine
and left a smile on both our faces. I am
incredibly lucky to have been gifted with
.these people’ s presence inmy life, and this
~s my .valentine to them all, and to all the
people reading this column, Happy
Valentine’s Day to you, too!
Heller Theatre presents "Trust," Steven
Dietz’ dramedy set in the rock music scene
running Feb 8-17; 746-5065 for info/tix.
The Lipizzaner Stallions will be trotting
The Junior Chamber Mission
Foundation held Chilifor Children. a
fundraiserforfamilies affected byHtV/
AIDS at St. Louis Bread Co. SLBC coowner"
Sue Stees is joined by JCMF and
SLBC staff, photo: Tracey E. Norvell
takes traditional Japanese drumnnng,
"taiko," and like Stomp, combines musical
performance with athletic grace
Call the PAC box office at 596-7111,
800-364-.7111, or www.tulsapac.com
Community women might want to head
south to San Antonio
for the 14th Texas
Lesbian Conference.
Comedian Karen
Williams will perform
atthe Marcia 23-
25 event to be held at
the Riverwalk’ s
Amerisuites near San
Antonio’s historic
King William District.
Other speakers
and workshops will
be presented covering
many of Lesbian
life. Call 210-532-
9821 or email to:
TLCSanAntonio
@aol.com for more
information.
Saturday, Feb. 10, Tulsa~s Largest Garage
Sale will be held at Expo Square on
the Fairgrounds from 8-4pm. Only $3, it
helps local charities raise funds. It’ s organized
by the Mental Health Association in
Tulsa. Community of Hope usually has a
booth in this event. Find cool things and do
good all at the same time.
Thatsame day, Dillon International, Inc.
will hold an international adoption workshop
from 9:30-4:30 atAsbury Methodist’ s
"Outback" in the back side of the Park
Plaza Center. Thefee is $60/family or $401.
single. Unverified rumor is that Dillon’s
director does not allow Gays or Lesbians
to adopt because of religious beliefs.
You might want to ask before you write
that check! see About. p. 11
up the town at Maxwell Convention Center
on the 1 lth; 584-2000
"Rashomon" a story of a bandit on trial
for the death of a samurai and rape of his
wife will be performed at the University of
Tulsa; 631-2567.
"She drives me crazy, ooh, ooh...’"
tops, no, that’s "Driving Miss Daisy,"
runs Feb 23-March 3 with American Theatre
Company, 747-9494.
TulsaBalletpresents "Romeo andJuliet"
again, Feb 23-25, 749-6006. When are
they going to do the all male version,
"Romeo and Julio?" Sounds like ajob for.
¯ . Matthew Bourne! I’m still waiting for
them to do his take on "Swan Lake."
Tulsa Opera presents "Tannhauser,"
Wagner’ s epic of love, death, magic, religion,
mayhem and revelryrtmning Feb 10,
16, and 18. Goddess bless.. Hey, Venus
makes a special appearance, so if you’re
looking for lo*e, the PAC’ s the place to be
on those nights.
And the big show of the month is
"STOMP" a raucous and spirited evening
of rhythm, music and percussion, all created
by ordinary and extraordinary household
objects! Feb 20-25 at the Brady Theatre,
presented by Celebrity Attractions. It
is a show that will have you tapping feet,
fingers, and the chairs of other patrons.
But try not to be too annoying...
by Lamont Lindstrom
I was reading up on secrecy and modesty
recently and I noticed that some anthropologists
claim that modesty is a human
universal. People - unlike dogs,
horses, or even chimpanzees
- retire into the shadows
to make love.
Whoa, I thought! How~
about all those orgies I hear
about (but never seem to
get invited to)?
Orthoseexhibitionists on
webcamnow.com? And
what about the infamous
toilets in Tulsa’s River
Parks?
Last year Tulsa’ s Mental
Health Association hosted
a working group on what to
do about public sex in the
parks. Various participants
from the city and county
park administrations, the
District Attorney’s office,
- the police, probation offic-
¯.. some
anthropologists elalm
that modesty is a
human universal...
Whoa, I thought! How
about all those orgies I
hear about . ?. Or
those exhibitionists on
webeamnow.eom? And
what about the
infamous toilets
in Tulsa’s
River Parks.. ? "
ers, and mental health professionals convened
throughout the year to discuss solutions
to public sex. In particular, they
sought ways to discourage recidivism.
Local wisdom has it (although hard statistics
seem peculiarly difficulty to produce)
that the officers who police the toilets are
arresting the same individuals time and
again.
Most of the folks around the table were
havdved, professionally, wlthneurosis and
deviance. It is no surprise, therefore, that
the group favored a response that combines
repression with therapy. First, arrest
anyone with his pants down, and then
make some sort of sex therapy ajudicially
imposed component ofhis probation. Like
myanthropological colleagues, weTulsans
presume that public sex is abnormal, even
unnatural. It’ s a problem to solve. Those
who do it in the streets frighten the horses
or even worse, in this century, the children.
My inclination instead would be to gain
an understanding of the culture of public
sexuality..Although not exactly a community,
the men involved are a population
which shares enoughcultural expectations
and understandings through which to fulfill
their equally shared desires. My anthropological
imperative would be, first,
to figure out the native point of view.
However, there is a cautionary precedent
that makes one worry about hanging
about public sex venues. Sociologist Laud
Humphreys got into hot water when he
published his 1970 book, Tearoom Trade:
Impersonal Sex in Public Places. Back in
those days, he hadn’ t thought to inform the
"trade" who he observed in St. Louis’
public toilets that he was, in fact, studying
them. And their wives also were rather
shocked when Humphreys turned up on
their doorsteps for an interview, having
traced the toilet trade’ s home addresses by
means of_their car tags. Humphreys’ controvers~
al research was one of the factors
that encouraged sociologists to write up
code of research ethics.
According to police participants in the
Mental HealthAssn’ s working group, most
of those arrested in Tulsa park restrooms,
similarly, are married men. But this can
only be part of the story: True, the toilets
serve as convenient meeting places for
otherwise respectablemen
in searchofanonymous sex
on their way home to wife
and kids. But toilets are
also complex sites where
self-identified Gays, selfidentified
Straights, and
everyonein-betweencome
together.
Don, one ofmy earliest
Gay friends, used to astonish
me with his boldness.
Don prefers anonymous
and public sexual encounters.
Don has had sex in
tiny Korean Airline washrooms,
underneath scraggly
bushes near the University
of Hawai’i’ s baseball
stadium, on sandy,
public beaches, in cars
parked at Wal-Mart, and at trnckstops and
highway rest areas stretching from Tulsa
to Los Angeles.
Don also used to hang out at the one rrated
video arcade in Tulsa. I learned from
him about the lively community of regulars
there who know, or at least recognize,
one another. These guys kill time chatting
and kikiing until some fresh meat- one of
those passing married guys, perhaps -
drops in. Then polite chatter turns into
sometimes vicious competitton over who.
elbows his way first into the video booth.
Gay activists, understandably, are concemed
that the public at large is way too
happy to tar us all with the scarlet brush of
promiscuity and uncouth sexuality. They
hasten to underline that the majority of
park toilet denizens are married and therefore
at least presumptively strS. But park
toilets feature men having sex with men,
however they define themselves, and the
Gay community inescapably is implicated
and involved.
Equality Colorado, a Gay activist group
in Denver, has worked with local police to
create an outreach program. Men hanging
about park toilets are contacted and provided
information about STDs, and about
better places to cruise. This, of course,just
removes the ]problem3 elsewhere. And
such removal is perhaps more difficult to
aclfieve in Tulsa where authorities have
closed down alternate sex sites such as the
notorious Overlook on the way to Key~
stone Lake, and downtown movie houses
and restrooms. Still, one might hope that
those homymarried guys might at least be
canny enough to check out the scores of
chatrooms and other internet opportunities
to meet up, and thus remove their
business from the public eye.
Butthings are not so simple. Culture and
desire both are at work here. There is an
international subculture of public sexual-
¯, ity that stretches from Tulsa to Japan to
Britain to beyond. You could take a Tulsa
¯ River Parks denizen and drop himin Hyde
: Park in Sydney, Australia and within 10
¯ minuteshe’dbebusy, seePrivates,p. 11
Timothy W, Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for justice
& equality for Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury, _Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
Weekend and evening appointmenls are available.
Want to save Money and
Help Build a Community Center?
Switch to Rainbow Communications
Long Distance and More, 10% of Revenues Will Benefit
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
Capital Campaign and General Fund
For more information,
call 665-3401 or evenings at 447-8602.
your special needs!
IGTA member
Call 341.6866
Intorn tion l
Tl~ lJ FS formoreinformation.
TULSA COUNTY
DEMOCRATIC
PARTY
¯ Country Club Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236,’~Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-Spm
! )ody
Tulsa’s only
professional
body-piercing
College Hill
Presbyterian Church
In response to God’ s Love,
College Hill Presbyteri-~,an~ Church
is a community of GodN people
called to tell others the
Gospel of Jesus Christ
through worship,
service, and evangelism.
To nurture our faith, we gather for
worship, prayer,
study and fellowship.
Trusting in a living, loving God,
we seek to become a cq,mpassionate
voice for peace and justice.
Our congregation, welcomes all
persons who respond in trust and
obedience to God’ s grace
m Jesus Christ, and desire to become
part of the membership and ministry
of Christ’ s church.
Membership is open to all people
regardless of race, ethnic origin,
worldly condition, marital status, or
sexual orientation.
Sunday Worship 1 lam
712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800
(One block west of Delaware and the
University of Tulsa Campus)
If one offered an alternative space - a
motel, perhaps, with backdoors - for married
guys to have happy-hour sex with one
another, those park toilets would still be
hopping. Clearly, the forbidden can be
exciting. Public and anonymous sex is a
pervasive feature Ofhumannature, despite
what my anthropological and psychological
colleagues might suppose.
in 1997 and 1999, says he will try again
this year. ’‘The chances do look better,"
Chisum saidl "After Vermont’s fiasdo,
there is a growing support to step up to the
table and do the right thing."
To Texas Gay civil rights activists,
Chisum’s bill is vindictive. "We already
we know we can’t get married here," said
Diane Hardy-Garcia, executive director of
the Lesbian and Gay Rights Lobby of
Texas. "The only thing that can happen
with this is division and hurt.’"
Hardy-Garcia said her legislative priority
this year is ahate-erimes bill. "Those of
us from conservative Southern states have
to be very realistic about what we do," she
said. "Legislators would think I’mcrazy if
I went up and asked them to pass a marriage
bill fight now."
In New York and Rhode Island, however,
openly Gay legislators plan to introduce
Gay-marriage bills this year.
Rhode Island Rep. Michael Pisaturo is
unsure whether his bill will get through the
House Judiciary Committee, but said he is
intent on persevering year after year until
he prevails or loses his seat. "Most of my
colleagues realize it’s the right and fair
thing to do," he said. "But politically, it’s
a different story. Most politicians really
worry about getting re-elected." Pisaturo
has rejected suggestions that he propose
civil unions, rather than marriage. "I can’ t
accept anything the codifies in statute my
second-c!ass citizenship," he said.
In New York, state Sen. Tom Duane
plans to introduce two bills, one proposing
civil tmions and the other full-fledged
marriage for same-sex couples, according
to his chief of staff, Andrew Berman. "We
see these two as long-term projects," said
Berman, explaining that Duane’s proposals
would lack teeth until other anti-discrimination
measures are enacted.
Despite the efforts ofPisaturo andDuane,
the director of the ACLU’s Lesbian and
Gay Rights Project doesn’t expect any
state to swiftly endorse Gay marriage.
"Thereisn’ t anotherVermonton the shortterm
horizon," said Matt Coles. "It will
look like there’ s a pause in the movement.
But I say to people, ’Look more closely.’"
He said polls now suggest a majority, of
Americans favor some legal rights forGay
couples, albeit not official marital status.
He also noted the increasing number of
corporations extending domestic-partnersh~
p benefits to Gay employees. "Tenyears
ago there werejust ahandful of companies
doing that," Coles said. "Now, it’ s becoming
the standard of operation."
Activists in both camps also detect growing
empathy forGays and Lesbians among
young Americans, as evidenced by the
spread of Gay-Straight alliances at high
schools and colleges. ’’The young people
get it," said Deanna Kaffke, a Gay civil
rights leader who teaches at the University
of Nebraska. "Even with a conservative
student body, a majority of students on
campus see that this is a civil rights issue."
If Vermont’ s civil union law has helped
galvanize opposition to Gay marriage, it
also has inspired many same-sex couples.
Among them are Marcie Elias and Hillary
Smith, partners for more than two years in
New York City who are planning a civilunion
ceremony later this year in Vermont.
Elias, 28, described herself as "very
traditional." ’T ve always envisioned myself
getting married and having a ho~e.
When I came out, that never changed.
Many Gay couples see no need foi: a
formal ceremony, she said, "but in my
mind it’ s important to get up in front ofmy
closest friends and family and say, ’This is
the person I want to spend the rest of my
life with.’"
Elias, a management consultant, predicted
that a steady stream of same-sex
couples would go to Vermont to enter civil
unions, then return home and seek legal
benefits reserved for heterosexual married
couples. "They’ 11 get their requests denied
and eventually it’ s going toworkits way to
the courts," she said. "As more and more
Gay couples startdamoring forlegal rights
and protections, it will become more and
more of an administrative nightmare for
the states."
Wolfson, the Lambda Defense Fund
attorney, agreed that civil unions made in
Vermont would spawn lawsuits.’’This is
not some chess game," he said. "These are
real people who have entered a serious
legal relationship. As they encounter discrimination
or even uncertainties, there
will be litigation. It will arise out of genuine
crisis."
MiltonRegan, aprofessoratGeorgetown
University Law Center who specializes in
family law, predicted that state courts
would be the pivotal battleground over the
next several years as Gay couples seek
broader rights."The growing recognition
from the corporate sector begins to confer
some legitimacy," Regan said. "But it’s
not going to be inexorable, and there will
be backlashes in many areas. It’s one of
thosebattlegrounds in which there is lurching
in one direction and the other- another
front in the cultural war."
Over at Philbrook, if you hurry, there’ s
a sweet exhibit, Tulsa Collects, Treasures
from Private Collections, up till Feb. 11.
The show features historical and contemporary
European and American paintings,
sculpture and Native American art and
artifacts. There is a Thomas Moran painting
as well as works by French Impressionists,
Edouard Vuillard, Camille
Pissarro, 20th century American ardsts
Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, Andrew
Wyeth, and glass sculptor Dale Chihuly.
Philbrook is located at 2727 S Rockford
Rd. Call 749-7941 for information.
Saturday, February ~7th, 8pm-Midnight
The Brady Mansion 620 North Denver
DJ, Hors d’oeuvres, Party Pics, Cash Bar,
Live Entertainment, Dress Mild to Wild
Door prizes for Best Dressed
Tickets: $15 advance or $20 at the door
Available at:
The Tulsa GLBT Community Center
2114 South Memorial Drive, 918-743-4297
and select vendors listed on the website.
Proceeds benefit The Pyramid Project
"Building a Home - Funding the Future,
for the Tulsa GLBT Community Center."
Made Possible by Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR), www.PyramidProject.org
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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[2001] Tulsa Family News, February 2001; Volume 8, Issue 2
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
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Tulsa Family News
Source
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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February 2001
Contributor
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James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
Rights
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, January 2001; Volume 8, Issue 1
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English
Type
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United Stated Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/items/show/609
About Town
adoption
AIDS
arts and entertainment
Boy Scouts
businesses
churches
civil rights
civil unions
Council Oak Men's Chorale
fake AIDS drug
gay bashing
Gay marriage
Gay Studies
HIV
HIV drug study
HIV testing
James Hormel
Lamont Lindstrom
legal protection
marriage equality
Martin Luther King Jr. Parade
Openarms Youth Project
performing arts
public sex
Red Cross
Red Rock Tulsa
restaurants
services
Soulforce
Sound and Spirit
Tom Neal
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
vandalism
Wild Hearts Ball
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/e181f6c6530068cbbde7af4e3b18d6e4.jpg
2c40b31811b78ff984b44cc99cce355d
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/0e1d93a20d0f36f97760b60694395484.pdf
3a360adc92fa2eb2bcd9c77cca5b25a0
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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Lesbian To BeExecuted- i
Would Be First Woman Killed In Oklahoma :
DENVER(AP)-A womanwhois scheduled,tobecome :
the first female executed in~i°fOklalioma has ¯
filed~ an emergency appeal ~’_~10th U.S. Circuit :
Court of Appeals. ’, -~-_..........
~ .Wanda Jean Allen wants all 10judges-of the court to :
stop her scheduled Jan. 11 execution, even after athree- "
judge panel from the court-reftmed to overturn her :
sentence in January. The U.S. Supreme Court~efusedtO -:
consider her case and she was:denied clemency earlie~ ¯
this month. Alien maintains- as she has throughout_her
previous appeals - that her prior counsel was deficient: ."
AsSistant Attorney General Sandra Howard said her "
office will oppose Alien’s request. :
Allen was convicted of the: 1988 murder of Gloria "
Leathers, her lover, outside The Village police station. "
Tulsa Family NewsAdded
State HistoPical Archives
Allen had earlier been convicted Ofinanslaught~r. :
Oklahoma’s Catholic, Episcopal andMethodist bishops
have called on Gov. Frank Keating to establi.sb~a
moratorium on all executions in the state....
¯ commentary by TomNeal, editor &publisher " "
OKLAHOMA CITY/TULSA - You would have thought it was
: .simple to do a little "historical" research. Just as in elementary
¯ school, you go down to the Central Library and look up the
¯ . material. After a friend.mentioned some stories in The Gayly
: Oklahoman that were published before this.newspaper existed, I
: tried to dojust that, only to fmd thai’our library threw out its Gay
¯. publications after six months - so much for minority history!
¯ . Ha¢ing donated seven years of copies of TFN thinking that a
: -portion of Tulsa’s LGBT history was being perserved, I was
~ : concerned. Suppression of Tulsa’s minority history_is hardly
¯ new. Tulsa’s Centennial celebration and book deliberately
excluded any mention of the existence of Gay people, and Tulsa
covered up some events, like the Rathe Riots of 1921, for years.
Tulsa City County Library System (TCCLS) had reasonable
excuses: they don’t have space to archive hard copies, they need
to have the materials on microfilm, etc. True enough. Large
newspapers, like The Tulsa Worm and The Daily Oklahoman,
monopoly dailies with huge profits, of course can and do pay for
their own filming. Those film rolls are then purchased-by
TCCLS. However, small minority publications dearly don’t
have those sorts of resources.
However, The Oklahoma Eagle is in the TCCLS archives.
How so? The Oklahoma Historical Society is committed to
preserving more than just Oklahoma’s "mainstream" history.
And in contrast to Tulsa’s usual response to its minority
citizens (give us your tax dollars, keep your mouth shut andjust
don’t getuppity), theOklahoma Historical Society was delighted
to add Tulsa Family News to its collection including microfilming
the new~paper so that OHS (and TCCLS we hope) can better
reflect minority as well as majority history.
¯ With the interest of preserving as much of Oklahoma’s LGBT
: historyas possible, I left amessagefor Paula Hand Brown of The
¯ Gayly Oklahoman to encourage them to provide theirback issues
¯ to the Oklahoma Historical Society. seeOHS, p. 10
NGLTF .Lesbian and-.. Gay Democrats-Concerned About
Journal,sin Scholarships i AsbcroR as Attorney General
WASHINGTON, DC-The National Gay and Lesbian : WASHINGTON (AP) - Several influential Democrats said
¯ So.ulforc,e-OK to Host
:Noted B,ble Scholar ¯
Prof. Scott to Address.Bible Passages, +
Soulforce .Goes to Rome~ MLK Parade
¯ TULSA - Dr. Brandon Scott will givea lecture this
¯¯ month based the passages in the Bible that are regularly
used to attack Gay and Lesbian.people. These
¯ are the so-called "clobber" passages seen as con-
¯" demning homosexuality.
Dr,~Scott is a well known New TestameiR scholar,
-" a Jesus Scholar and teaches at Phillips Theological
¯ Seminaryin Tulsa. The event is open to thepublicand
¯ will be held the January 22nd Soulforce in Oklahoma
¯ meeting from 6 - 8pro at TheGay Community Ser- ¯
vices Center, 2114 S. Memorial.
¯ This event will.begin the education and training for
¯ local actions to take place, in Tulsa along with a
"¯ interdenominational panel discussion on February ¯
26th also at the Center at 6pro, to understand where
: different denominations stand regarding this issue.
¯ Soulforce is an informal network of volunteers
: -committed to teach, and apply the principles of non-
" violence as taughtby Gandhi and Martin Luther King
." on behalf of sexual and gender minorities. Sodforce
¯ was founded in 1998 by the Rev. Mel White, author ¯
of Stranger at the Gate and his partner, Gary Nixon.
." Thewebsiteis www.soulforce.org. Innortbeast Okla-
¯ homa, contacts are KarenWeldin"Karen@cwis.net"
¯ and Susan Knanse "knalig@worldnet.att.net" ¯
"Soulforce believes that religion has become the
~ primary source of false and inflammatory misinfor-
." mationaboutLesbian, Gay, Bisexual, andTransgender
¯ people," says Sue Knause, Soulforce in Oklahoma
volunteer. "Fundamentalist Christians teach that we
¯ are ’sick’ and ’sinful.’ Liberal Christian denomina-
¯ tions teach that we are "incompatible with Christian ¯
teaching." Most conservative and liberal denomina-
¯ tions re_fuse to marry us or ordain us for ministry. The
Roman Catholic Church teaches that our orientation
is ’objectively disordered’ and our acts of intimacy
’intrinsically evil.’ They teach that we should not
¯ marry, adopt, co-parent, teach children,, coach youth
TaskForcerecentlyannouneedaFeb, 15,2000deadline
to submit applications for the.NGLTF Messenger:
Anderson Scholarships. The NGLTFMessenger-Anderson.
Scholarship Program next year will award four
$5,000 scholarships to high school seniors or undergraduatecollege
students whoplantopursue abachelor’s
degr,.ee in journalism at an accredited four-year college
¯or umverslty.
The NGLTF Messenger-Anderson Scholarship was
established by Larry Messenger and Jim Anderson in
memory of Lawrence and Sdina Messenger. "The
Messengers believed that there is a pressing need to
encourage Gay and lesbian people to become more
involvedinshapingmediaeoverage,?-’- e,,x,plainedNGLTF
.Execufi.ve Director ElizabethTolbxlo.. ’Fair coverage of
ISSUes important to the Gay,. Lesbian, Bisexual and
Transgendercommunity depend~uponthebasiepremise
that all of us are created equally. But media coverage
foday often begins with thediscriminatory notion that
equality for GLBT people is somehow a matter for
debate. By encouraging GLBT students to pursuejournalism
andby assisting them with their Studies, theTask
:Force hopes, to improve the way the GLBT comrnttulfies,
..a~_d moyemen.t are. covered.’"
see. Scholarship,p. 3
DIRECTORY ...... P.2
EDITORIAL P.3
US & WORLD NEWS -. P. 4
HEALTH NEWS P.
ENTERTAINMENT - P,
BOOK REVIEW P. 10
: Sund~t.y that they .are distressed by President-elect Bush’ s cabinet
, choices to date, mentioning .attorney general-designate John
: Asheroft as. a particular problem, because.of his. opposition_to
: abortion, gU~.¢ontrol measures, and anti,Gay positions,
¯ Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., called-Asheroftrs prospects at
: Senate..confirmation for at[orney general "hardly a done deal’r
: and said he is "truly worried" that Asheroft.would not.enforce
¯ federal laws. bannitlg violence against abortion clinics ~or laws
: that restrict gun. ownership. In fact, Schumer commented that
~ Asheroft would work to repeal those~laws. "He is far and away
¯ the most troubling choice," Schumer said on-ABC’s-’-’TMs
: Week." *’The questionis will Senator Asheroft enforce.thelaw of
." .the land on things thathe’s morally opposed to."
: HoweveL Sen..,Orrin Hatch, R~Utah, appearing,,on the. same
¯ program, said he would be surprised if the Senate does not
: confirm Asheroft,-the outgoing senatorfrom Missouri who has
: served~that state’sattorney general and governor. "Heis aman
: ofintegrity. Heis amanof great experience:’ Hatch said. "I have
¯" no-doubt, as a former attorney~ general and hopefully as-this
¯ attorney general, he will enforce the laW~.regardless of whether
: he agrees with it or not"
: Senate Minority ’Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D, also expressed
¯ concerns about Asheroft, saying that he and other DemoL’rats ¯
intend to ask.him tough questions during hi~s confiymation
¯ hearings~,sp~cificallYwhether he intends to enforce civil rights
¯ laws that pr,o,tect~minorities and statutes protecting equal rights
: for women: -He has-to convincea i0tbf his eoliehgU~s~d fflrt
: of those who are concerned.., that he Can do that," Daschle told
: NBC’s "Meet the PressY
¯ Senate Republican Whip Don Nickles.of Oklahoma said he
: doesn’t understand-why Ashcroft’s critics are "taking-these
¯
unfair cracks at him:" "I think some people are .... lookingfor an ¯ issue. They’re looking for a fight,"Nickles told NBC.. "They
: .want to ha~ea big divisive battle. " see Ashcroft, p. 11
¯ or serve in the military. Our goal is to. confront and
: eventually replace these tragic untruths with the truth
thatwe are God’s children, too, created, loved, and
¯ accepted.-by God exactly as weare," Knanse adds.
¯ During-the past summer Soulforce launched the
; "first stage" in their campaign to STOP SPIRITUAL
¯ .VIOI~ENCE noted Karen Weldin, Sodforee volun-
," teer. "We trained 1,000 volunteers on site at the
: national conventions of the United Methodist, South-
¯" ern Baptist, Presbyterian, and Episcopal Churches.
After silent, candlelight vigils, more than 500 of us
: were arrested in carefully planned acts of nonviolent
: dissent. On November 12-14, 2000 we conducted
¯ similar vigils and protests at the National Conference
~ of Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC."
¯ Mel Whitehas announced Soulf0rce,s plans to take
: thenonviolentcampaignagainst centuries ofspiritual
¯ violence and anti-Gayteachings oftheRoman Catho-
¯ lic Church to the Vatican on January 5-6, 2001.
¯ Supporters of Soulforce and Dignity/USA plan to
: place their specific demands for inclusion for all
; peoplein the Church on the doors of the Vatican, in
¯ amoveechoing that of Martin Lutherat thebeginning
of the Reformation.
¯: Soulforee in Oklahoma is als0 joining PFLAG,
HRC-Oklahoma, and TOHR in the annual Martin
: Luther King Memorial Parade .on Monday, January
¯ 15th¢2001. The Parade starts atCincinnati and Pine
at 1 tam and ends in the Greenwood district. March-
¯ ers are asked to arrive 30 minutes early and look for
: the Rainbow-colored banners. Parking is very limited,
marchers are encouraged to share a ride if
¯ possible. Formore information, Call the Commuuity
Centerat743-4297between 6-9pm,Monday through
¯ Friday.. . ~,--.-..
Tulsa C[0b~"& Restaurants " -~lS.583.I248,:fax:!583.,461~!-~,i. ,, , :!! -~......: ""
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33 712--2324 " POB 4140, Tulsa, OK’Tzt159. e-mail TulsaNews@earthiinlcnet ...... "
*CW’s, i737S.’NIriiiofial ": 6i0-g3"~3 " Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal . " ~ " . 2.2
*Club che~:136mb~1926 E. Pine " -: -: 58~22~1~9 "" .~iii~rs’~- ~oniiibut~rs’: ~ames Chris-tjohli, Kaiin Grgg~Si%~Barr3) .
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*Borderal~ooks:&’Music, 8015 S. Yale : "::. 494~266~ ~: Ad~fi0nal copies-are’available by calling-583d:248.. ........... ~-,
*CD Warel~;il~i-3807c S. Peoria
*Cheap ThTi!ls~26z}0 E. 1 lth ..... 295-58ff80" ! IMgnity/InteN~)idf Tiiisa -:Lesbiiln& Ga~ Cafll61i~~& . ......
Cherry S.t; psyc.hQ..therapy, 1515 S. Lewis "-581-0902, 743,4t17~ .;. : _Ep.~.scopali~; ’P.’.~17~0i?~75,7~170-1:4"~5 .? ,:’ :. 355:3140:" :
Commt~ty.~leaning, KerbyBaker " i." 622-0700., : *Fellows.hipCo~gr,e.,g..ChN.ch,2.90~)’~.H~iffd’:;......747:7777 ¯
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352:9504, 800-742-9468 ’."~*’FreeSpifitWomen sCenter:,-cdl’[~’orlb~iirh&ifif0: 587-4669! ;
Doghouse on Brookside; 3311 S. Peoria>".’ 2’ 744-555.6~ : Friend~ in Urfi~ g0diai’Orgi,POB 8542~74101 ..... . 582;0438: :
*Elite Books & Videos, 821S. Sheridan " . 838:8503~ -~.: HIV-ER Centbr, 4-138 Chiis. Page Blvd. . ’ " 583-661I’ ¯
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial 369,8555 :- *TUlsa.TC.AIR:E.S.:;~ 3507~.~.E. iAdmiial ....... ’ ....: 834-419z[ -"
Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379 ." HOPE, HIV Outreach,Preventi0n; EduCatldti . " i 834-8378 ~
Events’Unlimited, 507 S. Main " 592,0460: : *HousepftheH0iySpiriiMin;tri~s,il,~!JS.Mgmorial 224_-4754 :
Floral Design Studio, 3404. S. Peoria ..... 7/1:4-9595 ¯ *MCC United, 1~52) N. MapleW06Ll
~
838-1715 ¯
Four Star Import Automotive, 990.6 E. 55th Pl. 610,0880 :_ NAMES ProJect, 3507 E. Admiral H. 748-3111 :
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica S~. Med;.ctr. 628:3709 : NOW, Nat’.l:Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159" 365-5658 .
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026 " OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9!~:~2~~5~ " ¯
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st 742-1460 ¯ *OSU-Tulsa ......
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial p!apping 459:93;49: :-PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 " - .......... /749-4901
Mark T: Hamby, Attorney 744:7440~ " *Hanned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria .....587:7674"-
*Sandra J, Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E." Skelly 745~-’1111 ¯ Prime-Timers, P.O~ BoX 52118, 74152
*International Tours ’ 341-6866 ¯ ’-R~.A.I:N:; Regional~AIDS InterfaithN&~v0rk . 749:41,95 ; Youhaveanopportunity, too, toreachout
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 71252750 ; *Red-.Rock Mental~Center, 1724 E. 8 . ..... - ~ 384-2325 - : and listen to the concerns of Gay, Lesbian,
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th - 582:3018 ~ ’St’. Aidan’s~scopalChurch,4045N.Cincinnafi ."425-7882 : BisexualandTransgenderedAmericansand
David Kanskey; Country Club Barbering 747-0236 St. Dufistan S Episcopal, 5635 E. 7tst ............ 492-7140 ¯
their parents, families, friends and allies. It
The K,eepers, Housekeeping & Gardening --- 582-8460 -. *St.Jerome’s ParisliChurch, 205W. King _ . ’582-3088 ; is saidthatoneinfourfamilieshaveafarnily
*Ken s Nowers, 1635 E. 15 ...... 599~8070 , : -Soulforce-OK; Rt.4,# 3534, SfiglerT~2 58713248~452-2761 " member who is Gay or Lesbian~ Weare sick Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 747:32166- : : ,Tulsa-Area united Wa~y, 1430-s:Bgiiider....583-717i . ’and fir.ed of fighting thosewho would.prefer . that we all go back in the closet- and;itrp
*LivingArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha ....~ 585:1234 ¯ ’*:Tlq~,7iPP (Native American men),’IndiatIHeath Care" ’ 582-7225 *Midto~i,nTheater~319E..3rd ...... 584:3112 ¯¯ ...........:..... ,:,.~ - : _~,............... ¯ seekingjustice, safety and respect for those ~utsat~ountyt-teatmJJepartment,-4o~b,e. ta........ ’,a:~a.-4tua ; welo~eThatfs ev " " -- "
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720cE. 31 ..... 663-5934 : ...... .................. -........ ; .... - " ’ ’ ..... ~~ :~ " ’- " . . ,..’, ~.~
*MohaWk MusiC, 6157 E 51 Place........ 664~-2951 :~ ; ’ 297-" : : e~Pv,°.~Ussb~Y~t.°~isakexet~fa~f~.-~cel.,n.
Puppy PauselI, 1060 S. Mingo ....... 83857626 . :-T:U-,L:.S.A:.Tnlsa~Uniform/Leath~rSed~i-s A~rC "298~827. :-"- ~, !Y’~’~Y’ ¯ ’ _ ~ " " " ¯ genQerco/Mllerlcans are trcaieo. *The Pride Store - -- " ..... 743’:z~297 : ’*Tulda ChyH-~lt;rrotmd FloorVestibnle ’"~ ......:...... ~ .
Rainbowzon the River B÷B,POB 696, 74101 " 747-’5932 : *Tnl~ii~cism’ifi~Unii) CollegeCampu~es ..... "........ : ................. ~ ~ Nowli~kE is this more important thatt in
Richard’s CarpetCleaning ~-- 834-06q7 : ~*TulsaG~Coi~fiiimii3iC~ter;2/st&Memorial .. :1743-4297 ¯ ..our s~hools. I have been struck by .your
TeriSchutt, Rex’ Realtors 834-7921,74’7.~746 :-Unity~hur.chof(2hti~tiAnit~;3355S:.Janies-trWn ¯ -.749-8833 -’:P.assjOn fOr excellence in the educati°n we
Scribner’s -Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square; ...... 74-%6301 BAFITLE~VIt2LE .................................... ... give Our youth. I share that passion.’l~Ut I
Paul Tay, Car Salesman. " " 260-7829 i’ iBm’tlesvillePublic.Librai’y,600 S~ Jolma0nd ~i 918~3~7-53531~ i mfalStl°loe’l~~rt.t.Os:~~W’.~eotohlas,t’"~ulnelveessns othuear cbhesiltdftreeancehersa,nd
*TnlsaComedyClnb,.6906S. Lewis "
8.4~.~55~38 : TAHLg:QI.JAH _ ¯ the be’t:’fi~terials will not make the differ=
Venus Salon; 1247 S. Harvard °2 .- : ~:l’7~q 7 : :.Stonewall League, call for information .... 918-456-7900 ~ ence they should. We know that: Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling _._-.o___ : - . ......
" " " " - 66522222 :." Tahl.-eq-ualrUmtanan-,Umversallst Church .... 918-456-7900 ¯ * Virtually all students in public schools
*Wherehouse:Musi¢; 5150 S. Sheridan
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592 0767 ~ Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 ~ ....."918-453-9360 " regularly report heating anti-Gay remarks www.gaymlsa:0rg .... website forTulsaGays &Les-bians- ": EU" RFKA SPRIHG" ~, ARKANSAS - " " "¯ fMroamsspaceheurss(eett.sg.G,9o7v%erinnoar1is9C93oRmempiossritoonfthone
Tulsa Aoenei si Churches, Sehools&0niver iiiO " "Autunm Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734 " Gay and LesBian Youth; and a March 1997
AIDS Walk Tulga’, POB 4337,q4101 ...... 579-9593 " Jim &Brent’s’Bistro, 173 S. Main. 501-253~7457 ¯
All Souls:UnitariaWChureh, 2952 S: Peoria - - ........743-2-363 " DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center.St. - ¯ ¯ .’..
~ 501,253-6807- :. :smdYby’hi"ghsch°o1 studentsinDesM°ines"
Black & White, Inc: POB 14001 Tulsa 74159 587-7314 ¯ Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring-St. " - 501-253-5445 ." Iowa, found that students reported heating
, ¯ anti-Gay epithets 25 times a day).
Bless The Lord atAll Times Christian Center.2207 E. 6 583-7815 MCC of the Living. Spring 501-253-9337 " * Harassment of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780 " Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253-2776 ¯
or Transgendered youth often goes well
Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201 " Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332 : beyond verbal harassment to physical as-
*Chapman S_tudent Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th Pl. & Florence " Positive lde;a Marketing Plans 501~624-6646
ChurchoftheRestorationUU, 1314 N.Greenwood 587-1314 " Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East ........ 501:253-6001 : sanlts. All too many of our PFLAG parents
" have been devastated by the physical and
*Community of Hope Church, 2545 S: Yale 747-6300 " White Light, 1 Center St. - 501-253-’4074 ¯ emotional harm done to their children by
*Commtm~_’ty Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595 " dOPLIN, MISSOURI "- their peers - unchecked by administrators
Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888 ¯ Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696 " and teachers.
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware ..... 712-1511 " * iswhereyoucanfindTFN.NotallareGaY-0w.nedb.utallareGay-frieadly. ¯ see PFLAG, p. 11 "
An Open Letter to
President-Elect George W. Bush
Congratulations on being elected to th~
office of- President of the United States:of:.:
America. Like you, I am a patriotic An~¢ii~
can and a.person of deep faith. But I am also
the motherlof a Gay son and the Executive
.Dire~to_r~0f Parents, Families and Fri~ids ~f.:
._Lesbi.aas.,,.and Gays. (PF:I~.G)~ Through~o,. ¯
-lifetimegf,,working for equal justice~J have,
foun~d~that di.vision catmotbe solved without ..
compassion and inclusion. I h6pe that
vision and values of "compassionat.e;eon.:.
serv.a.tism"have taught you the sam~:_ .:
In.yo0r .acceptance remarks, you_.men--.
tioned then.eed"to address some ofsociet~yis.,
¯ deeper:problems one person at a time~.by,.
eneotlr~ggi~tg andempowering thegoodhe,art~_.
and ~j~!i~i,orks of theAmerican people.!T!n
esse~¢i: this is what PFLAG does. We are..
peopi,,a~cro~s this country who reacho~i.in.
lovg.tO~ those who differ from us, and.come.
to u~.d¢~rstand and appreciate them..........
P.~.FL~..G_members share with you.~de..:
sireAQ protect the rights and ens_ure
potential, of all Americans. Youhave-a great
opportunity to assure that all claims ~ that
anyone was turned away from the polls ,or
discouraged from voting because .of their
race or ethnic origin are rigorously.and
sympathetically investigated and pur.s.ued
by your administration. As anationwemust
face up to the continuing existence ofracism
in our country and do everything we can to
eradicate unfair treatment because of race.
¯" Otherwise we will not be able to reap the
:.o.¯ benefits o~ourproudcommitment to liberty
¯ and.justice for all....
Thompson, HHS &
An LGBT Agenda
by Elizabeth Toledo, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Thefirst time I picketedinfront0fthe Reagan Building
in Washington, D:C. was in protest of ii visit by Wisconsin
Gov. Tommy Thompson. He had signed some 0f the
most misogynist legislation in the country, includingthe
most restrictive atiti-abortion legislation implemented "
since the Supreme Court in Roe v Wade recognized
abortion as a constitutional right in 1973. He also: engineered
Wisconsin’s onerous wdfare law, which kicked
off the trend that resulted in punitive measures at the
federal level - measures that made scapegoats of many
lower-income people who lacked access to educational
opportunities, job training and affordable child care.
Imagine then my surprise to pick:up,several publications
that serve the gay, lesbian, bisexti,~l:~dtransgender
community and read an uncritical analysi~ofThompson~
whom President-designate George W. Bush has nominated
to .be Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Replace Donna Shalala with Tommy Thompson? The
dismal reality of the presidential dection has begun to
sink in. Thequestion arises, what vision and leadership
will we in the GLBT movement provide over the course
TFN: Beginning
by Tom Neal, editor &publisher
I usually write this editorial late in November because
: we published our first issue midway through December in
." 1993. At the time, I’d been writing andlaying out the Tulsa
section of a now defunct Kansas-based rag. Eighty-four
issues have now been printed, documenting - ,,
the life.and issues of our commumty, if not . . . Eighty-t~our issue~
perfectly, then better than has ever been
done¯
Certaiul.y, The Gayly Oklah~man, our
sister, and elder, publicationhas been around
¯ longer but as Tulsans havelong complained,
: their coverage of our city has iaever been as
¯ thorough. We’ve long argued that you can-
:. not successfully provide newscoverage for
¯ a town in which you don’t live.
Unlike many .LGBT, let us say, Gay, for
_" brevity, newspapers, Tulsa Family News is
: available in a number of mainstream ven-
¯ ues: Tulsa City Hall, Tulsa City-County ¯
Library System, Barnes & Noble, Borders
¯ Books &Music, anumberofTulsachurches,
." as well as at some" Tulsa dubs, and other
¯ venues where Gay papers have been longer
have now been printed,
documenting the life
and issues d our
community, if not
perfectly, then better
than has ever been
done.., it has been a
labor of love, not
money. Tulsa seems
full of people who
think that there are hig
welcome. This easier access Should hardly buel~s to be-made in
Our Eighth. Year ¯
day-out. But you find in minority communities, a mentality
that we should not hold our leaders and programs or
: others up to a public standard. . Clearly we disagree.
¯ Anewspaper (unlikelocal community magazines which
." seek to highlight "good things" about Tulsa and to sell
advertising) exists to seek the truth and to
publish it. Sometimes that is "good stuff"
and sometimes, alas more often, it’s bad.
Tulsa Family News seeks to be fair in
our reporting and dear in our editorial
Writing. Sometimes we have not been either
which we regret. For example, we
wrote in last month’s editorial that there
are groups involved in Tulsa Metropolitan
Ministry who oppose civil rights for Lesbians
and Gay men. I regret that my writing
was not dear. As written, it appears
that I attribute that position to the ministry
itself rather than constituent groups.
But as I pointed out to one TMM staff
person, our editorial pages are open to
other points of view and that we have
published letters to the editor, even when
they are extremely critical of this newspaper
and its writers. I am disappointed that
of thenexftour. years9eIns iot u.,ghtosay that Tommy ," be taken for grantewd- therhe waes timne. .. local publlshi,n~. TMM’s. staff decided not to write with
Thompson is not as bad an appointment as-Bush could ~ the only place Y0U.could find a Gay paper ~,, ~ .... . ,, their concerns. .
have made~-Is itenough to say that the nomination ofSen ? ¯ ¯ v~as in a sexually oriented bookstore, or in l"lease think .again.... So with seven years down, and more to
John ’.A~h~0ft to be attorney general is somehow miti" i ." adub- v~fiue~ ff~ch sofii~ifiay.bg.ungom~ " i~ ~ " . i " go~ God, advertisers, printers and writers
oated’bvth~nominafionofthenrO-choiceandnro-GLBT :" fortablefr~iu~ti~g,o~ttherS,thoseunder21 for example, " "’.i~illing~wewillcontinuetodowhatwedo, hopefully with
New Jersey Guy. Chi~stine Whitman~to :be head of the " may not always tiavea.c_cess. . ........... ¯ .~feweramstakes and maybe even more ads. .
Environmental Protection Agency9 " ’: - :.~ ¯ :/" ’* And unlike many Gaypapers, TFN has~always limited. ::..i Particularthaiaksis~luetoourwriters,mostparticularly,
Let’s give credit where it. is du~: As-Ch~afr of "the" :"the sex~tiall~ oi:itlii.".~. ~~.~i9~f.,0.urp.ag~:~¢a~e not aiiti-~ .’. myfrt~fid, form~rc0mpanion, and still neighbor, ,entercommitteethatdraftedtheRepublican’Partyplafformlast
: sexbutd0t~ffni~etllaipageafterpageof-explicitpht~tos ¯ tainmentcriticJamesChristjohn.He’sbeentherefromthe
summer, Th0mnson did lead the effort tO remove some ~ ¯ and personals may be profitable but push ~e llnaits of the ;i.~b’eginiiing and h/is put up with much along the way. Also,
not alF:~ Of th6 ~OP’s anti-GLBT language (A measure :-:..~’:mainstream" community’s’t3feranc~",.W,e~O.ra~..e.r,g~.t.:the. :;~.’deser~,~ng of th~ a~e writers Barry Hensley, Lamont
condemning recognition of same-sex Tel~ ~atioushi~s re- : hews to all, eveni~f ,i.t,’ ,c0’..s,t~ .u~.i~o,’ ~,~"~i’-; ...... . ..... :, Lindsttom, Mary Sch¢ppers, Jean-Pierre LeGrandbouche
mained in Thomt~son’s draft and other~disciiminatorw ~ ¯ Which brings us-to this: it ]ias.]~,en.~a:i~biJi 0Yl0ve, nut’s. ~ (~ho t~ally, really is not me!), Karin Gregory, long-time
measurea~Were later olaced back in the’platform after ¯ .~oney. Tulsa seems trUli oF people.who.thmk that thergare ;. ,advertasers Kelly Kirby, Tim Darnel, Vanessa Welch, St.
religious fi~ht activist~wresfled the dotuineiit away fro~~’~:7’big bucks to be,made, in loCa!...pub!is.h~ Pl,,eAs~..e tlfink ¯ ." .Michad’s Alley, TOHR, MCC United, David. Kauskey
theVvV~scon~in ~overnor) ............. ,, .’i~:L~ain. 1-iSi:6iiiiseyoutha~it~Xl0t,s~.The~¢i~areas0n that i. ~.madt]~e.bthers who make it possible to print thisnewspa-
Thomp~iJn al~o has b~n a positive advo~ate for AIl~g,." 7 Lhave anothgr,j~b ~, ~,e,ll as pubii a this, fiJ paper .per~ And I must add particular thanks to our printer (and
fundin~"He~stron~lv suooorted the R~an-White Care Act. : .-, Ofourse, it wg~lfidn thur(ifinbi:etfTulsa s Gayxxwncd ;..hi.sogo,ood and patient staff), who despite beingafaithful
andh~litMe~,aid~aiversforHiV_~p0sitivepeople,,. :_, i~us~iiesses"a~.~.i~Tg,~_~:i,~tio~ ~ere supporting,..u~., ,!~ can :, ,~.uth~..rn Baptist, s~d we had a right to get .our,news
who are"~i~t-normallv elioible for Medi~d until they:." ""thinkofadoge~i’~sdwhocould~doso.,Graatcdi~ma.’ghtnot ": printedaudhasdone~0f°rmostofoursevenyear*,71oour
have dev~’iooed AID~ s~toms. : : . ..... ~ ~’~: :. ~:ltfin~-thefii2as much beaef~t. ,~. ~ ~a~:W~.r!~d..gr.~ban : ::~adei:’s,-Ialsoaddmythanks foryourinterestand.ev,eryonce
That’s two marks m favor of Thomp~qn - and in ....:l:ulsaa~tbut~t,als0.,w..o0!~...t,,,eg,~s~t,a t,eg~th.~f.:pne percent as ., m,a while, your feedback..........
oppos~ih~Tli6mpson’s nomination as Secre.,.ta:rY of Health. i~ much. ~Atld ~e,,r,e,, ~i~s;~,s0.m..._e.._.~.’n_go to_ .~e. zaid~;f,o.r, su.pporti.n.,g ; .7 ~.Las.t,:I..ran pr,oud to, n.ote th~at~, Tu~,a F,amily~,N¢.e~v~s ~.h~
nndlffii~t~h’.q~rviee~ the National Ga~aJ~sbianTask "~ your own,.as wett as not,justsupporlingguDncattons wtm ~ ¯ ,o.e,eu 0a.Oed to me arcmves oI me uraanoma rUs.totacat
FoBrcuetadtogersii~~ointlterldvlaanl~dzte~rtohgeriersismivepoGrLtBanTcYen.i.tfvement for _¯. acnotm~-mGuanyithyl,stwoenreesalt~L,yi~~ol~ons¢,tl-iskuep,.tph0er.tWe~~,cL.Od,,,o.,a~0e,d~.~Le~.!r7.,y.~E.;,.e~sn;,.a :o:. -~:~m.9e9pxea.pt~erTwh,em.Sc,nocm~,eetyn w.~~itlu!saals~t~o,tbye~t_m.olcurnotfyil~L.mtoi,r’angtT,c,o~~py~s¢t8,eomf
soclal~ustace must demandbetter....................... ¯ ,"¯ ¯ .N.o.w.su.ing.,w.il.l ~a.y. t;h.a..t..s.b..e.c..au:s..e..w...e..w.._.n..t.e.t.h.i.ngs which .o .¯ w-ill b. e ,abl to add to their permanent collex~ta¯ on¯ T¯ ulsa
As ~’Cb~ia scott Kin~ recently noted at NGLTF’~-~:_,o_anger p.~0pl,g (.o,.r.00W t.c~ver things ,,vhich-anger~ some.¯ ,.,Faintly.News al_~_O ~c,alled and encouraged the.Gayly Oklarecen(
ci(eatino Chanoe ~,onferen~e:~n~’~f the stories ¯ others). We have pubiiSl~l’e~/ti{als,critical of ctmml~- : : , ho~aan to donate opies of their productionto.th¢.OHSso
behind’th’e~No~en~ger ~{~00 election is~l~3~recedented : nity leaders, articles which, were. ~’n’~l-c,hl .0f. I=I!Vii.A_ifi.s : :, ~eof Oklahoi~a’s Lesbian and Gay.history,win be
coalition’-buildin~ "In a way we hav~t~s~id an object ’: i~o~bans, eVoi~fiti’~tl ofL~sbianown,ex!r.estaurants,local ¯ ¯ preserved.TFN will alsobe donating our copies ofdefunct
lesson in’t~e nower of coalition unity:’~Mrs Kin~ said "I " and nanonal theatrical producuons, and-more; .-.That ,s, of ¯. Oklahoma LGBT pubhcattons to the OHS as w~ell..
think we havre just seen.the future~ Am~fican°dem~: : course; precisely what.,The.Tul~a:Wor~d doe~ daydn_aiid : .. Here’s to a good year in 2001 for you and for us.
racy flash before our eyes last Tuesday (Nov. 7). The "
coalition.that gave AI Gore a popular majority can surely
be as powerful as theNew Deal coalition that transformed
America in an earlier era."
Quotingtheimmortal words ofherhusband, Mrs. King ¯
said, "We -are~all ~tied together in a: single garment of. ~.!
destiny...An inescapable network of mutuality...I can
never be what I ought to be until you are allowed to be
what you ought to be." "
So in envisioning abroad-based, progressive coalition,
I think we must think of those who have suffered and will "
suffer under a Bush-Tommy Thompson agenda. Based "
on his record, how would we expect Thompson to treat ."
poor GLBT people who need social services? If he ¯
punishes poorwomenfor having too many children, how "
do we think he’s going to treat GLBT parents who need
hdp providing for their kids? How will his support for a ."
During each year of the program’s duration, four Messen-
.gerzAnderson scholarships .will be available at a rate of
$5,000 the first year, renewable at $2,500 the next two
years for a possible total award of$10,000.
Winners are required to.participate ,in a paid Messenger-
Anderson Scholarship Intern Program atNGLTFoffices in
Washington, D.C. or New York City during the summer of
2001. To download scholarship guidelines and an application,.
please visit www.nglff.org/about/messenger.htm. For
questions about the scholarship, email delliot@ngltf.org.
No phone calls, please. ."
Applications fortheNGLTFMessenger-Anderson Schol- :
arship .Fund must be postmarked by Feb. 15, 2001¯ Win- .
pro-heterosexual-marriage agenda in wdfare policies : ners will be announced this spring, and the awards, will be
impactOUt:eoramunity?., ~,, ~., ., -,.’." .;. see .NGLTF,,p, 11, ,.:- ~distributed~’in~August.-~200~l,:, .’A, committee ,of, working ~
: journalists, communications specialists and GLBT activ-
¯ ists will select the .winners.. The scholarship competition
¯ is only open to undergraduate college students and to
: graduatinghigh school seniors. Applicants mustbepursu-
¯ ’ing a bachdor’s degree in journalism. In instances,where
¯ colleges or universities do not offer such a degree, appli-
: cants must be able to.demonstrate that they are pursuing a
: career in either journalism or commtmications advocacy,
¯ Foundedin 1973, NGLTFworks to eliminate prejudice,
violence and injustice against Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and
-Transgendered people at the local, state and national level.
As part of a broader social justice moyement for freedom,
justice and equality, NGLTF is creating a world that
¯ respects the diversity of human expression and identity
,.where all people ,may.fully participate in society: .........
Anti-Gay Petition Filed ¯
SALEM; Ore. (AP) - Just weeks after Oregon voters
defeated an anti-Gay rights measure, Lon Mabon and
his Oregon Citizens Alliance have filed-a similar
initiative petition for the 2002 ballot. Mabonfiled the
initiative, dubbedthe Student Protection Act II, with
Federal and-state constitutions forbid s~hools from
banniug books because officials disapprove of their
vlewpoxnts.
Enterline said she ordered the books over the summer
because the library lacked biographies and she
wanted students to havethe chance to learn about Gay
the secretary of staters office. If it qualifies for the andLesbianrolemodels.’qThebooksarenotaboutsex.
ballot, it would .be the OCA’s fourth anti-Gay civil ".. They are just about people, who have ledlnteresting,
rights ballot measure.. Voters rejected measures in i producti. ve-lives. an,dal.so.ha.pp.e.n¯.to.b.e Gay,"_ .s.a.i.dTom
1992 and 1994. " .... Kovac; the school s hbrary- technician.
Measure" 9 would have prohibited instruction in ¯ It isn’t the first time the district bahned booKS’. TWO
public gchools~aat "encourages, promotes or sanctions"
behaviors related to homosexuality and bisexuahty.
Th~new xmttattve says sexual onentatton shal
notbe taught inOregon public schools in iimauner that
would express approval of, promote or endorse homosexual
ot bisexual behaviors." Sexual orientation and
homosexuality are defined as yielding, whether x
thought of deM,_respectivdy, to urges fr~iiaptations
to en~a~eifl sexu~ activity with members of the same
gender. :~ :~’ -:’ :~ ’
In th~ fall ~afiapaign, lV!easure 9 oppoif~n(s said the
meastii~~fifil(ed ~Children s health beCMii~’ it wou~!
limitAIDS;edt~ation in schools and le~d (6 increased
teen suicide. 7 ~ "
The iie~¢’initiative says.the,,propos~AiS~te sh.o.u!,d
not be~ci)fi~i,e,d,,ias limiting: age-appt.o.p~ate, ot~jective,~"
dt’aetual ’AIDS educati,o,n, in~ii-ii~fi’bn reg~d~
ing hum~iii ~exuality, t~aching affi~.")i~"~the hnniim
wortli~Of"alI~st~dents,’ or suicide consoling. The
statute al~0 ~hould not cause the firing!.ofbpenly Gay
teachers, the proposal says.
Ellen L0we, who worked on the Nd 6n 9campai~i,
said the new effort would not persuad~ :~;0ters WI~
rejected the measure to switch side~. "I sense that
people really dounderstandthe motive~,0fLonMabon.
I don’t know that they are going to be fooled," Lowe
said.
In a fund-raising letter dated Dec. 18, Mabon, the
OCA~s executive director, told supporters that ~e
antt-"Measure 9. campaign "spent close, to- a million
dollars, promoting this lie" about A!DS educataon:
"We must file right away to keep the homosexual
activists in our schools from:taking more license w!~
our innocent children," the letter said.
School Charged With.
Censorship of Gay Bios
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - Two students sued the
Anaheim Union High School District for removing 10
biographies on homosexuals from their school library
in what they contend is a violation of constitutional
free-speech rights.
The Orangeview Junior High School students.said
in the U.S. District Court lawsuit that the district
censored a book series called "Lives of Notable Gay
Men and Lesbians." Thebooks include biographies on
tennis player Martina Navratilova, economist John
Maynard Keynes, and writers Willa Cather and James
Baldwin. "
The American Civil Liberties Union, whichfiled the
suit oi~ behalf-of the two unidentified students, demanded
that the district immediately return the books
to the library shelves. "We all know why these books
havebeenbanned;" ACLU attorney MarthaMatthews
said. "The books were banned because they had a
. positive statement to make to kids about Gay and
Lesbian people.. ¢Fhe books were banned because of
deep-seated prejudice."
Principal Barbara Smith removed the books and
took them to the district office in September, the suit
said. No reason was given by administrators,
Orangeview library teacher Chris Enterline said. "In
my heart, I know it’s because they. are about Gays and
Lesbians, and it says so on the front of the book,"
Enterline said.
Telephone calls to Smith weren’t returned.
: years ago, the district removed the Pulitzer Prize-
: wiariinghoog,~"Beloved;r$~-f~y Toni M0rrison;.because
¯ of complaints that it was too graphic in its descriptions
of a strivewho kiils l~er daughte~ instead 0f-ha4ing her
~ live as a slave. ,.;..........
,Baitimore:,officialSlams
: Gays,,ThenGets Arrested
B’ALTI~(~RE’(AP)" ~-’The ~city s ~housing .~,-~-
ii sioner was arre,sted after refusing tO lea~i~-a b~, ~vhere
~ h~b~htter’eomplained-~the commissioner made repeh~
ed-disparaging remarks~ab0utp.atrons h~ Su~spect~,,ed
! ~ff being Gay. "You "gttys° are fags;~ and-"-ttfi~ whole
: ~ra~ i~’friil’ 6f fags"~were’amofig the r~maik~:~ ph~flT.
GT~fii~6 ~lS~t~dlym.ade, a,~ording
,fil~d, b,~Offi~r E~cert ~Lutadeju.
:" Gr’a~iano,47,:~cas arre~t&l ~Bertha
and restaurant in the historic Fells Point waterfront
: diSLri~fi~p6li~e~pokeawomar~Ragina A~erdl’a ~Sitid.
.i :Afi~r t~in~’t~i~nore~ the~remarks, the t~V~i:~at~fns,
i~ Jason E~w~rd, 2~, and Prasad Narasimhff Ki~duvhlli,
; 33, asked the bartender to ask Grazi.ano to leave, the
:
¯ "Police v~eiie ~alled because Mr. Graziano hadb~n
-~isked,to leave and refus~.ed~ to dO :so; , Averell~-s~tt~~.
¯ "P61iC~ were called to.the sceneandheSfill refli~ed’~o
¯ leave~ .and- he-was ptaced..under arrest. The officer.
i
.advised the-suspecii repeatedly, to leave;and arrested,,
Gra~iimo after he Said ,I don’4 have to go anyw.here~I
the report said. Graziano, who was initially, charged
with disorderly conduct, was released from the-city
detention center later the morning of his arrest, the
police spokeswoman .said.
Gtaziano, a senior adviser and former general manager
of theNew York City. Housing. Authority,. ,was
appointedinOctober afterformercommissionerPatricia
Hayne resigned following disagreement with Mayor
Martin O’Malley over.how to run the department.
¯ Graziano will notbe prosecuted, said Deputy State’s
¯ Attorney HavenKodeck. "Based on our guidelines, we
¯ determined that prosecution was not warranted,"
: Kodeck said. "The situation was abated by Mr.
¯ Graziano’s arrest and removal from the situation;" A
¯ telephone call by The Associated Press to OrMalley’s
¯ office was not returned.
" Conneetieut Scouts Try
to Explain Anti-GayViews
¯
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut Boy Scfut
." officials have distributed more than 25,000 copies of a
¯ pamphlet explaining the national organization’s tea-
-" son~ for not accepting openly Gay members or adult
¯ leaders. "It is a statement of who we are and what our
_" belief system is," said Douglas Ktofina, executive
¯ director of the Yankee Council, based in Milford.
¯ The pamphlet, called "In Support of Values: A
¯"
Communication Tool for Parents, Leaders and Friends
¯ of Scouting," outlines the policy that was narrowly
¯
up,h~eld by the U.S. Supreme Court.
¯" "I’his is a complicated issue, but our critics are
jumping up and down saying we discriminate," said
! Krofina, whose council serves 25,000 youths in most
¯ of New Haven and Fairfield counties.
~ ’q~he court said we have a First Amendment fight to
II "-
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~t Cbthinunity ofHope
2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595
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HOUSE. oF THE HOLY sPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pro, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pro
1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754
The Open Arms Project
Young Adult Support Group
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
918-584-2325
MingoValley Flowers
9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145
918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-444-5934
Family Owned & Operated
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Child, Family, Individual & Couple Psychotherapy
(918) 743-9559
2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
TulSa, Oklahoma 74114-3518
The Pride
21st Street & Memorial
Tulsa Gay Community Services. Center
7432GAYS (743-4297)
6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday ’ .
12-9pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center
Important
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Call 212-461-2976
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associate with whom we choose," he said. "Professed " The husband looks at the wife and says, ’did you see
athei"stscan_’ t-beScout~leadersormembers el"thex:Had....-.¯.. ~who he called honey-?’ They were uncomfortable and
the atheists been more organized, they would have ° we were,uncomfortable. If you eliminate that factor, it
reached the Supreme Court first, and the court would
-have-niled the same. way,"
..... The naiion’h highest court ruled in July thatothe Boy
Scouts may bar Gay.s.,from:servmg as troop,leaders,
6oncluding that forcing the Scouts to accept Gay
)..eaters w~dyiolate~eo~ganization’.s First ~anendment
right of free’expression. ~ .
The .a~pplieation. for adult leaders does not ask.a
candidate’s sexuall orientaffon, and Scouting has-~an
unofficial "don’t ask, don’t tellY.policy similar to the
militm-y. ’.s,;Krofina said....
Charlotte Begins: Gay.
. Center Fundraisers
CHARLOTI’E, N.C. (AP) - Backers of a proposed
communitycenter for Gays in the Charlotte area have
be.g}m a campaign to generate financial support for the
project. The center would serve the region’s Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender population with
child care, sporting events, support groups and educational
seminars.
The center’s soon-to-be-announced board of trustees
plans to begin a fund-raising campaign to buy a
site. "We are looking for a place that is going to be
accessible tomost ofthe community," saidDanKJ!’.sch,
a member of a committee putting together the fundraising
campaign. Kirsch said the center also will
welcome memberships from Charlotte’s non-Gay
population.
Depending on the success of the fund-raising cam,
paign, supporters expect a centerloeation to be secured
in two or three years.
Lone ,Star Living: Gay
Camping Near Waco
WACO,Texas - Located off.a bumpy~.gravelled road,
with an inconspicuous sign and a line of trees blockin,g
the ,scenic lakeside view, ,it might be said that the
Rainbow Ranch has been in the,closet for the past five
years..The Gay and Lesbian campground, whichisjust
outside Groesbeck, has become one of Central Texas’
best kept secrets, said Nell Johnsen, a guest turned
ranch manager. "We, are. remotely located, and not
highlypublicized, so alot ofpeople don’rknowthat we
are out here," Johnsen said."
Even’Jolmsen and his partner, Kelvin.Winn~. wlao
manage, the campgrbtmds~, stumbled upon .the xanch
accidentally while taking a.two~year, trip .around the
United States. "We ca~e here almost by mishap,"
J6tmsensm"d. "I found theWeb page while we were in
Arizona, and we decided to stop in and. see..It-was
going to be a two-week stop, but we’ve been here £or
the past nine.months."
Theserenity Of the location, with campgrounds
overlooking Lake Limestone and a small forest teeming’with
wildlife, helps to draw many regulars to the
ranch from major cities through0tit Texas and"the
entire country. But it’s reallypriyacy and.the comfort
of being able to spend time out in the open with their
partners that keeps couples coming back.
~ "It’sjustthe simple things,like holding your partner’s
hand as you walk through the wood~," Johnsenaaid. "It
can’be uiieasy for f01kswith a partner of the same sex
’t6be thi~m~elves af.othef campgrounds’; so the comfort
factor is areal draw here." "
Sinc~ beginning theif travels at their li0ni~
Vmi~ouver, Wash’,, J0hii~en mid Wimi li~tg~ experiefi~
d theanxiety Of Staying’ el’s’ewhere: ................
°°’W~wetestaymg.ata’ very niceRV park, and I was
OUtsx" de gn"lfi"ng,"’ JOlms’ en sai"d. ’~I stu" d"s’~om’".e..t.hi*n’ g""~s"
basic as; ’Honey, can you pasgm8 ~li~’tong~?’ ~d you
couldjiist f~ei th~i00ksfftfi~ the 8"6iipi~in th~ext’R~(
¯ makes [t;aiot easier to have a good .’.time."
: To ensure that that sense of security is maintained at
.." -all times, owner Peggy Thomas does not allow hetero-
.¯...sexuals to c,amp by themselves at the xanch. "I will
allow tffemili~ey come with Gay,campers, but not if
¯ -they come by themselves," Thomas .said.."I think it’s
." important to have a place where you can. be yi)urself,
¯
._ hereyoudon t have to have strmgkt,peoplestarlng at
.you. I opgned it because I liked Caml~i,ng and i didn’t
: like being stared at." -.....
." Thomas said she picked out the location near
Groesbeck because the land was cheaper than in other
areas..Another nice aspect, she said, was. a tree line
separadngmost of the grounds from the road outside,
." affording campers a little more privacy. That barrier
¯ makes campers feel more comfortable about being ¯
near such arural town, said Winn, althoughhe says the
¯ people of Groesbeck have been nice to them.
¯ Although the camp hasn’t had any trouble with the
.. residents of Groesbeck or any other local people, the
¯ camp’sWebsite did experience asetbacklately. While
¯
tryi~,g to locate the camp’s site on several search
; engines, Johnsen found out that it had been kicked off
¯ most of them - an act that requires some kind of
¯
complaint lodged against the business.
; Becausemost of the camp’s business is generated by
Internet searchers, thathurt camp attendance, he said.
e found outpurelyby accident thatwe weredropped
¯
from the search engines," Johnsen said. "But werereg-
: istered with all of them, and in 8 months we have had
.. over 10,000 visits, and business has picked up."
¯ "It really amazes me, the perceptions that still exist
." that we are out here doing something strange, but it is
: really just like a typical campground," Johnsen said.
¯ "Our sexual identity is just a part of us, but this is a
¯
place where thatis not anissue andwecan do the things
we enjoy, whether it be fishing or boating or hiking.
There’s just really something for everyone here."
¯ Group Asks Mormonsto
¯ Change Anti-Gay Policy
¯ SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A group of more than 300
¯ Gay and Lesbian Mormons and their family is asking
¯ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to
¯ change its stance on homosexuality. The loosely knit ¯
group "Mormon Advocates for Further .Light and
¯ Knowledge" ran an advertisement with a petition in
; The Salt LakeTribune late in December.
¯ : The document.calleduponMormon general authori- ¯
taes to repudiate church statements about homosexual_
; ity that are false and misleading. The petition said that
7 would include the church’s position that "same-sex
.. attraction is an undesirable and unnatural emotion,
¯ Which, whenacted upon results in sinful, Satan-in-
] spired behavior." Church spokesman Dale Bills said it
~ is too early to respond to the petition, but that "President
Gordon B. Hinckley has repeatedly expressed the
¯ .Church’s. compassion toward homosexuals."
¯ The.petition’s author, MacMadsen, said the petition
¯ is a last-ditch appeal to church leaders for meaningful
i -dialogue about homosexuality. He said he has pleaded
¯ for two years with church leaders to hear them out. The
¯ .former Weber_State University healthy-lifestyles pro-
: fessorandmen’s golf coach saidhemailedthepetition
¯ to churchleaders more than a year a.g0 _.a0~d he_r~eg.ei.v_ed
¯no response..
] Madsen originally planned to run the ad during the
¯ Church’s Octo.~berGeneral Conference, butlackedfunds.
Nonames appear due to space constraints;but Madsen
said more than 300 individuals from 12,countries and
,most states,.backed it. Madsen initially, hesitated to
have his name.printed, hoping to protecLhis daughter,
, .who is a LeSbian. But, he said, "thereis~nothing in the
:petition that I’m ashamed of or that’s inaccurate."
Gay, Black And
Positive in Chicago
CHICAGO (AP) - Harsh is a word that
could describe the streets of Chicago’s
struggling Austin neighborhood, where ¯
trust is scarce- and twomenwalking hand "
in hand might fear for their lives. :
It’s the sortofplace whereDerrickHicks,
whois openly GayandHIV-positive, could "
wither away unnoti.ced, another statistic ¯
for a dusty filing cabinet. And withering ¯
away he is - though he is hardly going ."
quietly. Even as he struggles to lift his "
increasingly thin frame out of bed each."
morning, Hicks is still one of Chicago’s
most vocal advocates for the U.S. popula- ¯
tion hardest-hit by the AIDS-epidemic: "
poor Blacks. :
So when Frank Oldham Jr. - a bigshot ¯
AIDS administrator who’s run programs
in New York and the District of Columbia ¯
- came to town two years ago, it surprised ¯
no one when Hicks welcomed Chicago’s "
new AIDS czar with a friendly warning. "
"Hi, my name is Derrick Hicks," he "
said, shaking Oldham’s hand."And I’m ¯
going to be your worst nightmare." Qui- ¯
etly, however, Hicks was hopeful. He al- "
ready knew that he and Oldham had some
things in common. Oldham, too, was a ¯
Black, Gaymanin a city where the combi- "
nation of thoselabels canmake for aheavy "
load. "
In June, Oldham made another public
revelation. "I... too, am a face of AIDS,"
the 51-year-old New Yorker said’,-revealing
his HIV-positive status in a speech at a
conference for Midwest AIDS agencies.
SomeofOldham’ s owncolleagues were
stunned, but not Hicks. By that time, the
two men had forged a friendship, a bond
that has supported their respective fights
against a virus that is sapping theii very
lifeblood. "Heknows moreaboutmyhealth
thanmy ownmother," said Hicks, whohas
fended ~off three bouts of pneumonia in
2000 aloneand often directs theWest Sid~
neighborhood health services agency he
foundedfrom home. "To have one likeme
there," he say~ of Oldham, "’has made all
the differenc~,"~
Though:..th.eir~openness is rare, Hicks
andOld_arefarfromalone. Whilethe~
make up abgut !3%of~the nation s pop -
iation, BlaCk .p~op!e represent about 37%
of thenearly ~05,-.000AIDS cases report~
nationwi,d.~ through Dee. 1999. And
the n.umber; Qf ,those who’ve develop~
full-blo_wnl .AIDSI .or-died from it la~is
dropped .dr~matica!ly in som.e ~.uarter.s,
the drop.~h~...beenmuch less stgnilicant
the Hispanic..an~, particularly, Black communities,
~ ~ ...... ;
"A lotldf i~{r.ei~tes to lack of access to
health .cax¢~’~:~.s~y.s~ Victor Barnes, deP_U.tY
director .f~ov~g.. ~,DC’s !-IIV prevention
,unit:But_~e.~ad:d.~_ that~Blaek people who
,are:HIV_~po.si,_ti~ve, o£te,~.~ seek ~reatment in
the later-~Lgtg¢S: of .the illness. "And that
often has.~Q, d9, .W!.~ stigma - and dem ,
Barnes:said~ In.~.,cago alone,3,670blaek
residents; or 57%,of the total cases, were
living with AIDS at the end of June 2000.
That compares:with 27% for whites and
15% for Hispanics.
Meanwhile, the number of deaths in
major cities nationwidehave helped make
AIDS the leading illness-related killer of
the nation’s black men, ages 25 to 44,
according to the federal Centers for Disease
Control.
And still, there is a hesitance to address
it openly, even in the black community
itsdf. "Evennow when someone dies with
AIDS, people will say it was pneumonia,"
says the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who is among
a growing number of black church leaders
who are preaching about AIDS from their
pulpits andpublicly getting testedforHIV.
They hope to raise the comfort level
among black followers who are worried
aboutbeing tied to themostcommonforms
of transmission - namely Gay male sex
and intravenous, drug use.
It is no easy task. In 1998, employees for
Howard Brown Health Center, a Chicago
clinic long known for its care of AIDS
patients, carried a banner in the annual
Bud Billikenparade-ahuge event founded
by the city’s most prominent black newspaper
publisher - and recall being met
with hushed stares. The following year,
officials at the nonprofit agency filed a
complaint with the city Commission on
Human Relations, claiming that a South
Side Chicago realtor told themhe couldn’t
rent them a space for a new clinic for fear
of losing other.tenants. They have since
found a space elsewhere in the neighborhood.
Oldham has had challenges ofhis own -
namely trying to unite nonprofits that,
before his arriv~al, were warring over limited
funding while dealing with a growing
number of HIV-positive people who were
surviving, but still in dire need ofsei’vices.
Gay vs. straight~ black vs. white vs.
Hispanic, rich vs, poor - the divisions
: -were deep in a city WhereMayor Richard
-. Daley was sometimes,booed,and even
: pelted with .condoms, over. the way- his
:¯. administration had handled the.epidemic
¯ in the early to mid:i1990S. ~Even...now, ¯ Oldham- has, about$20 millionin funding
" , to dole, out~ to AIDS,agencies: thathe says
: could easily put; te~ times that much-.to
¯ good use.,~ ~ ¯ ~ -.~
¯ Still, though it hasn’t alivayS been~easy
: ’ ~or thisadmi_’tted!yprivate man.to shat’~ his
: ,story, Oldham*is wetl’-versedinadversRy.
,-A rising:star in-.the~.administrations-’of
~i -,former ~lqew. York,m~yors-Ed Koch-and
~" David Dinkins,. Oldha~ t’6ok a~,leave,,in
:1 1994 tO run. ~the Di.st.ri.ct.o.f:.C.ol.um.b.ia., s
- ¯~A,IDSprogramTsho~yafterRudyGinliani
~" ,~became ,New Y~rk. s,mayor: .:Frustrated
;: -with the,sloiw,pace,of, progress in.Wash-
: °ington, Oldhammo~cedba~k to N~w York
¯ afterjustsix months; inpart; to care for.his
i -elderly,parenW-who"were,-slippi,ng into
~i : senility~fid.someiimes’forgetfing’me~very
¯ face of their.0nly ekild.-
: In the months that followed, he began
i
;what he~c~.l,e~.~:~a’~Mp,w~n.~arii ~pjrtfl~7~He
~lso d~id~ i~ ~t test~xt for HIV- to
¯ .finally ’~tiifiTfiii wha~:lle’d already:, sus-
¯~tea ’~tti F~rlil~e~ ~".oujust~vant-to
’w’~~lkd"o~vn"a~oadandjts’~keep:g~ifi~ti,~,,
-the road runs butandyoufall’0ff the rift,’
~Oldham Says: of:thai period inhis-life:-
" It was hardy th~ life lie hadenvisioned
¯ in the early 1980s.H~was h jazz Singer
: who took acting class’s-on the Side and
¯ dreamed ofmaking ’CDs. Butwhennearly ¯
20 ofhis frleiids-ineludingthebest friend
: who was also his composer Lbegan dying
: ofamystefious, ruthless ldllerCalledAIDS,
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more pressing matters took over¯
Nearly two decades later, Oldham saw
Chicago as a chance to start the fight anew.
To do it, he quickly enlisted help from
everyonefrom political types and activists
like Hicks to South Side pastors and anyone
hooked into the city’s Gay club scene.
The CDC’s Barnes calls therelationship
that Oldham has built between grassroots
AIDS organizers and his agency, the Chi-
. cago Department of Public Health, "a national
example."
Others agree. "Frank has brought us
some sense of civility and diversity and
commonpurpose," saysGregHarr"is,chi"ef
of staff for Chicago Alderman Mary Anne
Smith, whose Ward includes Chicago’s
largest Gay neighborhood. That neighborhoodis
filled with trendy shops and restaurants
on a main drag lined with rainbow
columns that mark it as Chicago’s "official"
Gay neighborhood¯
It is a stark contrast to Hickg’ side of
town, where his own agency tries hard to
blend in. There are no rainbow flags and
the word "Gay" is hardly uttered. "To lay
with another man is a sin; a lot of 0eople
would like to say that just doesn’t happen,"
Hicks says, describing what he calls
the general attitude in the black community.
"It’s not talked about."
So even his organization, which serves
Gay, Bisexual and Black clients, has a
nondescript name: the Greater Chicago
Committee. And when they come to his
agency’s food pantry or clothing bank, he
asks whether they are "sexually active"
and encourages them to get tested.
"You have to meet them where they
are," Hicks says. Oldhamagrees "Ifyou’re
African American,_ you’re fighting racism.;
if’ you:re African- American, you’re
probably fighting poverty.. Sonow in your
own community-,, you’re .going .to fight
homophobia?" Oldham says. "You’dhave
.to b~n awfully strong individual with a
lot of support to come, up .and-say, ’I’m
African American and I’m v~r~.proud to
be Gay, very proud to .be Lesbian and this
¯ is .my partner,~ ?2
~Thete are.days when:taking:the lead on
all of thosefrontstakesitstotl,onOldham.
But~’even~ when?ressed~ he.talks more
.about-the health o£those around him than
his-0~n.~ Still, ,Hick~. says.ilie~ liears the
fatigue.ifi" his friend’S xoice,-, especially
wh,,e,~n,’they charon the phone.late a,t night.
." Wefietoeaeh~the~,.:. but~we reb~
.starting- to- feel, our, a£gand, Our.,illness ;’
.:sa~* Hicks,, ~,ho:dedines.to. giY.e his own
age~buLpredicts his own death in. the next
five year.s.’~ut-not before-he.gets more
~ markdone.,, t,have a,mission,’LHicks says.
"And it’s not my
Teens: orailsn,t Sex
MESA, Ariz.. (AP).r.,~t,d,~,,zP,.n.,a. ,19,ealth expertsLare..,
c9,~cerned abou[reSults of a’ na-
:.ti0nal. s~dY. s.h.~)wi~g ~’~ ~ies~nts believe
sexually, transmi [ted diseases can
only.be ,contracted through .sexual intercourse,
and not other .typ~s. Of. physical
contact. The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevehtion study Shows that 15% to
20% of young men and .women will be-.
come infected with herpes by.the time they
reach adulthood.
Doug Hauth, public information officer
¯ for the Maricopa County Department of
: Public Health, said that this year alone
¯ more than 1,700 girls between the ages of ¯
13 and 18 have been diagnosed with
: chiamydia in Maricopa County, "and the
¯ numbers don’t include everybody," Hauth
: said.
¯ Judy Crider, program manager .at the
¯ Scottsdale Prevention Institute, said she
¯
believes there is no disparity between the
: national Survey and local teens. "Unfortu-
¯ nately, there’s a myth out there that if you
: have oral intercourse, you’re not going to
¯ getdiseases,"Cridersaid.Cridersaidteens
¯ unfortunately internalized one of the argu-
¯ ments used by President Clinton when he
¯ defended his affair with intern Monica
: Lewinsky by proclaiming that oral sex is
¯ notsex.ThehugepushinAIDS awareness ¯
education, meanwhile, leads kids to be-
" lieve they can only get the disease from
¯ traditional intercourse, she said.
Diaphragms May
Reduce STD Risk
¯ EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A University of
: Oregon researcher plans to study whether
: women are willing to use a diaphragm not
: just to prevent pregnancy but also to pro-
. tect them from sexually transmitted dis-
. eases. The National Institutes of Health
: has awarded a $1 million grant to the
¯ three-year project, which will interview
¯ current and former diaphragm users and
.try to get young women at risk of contract-
: ~ng STDs to use the device.
: It is estimated that today just 2% of
¯ contraceptive users rely on the small,disc-
" shaped cap that a woman fits over her
cervix, creating a physical barrier to preg-
¯ nancy. When used correctly, diaphragms
: ,arejust as effective as condoms inprevent-
¯ mg pregnancy. They are’also known to
¯ prevent some STDs, such as gonorrhea
i and chlamydia, although it’s not known if
" flaey guard against HIV, the virus that can
Iead to AIDS. Currently, reSearCh is underway
on new methods for "preventing
the spread of STDS‘ such as miCrobicides.
¯ But Marie Harvey, research director at
¯: the UO’s Center for the Study of Women
fn Society, said diaphragms mayheldfill a
i niche for women at rihk o,f getting STDs
.": ~tntil new methods are proven.
-" Harvey is conduc~t~.g the ’study,, along
i with co-researcher Sher~[ Bird. If the
diaphragm protects against (some) STDs
~agnd pregnancy, and might ,offer prbtection
against HIV, it ,co,.uld ~.-h.’. Wonderful op-
, tion for women~ Harveysai& -.
.~ Harvey got the idea-0fstadying the
’_ -~ffectiveness of diaplir~igms>~use of
~ another study she’s doing that shows high-
. risk couples how to ~)i?ote~t :themselves
: :during sex, primarilythrdugh ~the use of a
¯-~ondom. It’s clear the’ d6iidttm protects
: against STDs, but~it~ md4~S C~fil~Olled~by
¯ -the male-and some.atien~,gcOn!t~uste them,
¯ she said. The benefits of the diaphragm is
¯ that it can be iusert~t ~p’to’"two hours
"before sex, is not vislbl’e"and the man
[ doesn’t have to know thewoman is using
it, Harvey said. " .......
Harvey believes the diaphragmis avaluable
tool for women. "I.fWOmen can’t get
a man to use a condom, the diaphragm is a
good option, period," she said, "even if we
don’t find out it protects against HIV."
2~2 ¯ -and’performingin Houston.
.. Happy Ne~ year! H~d to believe it’s
~2001. I hop~:iihelnew~iyear brings your " .was .beyond,my reach at the, time,, or I
hopes and d~anS’~fi~tion, would have .been the~e. I read of a few
.:.Great nev~!~ern2iidette Peters returns : moreperformances,maiulyatPoorDavid’s
::tO~ Tulsa Jan ~i.an.d~6~-.th for a~, evening of : Pub.in Dallas, but usually ! learned of the
,showtunes ~ao,.d;gl~am~our! S~e s one of the ¯ performanceafter.thefact.~d~inceithas
:fewpeopleI~es~performherethatcan : become a t~adition fin tliis column, she
~rap an entire audience .
¯
performed a Stevie
¯ arot~nd her fi~igerwith " everyone should },Iicks song from the
s~emingly, eff0rtle~s~ ~ "" ~ - . ~ . " 1981Steviealbum, Belease.
Sheperform~vith her show, espeeaally just to ladonna 2 "The High-
.thePhil, andifyouwant see ff she performs wayman." I really wish
I’d been there for that!
Unforttmatdy, the price of the benefit
to see a true star, then
don’t miss her concert!
For tickets, call
596-7111.
I really think that everyone
should see her
show, especially just to
see if she performs
"Making Love Alone" again. (I heard the
song on her "Sondheim, etc.: Live at
Carnegie Hall" CD, a recording of a benefit
she did for Gay Men’s Health Crisis.
And yes, it is about what you might think,
and she wasn’t going to perform it last
time she was here due to the rep Tulsa has
of being, well, prudish. Can’t imagine
why, what with the preying hands and all.
Happily, Robert Reed, then artistic director
of the Phil talked her into it, and the
audience loved it. I was able to thank her
for including it after the show. Shffs,. a
lovely woman, and so tiny! You’d never
think so to see her onstage, since she
projects such a larger, than life persona.
Andnever underestimate the power of big
hair! Again, this will be the don’t miss
event of the Phil’s season. So don’tmiss it!
I am pleased to announce the new CD
"Love Decides", Jane Oliver’s new recording
is one of the most rewarding listens
I’ve had in a long time. For those who
haven’t heard her name, she was a cabaret
diva and recording artist of the 70’s an~
80’ s. No one can beat her whenit comes to’
wringing every bit of emotion out of a
lyricl Her phrasing is impeccable, and her
voice is angelic. She made four successful
recordings from 1976 to 1982, which are
still in print. She was rumored to have died
of cancer at one point, since she never
recorded anyCDsafter 1982’s"Jane Olivor
in Concert". (Fhe other albums are "Jane
Olivor - First Night" 1976; "Jane Olivor -
Chasing Rainbows".1977; "Jane Olivor -
Stay the Night" 1978; and "Jane Olivor -
Best Side of Goodbye" 1980. All are well
worth a listen. Her version of "Vincent"
and "Some Enchanted Evening" are the
definitive recordings of both songs.)
Well, I later found.she never had died.
.(Good it~gii,~’!:el~e:~e new CD would
: .definitely~i~fi,~L~K~ so. y0~~expected
.2iiie to 16~ti~i-:’0~portunity~;~ass by?
~Puhleeze.) She,had.retired from recording
due to being gyppedby the record company
she had~recorde~&the albums for. Left
with a bitter taste in her mouth from the
,,experience, she :p.efformed live at small
..,.venues. To,.my ~s~e, she was practically
in my!ba~k.;y~d?~I was living in Fort
~-Worth when,I,read sh~ was to perform at
.~ an AIDS benefit in:Dallas, and was living
"Makln, Love Alone"
a~aln ....
And yes, it is about what
you might think... "
"Love Decides"
is her first album
in 18 years, and if you
have a lover, it’s the
perfect Valentine’ s gift,
and if you don’t have a
lover, get it for your-
." self. Her voice wraps around you like an
¯ old friend’s hug, and can make the hardest
" bitterest heart melt to mushy goo in no
¯ time flat. And yes, I speak from experi-
: -ence. The tide track, "LoveDecides".is an
¯¯ . ode to thefact that sometimes, feelings can
take youby smprise, tuming somcone you
¯ wouldn’t ordinarily be attracted to into the
: love of your life, and you will have no
¯ choice in the matter. So enjoy it. My other
; favorite is "Night Song", telling the story
: of realizing someone that you’ve grown
." fond of could be apotential love. She does
¯ a great cover of October Project’s "Bury ¯
MyLovely" - no not about murder. More
¯ a song of how you are wrong for this
¯ person, and basically they should forget
¯ you. The song I identify with~0stis "I ¯
had A Man." Get out of the gutter. More
¯ like, "Well, I could’ve done this or that,
¯ but... I had aman. So I didn’t. Now he’s
¯ gone, and I’m stuck here, with thelife I’ve
: created. Damn, I should’ve done it!"
: "Could’ve been we,~ffing rubies, Could’re
¯ been takin’ bows... Could’re been high ¯
society,-~could’ve been someone
¯ proud...Should’ve had my silver spun,
; weaver that I am.., Should’ve been getting
¯ my work done - but I had this.., man.7 So,
: not all treacle and sweetness. "In The
¯ Moment" isa lovely upbeat rune, about
¯ living in the now, and loving in the now.
¯ So,it’s amanic depressive’s dreamCD. "I ¯
Believe in You" is a lovely ode to friend-
" ship and support; and Jane covers "Colors
_" of the Wind" with a magical quality that
¯ Vanessa Williams could only hope to
¯ achieve. ’Tll be Hei’e" wraps you up in a
¯ warm blanket, a perfect song for those
.. down moments that crop up every, so of-
. ten.
: Jane has an intimate quality that makes
it seem she’s singingjust for you, an amaz¯
ing thing to achieve on a studio recording.
I would love to see her at the PAC - she,
¯
like Jim Brickman, could make that hall
¯ seem like her living room, and make you ¯
fe~i like a gues~t in h.e.r li.,v~ng ~Q~om bythe
fire. Best Buy has the be,stprice On theCD
: at $12.99,, andfor theperfe~t r0manfic gift,
.you can t go wrong with any of Jane
¯ Olivor’s recordings, Ha.ve I ever.steered
¯
you wrong? Sodi~.the, ~igh~s,:!ight the
¯ candles, .se_elaMuse p. 9
Congregation
i.ii’P~esents
uriah
Featuring Ellen Kushner
Hostof Public RadiO’s Sound& Spirit
as heard on KWGS 89.5
Saturd~y,Janl 27th, 7:30pm, Tickets $5
1719 So. Owasso Avenue, Info: 583-7699
Come,
listen
and be
enrap
Saturday, January 13, 2001 . 8pro
Tulsa P~rjbrmingArts Center
Ed~oin O~t~oater, conductor
Jennlfer Koh, ~iolin
Thea Musgrave Rainbo~o-
Mozart Violin Concerto No. 4
Dvo~Lk Symphony No~ 7 .
Otfi’-january Masterworks.e+en~: features the stunning
ariimT ofviolinist Jennifer Koh in Mozart’s beloved
ViolinConcerto No. 4. Special guest conductor Edwha
Outwa[er joins her on stage for thishighly anticipated
performance, also featuring the haunting beauty of I)vo~ik’s
Symphony No. 7. Tickets MO to $45
by Karin Gregory
Oh.-: .My...God! I think I should revise
Melissa Etheridge’s lyrics.slightly to read:
"Wake me up when we hit 2005!" For the
new millennium (we all know it-begins
THIS year) Imade a wish list that includes
open:minde&Iess acrossthe board.However
with our new administration, we can
kiss that wish goodbye for
at least four years, Now
I’mnogoodatmakifigresolutions
(I’just break’them
before I start); but I added
today "hope chest" while
-the restof the~ountiy was
drinking to forget the past
few months~andespecially
the outcome!
-~ ° In the spi:rit of the Season
"..._Maybe we’re so
erltleal of the other
bemuse we’re all tryln$
so desperately to llve
normal lives when the
rest O~’~e{ety views us
as abnormal.., to
:just ~ast, I’.m~fediiigOpfi- present a eampaiSn for
:misfic"despite’ ’geeiiag the " equal ~$,}at~s, we need to
~l~ngs-~f"the Reli:gious
’:Right piippet-masters ’en- show the rest
twining OurgM£ W. (and ’I Amerlea tlmt we
-Ollircmvfevenrmnmngme ¯
word -busk.-anymo~;e!). :, a* e~luals. , .
: Being a’child of~eSixties," " "
I~,s.tillllave a hope’ that Our country will:
"" ~. ) Adopt i Ve~ont .s. generosxty. The
least theotherstates ’cafa dois to feel for it "
/by taking,some of flue. weight off the "
q’e~slat~e s Shoulders. After all, I’m sure
:~;&~ran:re~idents in this tiny state are still ¯
tottering over th~ de~lslon to make"those "
Gay bobs" equal; steeling themselves for ¯
. ~¢hat they must thinkwillbe Gay bars hti~ "
dildo stores on every comer. "
2) Put education"a~’ the top of the list.
O,K, as a teacher I think this was a given for ¯
m~. But if you really look at the serious- .
hess of ignorance(and many of you have ¯
first hand experience of this that I can only ¯
imagine), you’ll agree tliat theONLY Way ,
we can stop homophobia is by educating. ’
My goodness, I ~nkI just putmy butt on ¯
the line by promising to actually do some- ¯
thing besides rage against a seemingly "
unforgiving God. Only through spreading "
the word, 10iidly but not angrily, can we ;
change v~ews. Look at what happened to ¯
the Dr. I.aura campaign. If you’re asking, ."
"Dr. Who?" -then the campaign suc- "
ceeded! ¯
3) Become a true democracy. Yes, I ¯
know this is autopian ideal. Homosexuals "
have never been anyone’s favorite, but we "
were always pushed to thebackbeeause of ¯
the Native Americans, the Irish, the Jew- "
ish, African Americans, Hispanic,s, Japa- :
nese-Ameficans, etc. Now we’re in the ¯
limelightbecauseracial andreligious preju- ¯
dice have (finally0 become socially unac- ¯
ceptable. And look who S left standing in :
line to be hated! Ratherthan certain gov- :
emmentofficials complaining thatwewant ¯
"special rights", my hope is for them to "
take a look back over the past two centu- ~
ries to see that all anyonehas every wanted :
are EQUALrights !
4) See a united Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/ :
Transgendered community. I know I’m :
new to this so I should quitgriping and get ¯
offmy duff to help unite. What I see in the "
community makes me understand that the "
war won’t get wonunless we conquer this :
battle in front of us: accepting each other ¯
as a community of equals, rather than
¯ "dyke", "fog", "traitor", "freak." I’ve got
¯ Lesbian friends who Wonder why I have
: Gay-male friends. I know a few. who
: wouldn’t let a man into their’lives even if
¯ he’s a doctor, lawyer; veterinarian. Then
: there are the Gay male friends who gripe
: about Lesbians asifth~y’ve only seen the
stereotypes on TV, rather
than getting to know us.
I’ve heard from some :of
th~ cfmmunlty that t~iseximls
are just Gay men
who cxm’t get off the fence
(and the-inevitable jokes
about that!). I don’t knfw
how my friends feel about
Tr~insgend,ered people, but
I do k~ow’ :the topic never
comes UP."
Maybe w&re so cridcal
of the Other because we’re
all trying so desperately to
live normal lives when the
rest of society views us as
abnormal~ In other words,
to present’a campaign for
equal’ tights, ’we need to
: show therest of Americathatwe consider
¯ each other in the community as equals.
Look what it’s done for the Religious
Right. They may have their squabbles, but
we the public don’t get to see it. They
present a united front, bigoted though it
may be, and have a President to play with
for the next four years. That’s power! I
realize we’re talking about a basic belief
system and moral code as opposed to
MANY belief systems with many other
moral codes, but you learn from the enemy.
If the only tip we want to take from
the Religious Right is unity, then we need
to study them. And finally...
5) Above all, respect us as valuable,
irreplaceable, andEQUALhuman beings.
Hell, in Texas I’d sometimes just wish we
were considered HUMAN! But we can’t
settle. With TV exposure of Gays and
Lesbians at its highest (thank you NBC
and Showtime!), you’d think we’d have it
made. And that soon, in part due to the
public’s viewing of such shows as "Queer
As Folk" and other programs, we can soon
hold hands and kiss in public without fear
of being arrested, being stared at, and
sacrificing everything. Maybeone day soon
we’ll be stared at just because someone
else wants the relationship we have, and
for no other reason. Hey, I told you I was
optimistic. My evil twin will return next
month. Happy New Year!
draw a warm bath, put this CD on, and
invite someon, over. Or, make love alone.
With Jane singing, you can’t lose either
way.
As for events around here, Theater Club
presents "The Vagina Monologues" (God
they can talk, too?) Jan 11-27. Call 857-
9154 for ticket info and location. Heller
Theatre presents Steve Martin’s "Pieasso
at theLapin Agile," the story of a fictional
meeting between Picasso and Einstein.
746-5056. see amuse, p. 10
"Christ-Like" by Emanuel Xavier ¯ become his f.,,a~}ly. Membe.rs of me gangs,
reviewed by Barry Hensley " form "houses to protect tlaemselves anti
Tulsa City-County Library
" each other andin every way fulfill the role
Where does onestart when reviewing a ] of family to Mikey. His good. look.s and
violent and disturbing novel about brutal, ~ shrewdness allow him to get rata me reyoung,
Gay, Hispam’c gangs
whoselives revolve around
carefully crafted sets of,
rules and, at the same time,
no rules at all?
These arecharacters from
ferocious families Who understandnothing
but deceit,
confusionanddrug induced
brutality. The easiest thing
to say is that Christ-Like is
simply a Dennis Coopernovel
set among Gay,
Latino gangs in New York
City.
Our protagonist, Mikey,
is born into an incredibly~
dysfunctional family in a
distressed neighborhood,
where Mikey’s role model
" These are 0 o ¯
ekaraeters from feroelous
~amilles who
understand nothln~ but
deedt, eonfuslon and
dru¢ induced brutality
... It’s hard to understand
why the reader
would eare about this
arrogant, mls~uided and
eontemptlble youth, but
I couldn’t put this
book do~..."
is a neighbor, yelling up
from the street, Come on Mmam. I don t
wanna come up thestairs! Just throw tl},,e,
baby outthewindow! I’ll catchit! I swear!’
Mikey’s mother soon has an abusive boy~,,.
friend, and a heartless relative, teenag,e
Chino, stays with them, sharing Mikey s
roomwhile secretly abusing theboy, physically
and emotionally .....
As he grows upin. thischaotic, environment,
Mikey, of ourse, has no idea ~.at
n0t all families arelil~e thls and, despite b-is
intelligence and basi~gbodness, starts
down the wrong path. And what a path it
is! Unable to understand healthy relationships,
hebecomeS-se~ua!!y active and abusive
with almost anyQne,.and starts busfling
on the Westsidei~i~L He discovers
drugs and the in~bnd~ ~that comes with
dealing. He tougi~e.nS ~p ahd picks fights
so he can rob afidinj~.e, i(often i_nnoce.n.t)
people. He beans t0 ~ pride in ms
viciousness wi~’d~iii~.~i’_~lee. V~nen he
hits adolescen~;:it~ ~er kicks him
out, not becans~ i~f~fiiS~ess behgvio,r,
but because he’i~iG~@~,~d~suddeulY he s
onhis own. ;~ ~.o~; ,b,’ ~ ~. In Mikey’s bi~’~ reality, the underground
subcul~e,of homeless hustlers
stricted clubs where sex,
drugs and competitiveness
flow freely. This club scene
is particularly dangerous.
Aguy bumps you accidentally?
NO problem! Just
stab himright there or wait
until later and beat him
withabaseball bat! Hehad
it comin’ to ’ir!! It’s hard
to understand why the
reader would care about
this arrogant, misguided
and contemptible youth,
butI couldn’tputthisbook
down¯
Perhaps because we
know that Mikey is, deep
down, a good kid shaped
by his environment, we
want him to be able to rise
above being a monstrous criminal ~and
realize that there isanother, world out
there. But, whenev~er.h~ s.tax~tS a ~ewreia:’
tionship, we know it will end in chaos..
When he quits ~d~gs, we ~.kn~v~ h¢’!l~,, ~
start using again. Whenhe gets beaten,.w.e
know it iS what he ~:~pected. ~rying p~sages to quote ff,0~
exiilain his predicament proved diffiCultL
The Tulsa Philhi~monic pfesents a mati;
nee performan~rf ,Peter and The Wolf
with the Magic Circle Mime Companyon
the 14th. 747-7445.
For the artsy.craftsy~crowd, Mayf6st is
seeking artists and artistes tO display their
wares and worksat the 2001 Mayfest. Jan
12 is the deadline to apply for space. Musical
types have to apply’the 5th.
"’If I were a rieh.m~ ~.~diddle deedle
dicdle diddle dee: .or, as tti~ Southern version
would haveit; "Eiddle dee dee.""Fiddlcr
on the.Roof’~ ~illbe appearing overhead
at the PAC fiom the 16-21 with
Theodore Bikel as Teyve. Yes, this is the
show Bette Midler got her start on Broadwayin
the 70’s, as a chorus girl. I don’t
ttfink
Timothy Daniel
Attorney at Law .
An Attorney. who will fightfor justice
& equality for Gays & LeSbians
Domestic-Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury; Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1~800-742-9468~or-918::35.2-9504
128 East Broad~.~i,~i)promrigh!:OklahOma
Weekend and evening appointments are available.
¯ the copies we have.of the miscelleneous
¯¯ defimctpublications whichTulsa’sseenat
¯ one time or another. Tulsa Oklahomans
for Human Rights also published a news-
" letter, TheTOHRReporter, formuch ofits
¯, 20 year history which documents much of
¯ Tulsa’s Lesbian and Gay history.
virtually~every paragaph is,pepp~,r,e~,
over,ly colorful l’an~ge Sr events.
It s haid for a whit~--i3r~ad reYi’~ei ~Vi~o
In addition, Tulsa Family News will send
..... .NeW Year
.....:, .NewCareer
Get a iaeM Siatt,bi~ ~your New Yearsresolution
If you~are responsible and self’ifi*ofivated
ar~dhave:a posfive .attitude.
We.ii;iii’:N~!’p’)~u fulfill, ~our resolution.
cati,665,,3401
TULSA COUNTY
DEMOCRATIC
~P’A- R T-Y:
Country Club Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat: 8-5pm
ody
Tulsa’s only
professional
body-piercing
........ Co![egg Hill
Presbyterian Church
In-response to God’s Love,
College Hill Presbyterian Church
is a communit¯.y of God’s pe_ople
called tO tell others the
Gospel of Jesus Christ
" " ’~" - tiirough
service; and evangelism.
To nurtureour faith, we gather for
"worship, prayer, .
.... StUdy andfeilowship~
Trusting i~i a living, loving God,
we.seek to become a compassionate
voice.f6r:pea~ce and justice.
Our congregation" wdcomes all
persons who respond in trust and
obedience to God’s grace . -
in Jesus Christ, and desire to become
part of the membership and ministry
of Christ’s church.
Membership is open to all people
regardless of race, ethnic origin,
worldly condition, marital status, or
sexual orientation.
Sunday Worship 1 lam
712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800
(One block west of Delaware and the
University of Tulsa Campus)
L,.i teach our students that we will reach our
full potential individually_and collectively............
¯ only when we learn to appreciate our diversity.
We need to. do’::a better job of
How will his Support for privatization of ." teaching our youth- our couittryfs proud
ourpublie~cho0i~act~e:employment ¯ history of welcomi~!p~le~f different
rightsofO~B~i~ch~tpri~)ateschool~9" ;’ religions, racial and ~,~ offgins, gen-"
Or)the fight’of. :GLl~;f~ids not to gei "’." ders and opinions. Ithasnff been easy and
harassed and kicked out Of those schools? " we donft always do it well, but Welcoming
,On the issue ofabortion, whaf will it ¯ diversity is at the h~gf-what has made
n~ to*h~Eq.~.,(Ol~-h.ea3.~[h and human ! ournafion great. Thi~i~’whatean unite
ser~ices0ffic~,r.eJi~t~!ie~un.damen~right ’. now and in’the future! We"~oW need
to privaey?If lldh~s ~e rightt0 interfere : national.effort to realiz¢ihat:o’~’lives:
in a deci’sion’t~~trbi~6u~reproductive ; be-enriched as individu~!~.;:a~~familie~(as ~
de~siom~~.h’&dsec~n =and frill-he do..-- communities, and asia ~atibn if We em-"
to’ &ntrofOiil fii~es~..-.:........... .-
.i[.:b.e.he.ve.fil..e..G..L...B...T.. community ought to" "~i "Bbirsaecex,uarlatahnerdtThraannsfegaern,d6e~r-eGdi~byro;tLheerssbiaannd,
co.n~sider.issue~;~iik~~ reproductive heaith~ ¯ sisters, r ’~
an~pov~rty aceii,tr~il p~rfof our concerns : You have an awesom~ 0p~i~ty and
f6r~any~,~,:~~-i~ ~er’all;’a~ignificani~i’ ; responsibility ahead of!yoi£’ We wiint to
Portion of our c0.~m~,,ttt~~ty .grapples witlE q,~ work by your side to make-b~~laools and
9e e issu~ in @e~ personal lives. And ¯ our country healthier. We .~all on you to
mere are homophone policies and prae- ’: keep us - all of us who love, admire and
ti~ in @.e.,i~.sf!~mtioos"that control these,;._ care about someone wh6 is Gay, Lesbian,
serwces. :" ............... . . ¯ Bisexual and Transgendered - in mind in
E{ut ev~ri’fdr’th~S~’~,BT activists who" ~ the days ahead.
rejectamoteindii~i~,~’agenda, thereoug,ht " - Kirsten Kingdon, executive director
to lit least be a mention of Thompson s "
re~rd on.’~ese.spcialjs~sues. Does anyone :
really beh’~ve t~at a politician who treats ,.
women andpoor people lwith, such disre- :
spect will hold our cximmunity in esteem? "’ I think they’re picking on the wrong per-
A movement must have a set of values - ¯ son with John Ashcroft."
°therwisewearejustadisconnectedgroup :- Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., told CBS’
of people who are outside the norms of " "Face the Nation" he believes Ashcroft
heterosexuality. i urgeus to embrace a set : will eventually be confirmed, but not beof
values that represents the struggles of - fore he is thoroughly questioned by skepevery
segment of our community. Let’s ." tical Democratic senators. Likewise, Sen.
thank Tommy Thompson appropriately ." Harry Reid, D-Nev., told"Fox News Sunfor
his few gestures of support. But let’s ¯ day" he knows of no reason why Ashcroft
reserve "praise" for a nominee who has ¯ would be rejected outright.
¯ exwn.ed it........ ¯ While Ashcroft’s nomination brought
Founded in 1973, the National Gay & ; some criticism, Bush seemed less willing
I2sbian Task Force works to eliminate ~ to join an ideological fight over whether
prejudice; violence and.injustice against ¯ Gays may serve in the military. Former
ga~, .lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered " Indiana Sen. Dan Coats, a candidate for
People at the local, state,and nati0-nal level. " secretary of defense, lost out on the job
" whenhereportedly told Bushhe warned to
¯ scale back accommodations made to
: womenandGays in the service, Newsweek
: reported, quoting an unnamed source.
AnotherBushCabinet choice thatraised
harass, bully and assault our youth be- : questions was former Colorado attorney
cause of thdr sexual orientation or gender general Gale Norton, nominated for Seeexpression
do nbt fit the stereotype of : retary of the Interior. She has expressed
hate-filled extremists, but are average ¯ support for oil exploration in the Arctic
youngpeoplewho~ftens.eenothingwrong ¯ National Wildlife RefUge, an idea that
with their behavior. ~ Bush favors and many Democratic sena-
~-Anti-Gay harassment - as well as ha- ~- tors oppose. Norton as Colorado attorney
rassment based on religion, race, ethnic , general defended Colorado’s anti-Gay
origin, or any other prejudice - destabi- : Amendment 2 which was ruled unconstilizes
the learning environment for all stu- " tutional.
dents. No child can learn well when they " The bigger question, Democrats said, is
are scared. No child should be afraid that ¯ whether Bush can work with a Senate that
they will be harassed because of who they ; ~s split evenly between Democrats and
are. We need to do a much better job of " .Republicans. "He’s going to have to show
teaching respect for all in our schools and : m programs and policies a willingness to
in ending the toxic atmosphere that exists ¯ work with Democrats, to work out comin
all too many of our schools today. We : promises with us..." he said.
needyourleadershipatthefederallevelto Hatch said ~ush’s stated intention to
send the message that anti-Gay harass- reach out and work with Democrats is
ment is wrong, genuine.
We particularly ask you to Keep us in
mind as you appoint a Secretary of Education.
Wewill be watching - and hoping - to
see if that is someone who is dedicated to
an excellent and safe education for all our
children.
There is so much to be done. We need to
The majority of young .people who
Saturday,~ February ,. ....... Midnight
The"Brad~.Mansion.,~ 6.20~~N. .orth~~De~nver
DJ, Hors res:, ~. h,~Bar,
Live Ente~ai~me~ Dr, ;~ ~Mild to Wild
.Door prizes for Dressed
Tickets: .....~-or $20 a~)! the door
"~-~ ~va~lable
The TU~;~ GLBT CommunityCenter
211~ S~!t3th~!~e~fi~i~ Drive 918~743.4297
and select~Ven-dors listed on the website.
Proceeds benefit The Pyramid Project
"Building a Home- Funding the Future,
for the Tulsa GLBT Community Center."
Made Possible by Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR), www.PyramidProject.org
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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[2001] Tulsa Family News, January 2001; Volume 8, Issue 1
Subject
The topic of the resource
Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
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Tulsa Family News
Source
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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January 2001
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
Rights
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, December 2000; Volume 7, Issue 12
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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/608
2001
AIDS
anti-gay activism
arts and entertainment
Barry Hensley
Black and LGBTQ
Boy Scouts
businesses
censorship
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
churches
Community Center
contraception
Elizabeth Toledo
execution
George W. Bush
HIV testing
homophobia
Jim Christjohn
John Ashcroft
Karin Gregory
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Native Americans
Openarms Youth Project
performing arts
Raging Lesbian
Red Cross
Red Rock Tulsa
representation
restaurants
sex
Soulforce
STDs
Tom Neal
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
Wild Hearts Ball
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/0846012a916f00b5f8064a33169fa46f.jpg
13403bd37042323904e6a8ac35051af8
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/b5db2b9cd9a0fc88f1298d18b284ac33.pdf
33ead70d0ebc045633099ac2421f8edf
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
Text
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Gay Students Start
LGBT Scholarships
NORMAN, Ok - The Oklahoma Lambda Intercollegiate
Coalition (OLIC) has announced the creation of
the Oklahoma Lambda Youth Scholarship which they
claim is the first such program in Oklahoma. The
Coalition is an umbrella network of Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender student groups from Oklahoma
colleges and universities.
According to OLIC spokespersons, Kent Doss of the
University ofOklahoma andMandy Whitten, the President
of University of Central Oklahoma Gay Alliance
for Tolerance and Equality (GATE), the purpose of the
scholarship is to promote pride in youth activism and
foster leadership at Oklahoma college campuses.
Oklahoma high-school graduates who intend to remainin
the state throughout their college careers will be
eligible for the $1,000 award. Applicants will be selected
according see OLIC, p. 3
Tulsa ChamberAdds
"Sexual Orientation"
TULSA - The Tulsa Metro Chamber, which recently
changed i ts namefrom the MetropolitanTnlsaChamber
of Commerce, also has revised its non-discrimination
policies to add the term "sexual orientation" to more
traditional statues like race, religion, age, national origin,
sex (gender), etc.
According to Michael Hightower, media spokesperson
for the organization, the .addition of "sexual orientation"
waspart ofacomprehensivereview ofChamber’s
internal policies. The Bank of Oklahoma’s Human
Resources Dept. conducted this effort for the Chamber.
This revision is part of a trend on the part of businesses
to attract employees by committing to fair hiring
practices. According to the Human Rights Campaign, a
Washington based civil right group, 494 of the Fortune
500 companies have added "sexual orientation" to their
policies. Anumberof majorTulsaemployers,including
American Airlines, Kimberly-Clark, AEP/PSO, Dollar/
Thrifty Auto Group, and others have done the same.
Kerry Lewis, president-elect of Tulsa/Oklahomans
for Human Rights (TOHR) expressed surprise and
applauded this Chamber move. TFN publisher Tom
Neal noted "as one of the few openly Gay members of
the Chamber, I am really proud to.see the organization
welcome us. We need to support them in return."
DIRECTORY P. 2
EDITORIAL P. 3
US & WORLD NEWS P, 4
HEALTH NEWS P. 6
ENTERTAINMENT P. 8
GAY STUDIES P. 10
¯ Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
TMM’s Exclusion of
i oGfayDs iDscelriibmerinataetiAocnt ¯ Pastor Says "Sexual Orientation" Was ¯
Added But TMM Board Never Told
¯ TULSA - While the incident, a KKK visit, to which a local ¯
"diversity" statement sought io i’~spond is well past, the state-
" merit continues to brew controversy. Tulsa Metropolitan Minis-
" try, an "interfaith" religious organization issued a statement
-.¯ which defined Tulsa’s "diversity" as being composed of race,
religion andethnicity, without mentioning sexual orientation.
¯ Earlier, it appeared that the failure to mention "sexual orienta-
¯ tion"mighthavebeenanoversightbasedontheKKK’ s historical ¯
¯ attacks primarily on Jews and Blacks. However, in a return call
to the Tulsa Family News, the Rev. Russell Bennett of Fellowship
Congregational Church, UnitedChurch of Christ, stated that
¯ he participated in themeeting to draft the statement, and specifically
he called for the inclusion of "sexual orientation" in the
: statement. Bennett noted that he heard no objections to his
¯ request, and he said that he expected that "sexual orientation"
¯ would be included.
: Perry Simons, executive director of the Jewish Federation
¯ attended the meeting at Fellowship Congregational Church with
: Nancy Day of the National Conference for Community and
Justice, Dr. Sandra Rana, representing Tulsa’s Muslim commu-
: nity, the Rev. Clark Shackleford of Sand Springs, as well as
¯ Bennett. Andwhile Simmons says he does notrememberBennett
." calling for adding "sexual orientation," Simons says he feels he
¯ shouldhave raised theissue. Simons noted that Dr. Rana took the
¯ notes of what he described as a "stream of consciousness"
¯ discussion.
; However, the Rev. Radford Rader of College Hill Presbyterian
¯ and a-member of the T!VIM executive boardstated that the
¯ executive board never saw a version see TMM, p. 11
Michigan Elects First Gay Rep.
¯ LANSING, Mich. (AP)- Newly dected state House Rep: Chris ¯
Kolb heads to Lansing in January as the state’s first openly Gay
." lawmaker, but he said he has a lot more he wants to tackle than
¯ simply civil rights for Gay-people. Kolb, 42, admits his role is
; important, but it’s not his only focus. "I don’t wear it on my
: sleeve. I am who I am, but I don’t bring itinto every discussion,"
¯ he said of his sexual orientation. "It’s not my one and only ¯
crusade in life."
: The election of Kolb, a Democrat from Ann Arbor, puts
¯ Michigan among 22 states that have an openly Gay man or ¯
Lesbianin their legislatures. TheAnnArborcity councilman first
¯ got interested in politics after receiving his bachelor’s degree in
.. natural resources from the University of Michigan in 1982. He
¯ started with local government, distributing campaign literature
¯ and knocking on doors for candidates. After serving as aprecinct
¯ captain and secretary of the local Democratic Party, he won an
¯ open seat on theAnnArbor City Councilin 1993. Eventually, he ¯
became mayor pro-tern.
2 " Working on the Democratic-controlled council with former
." Ann Arbor Mayor Ingrid Sheldon, a Republican, has already
¯ helped Kolb learn to forge bipartisan alliances, a key skill in the
¯" state Legislature. Sheldon admits she and Kolb were competitors,
but said he never made his sexual orientation an issue. "You
¯ do not think ofhimas being the stereotypical Gay person inAnn
Arbor," Sheldon said. "He’S a regular person the way you or I
." would want to be relating to a person."
Kolb said he will work at improving the state of civil and
human rights in Michigan,but he’s also interested in tackling
¯ education and environmental issues. He wants to work on legislation
that would make it illegal in Michigan to fire employees
¯ based on their sexual orientation, something already prohibited
¯ in 11 states. "I’mnotkiddingmyself as to howfar theLegislature
will be able to be moved," he said. "But civil and human rights
: are along struggle."
¯ Kolb will be one of 14 new Democrats and seven Republicans
¯ to begin their first two-year state House terms inJanuary. He will
be seated across the aisle see Michigan, p. 3
I TOHR Celebrates
20 Years of Se.rvice
Only MCC Is Older ,n State
¯ TULSA- Itwas a different world then. Therewas no ¯
Will and Grace, few Gay or Lesbian images in print
¯ or on the airwaves, HIV was not yet discovered, and
¯ what was later called AIDS was just beginning to be
seen in New York City and San Francisco. The
¯ Stonewall Riots had only ocurred 10 years before,
¯ Gay people were still subject to arrests and harass-
" ment in most of the US, and world.
¯ In Oklahoma City, community activists began a
group calledOklahomans forHumanRights (TOHR).
¯ Tnlsans joined that group and then formed a Tulsa
; branch. This group lead by three Tulsa attorneys,
¯ Dennis Neill, Bob Inglish andMikeGreen and others ¯
later created Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights,
¯ Oklahoma’s 2nd oldest organization after Tulsa’s
¯ Metropolitan Community Church United.
¯ Twenty years later, the world has changed. Tulsa
¯
has support groups in the public schools for Lesbian
¯ and Gay young adults, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and
Transgenderedpeople are verymuchvisibleinAmeri-
¯" can media and society butTOHRis still here provid-
¯ ing community services as at the beginning with all
volunteer, staffing and not that many dollars.
¯ Longtime TOHRmember and former boardmere- ¯
ber Jonathan Stanley remembers being a member as
¯ early as 1980 or 1981, adding that he recalls Bob
¯ Inglish as president and meeting in a small upstairs
¯ room in Stonehorse, a building now known as the ¯
Consortium. A particularly vivid memory of those
¯ early days was the controversy whenTOHR rented a
¯ city pool for an event and cityofficials had the pool
¯ drained because Gay p_eopl_e_had, used. it..This was in
the very early days of AIDS when the disease was
associated exclusively with Gay men and little was
known about HIV transmission.
¯ During these years,TOHRhas provided a commu-
¯ uity information telephone line, civil rights advo-
¯ cacy, anonymous HIV anti-body testing (eventually
¯ with paid staff and HIV education outreach workers
¯ - a program which has spun off as the H.O.P.E.
¯ Testing Clinic), and for the last several years, a
¯ community center. The Center was in the Brookside
¯ neighborhood was first known as the Pride Center
¯ and featured a 5x8’ flag which flew over the building ¯
until it was repeatedly stolen. Now the Center is
¯ known as theTulsa Gay Community Services Center
: and has relocated to 21st & Memorial (2114 So.
¯ Memorial), ironically sharing a wall with one of ¯
Tulsa’s oldest Lesbian bars, TNT’s.
," However, TOHR president Greg Gatewood and
; the proposed new officers, Kerry Lewis, president,
¯ 1st v.p. Vance Reed, 2nd v.p. Don Glass, secretary ¯
Curtis Evans, and treasurer Beth Persac, are hoping
¯ the current location will be a short-term one. TOHR
¯ has announced a capital raising campaign, the Pyramid
Project, to purchase a permanent commtmity
." center.
." According to Gatewood, the Project has in hand ox
: in pledges and grants, $65,000 of their goal ot
¯ $250,000. And the organization has set up legal
restrictions such that all gifts to the Pyramid Projec!
¯ arerestricted to that useonly. Also, thoserules (whicl:
¯ were reviewed by outside legal counsel and CPA’s" ¯
restrict overhead expenditures to a maximum of
¯ and all labor for the project is volunteer.
: Gatewood notes that the organization is setting uI
web sites for TOHR and the Pyramid Projec
¯ (www.tohr.org and www.pyramidproject.org) whicl
¯ they expect to be available in mid-December.
." To celebrate the 20th anniversary of TOHR, th~
¯ group will hold a Holiday reception and silent auctiol
: on Dec. 10th from 4-7pm, see TOHR, p.
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW’s, 1737 S Memorial
*Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine
*Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Sqtmre
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E 31st
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*Rene~ades/Rainbow. Rooni, 1649.S. Main
*TNT’s, 211,4 S. Memorial !
*Tool Box, 1338E! 3rd "
712-2324
610-5323
583-2119
835-2376
744-4280
745-9998
834-4234
58523405
660-0856
584-1308
*The ’Yellow Brick Road Piab; 2630 E. 15th 749-1563 ’
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Book~ ’& Music, 2740 E. 21
*Borders B0oks’ 8~ Music, 8015 S. Yale
Brookside JeWelry, 4649 S. Peoria
*CD Warehri~,:3807C S. Peoria
*Cheap Th~ills,~::2(~iOE. 1 lth
743-1000
250-5034
665-4580
712-1122
712-9955
494~2665
743-5272..
746-0313
295"-5868
Cherry St. Ps,yEtirthdt~py, 1515 S. Lewis 58’1-0902, 743=4117
Community’CI~ihiiig~’Kerby Baker . " 622-0700
Tim Daniel, At~tonie~ 352-9504, 800-742-9468’
*Deco to Discoi" 3212 E. 15th 749=362Q.
Doghouse 6n-.Brr0kside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556
*Elite Boules-& Vi~t~0S, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503
Encompass,Travel," I3161H N. Memorial 369=8555
Ross Edwar~l:Sal6ii i 584~0337, 712~9379
Events Uniimited;; 507S. Main
¯
5920460
Floral Design-S~dioi~3404 S,. Peoria " " 744~9595
Four Star ImpOrt.AutOmotive, 9906 E. 55th P1. ’ 610-0880
Cathy Furlong;PhiD.~ 1980 Utica Sq..Med. Cir.- 628-3709
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808~8026
*Gloria Jear;’~ .Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st" 742-1460
Learme MTG’rO~s~’En~i~ance &financial pl,.~a~.ng. 459~9349
Mark T. Ha~by~A’ttOrney
*Sandra J. I~ll,M~S;Tsychotherapy, 2865 ~i ~kelly745:74427414101T
*Internafiol~al T~urs...... 341:6866
Jacox Aniraal Cliifie, 2732 E. 15th .... 712-2.750
*Jared’s Antlques;"1602 E. 15th - - 582-3018
David KauSk~y~:~otmtry Club Barbering 747-0236
The Keepers; HoUsekeeping & Gardening 582-8460
*Ken’s Flowers; ’1635 E. 15 599-8070
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #21C -’ 747-5466.
*Living A~tSpaee; 308 South Kenosha 585-1234
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd 584-3112~
Mingo Valley’Flowers, 9720c E. 31 663-59341
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664-2951
Puppy Pause: IF,1060 S. Mingo 838-7626
*The Pride StOre............... 743-4297
Rainbowz’0~ the River B+B, POB 696, 74101 747-5932
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning ....... 834:0617-
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834~7921, 747-4746
Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square ...... 749-~6301
Paul Tay, Car’Salesman 260-7829
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558.
Venus Salon, 1247-S: Harvard 835-5563
Fred Welch, LCSW, Cotmsding 743-1733
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767
www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays &Lesbians
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579-9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 583-7815
B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S~ Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Florence
Church of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood 587-1314
*Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595
Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159. e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal
Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry
Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom, Esther
Rothblum. Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw
Member of The Associated Press
Issued on or before the 1st of each month, the entire contents
of this publication are protected by US copyright 1998 by
~oL~/:~,~Nt~v~ and may not be reproduced either in whole
or in part wi~out written permission from the publisher.
Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s
sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for
publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes
the sole property of, T.oLu~./:~.’.. N~. Each reader is
entitled to 4 copies of each. edition at distribution
-points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
¯ *Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457 ¯
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics’&
¯ Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74t70-1475 " ~ 355-3140
~Fellowshipcongreg.Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
¯¯ -*FreeSpiritWomen’sCenter, callforloeation&info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 " " 747-6827
¯ Friends in UnitySocial Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
: HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583-6611
¯ *Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194 ¯
HOPE,-HIV Oiitreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
¯ *HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstries;1517 S. Memorial 224-4754
¯ *MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715 ¯
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral PI. - , 748-3111
¯ NOW;Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
¯ " ,OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tuls~
seefrom anumber oflawmal~ers who signed
a letter earlier this year asking the state
Department of Education to invesugate
Grand Haven High School for allowing Gay
speakers to talk to students about being Gay
during "Diversity Days."
House Speaker-elect Rick Johnson, RLeRoy,
and~GOP Rep. Valde Garcia ;o_.[
DeWitt were two. of the nine. staie House
members who signed the iletter. Both,say,
they wi!l not have_any problems worki,r~g
with Kolb. The House will retain its 58-52
Republican majority when the new session
starts. "I don’t agree with the philosophies
of the Democratic Party, but that doesn’t
mean I don’t work with Democrats," Garcia
said. "Just because I don’t approve of his
lifestyle doesn’t mean I can’t work with
him."
¯
Kolb’s experience in government and
: ability to handle himself well even when
! others disagree with him will help him in
¯ Lansing, said Jeffrey Montgomery, executive
director of the Detroit-based Gay rights
¯ group Triangle Foundation. "He’s been
¯ aroundmany,many,,ch~lenging situations,"
.: Montgomery said. He s going to be able to
: handle ahar;dful ofignorantlegislators very
¯ easily."
¯ While Kolb believes the media makes a
¯ bigger deal about his election than anyone
: else, he knows his role~is important. He says
¯ the ultimate benefit of his election is as an
¯ example to members of the Gay community.
"Any young person, regardless of their
; sexual orientation, whohears about this will
¯"- .t~-.G, POB 52800, 74152
." ~*Planned Parenthood,1007 S. Peori~a
....tMme-’Timers, P.O: B.ox52t 18, 74152 --
R;A:L N:; Regional AIDS Interfaith Network -
¯Red.Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8
St. Aidan’S Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinriati
" StTDu~stan’sEpiscopal, 5635 E. 71st
.*St: Jerome’s Parish Church; 205 W. King
¯ *TulsaArea United Way,- 1430 S..Boulder
~-*TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian.Health Care. 582-7225
¯ Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 ....... 595-4105
.......~.,2Confideufial HIV Testing -by appt. on Thursdays ionly "
:.~.Tulsi!O!d.a.T0rH,.t!m.an Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297
"..- ~.U.L.S.A.iTulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
- .2 T~s~a City Hall, G~0und Floor Vestibule
;.... Tiii~ii CommUnityCoil~ge Campuse~
~ *TulsaGay Community Center, 21st & Memorial 743-4297
; Unity Church of Clirigtianity,3355 s. Jamestown 749-8833
"BARTLESVILLE
"-B~fl~svill~Piibllc Library, 600S=. Johnstone 918-337-5353
TAHLEQUAH ..........
¯ Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
49-490t ¯ "’ realiz.e..that ~ere’s a world of opportunity,"
587 76?4.... he said..,~oo often, that s not the message
our community and others hear." . - , _.
749-4195
584-2325
425-7882
492-7140
582-3088
583-7171
¯ Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church
¯ ~Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570
¯ EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS ¯
Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23
¯
Jim & Breut’s Bistro, 173 S. Main
¯ DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
¯ Emerald Raiiabow,45 &l/2 Spring St.
¯ MCC of the Living Spring
¯ Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429
¯ Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery
¯ Positive Idea Marketing Plans- ¯
Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East
¯ White Light, 1 Center St.
¯
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
¯ Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U1.34
918-456-7900
918-453-9360
501-253-7734
501-253-7457
501-253-6807
501-253-5445
501-253-9337
501-253-2776
501-253-5332
501-624-6646
501-253-6001
501-253-4074
417-623-4696
* is where you can find TFN. Notall are Gay-owned butall are Gay-friendly.
Memorabilia from the years will be on display
as well as auction items from artists and
¯ merchants such as Antiquaries inTulsa, P.S.
, Gordon, DavidHoot, T.A. Lorton, Kathleen
¯ Pendergrass, Rand’s Art & Antiques, Mary
¯
Schepers and others. Curt & Marj’s Cater-
" ing will offer refreshments as may other
¯ Tulsa restaurants.
¯" On Dec. 1 lth, TOHR and PFLAG, Par-
¯
cuts, Families and Friends of Lesbians and
¯ Gays will hold their annual joint Holiday
potluck dinner at the Center at 7pm. The
: entree will be provided as will soft drinks
." and tableware. Attendees should bring veg-
¯ etables, salads and desserts and may call ¯
743-4297. to know which of those to bring..
¯ Gatewood also notes that planning for
¯ next year’s Diversity Celebration 2001,
¯ which includes the Parade, a post-parade ¯
¯ Festival and ablack-tie dinnerwill continue
a mid-January meeting. The precise date
¯ will be announced later, t 7pro. The entree-
¯. will be provided as will soft drinks and
tableware. Attendees should bring veg-
¯ etables, salads and desserts and may call the
¯ Center at 743-4297 for which of those to
¯ bring.
Gatewood ~so notes that planning for
¯ next year’s Diversity Celebration 2001,
." which includes the Parade, a post-parade
¯ Festival and ablack-tie dinner will continue
~ a mid-January meeting¯ The precise date
¯ will be announced later.
World AIDS Day
by Chris Labonte, semorpolicy advocate
Human Rights Campaign
As we commemorate the first World AIDS Day of the
21st Century,itis important to bothcelebrate our achievements
over HIV and AIDS and work vigorously to ensure
there will be continued success in thcfuture. With success
in treatments, we risk the danger of resting on our laurels.
Instead,:we :mus~ rededicate ourselves to building upon
these victories anff creating a future without HIV and
AIDS. ~People with the diseas~e live longer and healthier
lives yet the number of those’whbar¢ newly infected in
our country each year remains steady at 40,000.
The.new barrier to treatment andprevention is complacency.
It comes from a variety of places and appears in
many forms. New highly active antiretroviral therapies
have contributed to the welcome steep decline in AIDS
deaths in our nation. Media and advertising campaigns
for these therapies signal that one can live and should live
a robust and long life - you can go rock climbing, ski
down the highest mountain, and continue to do fulfilling
work. While all of this is true, they fail to mention that
these therapies require years of medication, multiple
dtses of pills each day - sometimes with possible side
effects- and all at a great expense.
This somewhat slanted view of our treatment success
may contribute to our prevention failure. Although gay
¯ and bisexual men hage made strides in reducing the
percentage of HIV infections attributed to male-to-male
sexual contact, men who have sex with men still account
for approximately 40percent ofnew infections each year.
By not recognizing the tree costs ofHIV infection, young
gay and bisexual men are engaging in risky behavior;
such as intentional unprotected anal andoral sex.Arecent
study suggests that the more optimistic memwere about
the new treatments, the less likely they were to use safe
sex precautions or limit their number of sexual parmers.
Moreover, existing health ~disparities among commm
nitieS of color tuake treatments particularly out.of reach
for them. For the first time, the numbek Of gay men fromcommunities
of color - African Americans, Latinos,
Asian Pacific-Islanders, Native American. and others -
outnumber the number of white gay and bisexual men in
new AIDS cases, according to the Centers for Disease
Control, the federal agency :primarily responsible for
prevention of HIV/AIDS. Prevention is also particularly
concerning with communities of color, where young gay
and bisexual men of color are often confronted with both
homophobia and racism. We must address this situation
immediately and offer prevention strategies targeted to
the unique needs of gay and bisexual men of color so they
¯ can also benefit from treatments available to others. We
also cannot ignore strategies that we know have been
successful in reducing HIV transmission in the past. Far
too often, policy makers ignore proven science to score
political points at the expense of peoples’ lives. Needle
exchange programs and abstinence are two of the most
vivid examples: Successful risk reduction programs also
save money on future treatment costs.
The CDC has set forth an ambitious goal to reduce new
HIV infections inour nation. In addition, the independent
and science-based Institute ofMedicine recently released
areport, "No Time to Lose," that supported the use of cost
effective methods of reducing HIV transmission, including
needle, exchange programs. A recent study from .the
Heury.J. Kaiser Family Eotmda_tign~f.o_und that p.arents
think schools should have more comprehensive sexual
education curriculum and cover topics that are not generally
covered, such as sexual orientation. Effective prevention
methods deserve support - both financial and
political support-from Congress, the administration, the
public health community, and other impacted communities.
We must strive to continue to find even better
treatments, furthe~ reduce the number HIV infections,
provide additional assistance to nations around the globe
and develop a vaccine within a reasonable time frame.
These goals are attainable. In a nation as wealthy and
creative as ours, we should expect nothing less.
¯ Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry: Gay People Need Not Exist
¯ by Tom Neal, editor &publisher ¯ committee process and edited out that inclusion. Because
It might come as quite a surprise to you to learn that there " of their and their organization’s past involvement in acts
are no Gay people in Tulsa. There are no Gay bars, no Gay " of anti-Gay discrimination, it looks like Dr. Sandra Rana
churches, no Gay households, no Gay parents, no Gay kids ¯ and Nancy Day of the National Conference for Commu-
- you get the idea. : nity and Justice wereresponsible.TMM’s executive board
At least that’s the message that Tulsa Metropolitan " never saw an inclusive version.
Ministry (TMM) is putting out. While"cel- This does not excuse the executive
ebrating" Tulsa’s "diversity" specifically,
claiming to "... support each other’s right
to live and prosper in this great community.
¯ ." TMM. somehow managed t3 "disappear"
Gay Tulsans.
Wehave long known that some groups in
TMM are deeply prejudiced against Lesbian
and Gay persons. Usually these people
are identified as Tulsa’S Muslim community,
some of Tulsa’s Black churches and
Tulsa’s Orthodox Christian commumty.
No matter how repugnant their views are
to us, morally and theologically, wehave to
¯ support their constitutional right to hold
: those views. But usually their objections
are to.-us having those basic civil rights
protections which they enjoy themsdves.
They want for it-to continue to be legal for
us to be firedfrom ourjobs, or thrown out of
our homes or have our children taken from
us. They have objected to characterizing
assaults on us as hate crimes, even if the
"... apologlsts for
TMM ma~e the
excuse that Gay
Tulsans have
to be sold out in order
to appease the Muslims,
or the Blaeh
churches
or the Orthodox.
Gay people are ashed,
again and again, year
after year, to go along
because some good
comes out of it..."
board. In this city, and in this time, it is
very hard not to know that Gay and Lesbian
people exist. But their oversight lacks
the malice of deliberate exclusion.
Many apologists for TMM make the
excuse that Gay Tulsans have to be sold
out in order to appease the Muslims, or the
Black churches or the Orthodox. Gay
people are asked, again and again, year
after year, to go along because some good
comes out of it.
But this statement goes too far. It demands
that we collaborate in the denial of
our own existence. And those.who sign it
knowing better, knowing thatTMM’s "diversity"
statement is profoundly a lie, are
no less collaborators with evil than those
who kept silent in the face of Nazi horrors.
TMMhas long tolerated a double standard.
Gay people are asked to recognize
that Tulsa Muslims and others are "funda-
¯ mentalists" and we are asked to tolerate
same act is a hate crime when they are the target.
: Butthey hadn’t before soughtto deny our very existence.
This is largely a symbolic act but in some ways, it is more
~ powerful than the others. Even when our fundamental civil
¯ rights are denied, we are atleast acknowledged as existing.
¯ Ironically, part Of the impetus for this "diversity" statement
was a visit by a particularly virulent part.of the Klu-
Klux Klan. Traditionally, theKKK’s principle targets have
b~nJews andBlacks.But as Gay and Lesbian people have
become more visible, we have been included very explicitly
in Klan hatred. This Klan visit was-no.exception. And
while the Klan did not forget us, Tulsds "do-gooder"
hypocrites pretend that we don’t exist.
Now not all of TMM’s members take this position.
Russell Bennett of Fellowship Congregational Church
sought to add sexual¯ orientation to TMM’s "diversity"
statement. But ina deeply disturbing and shameful action,
one or two commi ttee members appear to have violated the
to three equally weighted categories; community leadership,
scholastic merit, and financial need.
This year,the scholarship selection committee is .comprised
of a student representative from five of OLIC
campus organizations, and five OklahomaGLBT community
leaders..The chair-person of this year, selectiOn committee
is Whitten. The organizers add that applications will
be available Dec. 1st from our OLIC organizations, at the
Oklahoma City and Tulsa Gay Commlmity Centers and
online at www.geocides.’com/okolic/. Applications will be
due on Feb. 15,2001 and the winners will be announced in
late March.
Also, the Oklahoma ]mmbda IntercJall:egiate C0aii~0~
hold a fundraising reception in Tulsa Oli December 2’ls(
from7 - 10pm at thehome ofRick and Susan Doss in Tulsa.
Funds raised by this event will be used for the Oklahoma
Lambda Youth Scholarship. RSVP to 405-325-4452. A
donation of $25 is suggested.
The goals of the Oklahoma Lambda Intercollegiate
Coalition are:
I. Raising awareness of GLBT youth ~ssues within our
community, schools, and society;
II. Sharing information and resources in an effort to
provide the best possible programming for sponsoring
organizations;
their bias agaanst us even as Muslims, Jews, Christians,
and. Unitarians somehow manage to respect each other.
White supremacist groups, like the Christian Identity
movement and .others who use theology much like the
Muslims do to justify their prejudice, are not welcomed
into.TMM. Buta special place is carved outfor anti,Gay
prejudice,
It is finally too much. And it is time that good people
who know better stand up for their neighbors and friends
and families, ff this means that Tulsa cannot support its
real diversity, then at least we’ll be telling .the truth.
Muslim Tulsans might have to acknowledge that they
cannot object to anti-Muslim bias while oppressing Gay
Tulsans. Black Tulsans ought to know better..And Jewish
Tulsans mightneed to do for Gay people what was done
for them by non-Jews in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s,which is
to be vocally and visibly advocates for civil rights.
It’s time now for this change.
¯ III. Supporting a Queer youth movement to impact the
: politics of our state and nation;
¯ IV. Providing resources to the Oklahoma GLBT youth
¯ community including political and health education, a ¯
safe social environment, and an opportunity to cultivate
: leadership skills, and;
¯ V. Fostering the conception and growth of new GLBT
: student groupsacross Oklahoma.
¯ For more information, contact, Oklahoma Lambda In-
¯- tercollegiateCoalition 900Asp,OMU, P,m. 363,Box 169,
Norman OK 37019-4058 or telephone to.405-325-4452.
¯ www.geocities.com]okolic
i Stout Wins Okla.Mr.Leather
: T.U.L.S. A~ (Tulsa Uniform Leather Seekers Associa-
¯ .ti.’9fa):held the annual Oklahoma Mr. Leather contest
"! ~ O.cto~b_dr 20-22 at the Silver S’t~tr in Tulsa. Four Contestants
from the state competed in c~ate~ories that included inter,
view, streetwear, physique and full leather image. Seven
judges from the US and Canada judged the contestants.
International Mr. Leather 2000 Mike Taylor was among
the distinguished panel. Contestants were Jason Pelkey of
Tulsa, Jim Stout of Ramona, Stephen Scott of OKC-Mr.
Sooner State Leather 2000, and Mark Goins of Tulsa-Mr.
Tulsa Leather 2000.
The weekend event began with a tour of the local clubs
and Tulsa’s Gay Community Services Center. The interviews
were Saturday morning and the rest of the contest
was held that night. Stephen Scott was first runner-up.
Scout Troop Defies
National Anti-Gay Ban
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A second Rhode Island
Scout troop is defying the national organization’s ban
on homosexuals, Members, leaders, and parents from
Boy ScoutTroop 28 have sentaletterto the Narragansett
Council of Boy-Scouts saying they will ignore the
policy. The troopjoins Cub Scout Pack 88, which sent
a similar letter, The Providence Journal reported.
~
.The national policy is root~,in a 1910 oath that Says
Scofi~- ~’.st ke~p~el~s-~ ,.ni0ralty straigl~t:~’iThe
’ !. b~via’g tlplldld~y!th~ Siipr~aid CourtthisS~er,but
’"about ~:d~ozen~ trbb~ ~at~oflwlde have stud thaiwill
The leaders of Pack 28 said the words "morally
straight" have nothing to do with sexual orientation.
....’The oath didnotmean to banhomosextmls but to keep
.....on the straight and narrow and do what is right," said
Y"Allen M. Dennison, an assistant scoutmaster with
Troop 28, who has four sons in Scouting. Our assessment
of whatis right is that everyone be included, and
" that includes Gay leaders and Gay Scouts."
..... The Narragansett Council will forward the letter
fromTroop28to theBoy Scouts ofAmericaheadquar-
’ ters in Irving~ Texas, as it did with the letter from Pack
88, said state ¢o,.u~,ci! Spokesman David Preston.
Pack 88hash theard from the national Boy Scouts
regarding its status and calls to the Boy Scouts of
America were not returned. Officially, troops that
" ignore Scouting rule~ Will have their charter revoked.
To date, however, the Boy.Scouts of America has not
revoked thecharter of a troop or council for ignoring
.the banon Gays.
The ban made news inRhode Island last year, when
a 16-year-old Eagle Scout filed a complaint with the
Rhode Island Human Rights Commission saying he
was denied a job at a Scout camp because he is Gay.
Maryland Can Ban "
Anti-Gay Discrimination
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Gov. Parris Glendening~s
:plan to add Gays to Maryland’s anti-discrimination
law likely would not violate the First Amendment
guarantee of free exercise of religion, according to the
state attorney general’s office.
Assistant Attomey General Kathryn M. Rowe issued
the four-page legal opinion this week at the
request of-Delegate Sandy,I. Rosenberg, who is expected
to use it to counter religious-based arguments
-.. against the proposed legislation. "I did this so we
would have a:.iegal opinion on the matter instead of
rhetoric that is not precise," Rosenberg said. "In an
- issue as emotional as .this, everybody should do their
best not to misstate the law."
Rosenberg asked for the opinion after a representative
of the Diocese ofWilmington testified against the
governor’s plan at a public heating in Salisbury.The
diocese includes Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
The hearing was conducted by a commission ereated
by the governor to solicit testimony about discrimination
against Gays, Lesbians, bisexuals and
transsexuals "The teaching o.f the Catholic Church and
societal tradition does not accept homosexuality as a
legitimate lifestyle," the diocese said in a position
paper presented at the hearing.
Thepositionpaper alSO said the proposed legislation
"significantly and Wrongfully encroaches (on) the
First Amendment, free-exercise rights of religious
institutionsand ofpersons whose actions are dri-ven by
their religious beliefs."
In her opinion, Rowe said there wasprecedent for
laws with "the incidental effect of burdening certain
religious practices" - as long as the laws do not single
out one religion. There is also precedent suggesting
that the hiring of ministers would be exempt from the
proposed bill, Rowe said.
: Navy Ends Harrassment
: of Former Seaman ¯
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP)-A former midshipman who
: resigned from the U.S. Naval Academy amid accusa-
¯ tious ofhomosexuality won’thave to repay the govem-
~ ment for his education, the Navy has ruled/The deci-
¯ sion means that Tommie Watkins, 25, will not have to
." reimburse the Navy the $86,000 that covered his train-
. ing and tuition, plus interest.
i
Watkins, president of his classand an aspiring Navy
~ ~pil0t; ~s~id bewas pres’sured to. resign ~and did so
~ ~ beeau~e he feared ht~mophobia ’would preve~t him
~- fromreceiviffga fair trial:’After leaving, he acknowl-
-" edged being Gay. Officer trainees who drop out or are
¯ expelled during theirjtmior or senior years are required
¯ by Pentagon policy to repay the government for their
¯ education, either ~in cash or through enlisted service.
¯ The Navy’s Board of Correction of Naval Records
." said last year that he was a victim 6f,"error and
¯ injustice," and recommended the academy waive the
." payment. That decision was overruled in March by
." Carolyn Becraft, the assistant secretary ofthe Navy for
¯ manpower. Watkins sued, and on the day of the dead-
: line for the Navy to respond, his lawyer got word of the
: reversal.
." Watkins, who works in Miami as the project director
¯¯ for an AIDS and HIV ministry, called the decision
¯ "long overdue and totally justified." "It’s kind of
ironic, because the Navy says its core values are honor,
¯ courage and commitment," he said. "It seems like I had
_. to exhibit those qualities to win this case.’"
¯ Officials from the Naval Academy declined to com-
." ment on the decision.
¯ Iowa Order Banning Anti-
Gay Bias to Be Reviewed
¯ DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - It’s up to a Polk County
¯ district ,judge to rule on the legality-, of Gov. Tom ¯
Vilsack s’ci~il-rights order. District Judge Glenn Pille
heard lawyers’ arguments about the order during a
¯ recent hearing.
¯ Vilsack issued an executive order in September
1999, forbidding discrimination against Gays, Lesbi-
¯ ans and Transexuals in state government employment.
: The move sparked a legislative debate. Conservative
¯ legislators were particularly angry that the order ap- ¯
plies to Transsexuals. A majority of lawmakers voted
¯ to repeal the order, but Vilsack vetoed the legislation.
¯ Twenty-three legislators led by Republican Senate
¯ Majority Leader Stewart Iverson, challenged the order
¯
in a lawsuit filed in July. They said that Vilsack
¯ overstepped his authority and thathe, in effect, rewrote
¯ the law. ¯
Vilsack has said he is carrying out a state law
¯ providing equal opportunity in state employment to all
: persons. Iowa Deputy Attorney General Julie Pottorff
¯ represented Vilsack at the hearing. She said the dispute
¯ is a legal question, and that Vilsack acted within his
¯ auth6rity ensuring that legal protections apply to all
¯ executive branch employees. ’°-l’his is no more than a ¯
¯ political disagreement," Portorff told Pille.
Des Moines lawyer Mark McCormick is represent-
" ing the legislators and a former state employee. He
¯ argued at the hearing that the order infringes on the ¯
constitutional separation of powers and said "The
¯ governor has no power by- ~xecutive order to create
~ ¯ law." -
: Vatican in Tizzy About
¯ "Fake Marriages"
¯ VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican has blasted
¯ lawmakers for givinglegal recognition to so-called"de
~ facto" unions - including those between Gays - and
¯ said attempts to allow adoption by Gays were "a great
danger." A 77-page document made public in Novem-~
Community
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
at Community ofHope
2545 South Yale, Sundays at 1 lam, 749-0595
A Welcoming Congregation
HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm
¯ 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754
The Open Arms Project
Young Adult Support Group
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
918-584-2325
Mingo Valley Flowers
9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145
918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-~.4-5934
Family Owned & Operated
Trinna .L.W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW
Child, Family, Individual & Couple Psychotherapy
(918) 743-9559
2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114,3518
The Pride Store
21st Street & Memorial
Tulsa Gay Community Services Center
.743-.GAYS (743=4297)
6-9 pm! Sudda~ ".-.!F~’{day, ~ ~ . ~ ~ ° !
12,9~,prn~ ~Saturday, all sales benefit the C~nte?
Important
Information
Call 212-461:2976
Interested?
Call 918=447-8602
Red Rock Tulsa. .
Free Confidentia!.HIV Testing
Walk:in Clinics
Tues. & Thurs., 5 -8 pm
at the Center,. 1307 East 38th
Daytime appointments available.
Call for more information:
918-584-2325
KIM WILKS Independent Consultant for
357-1757
~n just a matter of hours
.Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC
Certified Public Accountant
a professional corporation
747-5466
4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135
ber by The Pontifical Council for the Family was built
heavily around similar denunciations over the last few
years by Pope JohnPattl II.
Italian Gay groups, stung over the summer by the
Vatican’s moves to try to block Gay pride events in
Rome, denounced the latest pronouncement on homosexual
unions.
The Vatican’s council on family matters also presented
a proposal to make sex crimes against children,
including "sex tourism" exploitation, crimes against
humanity. But .the bulk of the positions ,pr.esented.
hammered away at unions betwb.en Gays as well as
legal recognition for.~tmm.arried hetgcosexual~couple~.
While not citing any particular, .country, thd .,Vatica.n,.
spoke of ’~great concern" aboutlawiiaakers’ efforts "in
many countries with an ancient Christian tradition" to
give legal status to unmarried couples.
Earlier this month, Germany.granted legal recognition
to Gay couples, following similar moves.ove~ the
1~ decade by other Western European countries.
" De facto unions ~e the result.of private behavior
andshoul’d remain 0ni~e pri~at~ 1,ev_el ," . the Vatican
said. It described as a ~erious sign, of.the-contempo,~
rary br0~tkd0wn in the s0dal an~ ~oral.conscilence,
political eftbrts tO give institutionalstatus to delfacto
couples. It Said attempts to legalize thead0ption of
children by Gay. ~Q~ple,s .added ’!an elemen_t.of ~reat
danger." - ..
NY Town offers: Benefits
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) -The Gr.eenburgh Town
Board voted un’aJaim6u~ly" tO ’offer health-be]aefits to
same-sex domestic partners 0f municipal workers.
"We want to treat all our employees as if they’re
valuable to us," said Supervisor Paul.Feiner.
New Yoj~k ~stiite,. Ne~: Yori~ City;._a~nd/~Ve’stchester
CounU,.plus several ~orporation~,~.rpv.id¢~sach:benefits
to homosexual couples. Of Westchester s-municipalities,
only. Eastchester has..acted before
Greenburgh.
Under the measure;, which goesinto effect JnJanu-
..ary, an uumarried,.town, employee who.says-in an
affidhvit that he or she has hadan exclusive relationship
for a year can extend medical.and dental coverage
to\the partner. - " . )_
Phelps at Phillips Exeter
EXET.ER, N.H. (AP) - An anti-Gay ch~ch group
opposed to Phillips ExeterAcadem~~ s p0!~gy .alirwing
homosexuals to be dorm parents protested outside the
school recently, v~aving.signs with messages .that included:
’q’hank GodforA!DS." About adoZenfol!owers
of the Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro B.aptist
Church of Topeka~ Kan., ~rrivedat ~eS~hob’i~r’rund
noon after making similar demonstrations in’Ve~ont
and Maine earlier.
The, ,church members, oppose a measure Phillips
Exeter truste~.,S approved in May that al!0ws.Gay and
,,I~,.sbian faculty and staff to serve as dormitory parents.
’ it’s destroying the fabric0fthis nation~ the~r~ls/.hat
this nation ,does have," s,aid Sam Pheligs~Roper’~ the
Rev.Phelps grandson.".It saslippeDi~lopestraightto
hell and that’s where this.country is’headed. This is a
ing match toward the end, when a group of University
of New Hampshire students arrived to denounce the
church group.
"Relax! It’sjust sex," one student shouted. "I preach
God’s word." "You preach hate." But that’s an accusation
Phelps’ followers don’t deny. They maintain
that God hates homosexuals and will destroy any
society that condones homosexual behavior. ’q’he
Christian belief is rooted not only in the love of God,
but also the hate of God. You can’t have one without
,the. 9~er.,’~’. . .Pt!_dps-Roper said. "That is definitive.
Th,e~ is~no.question, that Gq~t!ha,t~s, p~9..p!e.]’, ,,
-~~W.~[bggQ Baptist ,O~,ur..ch ~s. ~gu,t 2Pq i~im~ers.
. They have picketed~a~ ~e fun~91s of. homosexuals,
including that of Matthew Shepard,.a Gay man.who
was brutally beaten and tortured in Wyoming in Octo~
ber 1998. "He’s in hall. And everyone else who.lives
daat lifestyle will likely be in he!! with him unle{s.they
repent," Phelps-Roper said. "Of ~.course, he could.have
repented, but there’ s a snowball’, s, chance of tha~;happening."
_.
¯ The Rev. Phelps did not attend, the demonstr.a_.tion.
~ His grandson said Phelps,:was .geeded back at his
¯¯ c,,h.t~h tominister But Phe!ps~Roper.saidthe growing
acceptance of homosexualit~ made,:their message to
¯ iEx~ter all the more importan.t. ’;7~..’s.isimportant ~tuff.
¯ This is a ,matter of life and ~death,’:etemRy h~-re,"
phelps-Roper said. "When G.0~as said something is
: ~.abomination, you don’t mes~.~ith it."
¯ Representatives of 14 churches from the region
¯ j6i]aekl the university students.i0PPosing Phdps? fol-
19wers. They said that thoug~flaey:don’t all agree on
¯ the moral status of homosexu~fity, they univers~ally
oppose Phelps’ message.
."While we recognize their, right, to express their
p,ersonal views freely concermngAcademy policy and
: ~e subjectin general, we take,~.trong exception to/heir
¯ rhe.t.ori9and signs denigrati.ng0~r~eighbors,,, the,Rev’
¯
¯ DanielWeaver of theExeterUnitedMethodistChurch
said: ~’We wholcheartedly agree:thathatr’ed, expressed
¯ or implied, as well as the adVo~icy br promotion of
¯ haff~lis anathema. It is certaird:y notitt the spirit of the
¯ v0~b~dsOf Jesus, ’Love your°neiIgl~bor~ as yourself."’
¯ Accused Murderers of
" Gay Man to Stand Trial
FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) =T.w,o,teen-agers will stand
: trial ear)y next year for the murder of a Gay black man
from.Marion County, a judg.e., ruled~ in November.
: David Allen Parker, whose lawyers may argue a di-
: minished .capacity defense;,is ser~ to stand trial in
¯ Becldey on Jan. 16. His co-defendarit, Jared Wilson.
¯ will l!0t be tried until February...... ¯
Par~er, 18, ofGrantTownan~tWilson, 18, ofFairview
: ar~’charged with first-degree.murder in the July 4
° beating death of Arthur "J.R." Warren. Police say the
teens pummeled the 26-year,old acquaintance with
: their fists and feet, then ran over him four times with
] Parker’s car to disguise his injuries as a hit-and-run.
¯ The assault allegedly began after ~Warren told others
¯" about a sexual relationshiphe claimed to have had with
: Parker.
~ Circuit Judge Rodney Merrifield said he will likely
message that they need." ¯ rule within 10 days whetherjurors at thetrials will hear
~ ~..m,,d~nts, at .tl],e neari~y,22Q=ye~o!d pri~vate ,high : the teens’ confessions. Defenselawyers argue sheriff’s
Schorl: apparently ~v~r~fi t irit~Stc;d~j~"h~g it~ ¯ deputies inappropriately obtained the statements the
Many students and faculty members_wore x~row- :, gtay, 9.t" Lhe_.murd,er,;an accusatton, the deputies have
colored pins, a symbol of support for homosexuals ¯ denied on the Witness ;/arid
Judy Quirm, spokeswoman for Phillips Exeter, said " Prosecutors say Warren’s DNA showed up in evithe
school’s roughly ’1,000 students decided not to
attend the~demonstration; and instead .-organized a
diversity celebration in another part of the campus.
"The values of inclusion and diversity have been
hallmarks of Phillips Exeter Academy since its formding,"
she said in a written statement. "The fact an
objection to these principles is what brings this group
to Exeter is indeed regrettable "
The otherwise peacefifl protest erupted into a shout-
: dence samples taken from the interior, exterior and
: undercarriage of Parker’s car, as well as on wood
: paneling and molding from the house where the bea~-
¯ ing began.
: Parker’s attorneys, Rebecca Tate and Stephen Fitz.
¯ also asked the judge for a delay so they could hire ~.,
~ expert to study their client for a possible diminished
o capacity defense strategy.
Bayer Seeks New
AIDS Treatments
BERLIN (AP) - Bayer AG, Germany’s
biggest drugmaker, said Tuesday it will
join the search fornew AIDS treatments as
part of a shakeup of its drug research
activities: The Leverkusen-based company,
best-known for developing aspirin,
will look for substances effective against
resistant viruses, said Wol,fgang Hartwig,
head of research in’Bayer s pharmaceuti- :
cal busine.ss group. The company declined
to specify:how muchit will invest in AIDS
research. In 2000, it budgeted a total of 1
billion euros ($845 million) for research
and development.
Bayer said it expects to identify the first
substances suitable for precliuical HIV
testing within two years. Pharmaceutical
research will in the future be focused on 13
fields, including seeking new treatments
in urology, Alzheimer’s dementia and
Parkinson’ s disease. Bayer saidit will stop
its research activities for osteoporosis, fibrosis
of the liver and stroke.
Key Protein in
AIDS. Virus Found
WASHINGTON (AP) - A protein that
does housekeeping chores inside cells plays
a key role in spreading the AIDS virus to
other cells of the body, researchers report.
In studies appearing in the Proceedings of
the National AcademyofSciences (PNAS),
researchers say that _HIV, the AIDS’virus,
uses a group of proteins, called
proteasomes, to assemble new viral partitles
and to spread those new particles.to
uninfected cells.
Ulrich Schubert of the National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
(NIAID) said test tube studies show that
blocking the action of the proteasome proteins
can reduce the spread of HIV infection
by about 98%. Schubert, the first
author of one study in PNAS, cautioned
that the research was conducted only in
test tubes and it is not known if the
proteasome inkibitors would work against
HIV in humans. "We would never inject
this drug into an HIV-infected person because
we do not know what would happen,"
said Schubert.
Theproteasome inhibitors will be tested
in monkeys before any human tests are
considered, and those animal studies could
take months, he said.
Dr. Jonathan W. Yewdell, a NIAID researcher
and a co-author of the study, said
that althoughinhibitingproteasome shows
promise as a strategy for treating HIV, "it
is possible that it may not have any effect
at all." He said the proteasome function is
essential for healthy cells and that a drug
thatblocks thatfunction could affect every
cell in the body. "It is possible that the
HIV-infectedcells will be more sensitive
or that there are effects against the virus
before" the healthy cells are affected, said
Yewdell.
Yewdell and Schubert said cancer researchers
are experimenting with
proteasome inhibitors for the treatment of
prostate cancer and early studies have
shown no side effects in cancer patients.
The drug, however, has not been used in
HIV-infected patients, they said.
Proteasome’s job inside the cell is to
identify and destroy old or unneeded proteins.
Another PNAS study, by researchers
at Pennsylvania State University, suggests
that amolecule calledubiquitinplays
akeyroleinhow viruses use theproteasome
function in a cell to make new viral partitles.
Still another PNAS study, by researchers
from the Dana-Farber Caneer Institute,
Harvard Medical School and the University
of Padua in Italy, also demonstrates
that ubiquitin plays a role in HIV particle
formation.
HIV spreads its infection inside thebody
by forcing white blood cells, called CD4s,
to make new viral particles. These partitles
are released from the cells and can
then infect other cells, spreading the infection
throughout the body.
The final part of this virus-making proeess
is called budding. During budding, a
new viral particle wraps itself in a membrane
from the surface of the infected cell
and completes its development. When the
budding process is completed, the virus
particle is released and can then attach to
an uninfected CD4 cell and continue to
spread the infection.
The researchers found that HIV uses the
proteasome molecules, particularly
ubiquitin, to complete the assembly of a
new viral particle at the cell membrane.
When the pro.teasome action is blocked,
HIV particle formation is crippled, they
found.
"Inhibiting proteasome causes fewer
viruses to detach from the cell and what
viru~ is madeis notas good," saidYewdell.
Proteasome is most active in the budding
phase of making a new HIV viral
particle. It is different from protease, an
enzyme that helps the HIV virus assemble
precursor proteins into active proteins.
Some HIV drugs, called protease inhibitors,
work by blocking the action of the
protease enzyme.
Power
Connect.
Public Service Compa~ny of Oklahoma
Customer Service.is Nb~Available 24
Hours A Day, Seven Days A Week.
These days, traditional 8-5 business hours
aren’t always convenient. So PSO has made it
easier than ever for you to contact us.
Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7
offering around-the-clock answers to your
questions - and better access to service.
Now it’s easier for you to inquire
about your monthly electric bill.
Or report a power outage. Or
arrange to have your
power turned on or
off. Our professionally
trained, friendly and
knowledgeable customer
service representatives are
standing by to serve you.
All, day, every day.
To provide faster response
to your needs, we have listed
our toll-free numbers below.
¯ Leftover Medicines
Help in Haiti + More
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - The jar of
AIDS medications that Moses Alicea
plucked from among pill bottles and vials
spilled across the table were bound for the
dump - worthless in the United States. But
in Haiti, where the lifesaving drugs will be
sent, they are priceless. The medications -
about $20,000 worth of protease inhibitors
that can suppress HIV and prevent
progression of AIDS - will be sent to the
Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation to
help people who would otherwise never
receive the treatment.
At the root of the salvage effort is the
vast gulfbetween availability of the medications
in affluentcountries tike the United
States and developing countries like Haiti.
"This is importantbecause there’s peqple
living with HIV who can’t get the meds
like we do," said Alicea, 36, who gave his
ownleftoverAIDS medications. "ffI can’t
use them, somebody else can. There’s alot
of stuffoutthere that’ sjustbeing dumped."
Some 95% of the more than 33 million
people with HIV and AIDS in the world
are in poor countries, according to the
World Health Orgamzation. In those regions,
the so-called drug "cocktails" -
Clip And Save "
p I I I I I I--I I I I III
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Medical
Excellenc.e And
Compass.lonate
Care S nce
1926.
a ¯ ST. JOHN MEDICAL CENTER
q P Medical Excellence-Compassi’onate Care
whichcan costupwardof $20,000 per year
in the United States -are about 30 times
the average monthly income and far out of
reach for most people, according to the
group Doctors Without Borders.
The issue of global drug acess has becomeheated.
Protesters doggedVice President
A1 Gore last year about drug prices in
Africa, and the issue is apriority for institutions
like the World Health Organization
that are trying to combat the disease.
Clients of the group Cambridge -Cares
About AIDS are collecting the drugs from
friends and family members - even from
their own medicine cabinets. Most of the
donated drugs are left over when a person
with AIDS switches drug regimens because
of debilitating sitle effects. Since
last December, the group has delivered
some $200,000 worth of medications to
Parmers in Health, a Boston-based organization
with a clinic in Haiti which distributes
them to people with AIDS and HIV.
Partners in Health executive director
Dr. Jim Yong Kim said between 50 and
100 people in Haiti are regularly receiving
the medications gathered by the Cambridge
group. But there’s an enormous
unmet need that this effort cannot even
begin to solve without global attention -
and a global solution- to the drug crisis, he
said. "This is now an absolute disaster and
an absolute crisis," Kim said. "It’s a moral
problem, but it’s also an economic and
political problem.’"
TheWorld Health Organizationhas protocols
for donated drugs. But the organization
does not have separate guidelines for
AIDS medications, which generally involve
complex daily regimens of 15 to 20
different pills that require close medical
supervision. And the medication supply
must be consistent, because interrupting
the regimen can result in the HIV virus
becoming resistant to treatment.
Only a handful of groups send unused
AIDS drugs overseas. Kim said agencies
like his are "writing the book" on salvaging
AIDS drugs. There is no agency overseeing
the practice, no way of knowing
how common it is or whether groups are
adhering to WHO guidelines for drug donations,
according to Michael R. Reich,
acting chair of the Department of Populationand
International Health at the Harvard
School of Public Health.
But he said that while donations will
never fill the need for drugs in poor countries,
this effort highlights the problem.
"Troubling questions arise from gaps in
access," he said. "Haiti is a country with
extraordinary needs for good drugs, and
donations provide a mechanism for trying
to address the gap."
James Russo, spokesman for the Partnership
for Quality Medical Donations, an
organization composed of drug companies
and non-govemmen.tal organizations
thatTdistribute free drugs o~¢erseas, said it
is a"perfecfly reasonable and understandable
and decent thing to do."
Such donations may not technically be
legal, because the recipient is not the person
for whom the drugs were prescribed,
he said. But if the drugs are properly used
and distributed, thenpublichealthbenefits
override such legal issues. "The fact that it
needs doing is, to me, a tragic observation
about the state of public health policy," he
said. "Nothing but good can come from
¯ something like this."
¯ Sitting beside Alicea, Katherine Gaynes,
: 54, takes a thick marker and strikes from a
¯ bottle the name of the original patient, the
¯¯ doctor who made the prescription and the
pharmacy that filled it so the pills cannot
¯
be traced back to the original recipient.
¯ She said the huge overseas need for medications
frustrates her, but she’s glad she’s
¯
been able to do some good. "If the rest of
¯ the world doesn’t get better, then it doesn’t
; get better for us," she said. .
¯ Rise in HIV in Gays
And Natives Feared
¯ TORONTO (AP) - New numbers on HIV
infections in Canada point to a worrying
: trend away from safe sex in some segments
of the Gay community and a steep
¯ increase of infections among FirstNations
¯ people. The number of new infections
¯ amongmenwho have sex withmenjumped
¯ by 30% from 1996 to 1999, according to
¯ the latest report on HIV and AIDS preva-
¯ lence issued by Health Canada. The hum-
: ber of new infections among Aboriginal
¯ Peoples rose 91% over the same period.
: Some headway hadbeen made over that
: time in cutting the number ofnew cases of
_" HIV infection among injected drug users,
¯ the report said, noting the number of new
: cases declined 27% last year over 1996.
¯ "But no sooner did we do that than Gay
: men are starting to rebound again," Chris
¯ Archibald, Health Canada’s chief of HIV/
¯
AIDS epidemiology and surveillance, said
: from Ottawa on Thursday.
¯ Before 1996, Health Canada reported a
¯ steady drop in the number of new cases of
¯ HIV among Gay men, the population most
ravaged by HIV and AIDS. Gay men accounted
formore than 80% ofnew cases in
: 1981-83; by 1996, they made up less than
¯ a third (30%) of new cases of HIV infection.
Archibald said the upward trend has
¯ VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -
." A group of health-care advocates and in-
. jection drug users is aiming to make
Vancouver the first city in North America
to offer addicts a safe site to inject drugs.
¯ Whether the facility is a"hole in the wall"
¯ or a comprehensive health center will be
." determined by funding, says the Harm
." ReductionActionSociety, whichreleased
¯ its pilot project proposal last month.
." The society would like to have support
¯ from all levels, "but let’s get this straight,
we are going to do it," said board member
Dean Wilson. "One way or another, there
¯
will be such a facility or facilities," said
Ross Harvey, the executive director of the
¯ B.C. Peoples with AIDS Society.
The society would like to have a facility
¯
open before Valentine’s Day. The group,
¯ formed earlier this year, recently sent con-
¯. sultants to Frankfurt,Germany,where they
visited five sites set up in 1994. The city
¯
released proposal recently that included a
¯ safe-sites proposal,butMayorPhilipOwen
¯ rejected the idea, saying it would be a
magnet for drug addicts.
¯ also been reportedin the United States and
." the Netherlands.
Vancouver Looks
At Injection Site
sung. And the lyrics aren’t too bad, either.
He’s been performing since he was 6,
and appeared in the film "Latin Boys Go
To Hall" singing a song
"... Siegfried and Roy
have never been involved
..m ~r~ming
an.i.~.ii.a.lk. i"n the’ ir h,2ves.
They mold things around
the personality
of their animals."
And maybe, if the rest of.
us learned’ thattriek -
love ~hOUt
the ne~ for~.e~ntrol -
we’d h~ve better
ofhis owncomposition.
He’ s played some ofthe
most resi~ected venues
in NYC to critical acdaini.
’ ~
He ~is also named
by HXmagazine as one
of the ten hottest menin
NY. Judging from the
press photos, I’ll second
that. He’s currently
working with song-
.writer DesmondChilde,
knowi~ for being a
’ hitwriter forRickyMar-
.... ~ tin,Ch~,.and Ma~10nna.
He’il surprise you.
YOu’.dnever .guess he
was anice.Jewish bpy
relationships as well . frOmNew York - he~s ---got: that ~0ul sound
by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor
Merry Yule and Winter Solstice, everyone!
This year has moved fast - hard to
believe we’ll be starting
a new millennium
soon. Hope everyone
h~ a ha~pp.y hoR.day.
~. ~- ~l~a ’frijOl, ~-Jim~
’ Brf~l~iffa~ ~rbtflrh~:t~o
Tut~d D~em6~r~5~il fdt
a a romantic ,evening bf
musicandfun. Ifyou’ve
?iaot seen his show be-
7~ore, .or
~ ing, it s well worfla it.
i?And he’s:iher~ ~ith
¯" ~onny oshioiia,’W~Ch
~’should
7~I’11 miss John Trbnes, a
i, family m.-..~~m~l~ ,~ho
~’ was here~th
year, but"J~bgt Doimy
does a grea~jdb ~i~the
songs. Ji~ can~take a
huge thOt~.~d make
. it seem
" room, and :he’s gOkgcous to boot - very
handsom~],~,Sf;.~tl~6~:~;i~uals are as good as
’the musi.~;.ye~, ~I,know...you really
" didn’t exp~t ~e t
without .mgn,ti.0~ngl something like that,
did you?.~tf!~y!~mmended; especially
as an earl~’. Yule gift for that sigfiffieant
other. 596~7111:fo fix.
If yo~J;~:i’6bidiag for nifty gffties of an
entertaiifi~ s0~t,’I have a few recomme,n,-
dations: Fir~ oifth~’list is "Chicken Run’,
just outOgDVD~dVHS. TheDVDis the
preferencehe~e, due to the fun extras they
threw ina~d the".claance to see the film as
it was preSgntetion screen, instead of only
half the.p.ivRtr¢fformatted to fit your TV)
on the VHS version. There’s two documentaries
9n ..tal.ent and how they made.
those chickens ttm; and it’s fun to see thecast
men~!~erswfiose ,v,oices you hear. And
it is so eff.~ecti~e.you I1 never eat chicken
pot pies again:-’ Favorite line: Ging,er
Chickefi,.:~.’.fig’ to explain why they re
having ~toi~i~aS escaping the chicken
farm/pfi~on"~to g doubting member of the
flock, says’ Do’you know what the problem
is? ~[]ie:fe~i~S.. aren’t just ’round the
farm, they’reuphe~e-in yourheads !" The
other chick~ep!ies,"Aw, give it up, ducks.
There’s.amillion toone chance we’ll ever
get out of her,e:, Ginger, mustering up thelast
bit of hope she has (All done with the
eyes), rep!iles, "Well . . there’s still a
chance then." And then there’s Nick and
Fletcher, a pair of rats who have a rather
mteresturg relataonship... And that s al
I’ll say about that, except I am surprised at.
a: c"ertai.n::’a:c"t.lw.?s~t2m. :t~o:,w~n; w;~ho~ di¯ dN, O""T"~fi.1re
~ff a s~i-ies:.6fl6tters aboi~t Gay i~dople"
being represented as rats... Even though
they’re really cute rats, in that rat-like
way, and help the chickens to escape.
A new artiste on the Gay scene, Ari
Gold, has a new CD out, and unlike many
artists capitalizing on the "I’m Gay and
out, so even if I suck, you should still buy
my stuff", it’s actually a really good CD,
filled with dance grooves and soulful ballads
that are slickly produced and well
down. He deserves our
Support, because he dell,v~rs.the goo~s:
Mostpr6moCDsfrom Gayarfists ’end
UPas coastdts 6tmini-frisb.ees. This one’s
akeeper. Great for dancing and romanc¯
ing, I give-it fivesnaps. He’ sgot awebsite:
WWW.ARIGOLD.COM
¯ For those~vith.cabl~;~the’Americanized
¯ ,)ersion of the British series "Queer as
~ ’ .F01k" begins airing On Sh0w~me Decem-
~ her 3rd. For.those Without c,],,ble, fihd a
¯ ’ friend that has ~it,; The~iow delivers a
:" Slice of.gffy life~th~t’ ~ ~corn~ellitag, ~pto-
,)ocative, and unlike any showyou’ll see.
For 22 riveting episodes, these unforgettable
men.andw0in~nr~veal tfiemselves -
i:eally reveal themselves - as no TV characters
ever have." Well,Iknow some folk,-
who are queer, who~ve seenthe original
British series, and if it’ s kept intact and not
Americanized todeath, it sh.ould be good.
: Happyw~ffChing!
.... " Open now is a duo offeline proportions
¯ ."in "Siegfried and Roy: The Magic Box."
i Now, I wonder if .we get to find out just
.*. :Who has that’magi box? "Siegfried and
: ’Roy: The Mhgic B6~" i~an’iMAX biopic
¯ ~Which includes’their Las V~gas a~t~ well
¯ as abiographical storyin-azstory ofhow
.’- the two men met .-as-boys in war-tom
¯ Germany, combining a love of magic,
’ ~animals, and each other to become the
." "world’S greatestillu~R~nistS."
¯ Anthony Hopkins Narrates the story of
¯ the two boys who meet on a cruise ship ¯
(oh, the fodder for puns that provides) and
~ form "a differen,,t kind of i~agic act using
¯ exotic .snimals, .: an~" als0 ~"forni ~an~ .ex-
¯ -ty.~me|y lohg ~erm ~-ela~o~s~i~. oli, the
~° :jokbs that come tomind. So much material
¯ to work with, so little space.
¯ Actually, they have my admiration and
¯ all due respect. To work and live together ¯
as long as they have and not to have killed
" each other in the process, and to have
¯ remained together, is no easy task. I have
¯ heardthem speakofthat, andhow attimes,
. you just wanna kill your parmer, but un-
" derneath it all is the love that keeps you
¯ working together - see Amuse, p. 10
GIFTS
OF T!tI
S ASON!:
COUNCIL OAK
WISHING YOU A
JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON &
A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR
PLEASE JOIN
TULSA OKLAHOMANS FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS
AS WE
CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS.{
HOLIDAY RECEPTION
HONORING TOHR’s 20TH ANNIVERSAF~Y
&
SILENT AUCTION
AN ~,.RT, AHTIQUES & FINE DINING.SHOWCASE
SUNDAY, DECEMBER | 0
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
TULSA GAY COMMUNI’~Y
SERVICES CENTER
2114 S MEMORIAL
PARADE OF LIGHTS
Come celebrate the spirit of the holiday season
at the AEP-Public Service Company of Oklahoma
Christmas Parade of Lights, Satu rday, Decem ber
9, downtown Tulsa at 6 p.m. View parade floats
up close, Friday, DecemberS, at the HolidayFest
(Brady Arts District) from 7 - 9 p.m.
PUBLIC
SERVICE
COMPANY OF
OKLAHOMA®
by Karin Gregory
GEls, have you ever had that Gay male
friend who does everything with you? A
Will to your Grace?AJack to your Karen?
The oneman-for some of you, theONLY
man - to whom you’d tell your secrets?
Who is warm, caring, loving,
a great listener, and in
many cases,has betterfashion.
sense than you? The
one man you can talk to all
night long? That guy who
will, even across the miles,
allow you to cry on his
shoulder about your girlfriend?
And you still remember
your own tearstained
shoulders from
when he knocked on your
door at 3 a.m. Most ofus, if
we’re lucky, have a guy
who would be the perfect
partnerforapolitically correct"
family value" couple
if he became a woman and
we became a man.
ButI’m nottalking about
him here. This is another Gay man who
possesses none ofthe abovequalities. Sure,
he can be a nice guy- whenhe wants to be.
And he DOES have better fashion sense
than I, although that’s no stretch. Butwhile
I embracedmy.Gayness before embracing
another woman, he did his embracing, and
whatever rise (eeeewww!) earl~, on, and
never really learned to enjoy being Gay.
"How sad," you might say. Don’t feel
sorry for him. Especially when you find
out where I’m spending my days lately.
Great house, DirecTV, MUCH cleaner
thanmy place, and the perfect party home.
I had become - how shall I say? - financially
non-existent and couldn’t pay my
rent (sounds like a musical, doesn’t it?).
My friend - let’s call him Vincent - offered
to put me up in his house for a few
months. OK, let’s talk realism. He was
looking for someone to help him with the
house payments. I would get oneroom and
a bathroom, as opposed to my car. Most
people in my situation wouldjump at this
arrangement. Although it .would save me
$400, the cost in psycffiatric visits overmy
lifetime would soon absorb the savings.
Let’s just say that we were the other"Odd
Couple." Picture a much more obsessive/
compulsive, anal retentive Felix Unger,
who is also emotionally constipated, and
you have Vincent. You’re not where I am
now, and I hope you never are. Let me tell
you how I got here through a progression
of nightly entries.
¯DAY ONE - Got to Vincent’s house
about 10:45 tonight after work. I can already
tell our work schedules are going to
conflict as he made a great show of"having"
to be up this late. This was HIS idea,
remember. He showed me the alarm system.
God, it feels like Fort Knox in here,
motion detectors and all. He also gave me
an extra key and garage door opener. It all
feels so official. This IS just a trial run,
after all. I’m relegated immediatdy to my
room, as small as a nun’s cell. He said I
could have one piece of furniture, but
there’s no room for anything else. i’ve
¯ been calling and calling my girlffien.: all
: night, getting nothing but a busy sig:m!
: That makes me anxious and frightenex~, se
: I tall Vincent what’s going on, hoping to
¯¯ get some sympathy. While I try to hug ¯ : : ~, : :, "ra.m,.~.com.p~,.a~ps.....Oh
"...G~gr~|s,. ,halve you no," in’d very pugquttbhe
of voi~qe; his~us~tml t0ne. He e erMd Gay pU s n< "ar0 a.me
male friend whodoes VERY gingerlg: try’ing to
everythln~ with you?
A Will to
your Grace?
A Jack to
your Karen?
The one man - for
some of you, the
ONLY man - to
whom you’d tell
your secrets?.. ?’
much me as little as possible,
as if I’m a Lesbian
leper. After he leaves, I get
into the closet (I thought
I’d left that for good!) so as
not to wake him, and call
my friend Jim. He gives
me a bigger hug over the
phone from Tulsa than I
got from Vincent. I pull
out my CD player and listen
to Melissa Etheridge
(who else?). Somehow it
makes me feel dominant.
DAY TWO - After dedaring
thatmy alarm woke
him from the other side of the house, he
leaves. Now I can walk aroundlike I want.
Ooops! I forget that he leaves the kitchen
blinds open. Well, his neighbors will just
be confused. They thooght they were living
near a Gay man!.Oa my way to work,
I find my girlfriend has called to let me
know she’s all right, which should put me
at ease, but the thought of having to live
with Vincent depresses me. It already feels
like I’m giving upmy life to live according
to his schedule. WhenI arrive at his house,
I’m in less than a pleasant mood. Anger
sets in when I realize that I forgot to tape
"Will and Grace." It doesn’t help that
Vincent goes on andon abouthow this was
the funniest episode he’s ever seen. "Did
youtapeit?" I askhopefully, already knowing
the answer. "No, I was home to watch
it," he says, cleaning up the kitchen in a
"don’t youdaremake amess" way. Selfish
bastard! This further proves my point that
when a man asks you into his life, for
whatever reason, he really means, "I want
to live my life as I always have, with no
compromises. You’ll just be around when
andif I need you." NowonderI’m Gay! He
woulddrive Pat Buchanan’s wife to Lesbianism.
I pop my popcorn (the only thing
I’ve had since noon today), and the only
thing allowed to me. I once again listen to
Melissa, who has a strangeway ofempowering
me. I fall asleep, dreaming of using
a stun gun on Vincent repeatedly.
DAY THREE-Today’s finally Friday,
and I might be allowed to watch some TV
tonight. I’m fine all day until I enter
Vincent’s abode. We’re eating pizza, and
he’s buying, an obvious splurge. But we
disagree on TV programming, so he
watches something in his room while I
have the living room all to myself to watch
a Beatles special. I’ve figured out one
thing - never trust anyone who hates the
Beatles. It’s positively UnAmerican! Another
night of silence until he comes into
the living room to switch channels so he
can watch the news. seeLesbian,p.11
by Lamont Lindstrom
"Gifts make slaves just as whips make
dogs," or so says one bit of Native American
wisdom. Keep this in mind during the
upcoming holiday orgy of giving and receiving.
Grits aremorethan
just tokens of affection.
They are’als0 ~gminde~s of
obligati’On ahdl du~. Giging
is politiCak ~Pd]~h~ps~ I
give you a present because
°I like you. Butifyou accept
mypresent,you also accept
that you are indebted to me
- at least until you can pay
me back.
Ihad, once, a studentfrom
Saudi Arabia whose father
was in the rug trade. "I’m
contacting my father," he
told me near the end of the
term. "I’d like to give you a
carpet." Oh no, I thought,
visions of Baluchis and
Kilims dancing inmy head.
How amI going to g~vehim
the "D" that he deserves?
Luckily, he presented me
with a cheap synthetic
prayer rug decorated,with
garish neon cameIs, worth
only a few dollars down at
yourlocal bazaar. I wasn’t that muchii~’his
debt after all, and I graded him down with
a lighter heart.
l~erhaps we all have had an experience
of over-receiving. Somebody g~ves us
something that is waytoo much. What can
he have in mind? What does he want in
return?A pesky acquaintance surprises us
with afine leatherjacket. But what does he
expect?A closer friendship?A date? Need
we give it up?
The fancy anthropological word for gift
giving is "reciprodty." I give something
to you, and you give something back to
me. Such exchange can be balanced or
imbalanced. Either way,. this says something
about power. If we engage in prolonged,
imbalanced gift giving, we find
ourselves in an enduring relationship of
inequality. Those fine presents have made
us into dogs and slaves.
Parents, for instance, give a lot more to
children thanchildren giveto parents. This
exchangeimbalancefuels parental authority.
Few morns and dads hand their children,
on their 18th birthdays, a bill for
$186,000. Ratherthan reciprocating the
exact dollar cost of raising us, we repay
parents in obedience. "As long as you live
inMYhouse, you’ll do what I say!" Those
gifts come with strings. .
To avoid, obligfiroh~ we must balance
gift giving. Only balanced exchange cre:
ates equality. If some one gives us a holiday
present, we feel pressured togive a
present in return. Failure to reciprocate
means either that we don’tmind shouldering
this debt and its obligations, or that we
want to break things off altogether. Does
morn send out the family’ s holiday cards?
What does she do when someone fails to
reciprocate? Cross him off the list!
Sometimes exchangeimbalancepersists
¯ for years, however. My dentist sends me a
¯ Christmas card annually. Butdo I sendone
¯ back? Nope. In this case, I amrude enough
¯ to take without giving. But I understand
¯" the deal implied by this imbalanced exchange~
I take my mouth
around to his office every
six months.
My friends in the South
Pacific go to huge efforts
to raise and give away pigs
just to get their neighbors’
pigs in return. If would be
far easier for all villagers
to eat their own pigs. But
what of us? .We are madcap
enough to enrich the
Post Office every December
by mailing, around a
blizzard of Christmas
cards. I send out about 60
each year, and in return I
receive 60 back. But if I
really am so desperate for
cards to clutterupmymantelpiece,
why don’t I just
keep those that I buy? I’d
save a 10t on postage that
way.
My island friends are
fanatic giftbalancers. They
keep exact records of how
] many pigs, baskets, and mats they receive
¯¯ so that they can give the same in return.
Butthey sometimes over-give- just alittle.
¯ This iitfleextra gift, which al~O must be
"... Perhaps we all
~have had an experhne¢
of over-reeelvlng.
Somebody gives us
something that is way
too much. What can
he have in mind?
What does he want in
return? A peshy
aeq~intanee surp~ses
us ~th a fine l~ther
~aeket. But w~t
does he expect?
A closer friendship?
A ~te? Need we
give it up... ?"
repaid at some point, keeps the :relationship
moving along.
Balanced exchanges celebrate the fact that
we are still investing in the relationship.
Youremain important to me. Butif I amto
stay your equal, I need to give you about
what you give me. I am embarrassed if I
return too little OR ff I return too much.
Imbalance in either direction implies either
that I don’t care about us as much as
you do, or that I am trying to obligate you.
Given the importance of exchange balance,
it is perverse that we remove price
tags and wrap presents. It’s a bit of a game.
We see through these pretenses that "it’s
the thought that counts." As experienced
givers, we are pretty good at striking a
balance despite the absence ofprice tags or
the concealment of gift-wrap. When a
friend drops off a gaily-wrapped present
for you, shake that box! Make a mistake in
what you give back and it could be the
doghouse for you!
Lamont Lindstrom teaches anthropology
at the University of Tulsa.
and frommurdering each other. They have
also managed to survive a business that
chews you up and spits you out.
It’s easy to makejokes at their expense,
but you know, there is a magic there, that
they’ve been able to survive that business
- andremain together, whenI’m sure there
were many times it wouldhavebeenmuch
easier to split under the pressure.
see Amuse, p. 11
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ody
Tulsa’s only
professional
body-piercing
College Hill
-Presbyterian Church
In response to God’s Love,
College Hill Presbyterian Church
is a community of God’s people
called to tell others the
Gospd of-J~sus Christ
through worship,
- service, and evangelism.
To nurture our faith, we gather for
worship, prayer,
study and fellowship.
Trusting in a living~ loving God,
we seek to become a compassionate
voice for peace and justice.
Our congregation welcomes all
persons who respohd in trust and
obedience to God’s grace
in Jesus Christ, and desire to become
part of the membership and ministry
of Christ’s church.
Membership is open:.to all people
regardless of race, ethnic origin,
worldly condition, marital status, or
sexual orientation.
Sunday Worship 1 lam-
712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800
(Ohe block west of Delaware and the
University of Tulsa Campus)
This without saying a word to me. After -
seeing how the candidates STILL can’t "
decide this election, I put on my pajamas. "
That’s all, I swear. When I come out at ¯
9:20, the TV is turned off, along with the ¯
lights. My dorm mother has declared my
curfew. One thought goes through my "
head - I’m going to kill him; I’m going to ¯
kill him; I’m going to kill him. Big kitchen
knives flash through my mind. I go to bed "
at 9:20, again listening to Melissa. She’s "
giving me the wrong kind of strength, :
think.
DAY FOUR- This is the last day, but I "
have to spend it with HIM. I see my stu- ¯
dents at my Saturday class, knowing this :
will probably be the last time I teachi I’ve ¯
made up my mind as I arrive at Vincent’s. "
He ignores me, as usual, while he watches ¯
gymnastics on TV, laughing for some tea- ¯
son. Hewon’t laugh forlong. Even though ~
I hate the color and look bffd in it, orange :
jumpsuits will be my style for the next 20
years. Hey, they let you write,letters~in ¯
prison. Ev~nLestian~olumns, I veheard. :
"Goodbye Vincent!" 5" by Karin Gregor
#2238769480, Cell BlockH ¯
ofthe"diversity" statement whichincluded :
"sexual orientation," saying he wouldhave :
noticed its inclusion. ¯
In response,’sev~al ~gregation have
commi~ted to re=examining their endorse:
ment of the document? College Hill Pres- ¯
byterian Church and’ Fellowship Congre- "
gational Church will’bring the.issue back
to theirgov.ernmg boards. ,Andsomemere- "
bers of MCC~United, Tulsa s Metropoli: ¯
tan Community Church, members of
predominatelyLesbianand Gay denomi- "
nation, are concerned about their church’s ¯
endorsement of a statement which does
not acknowledge the existence of Lesbian -"
and Gay persons. :
The welcoming committee of Community
Unitarian-Universalist Congregation ¯
has drafted a letter to TMM saying, "we
erred in our endorsement of this state- "
ment"because thefailure toinclude sexual ¯
orientation is in conflictwith the values of ¯
the congregation and the letter further says ,"
that they wilt not endorse any future state- "
ments which are not inclusive. ¯
Other groups such as Holland Hall ¯
School, the Episcopal Diocese of Okla: "
homa, and the Eastern Oklahoma :
Presbytery -: Presbyterian Church USA, ¯
have been asked to explain their support :
for a statement which is not compatible .
with their policies. In the case of the Episcopal
Diocese and. Holland Hall School, :
staff and religious leaders were not sure if ¯
the organization’s names had been used "
with permission. ¯
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights :
(TOHR), the state’s oldest civil rights or- ¯
ganization has discussed the issue at a "
recentboardandmembershipmeeting and
president, Greg Gatewood stated that he ¯
would seek a meeting with Rana and Day :
to request an explanation of the exclusion
of "sexual orientation" from the state- ¯
ment. Further action on the part of the
organization will vary depending on their
responses.
Other congregations which signed the
"diversity" statement, like the city’s Episcopal
parishes and its Unitarian-Universalists
congregations, all of whom have
histories of being fair to Lesbian and Gay
Tulsans are also being asked to consider
withdrawing their support for the statement
because of the failure to include
"sexual orientation."
And they’ve remained incredibly successful
throughout the years andups anddowns
that showbiz life provides. Living with
someone 5 years is a major feat, much less
working with them as well. And even in
relative anonymity, it’s hard enough. To
have survived and remain together as long
as they have - 43 years - is a major feat.
FYI, Royis 5 years younger thanSiegfried.
About the biographical aspects of the
film, Roy says "It’s ~way~ a difficult step
to open yourself up beeauge ~ou make
yourself very vulnerabl~. That fneans you
have to let your guard down andeveryone
has access to you." Scary iild~gd. The
cameras were allowed full access to the
home and grounds of theirestate’. He goes
on to say "I have to say;~it’s~ been pretty
good to do it. It goes way badk" to when I
was a boy. I had a catching smile, but in
reality I was a loner. I wa~ n0t too good
with people. As a mattel: offact, I didn’t
trustinpeople. I trustedmy animals more."
I can relate to that.
The interesting thing is that,-aozording
to producer Bernie Yuman,’"Roy has a
bond with these animals whereby there’s
no force. Force createsforce. There’s alot
of love. There’s a lot of.voice intonation
and camaraderie - and a lot of meat - but
affection and conditioning, Roy’s never
trained an animal, and Siegfried and Roy
have never been involved.in, training ammalsin
their lives. Theymoldthings around
the personality of their animals." And
maybe, if the rest of us learned that tricklove
without the need for control - we’d
have longer lasting relationships .as well.
Food for thought. And so, for all the nasty
S&Rjokes I could make, I find I reallyjust
have too much respect for what they’ve
accomplished to make them.
In the film, you get behind the scenes
visits to their home - which is like designer
overkill, given their taste_~or opulence.
And you get to see their private
wildlife sanctuary, where they live with
and raise the white tigers used in the act.
Their love of the animals is evident.
It’s filmed in 3-D, so you’ll be able to
see Siegfried and Roy up close and personal.
Numerous digital techniques were
used to recreate the Europe of their childhoods.
As for the magic shots, they were
specifically filmed uncut as master shots,
so that the audience would no that no
camera tricks were used. Andrew Dunlap,
who plays young Roy, was also in the all
male version of "Importance of Being
Earnest," which was interesting to note.
Also playing is Fantasia 2000 and 3D
Mania: Encounter in the 3rd Dimension;
71st and Highway 169.
Healing
E
E ECT IIII
AIDS Memorial Quilt
re.n.esS
World AIDS Day Candlelight Memorial March
Friday, December 1st, 6:30pm
Tulsa Civic Center Plaza, 5th & Denver
The NAMES Project Quilt Opening, 8pm
This advertisement is donated by Tulsa Family News. TFN appreciates the opportunity to support this showing of the Quilt, and The NAMES Project.
Original Format
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newspaper
periodical
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, December 2000; Volume 7, Issue 12
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
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Tulsa Family News
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
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Tom Neal
Date
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December 2000
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James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, November 2000; Volume 7, Issue 11
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English
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/607
2000
AIDS drugs
AIDS research
aMUSEments
anti-discrimination laws
arts and entertainment
Bayer
Boy Scouts
businesses
Catholic Church
Chris Kolb
Christmas
churches
Fred Phelps
gay bashing
Gay Studies
Gilcrease Museum
harassment
hate crimes
HIV
HIV testing
holidays
injection site
Jim Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
military inclusion
Murder
NAMES Project
Native Americans
Oklahoma Lambda Youth Scholarship
Oklahoma Mr. Leather
Openarms Youth Project
Partner Benefits
performing arts
Raging Lesbian
Red Cross
Red Rock Tulsa
restaurants
Tom Neal
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Metro Chamber
Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
Tulsa Uniform Leather Seekers Association
Westboro Baptist Church
World AIDS day
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Deputy Police Chief To
Speak At TOHR, Nov. 14
TULSA (TFN) - Tulsa Deputy Chief of Police Bobby
L. Busby will be the featured speaker at the Nov.
meeting of Tulsa Oldahomans for Human Rights
(TOHR) at the Gay Community Services Center at 21st
&Memorial.The meeting begins at 7:30pm. Topics for
discussion with the ChiefBusby will include expanding
Tulsa’s "diversity" training for new police recruits and
for in-service training to include sexual orientation as
wall as rate and etlmicity. Also on the agenda will be
discussion of recent police visits to local Gay and
Lesbian_nightclubs. All are invited to attend.
TOHR will also hold a new volunteer orientation on
Nov. 9th at 7pm at the Center. Center organizers also
held an openhouse for thenew facility in October. They
note that about 80 people attended the event including
a substantial number of visitors in town for a leather
event. TOHR also hosted a Feastfor,~riends dinner
with raised over $1,000 for The NAMES Project.
Hate In Vermont
BROOKFIELD, Vt. (AP) - Mark Hackett was
thunderstruck when he looked at the fence facing property
he owns on Vermont Route 14. "Exaente the Fag,"
it declared, its message clear despite the misspelling.
Hackett, who is Gay, rents the property to two families,
one of whom has been feuding with the property
owner next door on whose fence the hate message was
spray-painted. Although Hackett as landlord has been
only peripherallyinvolved in the neighborhood dispute,
its message was obvious to him.
"It’s clearly there for me to see.., the message to my
tenant was,’ Seehow yourlandlordlikes that,’ "Hackett
said. "I just think the ’Take Back Vermont’ message is
making it OK to say stuff like that. I don’t have a
problem with people voting Democratic or Republican
or supporting any candidate they want... But you start
seeing that stuff around the state and it’s not about
politics, it’s about hate."
And it is happening more and more around Vermont
in this heated and polarized campaign season. In
Burlington, the Outright Vermont office has taken to
locking its doors and taking other security precautions
after two differentmen walked into the office on Oct. 13
and threatened to kill a staff member. "The first one
basically asked her what she was going to do to eliminate
herself, then told her if she didn’t eliminate hersdf
he would," see Vermont, l~. 2
DIRECTORY P. 2
EDITORIAL P. 3
US & WORLD NEWS P. 4
HEALTH NEWS P. 6
ENTERTAINMENT P. 8
GAY STUDIES P. 10
¯ Servin Lesbian Ga Bisexual + Transg~n~er_ed ~ul__Fa~s_, ~r Fa~ili~.~ Friends
: Gays Excluded From
i Tulsa’s "Diversity"
¯ Metropolitan Ministry Lauds Local Mix
: But Sees On!y Race, Religion + Ethnicity
¯ NEWS ANALYSIS ~- When is "diversity" not diverse? Only in
¯ Tulsa where "do-gooder" organizations, like Tulsa Metropolitan
¯
Ministry (TMM), the National Conference on Community and
¯ Justice (NCCJ), and others can sin~ the praises of interfaith
¯ tolerance andunderstandingwhile excluding or ignoringLesbian
¯ and Gay Tulsans, regardless of faith.
In this case,TMMissued a"Statement in Support ofDiversity"
¯ which defines diversity only in terms of race, ethnicity and
¯ religion. TMM’s newexecutive director theRev. StephenCranford ¯
stated that he did not know if the omission was deliberate.
However, TMM staff said that the text of the statement was
written by TMM board president, Dr. Sandra Rana, who is a
leader in Tulsa’s Islamic community. Members of Tulsa’s Is-
" lamic community have made hostile remarks towards Gays on
¯
several occasions, most recently when a Muslim representative
¯ at a NCCJ Trialogue on Marriage said that his society would
¯ murder any Gay men who attempted to marry each other. Dr.
’ Rana did not respond to messages left about the "Statement in
¯ Support of Diversity".
TMMhas a history of mostly ignoring Lesbian and Gay issues
¯ with one notable exception: the support of an amendment to ¯ Oklahoma’s hate crimes statute whichTulsa Representative Don
: Ross introduced in the legislative session prior to last year’s.
¯ Radford Rader, pastor ofCollegeHill Presbyterian Church, an ¯
officially welcoming congregation of Lesbians and Gay men and
¯ member of the TMM executive board, responded that the state-
" ment was meant to address racial and ethnic diversity because of
¯ the coming of the KKK. It was written right before the incident ¯
¯ at the Jewish cemetery. Rader stated that he did not feel that the
exclusion was deliberate.
see TMM, p. 9 ¯ Gay Grandmothers Just
Want to See Grandkids
TULSA (TFN) - It’s a sad story when families get caught up in
¯
homophobia and prejudice. It’s common when couples separate
after one or the other parent realizes that they are Lesbian or Gay.
¯ And when thelegal systemgets involved, often the Gay parent ¯
loses, though around the US and evenin Oklahoma, courts cases
." are holding that Lesbians or Gay men are not ipso facto bad
¯ parents. But when grandparents are involved, it’s even more ¯
difficult because the law defers almost completely to parents.
¯ That’s where two Tulsa women, Julene and Schrie, find
¯ themselves. Both were once married to men and have children ¯
fromthose relationships.
¯ Some of those kids have no problem with their Lesbian moms.
¯ And one of them didn’t have a problem with them, when she
¯ needed free babysitting and before she was married to a man ¯
who’s areligious fundamentalists. Now the daughter and the son-
¯ in-law who says he’s the head of the house find that "it’s in the
¯ best interest of the kids" that the kids not see their grandmother
¯ or her partner who’s just as close. ¯
Legal experts hold out little hope, and even if there were
¯ grounds for a court case, judges andjuries in Oklahoma are often
¯ .not sympathetic. But this does not deter friends of the women ¯
¯ who praise them for their kindness and support to their friends and employees when they find themselves in need.
¯ The women own a local dub out on Garnett which while it is
not a Lesbian or Gay oriented venue has patron who are remark-
" able supportive of the pair.
¯ Bar employee, Tummy Peevyhouse, was particularly outspo-
¯ ken in her concern for her friends and employers, as was also a
¯ bar patron, Tommy Clown. Frustrated by the limitations offered
by the legal system, Peevyhouse’s response was if the law allows
¯ this [situation], then the law needs to be changed.
¯ Meanwhile, the grandmothers just wait and have faith that as ¯
their grandsons reach legal maturity, they will reassert them-
" selves and come to see them on their own.
HEAR the Quilt
World AIDS Day- Dec, 1
¯ Council Oak Men’s Chorale Benefit
¯ TULSA-The fifth andlargestdisplay ofTheNAMES
Project will behddat tbeTulsa Conventi,o,.n Centeron
¯ on December 1 - 3. The event entitled, HEAR The Quilt" will open with student tours during daytime
¯ hours on World AIDS Day, Friday, December 1.
The opening ceremonies for the general public for
¯
"HEAR The Quilt" will be proceeded by the tradi-
] tionalWorldAIDS Day candlelightmarch.Themarch
¯ will begin at the Courthouse Plazajust west of 5th and
¯ Denver at 6:30, Friday evening.Marchers are encour- ¯
aged to bring organizational banners andbells; candles
¯ will be provided. Parking is available at the Conven¯
tion Center garage. The march will follow a short
¯ route through downtown Tulsa and will return to the
convention center for the Quilt’s opening at 8pro.
This display of the Quilt will feature 188 sections
¯ of the Quilt, each twelvefeet square. The display will
, be free and open to the public. Organizers note that
¯
the Quilt has the power to teach, to touch hearts, and
¯ to change minds.
In conjunction with the "HEAR The Quilt" Dis-
" play, the Council Oak Men’s Chorale under the
¯ direction of Rick Fortner will perform at Hope Uni-
¯ tarian Church, 8432 South Sheridan Road, Tulsa on
: Saturday evening,December2 atT:30pm. Admission ¯
is free, with a suggested $10 donation. Proceeds will
¯ benefit the NAMES Project Tulsa Area Chapter.
There also. will be an interfaith worship service
(coordinated by Reverend Cathy Elliott, pastor of
MCC United Church) to be held at the Quilt display
¯ on Sunday, Dec. 3at 9:30am.
¯ For more information, call (918) 748-3111 or send
e-mail to info@TulsaQuilt.org ¯ Maine To Vote Again
On Gay Civi,I Rights
¯ HALLOWELL, Maine (AP) - Maine’s latest refer-
" endum on civil fights for Gay citizens resurrects
¯ familiar arguments on both sides, but this time propo-
¯ nents have polished the proposal and picked up a
¯ potentially influential ally. In wirming support from
the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, backers
have sought to buttress an exemption for religious
¯ institutions. They have also sought to counter claims
¯ that the measure would award anything special or
¯ endorse specific sexual behavior.
Last time around, the Catholic church sat out the
¯ dection debate, saying it could not support a law
¯ enacted by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Angus
¯ .King because of ambiguities in its language. The
¯ enacted measure was repealed in February 1998
¯ before it ever took effect by a rare "people’s veto"
¯ referendum vote. The outcomein that special election
: was 51% for repeal and 49% against.
~ This time, with numerous other matters on state
¯ ballots expected to produce a bigger voter turnout,
¯ approval of Question 6 would again expand the ¯
Maine Human Rights Act. The proposal would in-
" dude the category of"sexual orientation" in a list of
¯ groups protected against discrimination in the areas
¯ of employment, housing or access to public accom- ¯
modations and the extension of credit. The new
version, however, approved by the Legislature and
signed by the governor in April, is more limited than
the repealed law. "We’ve repeatedly said work needs
to be done to clean up the language," says Catholic
diocesan spokesman Marc Mutty. "And we did that."
Besides the religious exemption, the new version
specifies thatno change in affirmative action requirements
is intended and see Maine, p.3
Tulsa~Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine
*Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
712-2324
610-5323
583-2119
835-2376
744-4280
745-9998
*The Star, 1565 Shelida~, 834-4234 ~
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, i649 S~. M~in 585,3405
*TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial §~920836
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd
~
1584-1308
*The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 749-1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41
Body Piercing by Nieole, 2722 E. 15
*Border~ Books & Music, 2740 E.21
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. llth
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
743-1000
250-5034
665-4580
712-1122
712-9955
494-2665
743 -5272
746-0313
295-5868
581-0902, 743-4117
622-0700
749-3620
744-5556
838-8503
369-8555
712-9379
592-0460
744-9595
610-0880
628-3709
808-8026
742-1460
459-9349
744-7440
745-1111
341-6866
712-2750
582-3018
747-0236
582-8460
599-8070
747-5466
585-1234
584-3112
663-5934
664-2951
838-7626
743-4297
747-5932
834-0617
834-7921, 747-4746
749-6301
260-7829
481-0558
835-5563
743-1733
665-2222
592-0767
*Deco to Disco; 3212 E. 151h
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial
Ross Edward Salon 584-0337,
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main
Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 551h P1.
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr.
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planniug
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly
*International Tours
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 151h
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo
*The Pride Store
Rainbowz on the River B+B,POB 696, 74101
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors
Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square
PaulTay, Car Salesman
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
FOB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159. e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal
Writers + eontributom: James Christjohn. Karin Gregory, Barry
Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche. Lament Lindstrom. Esther
Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw
Mem~ber of The Associated Press.. ~ _ ~ ~ ,
Issued 0ffor,befot~ th6 1 ~t of~ each month,~entire contents
Of this publicatioxi are protected by US 6opyright 1998 by
To/.~/:k~,,~ N~and may not be~ptoduce~ eitherin whole
or in part without written permission from the publisher.
Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s
sexual orientation. ~orrespondence is assumed to be for
"pi~blication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes
the sole property of TM-~/c¢,,,,~... Nv~,. Each reader is
entitled to 4 copies of each edition at distribution
points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
¯ *Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
¯ Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
¯ *Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
¯ *Free SpiritWomen’s Center, call for location&info: 587-4669 ¯
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
¯ Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd, 583-6611
¯ *Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
¯ *HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstries,1517 S. Memorial 224-4754
¯ *MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715 ¯
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral P1. 748-3111
¯
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
¯ OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
¯ *OSU-Tulsa ¯
PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901
¯ *Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
¯ Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
¯ R.A:I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195 ¯
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
: St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882
¯
St. Dtmstan’,s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
¯ *St. Jerome s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
¯ *TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
~ Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105
¯ Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only ¯ Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, c!o The Pride Center 743-4297
: T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
¯ *Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
; *Tulsa Community College Campuses
¯ *Tulsa Gay Community Center, 21st & Memorial 743-4297
¯ Unity Church ofChristianity,3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
.. BARTLESVILLE
¯ Barflesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
¯ TAHLEQUAH
: Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
¯ Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
¯ Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-936~3
¯ EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
www.gaytulsa~.org - website for Tulsa Gays & Lesbians : Autumn Br~,eeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734
T,,t~ ^~-~.A~=~~ Cha;-bh~i; ~:chOOIS&~. Universities "- Jim &Brent s Bistro 173 S. Main 501-253~7457
A!~r~ ~Xrr~t+~,~~r~tT~ 7’h~:~ [-’ ~ ’~ ~ ~ :~ "~~-95~....~eVito~s’R~S~L -5 Ce~ter~ St.’’ t. ~ ..... ,. ,: 1, ~ ~,1-~53~
~1 So~sU~Ch~ch, 2952 S. Peofia 743-2363 : ¯~dR~nbow, 45 ~!~ Spnng ’St: .....5.01.2.5.3 ~5
Black & ~te, ~c. ~B 1~01, T~sa 74159 5~-7314 ¯ MCC of ~e ~ving Spring 501-253-9337
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6
B/.L/G/T-Alliance, Univ, of Tulsa United Min. Ctr.
Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1.
Church of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood
*Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation
Council Oak Men’s Chorale
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware
583-7815
583-9780
585-1201
& Florence
587-1314
747-6300
749-0595
748-3888
712-1511
Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253~2776
Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332
Positive Idea Marketing Plans ....... 501-624-6646
Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East 501-253-6001
White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696
* is where you can find TFN. Not all are Gay-owned butall are Gay-friendly.
said Keith Elston, executive director of the
group dedicated to Gay and Lesbian youth.
"The other one was much more blunt that he
was going to ’kill fags.’ "
Burlington police are investigating the
incidents, but there have beenno arrests and
cOauretffUiglhatbVoeurtmtro~nntgh.at9s pbregcvoidme~e .msauf.ec.hty mt°oir.tes
staff, volunteers and especially its clients.
From tasteless bumper stickers to graffiti
on highway pavement, it’s apparently become
socially acceptable in the political
climate of 2000 to use derogatory terms for
Gays and Lesbians that once were considered
epithets. There have been scattered but
persistent reports at schools across the state
about anti-Gay incidents and harassment.
On the pavement of the road approaching
the Champlain Bridge near Fort~i~conderoga
inNew Yorksomeonerecently spray-painted
in large white letters "FAGS," with arrows
pointing over the bridge into Vermont.
"How much more explicit can you be
about creating an aura of fear for day-to-day
life?" said Lynne Bond, a psychology professor
at the University of Vermont who has
studied Gay and Lesbian issues.
Vermont’s new civil unions law, granting
most of the rights and benefits of marriage
to same-sex couples, clearly has prompted a
broad public discussion about the lives of
Gays and Lesbians. There are deeply held
beliefs about the morality - or some would
say immorality - of homosexuality. But
before the civil unions debate, those beliefs
were rarely expressed in langnage that’s so
offensive to Gays and Lesbians.
"It seems to me that some people, have
broken out of the social constraints of civility
that I think people were honoring during
thelegislativeprocess," said BethRobinson,
the Middlebury attorney who argued the
lawsuit that led to civil unions.
People who oppose civil unions say
they’ve been unfairly maligned becausejust
they don’t agree with the law. They complain
that they’ve been described as bigots,
hate-mongerers and homophobes. They say
that their ’Take Back Vermont’ signs and
other political placards havebeen knocked
over, defaced with Gay symbols and stolen.
"I think there have been ugly incidents on
both sides," Republican gubernatorial candidate
Ruth Dwyersaid atadebatein Lyndon
Center last week.
Still, it once was eousidered ill-mannered
at best to use such terms as fag and dyke aad
queer in civil conversation. The anger over
civil unions appears to have erased that
unwritten rule in Vermont, at least for the
time being. And that makes many Gay and
Lesbian Vermonters feel as if they’re under
attack, even if it’s a small minority of civil
union opponents who:are behind the hate.
~ : ~ ~P~@I’O~6*~[re~, frimtrated lthat
1 didn-t~get ~d~* ~ivil ~iOrls bill killed
Legislature, some of them have taken it.
upon themselves to link an ominous, mystical
Gay agenda to the civil union bill,"
- Elston.said. ’,’They’ve.been-falsely suggest~
ing that there s something in the civil unions
bill that requires the teaching of homosexuality
in schools. They’ve been foolishly
suggesting that Outfight teaches homosexuality
in the schools, that we’re distributing
pornography." see Vermont, p.3
World Watch:
News Not Covered in Our Daily
by Tom Neal, editor/gadfly/publisher
It’s old fashioned to place as much import on a daily
newspaper but then as a newspaper publisher and editor
of now seven years, I am somewhat committed to the
concept. Unlike the internet, radio and television, those
more ephemeral of media, the printed word, even on acid
filled newsprint leaves a legacy, a picture of where we are
and where we were, in a way that is more accessible and
probably more permanent.
This new and irregularly published column, like much
ofthis newspaper’s coverage, intends to bring to attention
things which otherwise might not get addressed.
Andwhile our daily newspaper, The Tulsa Worldis not
the worst newspaper in America, it does have some
foibles, some journalistic lapses which stem from its
parochial circumstances: a privately owned, smaller town
paper with a historically greater emphasis on coverage of
wealthy whites, rather than minority citizens and issues.
It’s better than it used to be but...
We are in the height of the United Way campaagn, and
as in years past, The Tulsa World is a major supporter of
TulsaAreaUnitedWay (TAUW). This is notintrinsically
a bad thing. TAUW does do much good for many. But
TAUW also funds organizations which engage in discnminatory
practices and itself may discriminate. There
are ongoing questions about the true percentage of funds
which go to services rather than administration.
Onemight think that The Wormwouldat least look into
these issues. But year after year, The World’s coverage of
United Way is a public relations flakmeister’s dream,
with shamelesslypromotional stories aboutTAUWfunded
agencies which nm during the United Way fundraising
campaign.
Canwedoubt thatifTAUWwere funding’~penly racist
or anti-semitic agencies that The World would write
about it? Despite claims of separation between the newsroom,
and advertising and ownership, The Worm has a
clear conflict of interest between its promotion of United
Way and its commitment to good journalism.
The World will change when they know that their
readers like you andme find their practices unacceptable.
Not to pickonJoe Worley, executive editor butultimately
he’s responsible for the decision to coddle Tulsa Area
United Way and its bad mannered (and in one case,
clearly lncohapetent) management. Joe’s ntunber is published
on page A-2 everyday. Let him know when The
World’s doing a good job of covering Lesbian and Gay
issues (overall, they’re doing better these days) but also
let him know what’s not working too.
’In the current, embittered political atmosphere, it is
difficult to counter such arguments. And so it feeds on
itself and results in slogans that once would have been
considered epithets being painted on a neighbor’s fence.
Although it’s unpleasant for many Vermonters, regardless
of their homosexuality, people who have been
involved said they will continue speaking out. "You have
to just keep on.telfing the truth, over and over again,"
El~n ~akl. !’Everyti~n~,thCy ~ylie~ ~a~bgut you,’yqq l~av¢
t~ exp0~e. ~em ~s [i~e~ on~!,Y0q ~aYq ~to ~t~lil,th~ .tnifl~
people hear that message."
"They Don’t Want Civil Rights, They Want Special Rights"
Early this morning, before I was really awake, or maybe
late last night drowsing with the television on, the history
channel was showing footage about the struggle Black
Americans had to end legal segregation. This part ofrecent
American history is a particular interest of mine but this
was mostly things I’d heard or seen before. But then there
was an image that caught my attention, one I’d never seen
before.
An old black and white image showed a white Southerner
marching with a placard Saying, "They don’t want
civil rights, they want SPECIAL rights!" And here I
thought that particular carnard wg~ newly minted to
mischaracterize the desire of Lesbian and Gay persons to
live our lives relatively unmolested, with a some semblance
of the same opportunities which non-Gay citizens
enjoy.
Perhaps I should not have been surprised. In the fight
over whether Lesbian and Gay Americans should serve
openly in defense of our country, almost word-for-word
rhetoric was trotted out to oppose Gays as was used to
oppose racial integration of the US military.
Prejudice, like taxes and death, is, it seems, fundamental
to the human condition, with Americans, like others,
occasionally transcending our biases. After many shameful
years of oppression, Americahas slowly set aside some
of its racism. But different prejudices, seeing a void, have
come forward.
In response, we can do several things. Many simply seek
to live their own lives, quietly, avoiding harassment as best
as possible. Others speak out as best they can. But all who
are citizens can vote, and after the election, can contact
those who are supposed to be representing us.
Of course, in Oklahoma, this is often an exercise in
frustration. Our elected federal leaders are nearly all dedicated
to attacking or restricting the rights of Lesbian-and
Gay citizens - and their staff are usually rude and arrogant.
But not to hold them accountable is to let them
assume that all agree with their prejudice.
Needless-to-say, in this election, if you are reading this
before Nov. 7th, please consider the difference between
the Republicans and the Democrats. As bad as the Democrats
may be in Oklahoma, on a national level, that party
has clearly talked and walked the talk. Positions for fair
treatment of Lesbian and Gay citizens are in the Democratic
platform and have been honored in action by the
national party, not perfectly, but under Clinton and Gore,
more than ever before.
Bush and the Republicans may have moderated some of
their anti-Gay, neo-nazi rhetoric (though not the Oklahoma
party) but this is the party which brought us years of
indifference to the HIV/AIDS crisis under Reagan, as well
as a documented hostility to addressing anti-Gay hate
crimes, let alone civil rights issues like employment, fair
housing, military service, legal recognition, of our relationships
and families, etc.
It’s not that I especially like Gore, or that Bush isn’t an
idiot, it’s just that given the choice, we have no choice.
This guy will be making the next Supreme Court appointments.
And decisions which have been crucial to our lives
(like Bowers v. Hardwick which said that straight oral sex
is constitutionally protected but the same act for Gays can
be a felony crime, Dale v. the Boy Scouts of America,
Colorado’s Amendment 2) have all been mostly narrowly
decided cases. Another Scalia, or Clarence Thomas, the
type of choices we’ve seen from Republican presidents,
would not bode us well.
Vote like your life depends on it- in many ways, it does.
-Tom Neal, editor & pubisher
that there would .be no. requirement for employers to
provide benefits for the partners of Gay and Lesbian
workers.
"The diocese has never been opposed to any of the
proposals," Mutty says. But he says changes this year not
only made it possible for the church to sign on as an
advocate, but were also aimed at making the measure
acceptable to a majority of people statewide.
Michael Heath of the Christian Civic League of Maine,
a leader of one of the major groups opposing the measure,
says the shift from neutrality to advocacy by the Catholic
diocese was a major setback. The prospect of a busy
balloting day is also a concern for opponents, he says. "If
there’ s a big turnout of voters, then a lot of sort ofimpulsive
voters are going to be there," Heath says, fretting that those
unfamiliar with details of the proposal may not appreciate
its impact.
Heath says the morality of homosexuality remains central
to the debate and that conferring rights with this
proposal could lead to further Gay demands. "It lays the
foundation for a lot of other things," Heath says.
Observers on both sides suggest much of the Maine
electorate appears-to have grown weary of the issue, which
in one form or another has occupied debate on public
policy for at least two decades. In 1992, the first local Gay
fights law was passed by the Portland City Council. Three
w.gr~s later, Maine~ vot.,¢,r~,~rejected a proposal to prevent
municipal and other government bodies.in the state from
passing laws barring anti-Gay discrimination.
In 1997, after years of legislative warring, a state civil
rights law was enacted. But just months later, the people’s
veto vote forced by opponents repealed that. "It was very
close the last time it went around. I know there’s been a lot
of work on both sides," says bakery worker Sara Wagner
in Hallowell. "I hope it passes." In a brief, streetside
interview, Wagner said her awareness of discrimination
facedby people sheknew ofmade the ballot questionmore
than an abstract matter of principle. "It has real life implications,"
she said.
Heath, in contrast, maintains the proponents’ claims of
acturd discrimination are specious. "It’s obviously not
widespread," he says.
Earlier this month, in response tO an inquiry by one of
the referendum bill’s leading legislative champions, Attorney
General Andrew Ketterer advised that ~at least the
threat of discrimination is real under existing statutes.
"The federal and state law, as currently written and interpreted
by the courts, do not prohibit the denial or termination
of employment, the denial of credit, the denial of
public acco~nmodation or the denial of housing because of
sexual orientation," Ketterer wrote.
The most recent campaign finance reports show that
supporters from the Maine Coalition for Equal Rights,
now known as YES on 6, reported donations of nearly
$260,000 and expenditures of $240,000.
The Christian Action League collected $37,500, but is
also opposing proposals on video gambling and doctorassisted
suicide. According to a recent poll by the Portland
research firm Critical Insights Inc., respondents favored
the referendum by 59% to 29%, with 11% undecided.
Question 6 on Maine’s ballot asks:
"Do you favor ratifying the action of the 119th
Legislature whereby it passed an act extending to all
citizens regardless of their sexual orientation the
same basic rights to protection against discrimination
now guaranteed to citizens on the basis of race, color,
religion, sex or national origin in the areas of employment,
housing, public~acco.ram~datipa~.a~d~cr~edi[ .and
where th~ a~t expregs’ly~s~te~
confers legislative approval Of, or sp~,i~ d’gtig tb;
any person or group of persons?"
¯ Okla. Reps. = Total Zeros
: Not that it should come as any surprise to anyone, but
¯ the Human Rights Campaign, HRC, reports in their
¯¯ scorecard for the 106thCongress thatOklahoma’s Representatives
and our Senators, Largent, Cobum, Watkins,
¯
Watts, Istook, Lucas, Nickles and Inhofe received total
¯ zeros on 10 questions about legislation of concern to Gay
¯ citizens. This is why voting matters, friends. - TFN
Scouts Fire Gay Man
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) - A Boy Scout
executive was stripped of his Eagle Scout status and
fired by the Boy Scouts of America National Council
10 days after he publicly admitted he is Gay, his
attorney said. Len Lanzi, Boy Scouts Los Padres
Council executive director, worked for the scouting
organization 14 years before he was terminated by
mail.
"We plan to pursue all legal remedies available to
him," said Lanzi’s attorney, Steven Serratori, whose
Century City firm specializes in employment law "I
think it’s fair to say that everybody is surprised at the
arrogance of the Boy Scouts," Serratori said. "To think
in this day and age that they think they can fire
someone based on their sexual orientation..." A U.S.
Supreme Court rnling last summer upholding the Boy
Scouts" right to exclude Gay members does not apply
to its employees, the lawyer said.
Lanzi, whose territory includes Santa Barbara and
SanLuis Obispo counties, is believed to be the highestranking
Boy Scout executive to publicly acknowledge
his homosexuality since the Supreme Court ruling in
June.
Los Padres Boy Scout boardmembers told the Santa
Barbara News-Press their options were limited because
of the national council’s policy on Gays. "We
could contradict the national Boy Scout policy, and
possibly risk the whole council being decommissioned,
orwecan go along with firing him," said Karl Eberhard
a member of the Los Padres Boy Scouts board. "I
maintain that the whole thing is completely idiotic," he
added.
Neighbors Don’t Mind
Alabama Ga " Nudists
WAVERLY, Ala. (AP) -h grovel road winds through
John Bales’ wilderness resort. It looks like any of the
paths leading to huntinglodge_s wherecountless Southern
men spend weekends this time of year. Then, you
come to the sign: "Clothing optional area."
This isn’t your ordinary, out-of-the-way spot in the
woods of east Alabama. Bales owns Black Bear Camp,
a 33-acre resort catering to Gay men who enjoy nature
au naturel.
Black Bear Camp isn’t for hunting. It’ s for socializing.
The clientele tends to be Gay men best described
as the rugged type: Many have beards and bellies and
would rather sit around the lodge watching football on
TV than go to a Gay bar. "Probably more than 50% of
our customers are married or divorced with kids,"
Bales said. "’We don’t get the flamboyant type."
There were rumblings when another clothing-optional
campground for Gay men opened near the south
Alabama town of Geneva a couple of years ago. A
Lesbian-operated retreat where guests wear clothes,
Camp Sister Spirit, drew heated protests in 1993 after
opening in rural Mississippi.
But Bales hasn’t heard any complaints from surrounding
Lee County or nearby Waverly, a town of
" h
160 people, many,of them elderly. I know my ne.l.g .-
bors. They know I mGay, and they know I opened ttus
place," he said. "There hasn’t been a problem with it."
Many residents don’t know the camp exists: Bales
doe’Sn’t adverd~ locally, and there are no signs indicatinglthat
a dbfhing-opti0nal resort for Gays is just
off busy U.S. 280. But people who do know about the
camp don’t seem concerned about what’s going on in
the woods north of Auburn. "If that’ s what turns them
on, let ’em go on," said Waverly town clerk DeLene
Cawley. "If I belonged to a nudist colony that’s where
I’d want to be."
A leader of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Alabama
isn’t surprised by the lack of controversy. "As
long as there’s no loud music and people keep to
themselves I wouldn’t think people would have a
problem with it," said David White.
Bales, a 57-year-old math professor at Tuskegee
University, didn’t set out to get into the clothingoptional
resort business. He began buying land around
Little Loblockee Creek in 1982 and began building
1ears later with plans for the camp to provide a source
of income when he retires in 2009.
There’s bunk space for 24 in the 3,600-square-foot
lodge, whichhas a tin roof and all the comforts ofhome
plus some: Internet access, satellite TV, a hot tub and
an above-ground swimming pool with deck. Bales has
had as many as 30 customers on a weekend, but the
more typical crowd is six or seven.
"It was not my original intention to be clothingoptional,"
he said. "But shortly after I opened, I began
to get inquiries from clothing-optional groups asking
whether that was allowed. "It didn’t take me long to
realize that the remoteness and seclusion of the camp
made than a natural option and a good niche market to
enter."
With prices ranging from $8 for daytmae guests to
$40 a night for double occupancy bunks, Bales hopes
to break even this year as far as operating costs go. He
weeds out the occasional unannounced visitor just
looking for a good time. "No one wants to come down
here and have people who are looking at naked guys
and propositioning them for sex," he said. "That will
drive away my business.’"
Journalist Group Calls
For Partner Benefits
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The Society of Professional
Journalists approved a resolution calling for
news organizations to provide benefits for domestic
parmers of their Gay and Lesbian employees. .
The measure was opposed by some SPJ members
who said the professional organization should not get
involved in employment matters such as benefits.
Delegates approved the resolution by a margin of 85 to
36 at SPJ’s national convention.
Sally Lehlman, SPJ’s diversity chair, said the resolution
would ensure that Gay and Lesbian journalists
are not treated "like second class citizens in the newsroom."
"It’s not about employment from our perspecfive.
It’ s about fairness and accuracy in content, which
emerges in part from fairness in the newsroom," she
said.
Mark Scarp, an editorial writer for the Scottsdale
(Ariz.) Tribune, and member of SPJ’s executive committee,
said the group should follow its precedent of
leaving employment issues up to unions. "I personally
support domestic partner benefits but I believe it qualifies
as an employer-employee relations issue," Scarp
said. "We’re a professional association and I felt it
wasn’t appropriate for us to make a determination on
such an issue."
A few years ago, SPJ comuussioned a survey on
reporters’ salaries, but would not get into trying to
persuade employers to improve pay, Scarp said.
Gay Couple Get
Abducted Child Back
CATHEDRAL CITY, California (AP) - A 10-yearold
boy abducted by his grandfather who accused the
child’s caretakers of promoting a Gay lifestyle has
been returned to the couple. Miguel Washington was
surrendered to authorilies by relatives in Pennsylvania
and returned to the home ofhis uncle, Paul Washington
Jr., and Timothy Forrester. "Right now he’s really
happy to be home," Washington Jr. said. "We’re absolutely
elated. Our family is united again."
An attorney for Paul Washington Sr. and Sandra
Washington, Mignel’s grandparents and Washington
Jr.’s parents, said his clients intend to pursue custody.
"My clients don’t feel that’s the best home for him,"
said attorney Bill Hence Jr. "I’m very disappointed in
the agencies that were supposed to be protecting the
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fights of the child." A hearing was scheduled for
December.
Miguel was born to Angelena Washington, the
younger Washington’s mentally disabled sister, who
was impregnated while living in an assisted-care facility,
family members said. At the time, family members
informally agreed to have him raised by Washington
Jr., a hardware store salesman, and Forrester, a teacher.
Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Tex
Ritter said his office had not decided if charges will be
filed in the abduction. The elder Washington picked up
Miguel for an overnight fishing trip on Oct. 6 andnever
brought him back, Washington Jr. said.
Instead, Washington and For/ester received a letter
from a Los Angeles law firm Oct. 7 stating that Miguel
had been removed from their home and accusing the
pair of "actively promoting or influencing a Gay
lifestyle for the minor." The letter cited Miguel’s
participation in ballet and "Gay art class" instead of
baseball as one reason for the boy’s removal.
Germany Ready to
Recognize Gay Partners
BERLIN (AP)-Germany’s governing coalition wants
to pass a law giving equal legal status to Gay couples
early in November, politicians stated. Leaders from
the Social Democratic and Greens parties said they
plan to have the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament,
approve the bill Nov. I0.
Conservatives, however, control a majority in the
upper house of parliament and have criticized the law.
To get around their opposition that could scuttle the
bill, lawmakers laid out a plan Friday to divide the
legislation into two parts.
The government majority in parliament would pass
administrative regulations creating the legal frameworkforGay
couples without the upper house’ s agreement.
However, the upper house will still be called on
to approve lifting the disadvantages to Gays contained
in labor and tax codes.
ACLU Trying Bias
Reduction Program
ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia is one of three states
chosen by the American Civil Liberties Union to pilot
a program to educate teachers about bullying of Gay
and Lesbian students.
The ACLU says students who identify themselves
as Gay are more than four times as likely to suffer
bullying than heterosexual students. Gary Weber, legal
director of the Georgia ACLU, said Gay students
also have higher rates of absenteeism and suicide. The
program will use panels - including a Gay student,
perhaps a parent of a Gay student, a school administrator
or classroom teacher and an attorney - to explain
the legal liabilities schools face if they ignore harassment.
TheACLU will begin contacting schools in November
to schedule traimng sessions. Districts that refuse
the training may be called by an ACLU attorney to
briefly explain legal liabilities. Kentucky and Indiana
are the other two pilot states. No date has been set for
expanding theprogram, which was developed in northern
California, to other states, ACLU spokesman Eric
Ferrero said.
Big .Brothers, Big Sisters
Bans Gay Volunteers
OWENSBORO, Ky (AP) - The local chapter of Big
Brothers-Big Sisters, which links children with adult
mentors, will no longer allow Gays to participate in the
program. The board voted 10-9 to bar openly Gay
volunteers following a closed-door meeting.
Board members had raised concerns about health
issues and fear that it would create confusion among
childr+n over sexual orientation matters, said Sue
Krampe, executive director. The debate on whether to
conunue to allow Gays to mentor children surfaced
recently after Brian Combs, a case manager and minister
at Christ View Christian Church, quit after learning
a homosexual was a mentor in the program.
The board was deadlocked in a vote earlier this
month. Combs had been the only person to raise a
complaint prior to the first vote. But since then, the
agency has fielded 18 telephone calls in opposition to
allowing Gays in the program, Krampe said.
Volunteers had been asked their sexual orientation
during the initial screening process and parents were
allowed to veto amatela based on their answers.
Nationally, only a "handful" of the 500 chapters of
the American Big Brothers-Big Sisters prohibits homosexuals~
from mentoring children, Krampe said.
Each local chapter can set ~ts ownpolicies on the issue.
she said.
Newspaper Chain to
Offer Partner Benefits
GRANDRAPIDS, Mich. (AP)- Six of the eight Booth
newspapers in Michigan will offer benefits to partners
of Gay employees starting in January. The papers that
will offer the benefits are The Ann Arbor News. The
Bay City Times, The Flint Journal, The Jackson Citizen
Patriot, the Kalamazoo Gazette and The Saginaw
News. The eight Booth newspapers are owned by
Advance Publications, based in New York.
George Arwady, publisher of the Kalamazoo paper,
said the new benefits were "pretty well accepted" by
employees. "It’ s a matter of equitable treatment for our
employees," Arwady said. "We have not made a big
deal out of it, mad it’s not a big deal."
Margaret DeRitter, an editor at the Gazette, said she
was pleased by the amaouncement. "I wasn’t aware of
employees internally pushing for.it," said DeRitter,
who is Gay and a 12-year employee of the paper. "I
thought it was great the company would do this without
any prompting from the staff. It says they value all
of their employees and want to be fair and equitable."
Mother of Slain Soldier
Appeals Army Decision
WASHINGTON (AP)-The mother of a FortCampbell
soldier who was murdered in iris barracks is seeking to
overturn the denial of her $1.8 million wrongful death
claim against the Army Kutteles sent an appeal of the
Sept. 27 decision by the military to Army Secretary
Louis Caldera. Kutteles, of Kansas City, Mo., said
fellow soldiers believed Winchell was Gay and harassed
him for months before he was beaten to death
with a baseball bat while sleeping in his cot July 5,
1999 at a post in Kentucky. The Army knew about the
harassment but did nothing to stop it, she said.
Pvt. Calvin Glover of Sulphur, Okla., was sentenced
to life in prison for murdering Winchell. Another
soldier was given a 12 1/2-year sentence for lying to
investigators. The Army inspector general issued a
report in July on Winchell’s murder.
The report found evidence of low morale mad anti-
Gay behavior among members of Winchell’s unit, D
Company, 2nd Battalion of the 502nd Infantry Regiment.
It concluded, however, that the chain of command
at Fort Campbell responded,a:ppropriately with
respect to enforcing the Pentagon S policy of permitting
Gays to serve in the military so long as they keep
their sexual orientation private.
Kutteles says should Caldera side with her, the
Army wouldbe taking full responsibility for Winchell’s
death. "We have to do this for our son’s sake. He died,
and I want his death to be meaningful," she said. "I
want other mothers and fathers not to have to go
through this."
Easier-to-Swallow
Anti-AIDS Pills
WASHINGTON (AP).- The government
approved a new easier-to-use version of a
standard AIDS drug that may ease patient
complaints that the medicine is too hard to
swallow. The drug is ddI, often used in the
multi-drug cocktails that AIDS patients
take to fight the virus. Until now, patients
havehad to chew, or dissolve in water, two
large, bitter-tasting ddI pills twice a day.
Those pills also frequently were blamed
for diarrheaand other gastrointestinal side
effects.
The Food and Drug Administration approved
a once-a-day capsule version of
ddI. Swallowing the capsule, to be sold
under the brandname Videx F_C, means no
nasty taste problem. An FDA spokeswoman
said thenew ddI may cause fewer
dangerous interactions with other medications
that AIDS patients take, because the
capsule does not contain abuffering ingredient
used in thechewable version.
Also, manufacturer Bristol-Myers
Squibb contends a special coating on the
new version means it may cause fewer
gastrointestinal side effects. Although
Bristol-Myers never ddirecdy compared the
old and new ddI to prove that, the FDA
said getting rid of that old buffering ingredient
may indeed help.
Bristol-Myers did notreveal whenVidex
EC would begin.selling, or if it would cost
the same as the old version,-,.
Researchers & Drug
Co. Dispute Results
CHICAGO (AP)-A study suggesting that
a vaccine-like AIDS treatment is ineffective
has provoked a public dispute between
the manufacturer that paid for much
of the study and doctors who say the company
tried to squelch their research.
The study’s conclusions, published in a
recent Journal of the American Medical
Association, echo doubts aboutHIV- 1 Immunogen
that were expressed several years
ago by advisers to the U.S~ Food and Drug
Administration. The results suggest that
when added to the drug regimen for HIVinfectedpatients,
HIV-11mmunogenfailed "
to reduce the risk of devdopingfull-blown ¯
AIDS. The drug cames the brand name ..
Remune. ¯
Immune Response Corp., the drug’s "
manufacturer, contends that researchers "
omitted favorable data and skewed the
results. The company entereda fairly com- .
mon arbitration process during which it "
tried to produce "a more balanced manu- :
script," said Dr. Ronald Moss, the ¯
company’s vice president of medical and "
scientific affairs. Instead, the researchers "
~~:.~¥i~lated daeir~eonttaomalagreement and i
r. 1~blish~in~oinpletefindings;Moss ~aid.~ ....
"It seems like tabloid journalism that "
lAMA would not investigate this further" "
before publishing, Moss said,
HIV-1 Immunogea was developed by ."
the late Dr. Jonas Salk, who created the ."
first polio vaccine. It was developed be- ."
fore powerful "drug cocktails" including ¯
protease inhibitors became standard HIV :
treatment, and Immune Response says :
subjects’ use of such drugs affected the :
findings in the JAMA study. ".
Dr. James Kahn of the University of
California at San Francisco, the smdy’s
lead author, said the company withheld
important data and then tried to suppress
publication.
The company denies both claims. In an
arbitration complaint last month, Immune
Response also demanded $7 million to
; 10 millionfrom Kahn and the tmiversity,
claiming dissemination of the negative
findings caused,it financia], harm, university
attorney :Christopher Patti said. The
university contends Kahn was-allowed to
publ.ish the results.
The study of2,527 patients inthe United
States found that Remune did boost levels
ofinfection-fighting white blood cells, but
the authors questi,o....n~fl whether the effect
was clinically significant.
JAMA editor Dr. Catherine DeAngelis
defended thejournal’s decision to publish.
’q’his study stands on its own scientific
merit," she said. "It was peer-reviewed as
~uch." In a JA1V[A editorial, she said the
dispute illustrates what can happen when
disagreement erupts between researchers
and a funding sponsor who "has a proprietary
interest in the findings."
Moss said the study was published without
the consent of some of the researchers.
The company and one of the dissenting
researchers, Dr. John Turner of Graduate
Hospital in Philadelphia, drafted a letter
Monday to DeAngelis, decrying publication
of a manuscript that contains "incomplete
and inaccurate information." The
final manuscript contains "some major
statistical flaws," said Turner, who believes
HIV-1 lmmunogen can slow disease
progression. "ff I were HIV-positive,
I would batter down any door necessary to
get it, period," Turner said.
Doctors Org. Cites
Conflicts of Interest
CHICAGO (AP) - A funny thing happened
to Dr. Jerome Kassirer at a recent
lecture to medical students about financial
conflicts of interest for doctors: It turned
out the free buffet was provided by amajor
drug company. Kassirer had a blunt message:
Medical schools and training programs
"must teach that there is no free
lunch. No free dinner. Or textbooks. Or
even a ballpoint pen."
From freebies for medical students to
research funding that can taint study results
to the growing practice of marketing
prescription medicine direcdy to consumers,
drug_companies have a growing and
sometimes unseemly influence on doctors,
according to articles, studies and editorials
published recently in the Journal of
the American Medical Association.
The relationship between research and
indus~try appears to beunde.r growing scm-
’ fihy~The edit6fof, the:New’ E~tgl~tnd Journal
of Medicine wrote an extraordinary
critique in May, saying scien.ce_ is being~
compromised by the growing influence ot
induslry money. That same month, the
Harvard Medical School said it would not
ease its conflict of interest standards, considered
the toughest in the nation, and
Dean Joseph B. Martin called for a national
dialogue on the issue.
Most experts agree that research needs
industry dollars. The top 10 pharmaceuti-
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1Nblie Settee C Imy dOkhhoma
Mary Schepers
and
Kathleen Pendergrass
and several other artists
present a showing and sale of:
Clay sculptures, pottery anF:Lddcorative
work, silk batik paintings, etchih and
lithographs; jewelry and beadwork,
handcrafted bath soap and salts and more.
Saturday, November 11, 10 - 6pm
2727 East 56th Street
743-6740
Oklaiaorna NAI,L.\I... covdia!iv ~.t~,v~v~ v,ott
to a chocolate and champa~r~~ ~ete in
support of abortion and reprt~d~ctive
rights in Oklahoma
Celebrating 27 Years of Choice
Sunday, November 12, 2000. 1:3(.1 - 3:30 p.m.
:"~’° fob~heldat Resonat~~e - " ~
Champagne, Coffee, Chocolates
$25 per ~ndividual
[’lea.~ R.S.V.P. to the NARAL L)ffice: 4.4-9585
cal companies spent nearly $23 billion on : days, washing the condoms with water
clinical research last year- more than the ¯ and soap afteruse. Researchers will check
nearly $18 billion provided by the Na- : the condoms for rips or tears and examine
tional Institutes of Health, JAMA editor ." the participants to make sure that’reuse
Dr. Catherine DeAngelis said. ¯ doesn’t cause rashes or irritations.
The problem is when researchers have " "In terms of the whole spectrum of birth
f’mancial interests in companies funding " control, it’s not the best," Said Barbara
their work. DeAngelis said such research ¯ Lea-Kruger, spokeswoman for the Viris
lower in quality and more likely to " ginia Department of Health’s HIV/AIDS
report findings favorable to the company, division."Butifwe’retalkingaboutwomen
One study found ,that. 7,6 percent of the : who don’t have access to other forms of
faculty researchers at the University of ¯ birth control and who come from a culture
California at San Francisco~aad personal " wheremenareless willing touseacondom,
financial ties to their drug company sport- " it’s a Viable alternative."
sorslastyear.Mostwereshort-termspeak- :
ing engagements or consulting agreements Seniors & HIV/AIDS with minimal payments. ¯
State and federal-guidelines require re- CANTON, Ohio (AP) - Older people
searchers to disclose certain financial ties, . sometimes have an awkward approach to
and a UCSF policy prohibits faculty in- ¯ sexual issues that puts them at risk for
volvedinindustry-sponsoredresearchfrom " HIV, health counselors say.
receiving any compensationfrom the corn- " SusanJ. McCollum, who teaches people
pany during the study. 50 and older about the risks of contracting
Elizabeth Boyd and Lisa Bert, with HIV, said older people must be aware of
UCSF’s Institute for Health Policy Stud- the risks. "It’s dangerous for any group of
ies, said a campus committee "worked to people to think they’re immune," said
accommodateallbutthemostovertlycon- McCollum, a counselor for Planned Parflicting
relationships in the interest of en- enthood ofStark County.
couraging its faculty, and, presumably, According to the U.S. Centers for Disencouraging
future outside investment in ease Control and Prevention, the number
the university." of older people becoming infected is in-
The authors suggested that financial ties creasing. An estimated 10.9 percent, of
may be more prevalent at other universi- men with HIV and 9.4 percent of women
ties with less stringent policies. A 1998- with HIV are 50 and older.
2000 study of 89 major universities found "People that age have not grown up with
that only 17-19%- had specific limits or condoms, like people who are in their
prohibitions on relationships with indus- 20s," McCollum said. "For a woman in
try. While most had co~fflict of interest her 60s to talk to a man about condoms..
policies, the3, were not as effective be- ." McCollum also said it’s an awkward
cause they don’t spell what is prohibited, adjustmentforpeoplewhoarenewly single
the authors said. after having been in along-term marriage
Dr. Jordan Cohen, president of the As- or relationship. "Women4Oandolderdon’t
sociation of Americau Medica! Colleges, want to grow old alone," McColhma told
announced that the group is forming a task The Repository for a story published Sunforce
to investigate conflicts of interest dav."They’reputtingthemselvesoutthere,
and reach a consensus on what types of but they don’t know enough, or they’re not
relationships with drug companies should able to talk about condoms. It puts them at
be allowed, a real disadvantage."
Around the world, an estimated 85,000
Women’s Corldo[~
women, middle-age and older, have been
infected with HIV. McCollum has had
May Help HIV Fight young women come for HIV testing who
want her to talk to their mothers about
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - A condom for risky sexual behavior.
women that never quite caught on in the KimJackson, spekeswomanfortheOhio
United States is being studied to see if AIDS Coalition, said that while her group
reusing it can make it more economical does not offer educational programs speand
help fight AIDS in developing coun- eifieally targeting seniors, older people do
tries. The United Nations AIDS program participate. "We have a general education
has been distributing the Reality Female program for people of all ages," Jackson
Condom to women in areas such as sub- said. "We are seeing more people that age
Saharan Africa, which has been-devas- attending our programs. We had several
tated by AIDS. people in their 70s at our last program."
The key to providing female condoms, Bonnie Bolitho, executive director of
which retail for $2 to $3 apiece, to poor " Planned Parenthood of Stark County, said
women is making them affordable, said ; many older people have the incorrect idea
Dr. Susan A. Ballagh, the clinical trial’s thatHIV-AIDS is a "homosexual" disprincipal
investigator~ ..-~ :. ~ ; :;~ .ease~~ thatit aff~ts O~[y yo~mgtpeople.
~;- -TheChicago-basedF.emal¢H~althCom~ i :. "rl~ere~.s tl~tse~e~that :~It-cot~’’~t"~pen’ to
pan~,theproduct’ssolemannfaclurer, sells ~ me,"’ she said. "You’re talking about of
the condoms to international family plan- ¯ group of people who have been monoganing
agencies for as little as 70 cents a , mous for most of their lives. Now, they’re
piece. ; at a different stage of life. Some haven’t
But women’s condoms could be even ¯ put a lot of thought into how it (HIV)
more economical if they were reused. Re- ¯ affects them."
searchers at Eastern Virginia Medical " According to Bolitho, "It’s the age-old,
School arerecntiting 80 couples to test the ; overarchiugproblemoftalkingaboutsexu_
condoms. Half the couples will use the ¯ ality, and it’s plain old-fashioned denial.
condom once. The other couples each will ; Denial is one of our great enemies."
use a single condom five times over 15 ~
by Jim Christjohn, entertaiment editor ] child out once in a while. I wasn’t expect-
Hey folks, welcome to the time of the ¯ ing a great movie, but it surprised me. The
year when we celebrate the fact that the " filmis well acted - hard to find in a movie
Indians helped the
pilgrims onlyto be
thanked with
slaughter and removal
from ancestral
lands. Go
America!
The first thanksgiving
was basically
afour day celebration/
party
wherein the Native
Americans provided
the food, fun,
and games. It really
wasn’t about
religion at all, as the
lore surrounding it
wouldhave youbelieve.
Anditwasn’t
too long after that
whentheEuropean
invaders started
getting a bit greedy for the profits land
conld bring from new immigrants, and so,
in the name of- God, "took" the land from
the Natives. Oh, and there was a religious
aspect to it, once the "pilgrims" figured
out how to work the land from the Natives
and didn’t need them anymore..,,It was
either convert or die for the heathen Nafives.
Ah, the things the don’t tell you in
school - or church.
On to more cheerier thoughts - I drug
my curmudgeonly editor to afilm recently.
(Well, OK, he wanted to go, too, and
hasn’t been terribly curmudgeonly lately.)
We saw "The Little Vampire." OK, now
stop laughing. It’s good to let the inner
li...We saw
"The Little Vampire."
OK, now stop laughing.
It’s good to let the inner
child out once in a while.
I wasn’t expeetlng a great
movie, but it surprised me.
The film is well acted -
hard to find in a movie
starring children;
well written;
and superbly filmed... "
starting children;
well written; and
superbly filmed.
And it had something
for everyone
- it didn’t "talk
down" to kids, nor
did it avoid being
funny in an adult
way.
The film is
’~’:~-m~bout a young
Americanboy who
moves to England
due to his father’s
business. HE’s
miserable,being an
outsider - and
picked on at school,
in particularby two
twins. It certainly
broughtback some
memories in that
respect. I knew a pair of twins who were
the scourge of Hurst Junior high, and it
was kind of like watching a flashback -
except with better accents. Anyway, our
hero has a fixation with men in capes -
sound familiar? (Hint: Read last month’s
column.)
And Io and behold, he meets a boy
vampire, and they form a close friendship.
This results in many misadventures, including
foiling a would be vampire hunter
and the aforementioned bullies. I highly
recommend seeing this film, because it’s a
fun ride, entertaining, while putting forth
some good-thoughts. A lot of care andlove
went into this film, and it shows.
GIFTS
OF THE
S£ASON!
COUNCIL OAK
MEN’S CHORALE
ALL SOULS UNITARIAN
Tmditionalists,ofcourse, abhorthat each " Choralewillperform.AndonDec.9,there
year December holidays begin earlier and " will be a gala dinner in the Great Hall,
earlier. Christmas in September isincreas- ¯ Chaired by friends to the community,
ingly a reality. Catherine Seger
But one of the
local traditions
which we don’t
mind seeing early
nearly so much is
Philbrook
Museum’s annual
holiday celebration
and exhibition,
Home for the Holidays.
The event
kicks off with the
Festival of Trees.
T,he ~Fe~sfival
tures trees,
wreaths, and more
by local artists, designers
and school
children. The event
is chaired by Lou
Hodgson and caterer
Mark Lackey
is artist liaison.
At the museum members’ opening on
Dec. 2 at noon, the Council Oak Men’s
and Hillary Kitz.
And of course, local
A-listers,
Talmadge Po-well
and Steve Wright
are helping out by
chairing the Patron
Party and
Treeview.
The featured artistforHomefor
the
Holidays is Lisa
Regan of the GardenDevaSculpture
Co. Regan, whose
work is seen
through out Tulsa’ s
gardens, has been
shown in Better
Homes and Gardens,
shows her
work at Mayfest.
Her commemorative ornament, shown
" above, .is an aluminum tree with bead
¯ accents.
E[ecUon Day, Nov. 7
Who Will Pick the
NEW SUPREHES?
Decisions we make at the ballot box will resonate for
decades, including the make-up of the Supreme
Court. Our choice: continue the path of progress or
take a sharp U-turn back to the anti-glbt politics of
the ’80s. We need your voice for our jobs, for our
families, for our lives.
HUMAN
RIGHTS
CAMPAIGN
COME OUT VOTING ¯ www.hrc.org
Tuesday, November 7
Election Day
HRC WATCH PARTY
Because win or lose, it’s good to be among friends
9 PM
3340 South Peoria, Tulsa, OK
Must be 21 Cash Bar
HRC envisions an America where lesbian and
gay people are ensured of their basic equal rights.
You can help us do our work by joining us for
either or :both of ~the:se~ ev~t..s~ (or by jgining
~HRC - ’ ii~’~ !j~ :i~3-" ~i ~li !~8~[2913 ;r emaii
hrctulsaoHahoma@ aol.com).
HUMAN
RIGHTS
CAMPAIGN~
by Tom Neal, editor/publisher
Although the National Conference for Community and Justice claims to be an anti-hate
group, for at least the last 4-5 years this anti-bias organi~tion has activdy discriminated
against Gay & Lesbian Tulsans as well as failing to speak out when Gay & Lesbian
Tulsans were targets of physical violence as well as recipients of legislative and other
attacks on their civil rights.
At their Trialogue on Marriage, hosted by Boston Avenue Methodist Church (a church
which has been host to several events at which Lesbian and Gay Tuls’ans were attacked
or excluded), Trialogue organizer Mr. Levson, then cantor of Temple Israel, stated that
JOI g
0 II B
HATE
he and other NCCJ organizers deliberately excluded same gender mamage from
discussionbecauseitwouldhave been"too controversial." This was done despite thefacts
that the issue could not have been more prominent in public discussion because of court
cases in Hawaii, and even though the issue is still in debate in many Christian denominations
and in several Jewish organizations.
NCCJ has repeated been asked to reform their actions: to add openly Gay or Lesbian
persons to their board of directors, to speak out on legislative issues, to live what they say
they are about.
To date, they have refused to do so, preferring to raise substantial sums from Tulsa
"society" events such as honoring Bob Lorton, owner ofThe Tulsa World for his "human
rights" work despite the fact that The World for at least 15 years had documented anti-
Gay business practices which they publicly defended and despite The Wordls
acknowledgement of racist hiring practices in their newsroom in response to an EEOC
complaint.
Some Gay community observers, however,
wonderhow it is that the hate groups,
like the KKK, don’t manage to forget
Lesbians and Gay men including them in
their hate rhetoric, but the folks who supposedly
are "allies" manage only to hear
the KKK’s racist and anti-Sem~itic comments.
Groups who endorsed the "Statement in
Support of Diversity" include a number
who have been supportive of Lesbians and
Gay men. These include: Community of
Hope, All Souls, Hope and Community
Unitarians, Fellowship Congregatxonal
¯ Church- UCC, Jewish Federation ofTulsa
and even the Metropolitan Community
¯ Church United (MCC). Calls to All Souls,
MCC-United, and Fellowship Congrega-
¯ tional were not returned. Perry Simons,
¯ executive director of Jewish Federation
¯ said that organization does not discrimi-
: hate on sexual orientation.
¯ In contrast, Father Rick Hollingsworth,
¯ oftheParishChurchofSaintJeromewrote
¯ a letter in protest of the the "Statement in
¯ Support of Diversity"
¯ In it, he notes that, "The Parish Church
,¯ of St Jerome is certainly in support of
celebrating and supporting the wonderful
¯ diversity, which surrounds us in our beau-
" tiful city... I am concerned however that
¯ the statement on diversity see TMM,p. 10
Name Games by Michael Craft
Reviewed by Barry Hensley
Tulsa City-County Library
It takes a speci~ talent to pull off a
murdermystery novel andone ofthebetter
Gay mystery series, Mark
Manning mysteries by
Michael Craft, has a clever
new entry, Name Games.
Delving into an unlikely
topic, the world of minia-
.tures, Craft has created a
fun, although not particularly
suspenseful mystery.
Set in rural Wisconsin,
main character Mark Manning
is now the publisher of
the local newspaper and
leading a very open and out
life with a longlime partner,
while raising a neglected
nephew. The big
news in town is the upcoming
Midwest Miniatures
Society Exhibition, which
attracts enthusiasts worldwide.
Two of the most
prominent figures in this
little underworld, Carroll
Cantrell and Bruno
Herisson , who happen to
be arch rivals, are being
"...Anthropologist
Sherry Ortner,
drawing on the
French feminist
Simone Beauvolr,
once proposed that
’Man is to CultUre as
Woman is to
Nature.’ Ortner was
seeking a reason for
why, almost everywhere,
people value
what men do more
than they value what
women do.. ¯ "
homophobic District Attorney, Harley
Kaiser, and a New Age feminist, Miriam
Westerman, who is somehow convinced
that Gay pom"hurts women." Add to this,
the nephew, Thad, trying outfor the school
play and Mark’s lover,
Nell, who is trying to decide
whether to move his
architectural practice to the
small town from Chicago.
When Cantrell (who has
man3, health problems) is
discovered murdered, the
exhibitionis turned upside
down and things really get
uncomfortable when the
Sheriff becomes the primary
suspect. Manning,
aided by his sleuths at the
newspaper, set out to clear
the Sheriff.
The characters inName
Games are nicely drawn,
if a bit stereotypical ]]ae
town, Dumont, is remarkably
(and a bit unrealistically)
progressive and unconcerned
about the iGay
influence~ ofManning and
his cohorts. (Could there
really be a town like this in
today’s America?)
flown in. Grace Lord, a sweet little old
lady,is hosting and coordinating the ev~nt.
The Sheriff, Doug Pierce, a closeted Gay
man, is in the midst of a reelection bid
while dealing with a pornography trial
involving "dirty book stores" on the edge
of town. The trial is being pushed by the
is not as broad as it should be. This is
evidenced I believe by the omission of
Sexual Orientation as part of that diversity
in the statement.
Gay and Lesbian persons are an integral
part of Tulsa’s rich diversity which When
joined together with other forms of diversity
create community. When Rabbi Marc
Fitzerman was speaking this last Sunday
at the rededication, He was very dear,
’Those whohate Jews, usually hate Catholics,
Those who hate Catholics usually
hate Gay and Lesbian people...’
As a Pastor of a Parish which primarily
serves the Gay and Lesbian community
and as a religious leader who is openly
Gay, I am unable to sign the document
without the inclusion of Sexual Orienta-
The obligatory sex scenes are really just
¯¯ uninspired dream sequences, and leave a
little too much to the imagination. The
¯ mystery is a fun and exciting ride, but it is
¯ certainly nothing special. In fact, this ¯
novice mystery reader managed to figure
] our whodunit long before the end of the
¯ for Human Rights (TOHR) said that the
lack of inclusiveness raised concerns and
~ would likely be addressed in upcoming
: organizational meetings for a formal response.
:
:
and love diversity. We have many reli¯
gions, many nationalities, many cultures
here, and we’re taught to respect them.
¯ When the hell ~s someone going to respect
¯ us for our diversity? If you want to do
: something to help, there’s a number to
¯ call, and an ever popular website to visit.
¯ It’s the Human Rights Campaign Founda-
¯ uon, 800-498-0382, or www.hrc.org. ¯
When we stand up and show people that
¯
we do exist, especially in great numbers,
¯ then things are going to happen. Or, as
¯ Melissa Etheridge said, "when you free
uon as-part Of that .,diu~si.ty..._,: i ¯ " your mind, a rockin’ jam will follow." If
Our people have~J~en, the Unfox~:unate .:, we can each one of us find one person, or
victims of bigotry, prejudice and hate ¯ child, to reach, then we’ve taken the first
crimes for centuries, including the holocaust.
To not speak openly about these
issues promotes the silence, which has
imprisoned Gay and Lesbian children of
God for far too long."
Father Hollingsworth toldTulsa Family
News that he read his letter to his congregation
and that the response has been overwhelmingly
supportive of his position.
Greg Gatewood of Tulsa Oklahomans
¯ steps in stopping fascism. Hitler ended up ¯
in a bunker, having shot his wife and
¯ sticking the guninhis mouthbefore shoot-
" ing. I think many Other fascists (read
¯ fundamentalists) forget that fact. Hatred
¯
turns inward, but not before the hater has
¯ devastatingly hurt others. Something that
¯ shouldbetaughtinEVERY SundaySchool
-" class. And please remember one thing:
: VOTE!!!!!!!
Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for justice
& equality for Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
Weekend and evening appoinlments are available.
Are You Gay or Bisexual?
Are You Native American?
Support Group is here:f0r yotJ!:~’ " ~’~’~.~" ~-’-"
¯ Evening support group meetings
¯ Relationship workshops
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HlVtesting
For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
918.588.1900, x4275 or x4276
-International
Fresh Start
Seeking men & women to help with
expansion in the area. Must be independent,
goal-oriented, have a great attitude
and excellent people skills.
Call 663:5323.
Country Club Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236,~ues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm
ody
TI- ,ll
Tulsa’s only
professional
body-piercing
- College Hill
Presbyterian Church
In response to God’s Love,
College Hill Presbyterian Church
is a commtmity of God’s people
called to tell others the
Gospel of Jesus Christ
through worship,
servzce, and evangelism.
To nurture our faith, we gather for
worship, prayer,
study and fellowship.
Trusting in a living, loving God,
we seek to become a compassionate
voi~ for peace andjustice.
Our congregation.welcomes all
persons who respond in trust and
obedience to God’s grace
in Jesus Christ, and desire to become
part of the membership and ministry
of Christ’s church.
M~a~~s!~.9~ ~-:,Opt: ~-.~i!...~9,Pl..~.
regardless of race, .ethnic origin,
worldly condition, marital status, or
sexual orientation.
Sunday Worship. 1 lam
712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800
(One block west of Delaware and the
University of Tulsa Campus)
by Karin Gregory
"Man Shot in Local Gay Bar", "TeenagerAssaulted
Because Suspects Believed
HimGay","’We Don’t Have Hate Crimes
in Brown County’".
Seems everywhere you look now, there
are hate crimes against the G/L/B/T com-
~’munity, or-alleged hate
"!crimes~ or people denying
;hate crimes exist. There
are even those very few Who
deny homosexuality exis ts,
and I believe our Dishonorable
George W. Bush to
beamong them (I don’t~ve
up a chance to let you all
know you MUST vote November
7).
Interesting news about
the teenager. Not that it
doesn’t happen at every
.school, but the school
where this took place is the
same one from which our
disti9,guished arts and entertainment
editor .graduated.
Back in those days,
we didn’t have hate crimes. Wall, we did,
but we didn’t call them that. Boys who
were Gayjust had to be beaten up and take
it "like a man", or they had to develop
those queen-like attitudes of death that
would scare any quarterback into his tiny,
homophobic, neanderthal area of his body
called a mind.
One of my friends, the one who thinks
we’re all going to hell, says all Crimes like
murder, assault, rape, etc. are hate crimes.
I disagree. There are certainly crimes of
passion. There are premeditated crimes.
There are even assaults with deadly weapons
with intent to kill. But they are for a
purpose - to either get rid of someone so
disturbing to you (like a wife, husband,
mother-in-law), or to get money to buy
drugs, cigarettes, or "fabulous" outfits.
The people committing these crimes may
hate the person AT THAT TIME, but not
always. In other words, the criminals
aren’t their own self-proclaimed Adoif
Hitlers, who have decided to take all logic
and reason and bury them, sending us back
into theDarkAges. But thereAREpeople
who are self-proclaimed Hirers, whether
they want to believe it or not, spreading
NOT the words of Jesus, but the words of
hate to a nation.
Maybe they weren’t the ones who beat
up Matthew Shepard and lefthim to die, or
the ones who had a direct hand in James
Byrd’s death, or the people who raped
BrandonTeena, only to shoothim to death
repeatedly, later. But they had a hand in
each one of these deaths. For eachone
you-reading:this..fight now, there are at
least 20 (at least in Texas and Oklahoma)
ignorant people who believe that homosexuality
isn’t something you’re born with.
That you can change if you want to. That
you’ve chosen to be laughed at, beaten up,
fired from your job, ostracized from your
families. These are the people who have
raised the suspects in the above headlines.
They’ve "carefully taught" their children
to, as the "South Pacific" song goes, "hate
-"...Bach in those days,
we didn’t have hate
crimes. Well, we did, but
we didn’t call them that.
Boys who were Gay just
had to be beaten up and
take it "llke a man", or
they had to develop those
queen-llke attitudes of
death that would scare
any quarterback into his
tiny, homophoble,
neanderthal area of his
body eafled a mind...."
all the people their relatives hfite." Many
of them, of course, in the name of Jesus.
Stealing a line from an old Woody Allen
movie,"ifJesus came down and saw what
was going on in his name, he’d never stop
throwing up."
If you’ve read my columns from the
beginning (and I thank
BOTHofyou,by the way!),
you know I’m a fledgling,
coming out only after everyone
else has not only
blazed the trail for me, but
made that trail a four lane
highway! So no, I’ve
NEVER experienced what
most of you have in your
"out" lives. I still think I
can walkhandinhand with
a woman in public, or kiss
her on a residential street
in Dallas (and have!), and
not receive any flack from
it. But I taught public
school for eight years, ten
years toomany, and Iknow
whatkids say to each other,
not caring that their words hurt. More
importantly, I’ve heard teachers and other
school staff go on the attack against gays,
saying that the Bible doesn’t condone it.
We’ve had this discussion before, but I
just want to let you know that your childrenmay
be being taughtbyahomophobic
teacher. And believe me, teachers still do
have influence on children. So children
are taught to hate another child because
that child may be different. Obviously, if
I can look through a gay newspaper and
pick out,just by going through one quarter
of it, three separate stories on hate crimes,
there’s a problem. One that needs to be
addressed. Well, it’s been addressed, but
many ar~turning their heads. While crime
is rampant on the streets, and hate crimes
against the G/L/B/T community has skyrocketed,
thelegislature still cools its heels
over this issue.
It shouldn’t have to take television to
fire me up, but watching highlights from
the "Equality Rocks" concert onVH-1 did
it for me. During the evening, the parents
of several hate crime victims, Matthew
Shepard’s parents and James Byrd’s parents
among them, gave a small speech that
had the more than 45,000 audience crying
openly. Then Melissa Etheridge, herself
not able to contain tears, sang her song
about. Matthew Shepard, "Scarecrow."
How can people, after watching that,
still believe that these boys should have
died? How can anyone hate a group of
people just because they .are different?
How can they facethemselve~inthemom- *.
ing,-knowin~ thav they~ce*contril~me~.., in
ANY way, to these deaths? How many
times can we turn away and do nothing?
We have a revolution going on in this
country. Most people don’t want to believe
it. They’d rather dose their doors.
Hell, so would I, but I can see the revolution
coming even stronger than before.
.The one consistent thing thatI was taught
mschool about the United States is that we
are a melting pot see Lesbian, p.lO
Healing
VROJECT
AIDS Memorial ~.uilt ~
wareness"
World AIDS Day Candlelight Memorial March
Friday, December 1st, 6:30pm
Tulsa Civic Center Plaza, 5th & Denver
The NAMES Project Quilt Opening, 8pm
This advertisement is donated by Tulsa Family News. TFN appreciates the opportunity to support this showing of the Quilt, and The NAMES Project.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, November 2000; Volume 7, Issue 11
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
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Tulsa Family News
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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November 2000
Contributor
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James Christjonh
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, October 2000; Volume 7, Issue 10
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Englsih
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/606
2000
AIDS
AIDS drugs
AIDS Quilt
AIDS research
American Civil Liberties Union
aMUSEments
arts and entertainment
Barry Hensley
bias reduction program
Bobby L. Busby
Boy Scouts
businesses
Christmas
churches
civil rights
civil unions
contraception
family
HIV
HIV testing
homophobia
Human Rights Campaign
Jim Christjohn
Karin Gregory
NAMES Project
National Conferencce for Community and Justice
nudism
Openarms Youth Project
Partner Benefits
performing arts
Philbrook
Raging Lesbian
Read All About It
Red Cross
Red Rock Tulsa
restaurants
seniors
Society of Professional Journalists
Tom Neal
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
Tulsa Police Department
Two-Spirited Indian Men's Support Group
World AIDS day
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/ef3c0f28c67ca333b982d6427b897bec.jpg
4128e90178c5b091e2410d7419f3f1f1
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19345a3f74a3dcb4cf99880d7b679aa7
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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Police Censor Books at ° Gunman Shoots Six; Borders, Barnes & Noble Kills One in Virginia
¯ . ROANOKE, Virginia (AP) - A man accused of ¯ rehant$ Told to Wrap Up Art and fatally shooting another man and wounding six
"History Books, Straight Sox How-to’s " others inside the Backstreet Cafe, a Gay bar, °n the
: TULSA- Prodded by Tulsa City Councilor, Todd Huston, Tulsa " evening of Sept. 22 has been arraigned on first-
" police vice squadofficers visitedBorders Books &Music at8015 " degree murder charges.
¯ So. Yale Avenue, selected a number of books, presented them to The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Attorney
¯ store staffand suggested that they "shrinkwrap" those rifles. This " Donald Caldwell said additional charges such as
: was in response to a constituent complaint made to Huston ~ aggravated malicious wounding or malicious
: according to Charlie Jackson, Deputy Chief, Tulsa Police.
¯ wounding were possible. Malicious wounding
¯ Jackson noted that after the visit to the South Yale Borders ¯ charges carry up to 20 years in prison, whereas
¯ -~ store about which there was a citizen complaint, vice officers of " attempted murder charges carry up to 10 years.
: their own initiative went to the 2740 E. 21stSt. Borders as well " Ronald Edward Gay, 53, the man accused in the
¯
as Barnes & Noble Bookstores at 5231 E. 41st St. and 8620 E. " shootings, acted because of long-standing anger at
"rrial o! Accused o! 71stSt. wheretheywent throughthestoreselectingbooks which thejokespeoplemadeofhisl~,tname, police said.
bookstore staff say the police indicatesd they must shrinkwrap, "He admits to shootingpeople, police investigator
Gay Man’s Death Moved " store staff also said the officers stated that they were no,
° Lt. WilliamAlthoff toldTheWashingtonPost. "He
intending to arrest anyone, told us people made fun of his name... He told us
FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) The first Marion County ¯ Accordingtobookstoresources,TulsapoliceSergeantCalhoun " that he was upset about that.’"
teen-ager to be tried inthemurder of aGay black man ¯ and Corporal Best of the "sex crimes" unit said that the ¯ Dznny Lee Overstreet, 43, was killed at the
willfacejurorsinRaleighCountyinNovember.Marion" shrinkwrapping was required under Oklahoma state statute, title" scene. One other victim, IrisPageWebb,41,wasin
County Circuit Court Judge Rodney Merrifield late in ¯ 21, 1040.76. This statute regulates the display of materials " critical condition after being shot in the neck.
SeptembersignedanordermovingDavidAllenParker’s ¯ "harmful to minors" and requires covering materials which ¯ According to police, Gay went to a tavern that
first-degree murder trial to the southern West Virginia : depict "... nudity, sexual contact, sexual excitement, or : night and asked directions to the nearest Gay bar,
county. A copy of the order does not set a trial date, but " sadomasochistic abuse...when thematerial orperformancelacks ’ telling people he wanted to shoot Gays. Someone
JudgeMen-ifield’ssecretarysaiditistentativelysched- : seriousliterary, scientific, medical, artistic, or political value for gavehimdirectionsandimmediatelycalledpolice,
uled for Nov. 15. Merrifield had verbally approved a ¯ minors..." with minors defined as less than 18 years ofage. ¯
whowerelookingforGaywhentheshootingreport
change of venue earlier this week after a preliminary : Typically the "shrinkwrap" requirement has been applied to " came in.
hearing that has been continued to Oct. 12. ~ sexually oriented magazines such as Playboy, Penthouse, Men, " John W. Collins, 39, was one of those wounded.
Lawyers for Parker and co-defendant Jared Wilson, ¯ etc. but not to most books. Collins told the Post that the gunfire erupted just
¯ both .17, had suggested Raleigh County as a possible ¯ Chief Jackson claims that the officers did not threaten the ¯ after he and Overstreet, a friend, hugged. Gay
venue, arguing media coverage of the murder in north- " bookstore staff with arrest but merely sought their cooperation. "stood up as I was letting go of the hug, and he was
central West Virginia has made it too difficult to find " Bookstore sources who’ ve requested to remain anonymous in. turning and he was also reaching into his black
impartial jurors. Attorney Stephen"Fitz said Monday ¯ order to protect themselves from retaliation characterized the trench coat," said Collins, who was shot in the
that Raleigh has a diverse population and probably has ¯ police visit as intimidation- particularly in light 6f the arrests of " stomach. "I saw the gun come out of his pocket...
had far less exposure to ~e case Prosecutor Richard " several sales clerks for the sale of Penthouse magazines a year or " Everything was like in a millionth of a second.’"
Bunner did not object to the move. " so ago. They noted that the officer by mentioning that they didnot " Gay left the bar after the shootings but was later
Parker and Wilson are charged with beating and ¯ intend to arrest at this time, raised the issue as a possibility and ¯ found by police about two blocks away. Officers
kickingtodeath26-year-oldacquaintanceArthur"J.R." ¯ that they felt coerced into cooperating.
" found a 9 mm pistol in a trash can near the bar.
Warren on July 4, see Trial, p.3 " see Bookstores, p. see Shooting, p.3
Local HRCEvents HRC: More Benefits Gay Center To Hold
Grand Re-opening TULSA-Local Human Rights Campaign (HRC) activ -
ists in cooperation with the national organization are
encouraging voter registration drive up fill October 13.
Those interested in registering can stop by Democratic
party headquarters, Republican party headquarters, the
offices of the League ofW0menVoters, any tag agency,
theTulsaCounty ElectionBoard (No; DenveratEdison).
Call formore information at 584.2918. HRCwouldalso
like to send voter registration volunteers to any event or ¯
organization andasks thatorganizers againcall 584.2918.
For Halloween this year, HRC is sponsoring two"
performences of Helga’ sHorribles, in "Scenes from ¯
Little Shop of Horrors" at Renegades on Sun, October ¯
29 at 3pro and again at 7pro. Tickets are $10 each and ," "Domestic partner benefits are increasingly becoming a stanproceeds
benefit HRC-Tulsa. Renegades is also a " dard business practice in corporate America," said Kim I. Mills,
sponsor and there will be a cash bar. Youmust be 21yo. " education director of the Human Rights Campaign. "Employers
Seating is limited to only 100persons at each perfor- ¯ have discovered that these benefits hdp attract and keep the best
WASHINGTON (AP) - More employers - including more than
a fifth of Fortune 500 companies - are offering health insurance
coverage to the partners of Gay employees, according to a report
by a Gay civil rights group.
The study, by the Washington-based Human Rights Campaign,
found that 3,572 companies, colleges and states and local
governments offered or have announced they would offer health
insurance covering their employees’ domestic partners. This was
up 25% from a year ago, when 2,856 employers extended such
benefits.
The findings were included in the group’ s annual "State of the
Wor,k~,lacefor Lesbian, Gay,Bisexual andTransgenderedAmericans.
¯ Law Group to Hold Hate Crimes Panel
¯ TULSA (TFN) - Tulsa Oklahomans for Human
" Rights (TOHR) will hold a Grand Opening event
¯ for the recently relocated Tulsa Gay Community
¯ Services Center on Friday, October 20 at 7pro. The
¯ new location is 2114 So. Memorial adjacent to
: longtimeLesbianbar,TNT’ s. TOHR’ s also will be
¯ holding a "garage" sale to benefit the Center on
." Saturday, Oct. 14 from 8am-noon. Donations of
¯ goods are welcome and may be dropped off at the
¯ Center before the sale.
¯ On Oct 14, TOHR will also sponsor a Feast for
Friends dinner to benefit The NAMES PROJECT.
¯ The dinner, called "Tulsa - The Center of the
Universe" will be al fresco at the downtown sculp-
¯
ture entitled, ’’The Center of the Universe" located
mance. Reservations may be guaranteed by mail to
1107 E. 19th, Tulsa,OK74120 orby credit card over the
phone. Organizers promise big drag, big hair, big voices
& big fun - ’cuz size matters!
HRC also is sponsoring an election watch party at
9pm on Tuesday, November 7 at the fabulous I.D. Bar
on Brookside at3340 S. Peoria (formerly Concessions).
There will be multiple video screens to monitor the
election returns and lots of hot music to enjoy while the
future is determined. There will be a $10 cover charge,
but that will drop to only $5 if you are wearing the "I
voted" sticker.
Lastly, HRC is always looking for new members.
Membership runs $35. Info: 584.2913.
DIRECTORY P. 2
EDITORIAL P. 3
US & WORLD NEWS P. 4
HEALTH NEWS P. 6
ENTERTAINMENT P. 8
GAY STUDIES P. 10
¯ workers, a critical consideration in the current tightjob market."
." The report called a "landmark move" the announcement in
¯ June by Big Three domestic automakers - DaimlerChrysler,
General Motors and Ford - and the United Auto- Workers that
¯
domestic-partner benefits would be offered to their more than
¯ 400,000 employees. ’’This marked the first time that virtually an
¯ entire sector of American commerce, along with its leading
¯ union, decided collectively to provide domestic partner ben-
" efits," the report said.
¯ Fortune 500 companies offering or planning to offer domestic
¯ partner benefits increased from 70 in August 1999 to 102 last ¯
month. In addition, 41 of the top 50 companies in America
¯ prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, the report
¯ said.
-" "All the signs point to private and public employers continuing
¯ to institute nondiscrimination policies and domestic partner
: benefits," the study said. However, it noted that there is nofederal
¯ law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, nor is
¯ there one in 39 states, although President Bill Clinton issued an
executive order in 1998 prohibiting such discrimination in the
¯ federal civilian work force.
¯. The number of cities and counties that prohibit discrimination
based on sexual orientation rose from 16 in 1980 to 116 in 2000.
: next to the Old U~ion Station on the pedestrian
¯ bridge. The dinner is $20 and reservations may be ¯
made by calling 743-4297. Those who just want to
¯ attend the dessert finale may go the Allan Chapman
Activity Center atthe University ofTulsaat8:30pro.
A $10 donation is requested.
: TOHR will also present a National Coming Out
Day (NCOD) panel at its monthly membership
¯ meeting on Oct. 10 at 7:30pm, and at TU on
¯ Thursday, Oct. 12, the University ofTulsa College ¯
of Law Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Law Caucus will
’ sponsor a Hate Crimes Panel discussion from noon
- 2 p.m. The panel, which will be held in TU’s Moot
¯ CourtRoom of John Rogers Hall located at Fourth
¯
Place and Florence Avenue, will address the valid-
" ity of Hate Crimes legislation, opposition to the
¯ Hate Crimes Prevention Act and other topics of
". relevance. Linda Lacey, a TU college of law pro-
, fessor, will moderate.
¯ The program is free and open to the public. For
¯ more information, call Courtney Sdby at 836-
: 9107.
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW’ s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Club Cherry Bomb,. 1926 E Pine
*Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd
*The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th
712-2324 :
610-5323
583-2119 :
835-2376 :
744-4280...;
745-9998 ¯
834-4234 :
585-3405 :
660-0856
584-1308
749-1563
Tulsa Businesses, ServiCeb~ & pi’ofessiohals
"Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E.-41
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria
*Cheap Thrills,.2640 E. 1 lth
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615-
POB 4140, Tulsa. OK 74159
e-mail: TulsaNews@ earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Neal
Writers + contributors:
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
*De,co to Disco, 3212 E. 15th
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan
Encompass Travel, 13161H N.Memorial
Ross Edward Salon 584-0337,
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main
Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th PI.
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr.
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare
*Gloria Jean’ s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. skelly
*International Tours
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th
*Jared’s Antiques.. 1602 E. 15th
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha ....
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo
*The Pride Store
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-79,21,
Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square
Paul Tay, Car Salesman
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling
*Whereh0use Music, 5150 S. Sheridan
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P.
Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum, Mary
¯ Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw
¯
Member of The Associated Press
..... l~U~d bh’o~lsdfbre the lit of ~gcti month; th~~ritite contents
743-1000 i
250,503:4 of thi~ °publication are protected by US copyright 1998 by
665-4580 : T~,~" ~:~ N~v~ and may not be reproduced either in
712-1122 -" whole or in part without written permission from the pub-
712-9955 "
494-2665 lisher. Publicafi0n of a name or photo does not indicate a
743-5272 ~ person’ s sexual orientation. Correspondenceis assumedto be
746-0313 " for publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed &
295-5868
becomes the sole property of T~,~ /z~ N~v,~ Each
r~ader is. entitled to 4 copies of each editionat distribution
749-3620 points. Additional Copies are available by ~1"1~’583-1248.
744-5556 ¯
838-8503 " HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583~-6611
369-8555 ¯ *Tulsa C.A:R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834,4194
712-9379 ~ Holland Hall School, 5666-E. 81 st 481-1111
592-0460 : HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Educauon 834-8378
744-9595 " *House of the Holy Spirit Minstries, 1517 S. Memorial 224-4754
610-0880 " *MCC 7United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
628-3709 NAMES Project, 3507 E Admiral PI. 748-3111
808-8026 " NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
742-1460 " OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 7415~
459-9349 :;--*OSU~Tulsa
744-7440 ..... PFI~G, POB 52800, 74~52 :;~_~.¯ 749-4901
745-1111 " *.Planned Parenthood, 1007 SYffeoria 587-7674
341-6866 ; Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
712-2750 ; R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
582-3018 ¯ *Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 . 584-2325
747-0236 : St. Aidan’s Epis(opalChurch, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882
582-8460 " St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E:-71.st 492-7140
599-8070 ¯ St. Jerome s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
74%5466 " *Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
585-1234 " *TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
584-3112 "- Tulsa County Health Department, 46 16 E. 15 595-4105
663-5934 ’ Confidential HIV Testing -~by appt. on Thursdays only
664-2951" Tulsa Olda. for Human Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297
838-7626 : T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
743-4297 " *Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
747-5932 *Tulsa Community College Campuses
834-0617 ; " *Tulsa Gay Community Center, 1307E.38,74105 743-4297
747-4746 " Unity Church of Christianity,3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
749-6301, ". BARTLESVILLE
260-7829 . Bartlesville PublieLibrary, 6!30 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
481-0558 : OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN
835-5563 ..
743-1733 ¯ Borders Books & Music, 3209NW Expressway 405~848-2667
665~2222 "¯ Borders Books.& Music~ 300 Norman Center 405-5734907
592-0767 " TAHLEQUAH -
www.gaytulsa.org - website forTulsaGays & Lesbians
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa; POB 4337, 74101 579-9593- ¯
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria~ 743-2363-
Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314 "
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207E. 6 583:7815
B/L/G/T Allian0p, univ: of Tulsa United Min: Ctr. 583~9780 ¯
Chamber of -comm~ide- Bld~:," 616 ~s. B6st6fi .... 585-1201
¯Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th Pl. & Florence -"
Church of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood 587-1314 "
¯Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale 747:6300
¯Community UnitarianzUniversalist Congregation 749-0595
Council O~ ~en’s Cl~6rale " 748-3888 "
¯Delawar~Playhouse;-15il S. Delaware 712-1511 ¯
¯Democratic Headquarteis, 3930 E: 31 742-2457 ¯
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics & ¯
Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140 "
¯Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777 ¯
¯FrceSpirit’Women’sCenter, callforlocation&info: 587-4669 ¯
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827 "
Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
¯ Stonewall League, call for information: - ’~i8456-7900
Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church -9t8:456-7900
Green.Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360
-o .NSU School of Optometry, 1001N. Grand
HIVtesfing every other Tues. 5:30:8:30~ ~tll for dates
501-253-7734
.... 50i 1253-"]4_47’
501-253-6807
501-253-5445
501-253-9337
501:253-27761
501.-253-5332
50i-624-6646
501-253-6001
501-253-4074
417-623-4696
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Autumn Br~,e~,ze Restaurant, Hwy. 23
Jini & Breht "S Bisttt, I73 S. Main
DeVito,’s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St.
MCC of the Living Spring
Geek toGo!,PC Specialist, POB 429
Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery
Positive Idea Marketing Hans
Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East
White Light, 1 Center St.
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134
Scouting~for All Opposes the
"Scout’s Honor Act"
Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado
has introduced counter-legislation,
currently being referred to as the Scouts
Honor Act (H.B. 5306). The bill was
introduced along with twenty-three cosponsors,
on T.Uesday, Sept. 26
Accorditi~ to AFA (editor’s note:
Amerfcah "F~mily Association, a rightwing
lobbying group) Director of Governmental
Affairs PatrickTrueman,"AFA
suppo.r.ts Colorado Rep. Tancredo’s,
Scouts Honor Act, which prohibits the
¯ Useoffederal funds todiscriminate against,
investigate, or deny access to public prop-
" erty or facilities to the Boy Scouts of
¯ America. In addition, the bill says that no
entity that accepts federal funds can compel
the Boy Scouts to accept members
¯ who do not share their beliefs.’"
The Scout’s Honor Act would protect
¯ the BSAwho dearly identifies as an organization
that discriminates against gay
¯ youth and adults and atheists to not be
~ denied access to public facilities or funding.
How can-we allow our tax dollars to
¯ support an organization thatprofesses bigotry
against a segment of our society.’?
Tiffs is unthinkable and should not be
tolerated. Scouting For All asks that you
speak out LOUD to oppose this ACT!!!!
¯ Rep.Tancredofeels thatifhecangetmany
¯ more sponsors on thebill, the Houselead-
. ership may bring it to the floor for a vote.
." Encourage your congressperson not to
¯ support- the bigoted Scout’s Honor Act!
¯ ACTION NEEDED: Contact your
member of Congress immediately and
~ ask that he or she not support the Scouts
¯ Honor Act which is an Act supporting
, bigotry in our society. Contact your Representative
by calling the capitol switchboard
at (202) 225-3121.
~ Scouting For All also encourages you
; to send Rep. Tancredo a note telling him
¯ thathis actions are disgusting and support
¯ bigotry in America. He should be advocating
that the BSA discontinue its discriminatory
policy against our Gay youth
and Gay adults and also atheists. His actions
are a disgrace. Write to:
- tom.tancredo@mail.house.gov
- Scott Cozza,president, Scouting ForAll
www.scoutingforall.org
* is where you can find TFN. Notall are Gay-owned butall are Gay-friendly.
Log ~Cabin Republicans
to Bill Clinton
Thefollowing is the text ofa letterfrom
Rich Tafel, executive director ofLog Cabin
Republicans, to President Bill Clinton on
the issue offunding theAIDS Drug Assistance
Program.
September 27, 2000
Dear Mr. President:
I am writing to you again on an ~ssue of
great importance to millions of Americans
-~funding for theAIDS Drug Assis-
’ tanc~ Program in theRyatr~White CARt~
Act. Since 1995, we have consistently
¯ asked your Administration to ensure that
¯ your annual budget requests reflect the
: real ne~ds in. the ADAP program; and
unfortunately your .bUdgets have fallen
drastically short each and every year, and
each year the Republican Congress! has
put millionS:ofMollars more into the pro-
, gram to ansv¢~¢~ the call. This year, your
: budget request fell short again.
¯ In your budget request for Fiscal Year
~ 2001, you asked for a $26millionincrease
~ in ADAP funding, while the projected
¯ need was higher, see Letters, p.3
Unfortunately, theneed has only increased since then.
Thanks to the enactment of an important minority OUtreach
program, spearheaded by the Congressional Black
Caucus, enrollment in the ADAP program by minority
patients has increased throughout the year. This has
given tremendous hope to so manyAmericans with HIV
that they will have access to life-savittg treatments cnrrenfly
out of reach. Overall, state and territorial AIDS
directors have reported that the projected national need
ftr ADAP will be closer to $130 million more than the
previous year. Your budget request will not cover this
additional need, and many of these new enrollees may
face lotteries, rationing or simply a closed door.
The Republican Congress has carried the ADAP program
every year, despite the failure of leadership from
your Administration. I respectfully ask again, Mr. President,
that you become an active participant inmeeting the
ADAP needs for so many Americans with HIV/AIDS,
and submit a request to Congress for an increase of $130
million for this life-saving program in your Statement of
Principles before budget negotiations end for the year.
I appreciate your urgent consideration of this issue.
- Sincerely, Rich Tafel, executive director
"It sounded like firecrackers at first," said a woman
who said she was sitting in a booth when the shooting
began. She asked not to be identified for fear she might
lose.her job. "I looked up and saw people falling to the
ground," she said. "You could feel the wind off the
bullets, they were so close."
Darlene Overstreet, Danny Overstreet’ s sister, said her
brother, who was Gay, visited the Back Street Cafe often.
He worked as a telephone operator and lived alone in a
house with his poodle. "He was a wonderful person. He
helped everybody," Darlene Overstreet said. "He just
stopped by to have a beer, that’ s all."
Members of the Washington-based National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force came to Roanoke for a candlelight
vigil after the shooting. Flowers, cards and balloons were
placed outside the bar by members of the community.
Mayor Ralph Smith saidat anews conference after the
event. ’Tm shocked and saddened by this terrible, terrible
crime .... Any time one member of our community
is hurt, we all suffer by that same hand."
¯ Censorship Through Inti midation
¯ by Tom Neal, editor &publisher
The recent visits by Tulsa police to local booksellers
raise very serious concerns about censorship, grand or
petit, direct or indirect, by our local government.
The method used is frankly ingenious in skirting First
Amendment protections as it depends on intimidation to
accomplish that which it is not legal to do otherwise.
What I mean is that even though most, if not all of the
materials which Tulsa police collected in the stores are
clearly protected under the U.S. Constitution’s First
¯¯ Amendment, by merely showing up in the stores identifying
themselves as law officers and requesting limiting
." access to these materials, Tulsa police succeeded in
¯ obtaining the collaboration ofthebooksellers. Andifthey
¯ self-censor, then thepolicenever have to prove their case, ¯
they never have to be held responsible for their probable
¯
misapplication of an Oklahoma statute.
_" Note that the police claimed they were not seeking to
.. make any arrests during these visits, see Censor, p.9
! b~AAlIl Gthororeugh the years of our nailon’ s history, the American dreamhas unfolded with a deeper meaning. Today, it is
: a mystery that Thomas Jefferson could have written the powerful and inspiring words of our Declaration of
: Independence ~. and not free his slaves. Today, it is a mystery that our founders in Philadelphia could have written the
United States Constitution ? yet not allowed women to vote. Yet America has taken the inner meaning and power of
our founding documents, and given them new life in each generation.
then nmning over him with a car to disguise his injuries
as a hit-and-rtm.
In his order changing the venue, Merrifield cited a vigil
for Warren that drew more than 500 people to the courthouse
steps days after the murder. The rally also attracted
national Gay- and civil-rights activists and an anti-Gay
group from Kansas.
News organizations .have since saturated the region
with coverage innewspapers, andonradio and television,
Merrifield said. The Dominion Post of Morgantown and
the Times-West Virginian of Fairmont have each file&
more than 25 stories, he said. "Nearly. all of these newspaper
articles have been located on the front page and, in
fact, mostofthese articles have been thelead story for that
particular day," Merrifiel~d wrot~ T.I~.~voe~ag¢ ,has con~
rained detailed infOiinafion~ about tbe.inv~ti~afion°and
clearly illustrates that many Marion County residents
"havebecome emotionally involvedin this case and have
prejudged:the defendant’s guilt," he said.
Parkerhas already confessed to beating.Warr,en~but the
judge has ~yet to d~eide:~w.hether jurors will hear that
confession.~ In his Statement-to Sheriff" s Detective C.L.
"Chip" Phillips; Parker admitted beating Warren after
discovering he had-toldrothe~ peo.p!.¢, about a sexual
relationship he claimed to have with.~Parker. Wilson told
Phillips that he went along with the beating because he
was afraid of Parker, who had threatened to beat him, too.
But defense teams argue that both boys’ confessions
were improperly obtained. They say neither was informed
of his right to an immediate juvenile detention
hearing. They also contend Phillips delayed moving the
boys from GrantTownto the courthouse sohe could dicit
the confessions. Phillips denies any wrongdoing.
NEW SUPREHES? Nationat Coming Out D~, Oct. 11 - E|ecUon Da!/, Nov. 7
COME OUTVOTING .* www.hrc.org
El HUMAN
RIGHTS
: I believe very deeply that the time has come in America to widen the circle of fairness and dignity to include our
¯ ~friends, neighbors, ct-workers, and relatives in the gay and lesbian community. I am running for President to fight for
." all the people. That is why the ideals of fairness, equal opportunity, and non-discrimination are at the very heart of my
¯ campaign for President. - ¯
In the past seven years, we have taken.great strides. We have appointed the first openly gay and lesbian people to
¯ high-ranking posts in our nation’ s history. We have made our government the largest employer in the world with a
: strong non-discriminati0n policy covetingsexual orientation. Wehave boosted funding for AIDS research, prevention,
¯ and treatment. We have created a new White House- Office of. National AIDS Policy. We fought insurance ¯
.discrimination against people with pr~--~xi~fing conditions Wehelp~lmore people with HIV-AIDS get access to health
¯ ! am.personallY very ~)roud tO have beenthe first Vice President ever to speak at a public event with a gay rights
organization. I believe it is partly because of that record and commitment that I have been endorsed by gay andlesbian
¯ leaders and civil rights organizations across this cduntry. But ]~don’ t want to rest on that record ? I want to build on it.
¯ When people filled with hate target Gaysadd Lesbi~ang, Jews;Blacks, Latinos, and Asian-Americans, it is clear that
hate Crimes are notjust like other erimes: As President, with your help, I will.lead the fight for a tough law to stiffen
the penalties for crimes~of hate
We need to do morb th battle HIV and AIDS 9 here at home and around the world..At the beginning of this.year, I
had the opportunity tO address the United-Nations Security Council about the threat that AIDS poses to the stability and
security of AfriCa and the world: As President, withy0ur help; I will lead a worldwide effort to fight HIV and AIDS.
I believe wemust takebold stepsto~give all.ourpe0p!ethe best health care in the.world. Weneed to dedicate ourselves
to provide access ,to.qua!ity heal~ coverage.to every.child and extend coverage to millions of adults by~ ~e:et~d 9f ~e
ne~t t~residenfial term. :we needtO-~,tnfinue resear~into-HIV andAIDS and ~r~;clde ad~quat~ fhh~ng fdr i~."’~ riced
to give real prescription drug benefit to senioi:sand people with disabilitie.s who are on Medicare.
Weneed a strong, enforceable Patients’ Bill of Rights because it’ s time that we take the medical decisions away from
~ the HM.O accountants and insurance company bureaucrats, and give them back to the doctors, nurses, and health care
~ professionals. Americans:deserv.e the best health care, not just the cheapest.. " .... ~ ~’. ’ ’ ~ ......
¯ We must also take strong new action to ban discrimifiation andmake sure every Americhn can re~iz~hi~.:6~ her
~. potential. As President, I will re-issue the executive order banning discrimination in the federal w0J:kfo~ce. An’d i Will
¯ fight to pass the Employee Non-Discrimination Act, which will prohibit job discrimination on the basis of sexual
¯ orientation.
In this campaign, there are real differences on these basic issues of fairness. My Republican opponen.t strongly
¯
opposes hate crimes legislation. He opposes a simple law to outlaw discrimination inhiring, firing, and promotionbased
¯ on sexual orientation, In fact, right now, in Texas and in 38 other states, you can be legally fired just because of your
: sexual orientation. If I am entrusted with the Presidency, we will fight to correct that injustice.
¯ The stakes are enormous in this election. We know what will happen if the Republicans take back the White House.
¯ And America cannot afford to go back to the neglect and divisiveness of the Bush-Quayle years.
¯ Instead, we must move forward to create the America of ~.highest ideals. That is why I need your help and your
hard work. Join withmein this campaigii~and togetherwewill win notjust vttes, but powerful new victori~s.~oi dignity
Lesbian Wins Visitations
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The Rhode Island state
Supreme Court last month recognized new rights for
Gay and Lesbian couples raising children. In a 3-2
decision, the courtruled that ConcettaDiCenzo could
not prevent her former partner Maureen Rubano from
asking the Family Court for the right to visit the son
they raised together. The decision gives de facto-"in
fact" - parents the same rights to petition for visitation
as biological and adoptive parents.
"The fact that DiCenzo not 0nly gave birth to this
child but also nurtured him from infancy does not
mean that she can arbitrarily terminate Rubano’ s de
facto parental relationship with the boy, a relationship
that DiCenzo agreed to and fostered for many
years," Justice Robert Flanders wrote in the majority
opinion. The ruling was based on state law allowing
any interested party to "bring an action to determine
the existence or nonexistence of a mother and child
relationship." The justices also noted the Family
Court has jurisdiction over cases involving the paternity
of children born out of wedlock.
Attorney Cherrie Perkins,whorepresented Rubano,
a 53-year-old professor of clinical psychiatry at the
medical school at the Unive,~sity of Massachusetts,
said her client cried when she heard of the ruling.
"She’ s now not on thin ice any more. She’ s on pretty
solid ground," Perkins said.
DiCenzo’ s attorney, Rosina Hunt, said the ease has
drained her client emotionally and financially. "The
big thing for her is she wants to keep her son in a Stable
home and she doesn’ t want to go through this," Hunt
said.
Similar cases began surfacing in courts around the
country in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and claims
by "co-parents" generally were rejected, said attorney
Mary Bonauto of Gay &’Lesbians Advocates &
Defenders of Boston, which filed a brief in support of
Rubano. Recently, however, courts in a handful of
states, including Massachusetts andNew Jersey, have
decided to recognize the legal status of non-biologi~
cal parents.
"This decision puts Rhode Island in line with the
majority of recent decisions on the topic, although
this is an issue that is still hotly contested among the
states," said Bonauto, who lead the fight to legalize
same-sex civil umons in Vermont.
Rubano and DiCenzo decided tO have a child
together while they were living in Millville, Mass.
DiCenzo underwent artificial insemination from an
anonymous sperm donor and on Dec. 15, 1991,
DiCenzo gave birth to aboy. Thecouple sent outbirth
announcements identifying them both as the child’ s
parents, and had the last name of Rubano-DiCenzo
listed onboth the birthand baptismal certificates. The
couple raised the child together for several years and
the boy called Rubano her "heart room."
In 1996, the pair split up and DiCenzo, now 43,
moved to Cumberland. The next year, the two signed
a Family Court consent order that granted Rubano
permanent visitation rights on a periodic basis. In
exchange Rubano waived "any claim or cause of
action she has or may have to recognition as a parent
of the minor child." But then DiCenzo, believing
Rubano’ s visits were "disruptive and confusing" to
theboy, told Rubano thatno further visitations would
be permitted.
Rubano appealed to Family Court, asking a judge
to enforce the earlier order. DiCenzo argued the
Family Court lackedjurisdiction to eater the order in
the first place. The Family Court, unsure how to
proceed, requested that the Supreme Court rule on the
case. Perkins believes the decision clears the way for
the Family Court to allow visitation.
Hunt expressed coneeru that the finding may pave
the way for third party parent claims from grandpareats,
ex-boyfriends and others. The General Assembly
may want to consider changing the law, she said.
But Perkins said she sees the ruling as a boon to
both Gays and heterosexuals. "You could be
somebody’ s second wife or husband and essentially
raise their children and if you got divorced, you could
haveno rights," Perkins said. "We think that the court
was actually looking for a way to redress alot ofholes
in the law because’ families are changing over time
and this was maybe the ease to do it."
Idaho PFLAG Chapter
Make Case for Inclusion
SANDPOINT, Idaho (AP) --The area’ s Parents and
Friends of Lesbians and Gays chapter will make its
proposal tojoin the town’ s list of credible commtmity
organizations. The organization hosted the ACLUsponsored
slide show and talk, "The Gay Life in
Idaho: Idaho’ s Little T01d History," created by Alan
Virta, head of the Boise State University library’s
special collections. "It’ s amazing what you find here
and there in the official records," he s aid. "S ometimes
trial transcripts give a lot of information."
Virta’s 45-minute show includes Idaho’s reaction
to the 1895 Oscar Wilde trial in London - the playwright
was charged with homosexuality -and the
1955 boys ofBoise scandal, a homosexual witchhum.
Parents Jim and Barbara Hansen started the
Sandpoint Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
They say that, so far, they have not been the targets of
harassment in an area of Idaho typically known for its
conservatism. "I find this a very open-minded community,"
Jim Hansen said. "There’s more suppoyt,
strokes, affirmations here than I ever thought possible.
That keeps me going.’"
Michigan College Offers
Partner Benefits
MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) - Northern Michigan
University faculty members have ratified a three-year
contract that gives them 3.5% annual pay increases
and same-sex domestic partner health benefits. The
contract for the Northern Michigan chapter of the
American Association of University Professors was
ratified by a 159-33 vote, The Mining Journal reported.
The union has about 290 members.
The university’ s board of control is to consider the
agreement Oc~ 6. Other changes include retirement
contributions of 15.64% of annual salary, and extension
of health insurance benefits to same-sex domesuc
partners.
Gay Games 2002:
Anyone Can Compete
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -For those who’ ve dreamed
of competing in the Olympics but failed to meet the
athletic requirements, there’ s still hope: they can sign
up for the Sydney 2002 Gay Games. The event is open
to everyone. "There is no minimum standard required
to participate," Game Gibson, chief executive officer
of the Sydney Gay Games, noted. "No one is excluded,
regardless of gender, sextmlity, race or physical
ability."
Organizers expect the two-week event, which includes
a weeklong cultural.festival and opens Oct. 25,
2002, to attract over 14,000 participants from at least
78 countries. There are more than 10,000 athletes
¯ competing in the Olympics.
Gibson also said the Gay Games, whiCh will attract
mostly Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual competitors,
have found their biggest sponsor. San Francisco-
based Gay.com, an online supplier of services
to the homosexual community, has entered into a $1.5
million agreement to be the event’ s official. Internet
media sponsor,.he said.
The competition, which will run from Nov..3 to
Nov. 9, 2002, has 31 sports; some with a distinctive
Australian flavor, chairwoman Colette Steer said,
including netball and touch rugby. Butother sports on
the agenda include Olympic events such as badminton,
baseball, athletics, field hockey, tennis, swimming
and volleyball.
The sports will be held in two main zones - Olympic
Park and around Sydney Harbor. As well as the
official sports, the sixth edition of the Gay Games will
feature exhibition events such as surfing and surf
lifesaving, dragon boat racing and what organizers
are calling "mind games" - ehes s, bridge, backgammon
and mahjong.
Steer played softball in the 1998 Gay Games in
Amsterdam. She recalled with emotion waving he,r
"little pink flag, as one does" ~t the Gay Games
opening ceremony. The Gay Games are "an opportunity
to celebratewhatweare.., and to enjoy ourselves
a
United in
God’s Love
MCC.United
Sunday Worship Reverend Cathy Elliot
11:00 am Pastor
1623 N. Maplewood 918/838-1715
Community
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
at Community ofHope
2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595
A Welcoming Congregation
HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, SundaySchool, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Servic~ 6pm
1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754
Sandra Hill M.s.
Licensed Professional & National Certified
Counselor, Certified Hypnotherapist
Psychotherapy & Clinical Consultation
After Hours Appointments Available
2865 E. Skelly Drive, Suite 215,745-1111
The Open Arms Project
Young Adult Support Group
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
918-584-2325
Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW
Ghild, Family, Individual & Gouple Psychotherapy
(918) 743-9559
2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518
The Pride Store
1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor
.Tulsa Gay Community Services Center
743-GAYS (743-4297)
6-9 prn, Sunday - Friday
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Certified Public Accountant
a professional corporation
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Free Confidential HIV Testing
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501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128
The Episcopal Church Welcomes You
in that fiee and open--and tolerant environment,"
Gibson said.
Over 15,000 people competed in the Amsterdam
Gay Games. The first Gay Games were held in 1982
in San Francisco. Organizers said the influx of nearly
35,000 visitors to Sydney for the games and festival
will injectabout $55millioninto the region’ s economy.
On the Net: www.Gaygamesvi.org.au
Gov. Ventura to Offer
Partner Benefits
ST. PAUL (AP) - If his administration moves forward
with a plan to provide benefits for domestic
partners of state employees, Gov. Jesse Venturawould
demand proof of a committed relationship, he said in
September.
"There will be documentation signed; there will be
contractual things that will go on between these
people," Ventura said. "It’s not like a fly-by-night
relationship, where, ’Gee I met someone in the bar
and now I’m going to make them a domestic partner
for a week and a half.’ "
Few other details emerged about the possible extension
of health and insurance benefits to domestic
partners, a still-in-the-works proposal Venture’ s ad..
ministration disclosed recently.
Employee Relations Commissioner Julien Carter
said if the proposal is confined to same-sex couples
only, he expects it to affect about 1% of the state’s
53,000-member workforce, or 530 employees. It’s
not clear if heterosexual domestic partners would be
covered. "There are a series of decisions to be made
and that definition of domestic partner is one of
them," said Ventura’ s spokesman, John Wodele.
If heterosexuals are included, Carter said his
department’s best estimate is that 3% of employees
would take advantage of that arrangement. "We just
don’ tknow for sure what the best planning number is,
but it seems to be in (he ballpark," he said.
Ventura stressed during his weekly radio show that
the state needs to do something to stay competitive
with the private sector: Both are fighting to attract
new employees in a tight labor market. "What are
they going to pick?" Ventura said of prospective
hires. "They" re going to pick the company that gives
them the best benefits, the best working conditions.
That’ s what this issue is greatly about."
Even before Venmra’s staff finalized the plan,
conservative lawmakers discounted its chances. "I
don’t think it’s going to fly," said state Rep. Tony
Kielkucki, R-Lester Prairie. "He’ s got more support
for unicameral than he has for this one." An effort
failed this year to get a constitutional amendment On
the ballot for a one,house Legislature.
Vermont, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington. and Massachusetts
offer benefits to domestic partners, according
to OutFront Minnesota, an advocacy group
for Gay, Lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities.
Fort Worth city council mulls ban on Gay bias
FORT WORTH-, Texas (AP) - For the third time in
eight years, a measure that would protect sexual
orientation under Fort Worth’s anti-discrimination
law is being discussed by.members of thecity council.
The current drive to add sexual orientation is
being led by Councilman Chuck Silcox; a conservative
Republican who ended discussions of a similar
proposal in January 1999.
Under the proposal,. Gays and .-Lesbians would be
added to the list of protected cl~S in Fort Worth’ s
anti-discrimination ordinance. The list already indudes
race, creed, color, religion, gender, disability,
national origin and family status. City officials said
violation of the anti-discrimination ordinance is a
.nfisdemeanor.
!n recent editio~as of the For/~’orth Star-Tdegram.
Sitcox said his posit~o,? on tee issue changed after
was approached by a Fort \Vor{h man who lost Ms job
after .his employer discovered he was Gay "I didn"
realize we had the kind of problems out there that we
do," Silcox said. "I doff t like the idea t~hat people are
losingjobs over this. Anytime there is discrimination,
we need to draw the line."
Nebraska Amendmentto
Outlaw Gay Marriages
KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) - The chief supporter and an
opponent of a state ban on same-sex marriages predicted
extremely different outcomes if the proposed
constitutional amendment is approved by voters in
November. The predictions varied from prohibiting
homosexual couples from adopting children to outlawing
all business partnerships between two people
of the same sex.
Initiative 416 would define marriage in Nebraska
as a relationship between only a man and wo~nan, and
prohibit any "civil union, domestic partnership or
other similar same-sex relationship."
At a sometimes-heated fonun before the state’s
daily newspaper editors, an opponent of the measure
argued that it is poorly written and threatens the
legality of all relationships between two people of the
same sex, such as business partnerships,joint ownerships
and contractual agreements. "Passage of the
amendment will lead to years of litigation that will be
costly to the state and its taxpayers," said Linda
Richenberg of Nebraska Advocate for Justice and
Equality.
The amendment would simply prohibit same-sex
marriages from being recognized by the state, said
Guyla Mills, chairwoman of the Defense of Marriage
Amendment Committee, which collected more than
the required 105,000 signatures to put the question on
the ballot. Mills said many constitutional lawyers
have reviewed the ballot language and say it is clear
on its intent. "This amendment is not about taking
rights away from anybody. It is about protecting the
time-honored tradition of marriage," Mills said.
Under the measure, homosexual couples - including
someone who works for state government or the
University of Nebraska system would be prevented
from sharing state insurance benefits. It also would
prevent Gay and Lesbians from adopting children.
She said it will not impact the insurance providers in
the state or the insurance policies of private businesses
and corporations.
Richenberg argued that if voters approve the ban.
Nebraska will earn a reputalaon as a hostile place to
work and live, prompting an exodus of ho~nosexuals
and their families who have been productive members
of the state’ s work force. "We don’ t want to see
anyone leave the state because of this," Mills said.
"Wejust don’ t think a minority ofpeople should have
the right to redefine marriage for everybody."
Mills pointed out several times that both of the
state’s senate candidates, Republican Don Stenberg
and Democrat Ben Nelson, plan to vote in support of
the same-sex marriage ban.
Richenberg said the amendment is unnecessary in
a conservative state like Nebraska, where there is not
a push to legalize same-sex unions. "A vote against
416 is not going to legalize same-sex marriages," she
said. "Same-sex marriages do not exist in Nebraska,
and there will be no change."
The forum was sponsored by the Nebraska Associated
Press Association.
Lesbian Denied Right to
. Legally Change Name
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - A Lesbian who wanted to
hyphenate her na03e to in.cldde ’that of hbr longume
partner i’s @pealing the decision of a judge who said
a name change would create the impression the two
women were married. The American Civil Liberties
Umon of New Jersey has appealed Superior Court
Judge Anthony J. Iuliani’s decision ~o deny Jill
Bacharach’s application ’ to change her name. At a
hearing m Augus|o !uliani deniext fi~e Cedar Grove
woman’ s petiti-’,~, sayi~g he feared it wo~d create the
appem’a~m~ that she and imr female ,~artner were
roamed, said ACLU staff{" attorney J.C. :~Nver. Sam.esex
uNons ~z,: not !egaily recogxfizcd in ~iew Jersa y
arid in every state except. Vermont.
"I have ~ever expecied this sort of discrimination
from a court of taw’y said Bacharach, 32.
Salver said the judge’ s concern about the appearance
of a same-sex union is an improper basis to deny
a name change. . . see Name, p. 7
Not EnoUgh Dollars : m~nt in emergency rooms, wbich is more
For Homeless Sick " expensive than standard care. Emergency
rooms also don’ t offer AIDS patients the
NEW YORK (AP) - They carry their
life’ s possessions on withering backs and
hide death within their broken bodies.
Some spent anentirelifetimeonthe streets, ¯
searching for a home under a molding
cardboardboxin atrash-strewn alleyway. ¯
Others are teens who ran from something ¯
but stumbled into a life far worse; they "
trade sex for a night in a bed. Still more "
believe their luck has run out after re- ¯
centlylosingjobs,apartments and friends,. "
But every day, a small handful of the ¯
thousands of homeless men and women
living with AIDS in New York City make ¯
a tremendous effort rarely taken by their
brethren. They seek help. They fight for ¯
life, no matter the inevitable future.
Scientists haven’ t cured HIV or AIDS,
but their powerful .drug concoctions that
keep people alive longer create a curious "
problem. Public and non-profit agencies
already struggle to pay for their existing
cases. Now they wonder: How can we "
possibly help the new people infected "
with the virus?
"Today, people think the ePidemic is ¯
over," said Gina Quattrochi, the president "
of the National AIDS Housing Coalition "
andtheexecutivedirectoratBaileyHouse, :
a private center in Greenwich Village ¯
helping homeless AIDS survivors. "The ¯
reality is people are living much ~nger, "
but the vast majority are disabled.
Currently, Congress is debating next ¯
year’ s budget. Advocates like.Quattrochi "
requested increasing the $232 million
budgetby $60 million- and were worried ¯
when President Clinton proposed upping "
it to just $260 million. Disappointment "
has turned to fear because Senate leaders ".
don’ twantto increase the appropriation at ¯
all.
"It’s thin. We have to get it up," said "
U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., a longtime
supporter of homeless _&IDS services
who pushed the House to propose "
increasing funds to $250 million. "This
country i" s ro"m"ng i"n mortey." ¯
Expending millions of dollars .for AID.S- "
exclusive assistance meets resistance m .
every case. ’qqaere has always been pres- ¯
surefrom thefarright to portray itfor drug
addicts and queers," Quattrochi said, adding
that others question the need to fund
specific AIDS housing when so much
housing is already available.
Quattrochi says only half of Bailey
House’s residents are Gay or Lesbian.
She noted that at least 450,000 Americans
with AIDS nee~l, housing, and that’s a
conservative estimate because some
haven’t learned they have the illness or
are mentally ill andmay neverknow. New
York, the city that served 1,200 homeless
people with AIDS in 1988, now assists
more than 27,000. That total is steadily
increasing as it has for the past few years,
said Ruth Reinecke, a spokeswoman for
the city’ s Division of AIDS Services.
A Brooklyn federal judge’s decision
earlier this week shows the city apparently
hash’ t adjusted wall to the surging
numbers. The judge, who slammed the
Division of AIDS Services for "chronically
and systematically" delaying or terminating
assistance, ordered the agency
placed under federal oversight for three
years. The city plans to appeal the decision.
Quattrochi says if members of Congress
wouldlook at operations like Bailey
House, they’ d understand why advocates
plead for more money. The alternative,
she says, is that health care costs will soar
when homeless AIDS patients seek treatcounseling
that could hdp decrease the
spread of HIV.
Bailey House, one of many nonprofit
groups that assist the city in serving the
homeless AIDS population, started when
the virus was first identified and it was
still consideredby many as homosexuals’
punishment from God. The 6 1/2-story
building, set m the primest of real estate
along the Hudson River, nurtured homeless
AIDS survivors.
In 1995, Bailey House added a vocational
studies program because clients
lived longer thanks to the drug cocktails
and weren’t interested in just wasting
away. Three years later, Bailey House
opened the program to anyone with AIDS
living in New York. "I wanted to do
something productive with my life," said
Sean Ransom, 31, who contracted the
virus in the late 1980s and sought help
four years ago. "I didn’ t want to... take
my reeds and wait to die."
Those medications - a triple combination
of drugs - have doubledthe average
time it takes for the HIV infection to
developinto AIDS, said ProfesssorAlvaro
Munoz of Johns Hopkins University’s
School of Public Health. They also increased
the average survival time ofAIDS
sufferers from 18 months to six years.
In the late 1980s, residents in Bailey
House stayed an average of three months,
and their stay almost always ended at a
funeral home. These days, they stay abont
three years, if not longer. !¢lany walk out
on their own, often to Bailey House-assisted
apartments.
Beyond treatment, stable housing is
crucial to every patients’ health, Quattrochi
says. Two-thirds of AIDS patients cite
housing as a top priority,just below medical
treatment. Living on a friend’ s couch
or moving between shelters, patients find
~t difficult and tiring to get continual care;
the effort weakens the body and strengthens
the disease - a deadly duo. Patients
also must live with failing organs, and
need refrigerators to keep their medicine
effective.
Stable housing becomes a primal urge,
Quattrochi says. "Let me put it this way,
what I always ask people is, ’Where do
you want to be when you have the flu?’"
she said. "You want- to be at home."
These problems becomeremote when a
homeless person wakes up after a night
under crumbled, urine-stained newspapers.
Medications? It’ s doubtful they have
any. It’ s often little better in city-run shel-
¯ ters.
Derryck, who declined to g~ve his last
¯" name, lived in emergency housing offi-
".. cially called Single Room Occupancy
: Units, but known by residents as bare-
." boned welfare hotels. He could touch all
¯ four walls from the middle of his cubicle.
"- Occupants shared a single bathroom, and
he shudders when remembering the filth.
¯ Prostitutes, drugs, loan sharking, he re-
: calls, this placewas amodernday Sodom
: and Gomorrah.’And Derryck, who is 50,
¯
concedes he was lucky to live the,re.
"There s even a lack of bad housing, he
¯ said glumly.
¯ But Derryck found his way to Bailey
: House. Now hecansitonhisbedinhis 85-
¯ square-foot home, with its view of the ¯
Hudson River, watch TV, grab a snack -
or his medications -from h~s mini-fridge,
_" or use his personal bathroom. "It works
¯ for me,"he said with a grin as smoothjazz
~ sauntered out of his stereo’s speakers.
: Behind him hung posters of singer
Financial Planning With A
Clear Commitment=
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Commitment to gay men and lesbians clear. Just as we have extended domestic partner
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~ound financial advice that specifically addresses the unique financial issues affecting
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Whether you’re single, in a committed relationship, or caring for children, your Americar
Express financial advisor can help you take control of your financial future. We can help
’OU:
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Retirement Explore Your Options
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Tuesday, September 19th
¯ Estate Planning
Tuesday, October 24th
Please R.S.V.P.
with Theresa at
918-748-8191
ext.121
Financial
Advisors
TULSA
TECHNOLOGY Si IOWCASE
AN EVENT OFTHETULSA METRO CHAMBER 12.000
Interested in finding business solutions?
Looking for business connections?
Then plan to attend the
Tulsa Business & Technology
Showcase 2000
A comprehensive exposition dedicated to the needs of Tulsa’s
business community, featuring 250 exhibit booths, Business After
Hours, Power Networking~ ..Seminars ~conduc~ed by businessbuilding
professionals and renowned luncheon speakers, a silent
auction, door prizes, a car giveaway, and much, much more!
Thursday & Friday, October 19 & 20
Tulsa Convention Center
TULSA METRO CHAMBER
Info: 560-0298
Sponsored by Tulsa Auto Collection, Media sponsors include KJRH TV2
Clear Channel Communication and the Tulsa World
Power
Connect.
Public Service Company of Oklahoma
Customer Service Is Now Avai|able 24
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These days, traditional 8-5 business hours
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Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7
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questions - and better access to service.
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about your monthly electric bill.
Or.report a power outage. Or
arrange to have your
power turned on or
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trained, friendly and
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BobMarley and a pink flamingo. Beyond
that, the window looked out onto the water.
As he spoke, a sailboat sliced through
gusty winds as it cruised south heading
out into the open bay.
HIV Prevention Ad
Banned from TV
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A set of television
ads that depict bare-chested men
and a male-to-female transgender delivenng
an HIV prevention message have
been pulled from daytime TVat a Bay
Area station. Rather than run the 30-second
ad during afternoon talk shows, KGO
Channel 7 offered to run the ads - which
encourage HIV-positive men and women
to practice safe sex and be honest with
partners about their status - after 10 p.m.
so that fewer children would see them. A
Better World, the San Francisco advertising
agency that purchased the spot, chose
the original time frame because researchers
have discovered 3 and 4 p.m. shows
are popular with Gay men.
However, KGOleaders say that the ads
clash with afternoon viewer expectations.
"With a Rosie (O’ Dounell) episod,°, with
’NSYNC, or another pop culture guest on
it, it would be a little eyepopping for a
commercial like this to show up," said
David Metz, director of programming
services at KGO.
Les Pappas, president of the agency.,
called KGO’s decision homophobic.
"We’ ve done the research to find out what
our target audience is watching, and
they’ re watching Rosie and Oprah. We
don’t want to be relegated or banished
until after 10 p.m.," Pappas said.
ABetterWorldcreated the $345,000 ad
campaign for the city’ s health department
after a study last month that fond the rate
of HIV infection among Gay men in San
Francisco is climbing at an alarming rate.
New HIV infections in the city increased
form 498 in 1997 to 790 last year, according
to the Health Department study.
NYC Loses Case
Over AIDS Care
NEW YORK (AP) - A federal judge has
ruled the city mistreated poor people with
AIDS by subjecting them to bureaucratic
mismanagement and delays in housing,
health and other benefits. In his ruling,
U.S. District Judge Sterling Johnson said
officials violated theAmericans with Disabilities
Act by "chronically and system.-
atically failing to.provide (AIDS patients)
with meaningful access to critical subsistence
benefits and services." Hecalled the
consequences "devastating."
The opinion stems from a class-action
lawsuit filed in federal court on behalf of
25,000 plaintiffs dtywide whohaveAIDS
or other HIV-related illnesses.
Johnson’s ruling detailed testimony -
heard earlier this year at a bench trial - by
plaintiffs who described getting the rtmaround
from the Division for AIDS Services
for months, if not years. The judge
appointed a federal magistrate to monitor
the agency over the next three years.
Michael Hess, the city’ s counsel, criticized
the ruling and promised an appeal.
"Very frankly, I think it’ s very flawed,"
Hess said, adding that thejudge’ s opinion
was "very poorly done and contains a lot
of errors that I hope will be corrected."
Hess said Johnson relied on informauon
that was more than five years old.
Statistics cited by Johnson showed that in
one out Of three cases, the city failed to
meetits own30-day deadline for responding
to requests for services. He ordered
the city to comply. The ruling was the
latest in which Housing Works has succeeded
in forcing Mayor Rudolph
Giuliani’ s administration to overhaul portions
of its policies.
In 1999, U.S. District Judge Allen
Schwartz found that city officials had
acted with "retaliatory intent" against the
nonprofit group, which has been a relentless
critic of Giuliani’ s policies on AIDS.
Vatican Officials:
Still Noto Condoms
VATICAN CITY (AP) - A Vatican official
said recently that two American Jesuits
have distorted church positions b,,y suggesting
that the Vatiean has become more
tolerant" about the distribution of condoms
to fight AIDS. Monsignor Jacques
Suaudeau said the Vatican stance hasn’ t
changed, although the church must not be
seen as indifferent to AIDS sufferers and
the battle to stop the disease’ s spread.
Some in the church have been seeking a
softening in the position of the Vatican,
which has been accused by some governments
of hindering the AIDS battle.
Writing in the Sept. 23 issue of
"America," a Jesuit magazine, the authors
pointed to an April article written by
Suaudeauin the Vaticannewspaper. They
said it contained important signals: That
while some individual bishops have repudiated
local HIV prevention programs
that include the distribution of condoms,
"the Roman curia is more tolerant on the
matter."
The article was written by the Revs.
John Fuller, an associate professor of
medicine at Boston University School of
Medicine, and James Keenan, professor
ofmoral theology atWestonJesuit School
of Theology in Cambridge, Mass.
Suaudeau called the article a"pretext to
relaunch the argument." "This is a manipulation.
It is blown up and exaggerated,"
he told The Associated Press. In his
article, Suaudeau endorsed sexual abstinence
and chastity as the methods to prevent
AIDS, citing church programs to
promote that.
Suaudeau’ s article went on to say that
the use of condoms in Thailand "had
particularly good results for these people
with regard to the prevention of sexually
transmitted diseases. It said the use of
condoms in those circumstances "is actually
a ’lesser evil’" but then added that "it
cannot be proposed as a model ofhumanization
and development."
Suaudeau said he wrote the article to
show the Vatican was not indifferent to
the AIDS problem.
Easier Access to
Needles in NM
SANTA FE (AP) - State health officials
want to change New Mexico’ s Controlled
Substances Act to state that pharmacists
who prbvide syringes to intravenous-di’ug
users are not guilty of distributing drug
paraphernalia. State officials say the
change would help combat the spread of
infectious diseases like HIV and Hepatitis
B and C. The Pharmacy Board decided to
back the change, which would need to be
passed by the Legislature and signed by
Gov. Gary Johnson. In 1997, Johnson
signed into law the Harm Reduction Act
that made New Mexico the second state in
the nation to create a state-funded needleexchange
progran~ for drug users.
by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor ." homoerotically tinged moments, and it
Happy Samhain! (pronounced "sow- ¯ features Amanda Bearse playing Straight.
eft’- it’ s Gaelic) We turn in the wheel of " (She was the next door neighbor on"Martheyearto
theseasonofthethinning ofthe ¯ lied With Children", who came out a few
veils, when people all over the word felt ¯ years back.) Roddy McDowell is fabuthe
shifts that marked th~ time of honor- " lous as an inept bachelor vampire hunter
ing th.eir ancestors. " - One wonders why he never married -
Samhain in pagan Celtic Britain, was a .* "nudge, nudge, wink, wink." The charactime
forhonoring the spirits of those that " ter, I mean. And Stephen Geoffreys turns
have passed on, as in a touching perwell
as the day of - .I love vampire Elms, and f0rmance as the
the dead in Spain " " lonelyoutcastwho
andMexico.Itwas ~]alS is tlae ]~est tlme of year. gets seduced by
an important boll- Chris Sarandon’ s
day all over the Of course, ~t’s even l~etter ff ever-so-handpre-
Christian some vampire.
world, enough so ~t~s a darl~, w~indy, stormy Ue’s another one
that when the that could show up
Church took over, ni~lat w~tla t:launder craslaln~ outside my winthey
renameditAll dow any time. It’ s
Hallow’s Eve and and l~htnln~ flash~n~ and.., a fun film, and
All Saints Day. It - worth the cost.
shrunk from a oh~ sorry~ ~ett~n~ a bit caught Available on
three day festival, DVD.
to a one day cel- up ~n the deser~ptlon.
For those that
ebration. In
Storms do that to me.
like Tom Cruise
Amelica, it was " " with fangs (he retrivialized
into
w]aere was I? fusedtodothekiss
Halloween. So, with Antonio
just for old times’
O1~ yes, vampires and film. Banderas - was
sake, take a mo- " " this due to his inment
that day to "’" security with his
remember those loved ones who have own sexuality since it was inthe script?),
passed on. "Interview With The Vampire" has been
I love vampire films, and thisis thebest rereleased on DVD with new documentime
of year. Of course, it’ s even bet{er if tary footage and a few other extras thrown
it’sadark, windy, stormy night with thtm- " iu. Brad Pitt plays Lestat, and the now
der crashing and lightning flashing and. quite grown up Kirsten Dunst turned in a
¯ oh, sorry, getting a bit caught up in the stellar performance as an adult trapped in
description. Storms do that to me.. a child’ s body. Good for the moody vetowhere
was I? Oh, yes, vampires and film. pire types.
One of the best verslons of the Dracnla For fans of the original Hammer
legend, although the critics ripped it to Dracnlas, there are two on DVD: Dracnla,
shreds, is the 1979 Frank Langella fea- Prince of Darkness, the first sequel with
ture. Langella’ s Drac would be welcome ChristopherLee, after"HorrorofDracula"
to show up outside my window anytime (unavailable on DVD - dammit!); and
and suck anything he wanted. The film, Satanic Rites of Dracula, which was the
directed by John Badham, also stars Kate last Hammer Dracula with Chris I~e. It
Nelligan and Laurence Olivier in his last was a rather inept handling of putting
film performance. While there are times Drac in what was them "modem" times
thepacingtrudgesabitslowly, overallthe (1973). Only for those diehr~;d
film is one of the lnshest productions of "I)racufans". who can’t stand to have
the legend I’ve seen, even though it is completecollections.Still,it’safunromp,
based more on the play than the actual and the costumes are well worthlaughing
book. That didn’ t really bother me, picky at. Did people really wear that then? LOL
purist that I am, and the Dracula in this The only one with any style was Drac, in
filmhas quiteadry sense of humor that is timeless black and long cloak. Dracula,
easy to miss if you ares’ t prone to catch- ~" PrinceofDarkness, atleastkepthiminthe
ing it. It is widely available on DVD, and " 1800’ s, although Lee is left with little to
although the print they used to transfer . do but hiss and look menacing. Still, it’ s a
from is prone to noise (specks where the ¯ much better picture, and a fun romp.
film has started to come off the magnetic " Wemer Herzog’ s remake of Nosferatu
strip it’ s on), it is still a great atmospheric " is available, but unless you want to be
thrill for the buck. bored to tears with Drac’ s eternal anguish
Stay away from Coppola’s version, . over killingthings, pass. It really is
thoug]~ ~t~ s b!9ody awful and really sucks " "DraculaNeeds Prozac"., and Klaus Kinski
- i’n a b~id’Wa~ (Pun intendedl) is So wtfiny in the part, that youjust wanna
Nosferatu, the first Dracula film ever slap him after 5 minut,e~s. And talk about
made, and regarded as a masterpiece of ° pace.., those 2 hours-seem like 2 days.
th~Germanexpressionisticcinema,isalso Again, only for the hardcore collector,
a~lable,.meticuloi~sly restored, and with although afterhearing so much about it, it
a.~gry interesting commentary on DVD. was nice to finally see it. Or not. Always
-?irected by F.W: Murnau, ,an openly spoken of as a "classic," it m~es me
ga~ director, the homoerotic ~ndertones wonder wlm decides what w~il be deemed
~ake fi~ walt worth having, or at least, aclassic andjt~st how hard they need robe
renting. Re-scored wifia the original or- hit upside the head with the inteliigencc
chestra~:ion, it is a fascinating ,ook at d_m stick.
Nstory. Produ~din !92~.,itacmNiyholds If 3 ou re m the moodfor something in
tap wel! today, a more literary vein, I czm heartily recom-.
For those seekiv.g .lus~ a fun romp mend "Desrnond", by Ulysses Deitz. A
through vampire fi.hn!,’md with fang-in- weL writtensagaofamodemvampinthe
cheek, there s l~ngm Night", about a Anne Rice tradition, this one does not shy
vampireandhisghoul, who happens to be away from the fact that, yes indeed, the
male. They have a couple of lovely vamps are Gay. see Jim, p. 9
Tuesday, November 7
Election Day
HRC WATCH PARTY
Because win or lose, it’s good to be among friends
9 PM
3340 South Peoria, Tulsa, OK
Must be 21 - Cash Bar
HRC envisions an America where lesbian and
gay people are ensured of their basic equal rights.
You can help us do our work by joining us for
either or both of these events (or by joining
HRC - it’s just $35, call 584~2913 or email
hrctulsaoklahoma@aol.com).
HUMAN
RIGHTS
CAMPAIGN~
TULSA
Sunday, October 29th 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Helga’s Horribles
Present scenes from
"The Little Shop of Horrors"
!7th & Main, Tulsa, OK
Limited Seating
Call 584-~913 for reservations
Must be 21 - Cash Bar
A survey of books which Tulsa police
required to be shrinkwrapped in Borders’
October 14
8:00 pm
Friday
O~tober 20
21st St. location turned up at least 20
wrapped tifles over half of which were
Gay and Lesbian interest books, the other
half being mostly how-to sex guides for
heterosexuals. Among the Gay rifles were
serious art monographs on the mid-century
photographer, George Platt Lynes,
controversial photographer Robert
Mapplethorpe, and photographer David
LaChappelle. Also chosen were history
books like "Who’s a Pretty Boy Then?
150 Years of Gay Life in Pictures" and
"Nothing But the Girl, The Blatant Lesbian
Image" and "Gay Planet, All Things
for All Gay Men." Only one title of all
those wrapped, an art book by Tom of
Finland, appeared possibly to meet the
standard for shrinkwrapping.
The police move has raised alarm in
local ACLU (American Civil Liberties
Union) activists andGay community leaders.
William Hinkle, attorney, PFLAG
and ACLU activist responded to the police
actions, saying "[they] can’t d,~ that.
¯. absolutely [not]." Hinkle further characterized
the law as "blunt instrument,"
that if indeed the books were in violation
of an Oklahoma statute, then an arrest
should have been made. Kerry Lewis,
v?’g president of TOHR (Tulsa Oklaho~
mans for Human Rights) and an attorney
with a prominent Tulsa finn, called the
police actions "really kind of scary" and
indicated that TOHR was very interested
in the impact of this action. Lewis noted
thafthere appeared to be some other actions
on the part of Tulsa police, a recent
i.d.-check in a Tulsa club, that raised
concern about a resurgence of anti-Gay
harassment by Tulsa police.
Other issues:
Police Chief Ron Palmer stated that he
did not issue the order for this action. Nor
did Mayor Susan Savage know of the
incident. City standards do restrict city
councilors (legislative branch) from directing
city employees to-perform actions.
City councilor Gary Watts said that
the mayor and chief of police have given
permission for city councilors to talk directly
to majors and deputy chiefs but that
had he had a similar complaint he would
have told the constituent to call the police
directly. Watts said if a city councilor
gave an order to the police, it was wrong,
and if the officer took the order, it was
doubly wrong.
Corporate spokespeople for both Borderand
Barnes &Noble responded. Sandy
Spears, district manager for Barnes &
Noble said they follow state and local
ordinances but we don’t censor..." Borders
representatives in a conference call
claimed that they have a"dear dedication
to the First Amendment but they are also
conscious of the community they’re in."
Borders representatives claimed they have
always shrinkwrapped some books and
that some come that way from the printers.
(All of the Gay rifles TFN examined
had locally applied bar code tags under
the shrinkwrap indicating that these had
not originally been wrapped.
Borders representatives also claim that
any customer can remove shrinkwrap in
order to view a book but also acknowledged
that they post no signs to let customers
know about that option. They also
acknowledged that to some customers the
presence ofthe shrinkwrap was intimidating
- that it appeared to send a message
that the materials were illicit.
seeming concern about Gay patrons.
Tulsa County District Attorney Tim
Harris stated that he had not been consuited
before this action commenting that
he’ s often seen as acting in coordination
with this,sort of action but had not done
so. Borders spokespeople indicated that
they will send their regional management
to visit Tulsa stores sometime in the next
few weeks to review the situation.
See editorial: Censorship Throug,;~ Intimidation,
p. 3
No dancing around the subject here. And
it’ s a compelling story as well, with style
and wit. One of my favorites.
John Peyton Cooke’ s "Out for Blood"
is another excellent book with wall-written
characters and a fun romp through
vampland. It’ s worth hunting for in used
bookstores or garage sales, since it’ s unfortanately
out of print.
There are two anthologies out that are
worth the reading - the stories are hit and
miss, but there’ s more hits than misses, so
it’s worth the time - "Brothers of the
Night", and "Sons of Darkness", edited
by Michael Rowe and Thomas Roche.
The covers are awful, but it just goes to
prove the saying,"You can’ tjudge a book,
etc." I’d say about 95% of the stories are
excellent, which makes the 5% bearable.
And there’s something for everyone. I
usually don’ t care much for anthologies,
but these are worth picking up. Stay away
from"Vampires Anonymous". That’ s the
worst piece of dreck I’ ve read in many a
year of reading vampire fiction. That’ s it
for the "Things that go boink in the night
section." I mean, bump, yeah, bump!
Still, ifyouknow of anyone with a cape
And there’ s something for everyone. !
usually don’ t care much for anthologies,
but these are worth picking up. Stay away
from"Vampires Anonymous". That’ s the
worst piece of dreck I’ ve read in many a
year of reading vampire fiction. That’ s it
for the "Things that go boink in the night
section." I mean, bump, yeah, bump!
Still, ifyou know of anyone with a cape
feti sh, hates daylight, and has been around
200 years but only looks 30-something, is
allergic to garlic, and has a really good
immune system, send him to me... being
bitten can be fun, and the neck is one of
my favorite e-zones...
But by merely talking about the possibility
of arrests, they clearly raise that as
threat if the bookstore staff doesn’t do
what the police suggest/demand.
Also, troubling is the role of TulSa City
Councilor Todd Huston. While Chief
Palmer claims that Huston did not violate
city standards by contacting city staff
because he did not "order" them to take a
particular action (councilors are not permitted
to direct city staff but are required
to go through the executive branch, i.e.
the mayor or chief or deputy chiefs). But
any casual observer will see thatcomment
by an elected official to mid-level officers
is more likely to be heeded than the complaint
of an ordinary citizen.
And given the scandal related to former
city councilor Anna Falling about orders
given to city employees, Huston should
have gone through the chain of command
of the mayor or at least the chief ofpolice.
Surely then more consideration would
have been given to the dubious constitutionality
of this action, see Censor, p. 10
by Lamont Lindstrom
Last week my friend Henry heard a
thud. Henry was hanging out at his new
boyfriend’s apartment in San Francisco
when something big
crashed upstairs. "It’ s that
annoying yobbo in the
third floor apartment at it
again," or so they thought.
Henry’s boyfriend explained
that no one in the
building.liked the guy. He
was catty and manipulative-
the Richard Hatch of
the apartmentbuilding. No
boyfriends ever knocked
on his door.
Three days later an ambulance
arrived. Theparamedics
carried down a
body from the third floor.
Unlike TV’ s Survivor, the
neighbor was the first to
go, not the last. He had
been lying deadjust above
Henry’ s head for several
days. Luckily, San Francisco
weather can be cool,
even in September.
The ambulance drove
off but Henry still felt creepy. The guy
upstairs was no more butstill a presen,.~
remained. A few days later, Henry was
bending over working in the garden at the
back of the building. Suddenly he shivered.
It felt like someone was watching
him. He looked up quickly at the blank
window of the third floor apartment. Was
somebody still there?Was that aface? His
boyfriend’ s mother, too, got goosebumps
in the garage when she walked by the dead
guy’ s car. The bitter queen, it seems, was
now a ghostly voyeur.
Henry isn’ t thrilled to spend the night at
ahaunted apartment house, even one with
Gay ghosts. Death has been no stranger to
the Gay community, especially since the
early 1980s, andmany ofus are hauntedin
one way or another. Still, lurking spirits
who cling to home can be annoying (even
if good apartments are hard to .find in San
Francisco). Luckily, Henry’ s boyfriend
had already made plans to move. The
ghost can keep the place.
My friends on Tauna - a South Pacific
island I once haunted mysdf- were similarly
nervous about ghosts. Folks there
are prone to stumble across spirits at any
moment. Even though people mostly run
into the ghosts of dead loved ones (morn,
dad, grandpa), they aren’ t toohappy about
these encounters. If the dead are making
themselves known, there must be a reason.
Ghosts can help you. But they can
also hurt you too, especially if they are
I didn’ t meet a~y~Gay:gh~osts imTamaa
but there is a rather tricky Bisexual spirit
living on the island: the dreaded and seductive
Nakwa. People have sex with
ghosts. What we think are "wet dreams,"
Islanders ~+piaiii akOff~~akwa ~ptrit
sneaking ~tb bai With :thdm~. A mail: (a
straight on~ atl~ast)!~s that he is
having sex With ti ~tiful:w0man ~ but
it’ s actually the ~iiOst Onlypretending to
be a woman. Perfidious Nakwa steals the
dreamer’ s semen and then changes its sex
from female to male. It next creeps into
the bed ofa sleeping woman, appearing as
ahandsomeguy. Ithas sex with the sleeper
and impregnates her with sperm stolen
from its previous victim. Such ghostly
pregnancies can be deadly. The woman
"...Anthropologist
Sherry Ortner,
drawln~ on the
Freneh feminist
Simone Beauvoir,
~,~nee proposed that
’Man is to Culture as
Woman is to
Nature.’ Ortner was
seekln~ a reason for
why, almost everywhere,
people value
what men do more
than they value what
women do..."
¯ may die unless her false pregnancy is
~ diagnosed and treated by local healers.
," Ghosts you meet while awake can also
¯ make trouble._ One day a young woman
named Risi just vanished.
Her family panicked. Nobody
disappears in this intimate
society where everyone
always knows everyone
else’ s business. We
rushed to the graveyard
and blew triton shell trumpets
loudly to put-the spirit
world on nouce:
buuuuuuu! Village theory
was that the girl’s grandmother,
who had died the
previous year, had come
back to fetch Risi to keep
her company in "the other
side" - the world of the
spirits.
Four days later a somewhatbedraggled
Risi wandered
back into the village.
It wasn’t grandmother,
so it turned out,
but rather a handsome
ghost she didn’ trecognize.
¯ He grabbed her by the arm
and pulled her off deep into the forest -
¯ highup on the mountainside where people
¯ ordinarily are afraid to walk. Risi admit-
" ted that she had "cooked" for the spirit.
¯ Her folks immediately suspected that she
¯ and the ghost had had sex. When a girl ¯
¯ cooks for aguy, she’ slikely offeringmore
than just yams and taro.
¯ Somehow Risi managed to escape and
¯ find her way back home. Her family was
¯ going to have to be on guard the next few
¯ months to make sure that Risi hadn’t
¯ come home with a spirit child in her
¯ Womb. ¯
That was her story at least, and none
¯ doubted it - except me, just a little, but
¯ only becauseI’veneverrunintoanyhorny ¯
¯ ghosts myself. But when Henry told me
about his Gay ghost, I wondered if per-
" haps randiness is why the spirit refuses tO
¯ leave the building. The guy. got no saris-
" faction while aliVe; he now haunts lzs
¯ luckier neighbors ~ staring, for example,
," at Henry’s handsomebehind. Maybe
¯ Henry should ask the ghost out on a date. ¯
Hall6ween would be perfect.
Last but hardly least is the failure of the
bookstores to defend First Amendment
protections. What is most troubling was
the corporate response which was not to
reassure Gay & Lesbian customers that
our books will not be wrapped but which
was to defend their fight to shrinkwrap
books. Wrapping books, even if you can
open them (if you knOW to ask)C-sends a
message that some subjects a~ebad. It
isn’ t grand censorship in theformofmaking
the materials unavailable but it is petit
censorship and it is still objectionable~
This may seem a small issue - after ,all
it’ s just a bit of shrinkwrap -but this is
how rights are lost, through a slow process
of erosion. Citizens might want to
contact their councilors and demand that
we keep our police officers out of the
bookstores (and who knows what next,
our libraries?) and out on the streets.
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 appointmenls are available.
Are You Gay. or Bisex.ual?
Are YOU Native Amer|can?.
Tulsa’s Two-Spirited Indian Me¢n’s _ /
~uEpvpeonrtinGgrosuupppisorhtgerreoufoprmyoeue,tings ~j ’-
¯ Relationship workshops ~!~
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free H V testing
For information callTulsaNative American AIDS Prevention Project
IGTA member
Call 341.6866
nternationa
Toursformoreinformation.
Massage Therapy Services
Edgar O. Cruz, L.M.T.
Pager: 918-889-5255
Voice Mail: 918-697-9282
Lic. #C4133
Country Club Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm
:T]ulsa !s on!y
professional
body-piercing
College Hill
Presbyterian
Church
In response to God’ s Love,
College Hill Presbyterian Church
is a community of God’ s people
called to tall others the
Gospel of Jesus Christ
through worship,
service, and evangelism.
To nurture our faith, we gather for
worship, prayer,
study and fellowship.
Trusting in a living; loving God,
we seek to become a compassionate
voice for peace and justice.
Our congregation welcomes all
persons Who respond in trust and
obedience to God’s grace
in Jesus Christ,
"and d~sire to become part.lof tlie~
membership and ministry
of Christ’ s church.
Membership is open to all people
regardle..~s of race, ethnic origin,
worldly dondition,madtal statuS, or
, ’i, s~xual orientation.
Sunday Worship 11am
712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800
(One block west of Delaware and
the University of Tulsa Campus)
by Karin Gregory ;
By now votes are tallied and the facts ¯
speak for themselves: Dr. Laura ."
Schlessinger’ s television talk show, after ¯
being on air only three weeks, is going ;
into hiatus for "retooling."
Doesn’ t that mean a major
make-over? It does in my
vocabulary. It also means
"trouble.’"
This is probably-due
more to the fact that Dr.
Laura’s show is BORING
instead of controversial,
and has also landed dead
last in ratings among talk
shows on television (and
among many other shows
as well). However, I figure
that the people .over at
stopdrlaura.com are giving
themselves a pat on the
back for a job well done
since their first two protests,
in Chicago and Dallas
back in April, made the public more
aware of this woman’ s dangerous rantings.
These two major city demonstrations
weren’t the last, and August 26, Austin,
Texas held a protest outsideits CBS affiliate
station, KEYE-TV, "The Eye of Austi..".
The protest was organized chiefly by
stopdrlauraanstin.com. How do I know
this? I was on the front lines. Having
broken my footjust a week earlier, I went
down to march (as best I could) with other
Gay/lesbian/straight concerned citizens
who didn’t want the show to air at its
scheduled 4 pm ttme slot. Their reason?
CbJldren at home, many without parental
supervision, would watch Dr. Laura and
receive her message, thus ensuring that
homophobia stays alive and dangerous in
Texas. Every Fundamentalist Baptist is
ensuring that as we speak. We don’ t need
more help from a television talk show
wannabe.
Meeting with the assistant of
stopdrlaura.com, Andy Thayer, was an
experience. He’ s been to most of the Dr.
Laura protests in most of the states in the
country. That’ s lots of traveling. When I
heard there would be about one hundred
protesters, I was exhilarated and stopped
thinking about the pain inmy footandmy
hideous lack of sleep from the night before.
But as 11 am approached, it was
obvious there would only be about30--35
participants in this protest. The demonstmtionoutside
the television stationlasted
approximately anhour, alongafairlykigh
traffic areain Austin. Mostcars that drove
by included sympathizers, those agaiast
the Dr. Laura talk show.
Weheard from a local Christian miaister
who had recently officiated at the
funeral of a Gay boy killed in a bashing.
He said that for a week after the funeral he
listened to a local Christian radio station
and heard endless Gay bashing from the
"Christians." He made the point that not
only should weblame Dr. Laurafor spreading
hatred about Gays, and this radio
station, but we should ultimately look to
ourselves to see what .we could do to
prevent this abysmal crime from happening
again. Withonly35protesters present,
it looked like the rest of the Gay/Lesbian]
Bisexual/Transgendered community of
Austin just didn’t care. Do you care? Do
you have what it takes to stand on a street
corner and protest? Sure you do. That’s
the easy part. The difficulty comes in our
everyday lives when we continually hide
"...Do you have what it
takes to stand on a street
corner and protest~
Sure you do.
That’s the easy part.
The dlffieulty comes in
our everyday lives when
we eontlnuaily hide who
we are, or when we just
want someone else to take
up the cause because it’s
become too dlffieult
beatin, our heads aCalnst
that wall.. 7
who we are, or when we just want someone
else to take up the cause: because it’ s
become too difficult beating our heads
against that wall. Having that door
slammed in our face. Being turned down
for thatjob. Tryingto reach
a community that should
understand one another,
but instead tries to fight
forMs/her space and keeps
others out. Only when we
stand united will anyone
take us seriously. Look
what that’s done for the
religious right. They have
a whole damn political
party on their side. Join
the battle for yourselves
and your partners. As they
sing in Les Miserables,
"This is the music of a
people who will not be
slaves again." Join in the
crusade. You won’ t know
what you’ re missing until
you do.
¯ Lesbian couples break up; separate--It
was bound to happen, you say. It couldn’ t
" last forever, especially in Hollywood.
: Well, one couple breaks up ("I could have
¯ seen that coming from day one") and one
¯
couple separates ("This was out of left
." field"). The former quote could be said of
¯ the break up of the three and a half year ¯
relationship ofEllen DeGeneres andAnne
; Heche. Umm, not too surprising. In fact,
¯ since thenews was armounced1as tmonth,
tabloids have announced the reasons for
¯ the breakup: Ellen Finds Anne in Bed
¯ With Another Woman; Ellen Finds Anne
¯ in Bed With Another Man; Ellen’s Ex
Pregnant. I-Immm, why doesn’t ELLEN
¯ get any action? The day the couple an-
. nouncedtheirbreakup, A~tme Heche"sup-
¯ posedly" went for a drive in very sunny, ¯
hot weather with the top down on the
¯ convertible. Not too swift for someone
: SO fair skinned. Later, after "suppos-
¯ edly" suffering heat stroke,Anneknocked
¯
on a stranger’s door and began talking
." about God and spaceships. Ellen, if you
¯ were theonewhokickedherout, all Ihave ¯
tosayis: Waytogo, Grrl!
; More surprising was the. separation of
; rock star Melissa Etheridge and ten year
¯ partnerJulieCypher. Again, anotherpress
." announcement.Whatisitaboutthesefour
¯ women that makes them tell all to the
¯ world? In this case, Etheridge and Cypher
¯ split on extremely amicable terms, even
; buying two separate houses next d~or to
;- one another, so their children won t feel
the separation. They will still have their
¯ two mommies beside them. Well, that’ s a ¯ way to do divorce all right, especially
¯ withchildreninvolved.However, theway
¯ Melissaimmortalizes her andJulie’ s fights ¯
into her songs, I can’ t wait for Melissa’ s
¯ next album, already being recorded.
¯ Can anything be learned from these ¯
separations?Well,if you’re a Witty come-
" dielme, don’ t get involved with a flalse. If
¯ you have one of the strongest pers0nali-
," ties on the planet, then maybe you
¯ shouldn’tgetinvolvedwiththeotherstron- ¯
gest personaiiiy on the planeL in other
¯ words, You can "come to:my windoff"
¯ because ’Tmthe only one",b~tyoubett~
not be"stronger thmi me" or I n~ighthave
¯
a "breakdown."
¯ Gregory, a former schoolteacher and
¯ journalist is based in Ft. Worth. Her cur¯
rent theme song appears to beJillSobule ’s
"I Kissed a Girl."
Walk for Life 2000
8th Annual
Tul,sa AIDS Walk
Saturday, Oct. 7, 9:30am
Veteran’s Park, 21st & Boulder
For more information, call 585-5551.
Donations will be increased by 50% with
matching dollars through the generosity of
the Elton John AIDS Foundation, The Walk is
sponsored by the Community Service
Council, and will benefit the Tulsa Community
AIDS Partnership (TCAP).
The Walk is an all volunteer effort and there
are no administrative costs.
Tulsa Family News is proud to donate this advertisement in support of the Walk
and the Tulsa Community AIDS Partnership (TCAP)
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, October 2000; Volume 7, Issue 10
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
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Tulsa Family News
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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October 2000
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James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, September 2000; Volume 7, Issue 9
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English
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa----Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/605
AIDS
Al Gore
aMUSEments
and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
arts and entertainment
Bars
Boy Scouts
businesses
Catholic Church
censorship
churches
Community Center
contraception
Families
gay bashing
Gay Games 2002
Gay marriage
Gay Studies
healthcare
HIV prevention
HIV testing
homelessness
Human Rights Campaign
Jim Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
Log Cabin Republicans
marriage equality
Murder
Openarms Youth Project
Parents
Partner Benefits
partner rights
performing arts
PFLAG
Raging Lesbian
Red Cross
Red Rock Tulsa
restaurants
Rich Tafel
Tom Neal
Tulsa AIDS Walk
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
Tulsa Police Department
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/6497570df6739814b1f53803976aa5b1.jpg
eddbd7f8092dd730d643f946703894db
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ea4d97532b62ccf57ba0218150bb41fc
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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Two Teens Indicted In
Murder of Gay Black Man
FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) - Two 17-year-old Marion
County boys were indicted at the end of August for the
murder of a Gay Black man. Jared Wilson and David
Allen Parker ofGrantTown were each charged as adults
with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit
murder in the July 4 death of Arthur "J.R." Warren.
They are accused of beating and kicking Warren, 26,
then running over him with a Camaro to disguise his
injuries as a hit-and-run. If convicted, they could be
sentenced to life in prison.
A 15-year,old witness, Jason Shoemaker of Grant
Town, has been charged as a juvenile with being an
accessory after the fact for allegedly helping the older
boys dispose of evidence. Conviction on that misdemeanor
offense could mean up to.a year in jail.
Shoemaker has testified that Warren was beaten and
kicked with steel-toed boots in a.hous¢.then put in a car.
He was still alive and begging t6 be taken home when
the other boys dragged him from the car on a Grant
Town road to kick and beat him some more. Parker then
drove over Warren four times, the boy said.
see Murder, p. 11
Los Angeles Dod.gers
ApOlogize to Lesbians
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) - The Dodgers
apologized Wednesday to a Lesbian couple ejected
from Dodger Stadium earlier this month after the two
shared a kiss during a game against the Chicago Cubs.
’‘i was troubled.., because ofwhatit implied about the
Dodger organization," said team President Bob
Gratiano. "It means a lot to me that you are Dodger
fans," he said to Danielle Goldey and Meredith Kott.
"We will continue to do the right thing," Graziano
said.
The two were escorted out of the ballpark on Aug. 8.
Goldey and Kott say they were not initially told why
they were being ejected, but later they were told that
someone complained and said children should not be
exposed to "those people."
The couple said their companions, a heterosexual
couple, also kissedbut werenot ejeeted. Because ofthis,
they felt the action of the eight security guards was
discrimination.
Besides the public apology, the Dodgers donated
5,000 tickets to three Gay and Lesbian organizations
and promised sensitivity training for their employees.
’’I think they stepped up to the plate more than they
had to,"Goldey said. "All we wanted was an apology ...
I’m very proud to be a Dodger fan."
’’I’m extremely happy with the results," Kott said.
The couple was going to file a civil rights lawsuit if
the Dodgers didn’t apologize, said their lawyer Bernie
Bemheim. see Courts, p. 3
U_! DIRECTORY P. 2 ~ EDITORIAL P. 3
US & WORLD NEWS P. 4
~,~ HEALTH NEWS P. 6
Z ENTERTAINMENT P. 8
GAY STUDIES P. 10
Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
Tulsa + US Protests of Boy
Scouts’ Anti-Gay Policies
" OKC/TULSA (AP/TFN) - A handful of demonstrators asking
¯ the Boy Scouts to stop discriminating against Gay scouts and
" leaders took their message to the streets Monday, August 21,
° targeting motorists at a busy intersection not far from the Last
o FrontierBoy Scout headquarters inOklahomaCity (OKC) andin ¯
front of the Indian Nations Council in the Brookside neighbor-
" hood in Tulsa.
The Tulsa and Oklahoma City rallies were part of an effort
¯ plannedin atleast 36 cities and 21 states initiated by Scouting For
All, a national nonprofit organization formed by Steven Cozza,
" 15, of Petaluma, Calif. Cozza started Scouting For All several
¯ years ago after his father was removed as a Scout leader for
.-. supporting Gay civil rights.
Cozza, who said neither he nor his father is Gay, left the Boy
¯ Scouts about six months ago after becoming an Eagle Scout.
¯ Cozz~ said he no could longer support the program because it
discriminates. "Scoutmasters are people to look up to. What’s
" wrong with being influenced by a Gay man? Someone’s sexual-
: ity has nothing to do with his character or personality," he said.
¯ The dozen OKC protesters held signs that read "Scouting
¯ should be for everyone", "Open scouting to Gays" and "Honk for
~ Gay Boy Scouts". People honked. In Oklahoma City, a couple of
: people shouted obscenities and one truck driver shouted, "You
[ guys are wrong"but i,n Tulsa, most of those commenting as they
¯ drove by were supportive of the demonstrators who averaged
-" about 20 over a couple hour period.
." Kent Doss, a 21-year-old student a! the University of Okla-
¯ homa and an Eagle Scout, attended both the Oklahoma City and
° the Tulsa protests. Doss, who is Gay, became an Eagle Scout in
¯ 1997. He had been in scouting since the third grade. "Even after
." that many years of hard work it’s just not worth it because of the
~ negative influence," he said. ’’It is so hypocritical Everything I
¯ grew up with has been ignored," Doss said. ’q don’t want to
." abandon the scouts. I want to be apart of the dialogue, but I’m not
~ proud of scouting." In Tulsa, Doss did turn in his uniform, his
¯ merit badges and his Eagle Scout award.
¯ In June, the US Supreme Cotvt ruled 5-4 that Boy Scouts of
~ America (BSA) can bar Gays from serving as troop leaders.
¯ see Scouts, p. 2
Walk For Life 200-0
-" TULSA (TFN) - For the pasl seven years, AIDS activists,
[ caregivers, people living with AIDS/HIV, and others have come
: together to walk to raise money for I-IIV/AIDS care-giving and
¯ education agencies. Their services include n~lical assistance,
_" prevention efforts, transportation, support groups, and home and
." hospice care.
¯ Walkers are asked to solicit pledges prior to this year’s event
[ and to bring their pledge sheets and those donations to the Walk
_" which will be held on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 9:30am at Veterans’
¯ Park, located at 21st & Boulder. The Walk will begin and end at
: the park going down the River Park to the 31 st Pedestrian Bridge
." and returning.
¯ Donations to Walk for Life 2000, the 8th Annual Tulsa AIDS
¯ Walk will be increased by 50% with matching dollars through the
: generosity of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The Walk is
~ sponsored by the Community Service Council, and will benefit
.- the Tulsa Community AIDS Partnership (TCAP).
¯ The Walk is an all volunteer effort and there are no admiuistra-
"_ five costs. For more information or for pledge forms, call 585-
¯ 5551.
:US Court Rules Gay Mexican
¯ Citizen Eligible for U,S, Asylum
[ SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A cross-dressing, Gay Mexican man
¯ persecuted in his homeland is entitled to asylum in the United
¯ States, a federal appeals panel ruled in August.
-" The decision by three judges of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of
¯ Appeals expanded the social circumstances of persecution that
¯ immigration officials must consider during asylum hearings.
¯ Federal. courts have already allowed asylum for a variety of
¯ political and social reasons, including a woman’s fear of genital
: mutilation in her African homeland. Just last month, the 9th
¯ Circuit ruled that an Armenian who says he has was given an
¯ ultimatum to become a Communist or leave Armenia deserved
¯ another bid for asylum.
The case involves Geovanni Hernandez-Montiel, a Gay Mexi-
" can citizen who dresses and behaves as a woman. Hetestified that
¯ he was persecuted by his family, school officials and police, who
" he said sexually assaulted him. see Asylum, p. 9
Gay Services Center
Moving to Memorial
TULSA (TFN) - After several years in Brookside,
Tulsa’s Gay Community Services Center is rdocating
- likely to a building near 21st and Memorial.
After the ownership of the current location
changed, TOHR (Tulsa Oklahomans for Human
Rights, sponsoring organization of,\the center) had
to fight a legal battlejust to finish the current lease.
The new owners have spent considerable funds to
update the location in order to lease it at much
higher rates. None of the other original tenants still
remain.
TOHR president Greg Gatewood noted that the
new center will have about the same amount of
space as the current one but may have slightly
lower operating costs. The new space will still have
a Pride Store, the Nancy McDonald Library, and an
expanded TOHRmembers only free video lending
library. Volunteers to help prepare for the move
and to move are quite welcome, Gatewood added
and can call the Center at 743-4297 for details.
TOHR events for September include: a protest
planning meeting to respond to the upcormng visit
to Tulsa by radio "therapist" Dr. Laura on Tuesday,
Sept. 5th at 7pm at the Center (current location at
37th & Peoria, 2nd floor), new Center volunteer
orientation on Wednesday, Sept. 6th at7pm,TOHR
membership meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at
7:30pm. This meeting will feature a presentation of
an A&E (Arts & Entertainment Network) program
onhate crimes. Votes on the nominating committee
for next year’s officers and on bylaws revisions
will also be held. And planning for next year’s
Pride events, Diversity Festival and Parade will
begin on Saturday, Sept. 9th at 1 lain at the Center.
On Friday, Sept. 29, 8pm, there will be a video
release party for Diversity 2000, a commemorative
video created by BoyBlue Productions in support
of TOHR. It will include highlights of all Pride
Week events including: see Video, p.8
¯ Florida Politicians Push
Federal Hate Crime Bill
- WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Two Republi-
¯ can congressmen are touting legislation that would
~ expand the federal government’s rolein investigat-
~ ing and prosecuting crimes based on sexual often-
, tation, religion, gender or ethnicity.
, U.S. Reps. Bill McCollum of Orlando and Mark
¯ Foley of West Palm Beach said while they may be
¯ members of a conservative political party, that
¯ doesn’t mean they find hate crimes against Gays
¯ and other historically persecuted groups any less
-" foul than Democrats do. "The issue is not Gay
: rights, the issue is hate crime," McCollum said
¯ Tuesday while meeting with Jewish leaders. "When
¯ someone is brutalized or killed.., it is fundamen-
: tally wrong."
¯ The bill would provide grants of up to $100,000
¯ for the investigation,and prosecution ofhate crimes
in all 50 states. It also would give federal authori-
¯ ties the ability to prosecute hate crimes under
¯ interstate commerce laws.
o According to the Southern Poverty Law Center,
¯ Florida ranks second in the nation in the number of
[ active hate groups. FBI statistics show a total of
" 7,755 bias-motivated criminal incidents were re-
. ported in 46 states and the District of Columbia in
. 1998, down about 10% over 1997.
Angela Lampert of the Jewish Federation of
" Palm Beach County said the group strongly sup-
. ports the bill. ’’We think hate crimes are abhorrent
¯ and do not need to be tolerated," Lampert said after
¯ meeting with McCollum and Foley at Temple Beth
¯ El in West Palm Beach.
In July, the Senate passed similar legislation as
¯ an amendment to a defense department appropria-
" tions bill. This adds offenses motivated by sexual
; orientation, sex or disability to the list of crimes
¯ covered under federal law. McCollum, chair of the
¯ House Subcommittee on Crime, and Foley hope to
¯ pass the House version in the same way.
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine
*Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*Renegades!Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool BOX, 1338 E.’ 3rd
*The Yellow Brick Road Pub; 2630 E. 15th
;712-2324
610-5323
583-2119
835-2376
744-4280
745-9998
834,4234
585-3405
660-0856
584- t308
749-1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Advanced Wird~ss &~PCS,Digital Cdlular
Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. P~oria
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria~
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
.747-1508
743-1000
250-5034
665-4580
712-1122
712-9955
494-2665
743-5272
746-0313
295-5868
581-0902, 743-4117
622-0700
749-3620
744-5556
838-8503
369-8555
584-0337, 712-9379
592-0460
744-9595
610-0880
628-3709
808-8026
742- 1460
459-9349
744-7440
745-1111
341-6866
712-2750
582-3018
747-0236
582-8460
599-8070
747-5466
585-1234
584-3112
663-5934
-664-2951
838-7626
743 -4297
747-5932
834-0617
747-4746
749-6301
26o-7829.
481-0558
835-5563
743-1733
665-2222
592-0767
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th
Doghouse on Brookside, 331 t S. Peoria
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial
.Ross Edward Salon
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main
Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906,E. 55th PI.
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr.
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st
Leatme M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E Skelly
*International Tours
Jacox ANmal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E.. 15
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo
*The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor
Rainbowz on the River B+B, PUB 696, 74101
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921,
Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square
Paul Tay, Car Salesman
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling
*Wherehouse Music,,5150 S. Sheridan
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays & Lesbians
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, PUB 4337, 74101 579-9593
All Souls,Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria. 743~2363
Black & White, Inc. PUB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 583-7815
B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Florence
Church of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood 587-1314
*Community of Hope Church, 2545 S: Yale 747-6300
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595
Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa- Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, PUB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free Spirit Women’s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, PUB 52344, 74152 747-6827
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
PUB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159
e-mail: TulsaNews@ earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Seal
Writers + contributors:
James Christjohn. Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P.
Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom, Esther Rothblum, Mary
Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw
" Member of The Associated Piess ...........
Issued on orbefore the let of each month~2the endre contents
of this pubhcation are protected by US copyright I998 by
T~ ~1 Nt,w,t and may not be reproduced either in
whole or in part without written permission from the publisher.
Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a
person’ s sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumedto be
for publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed &
becomes the sole property of Tt,~ /:,~ Ntsu4~ Each
reader is entitled to 4 copies of each edition at distribution
points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
Friends in Unity Social Org., PUB 8542, 74101
HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd.
*Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral
Holland Hall School, 5666 E. 81st
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education
*Houseofthe Holy SpiritMinstries, 1517 S. Memorial
*MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral P1.
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, PUB 14068, 74159
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), PUB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tulsa
PFLAG, PUB 52800, 74152
*Planned Parenthood, -1007 S. Peoria
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8
St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati
St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st
*St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder
*TNAAPP (Native American men), Indiau Health Care
Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15
582-0438
583-6611
834-4194
481-1111
834-8378
224-4754
838-1715
748-3111
365-5658
749-4901
587-7674
749-4195
584-2325
425-7882
492-7140
582-3088
583-7171
582-7225
595-4105
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform~Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Hoor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*Tulsa Gay Community Center, 1307 E. 38, 74105 743-4297
Unity Church of Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
BARTLESVILLE
Bardesville Public Library,, 6"00 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN
Borders Books & Music, 3209 NW Expressway 405-848-2667
Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
TAHLEQUAH
Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
Green Country AIDS Coalition, PUB 1570 918-453-9360
NSU School of Optometry, 1001 N. Grand
HIV’testing every other Tt~es. 5:30-8:30, call for dates
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734
Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S Main 501-253-7457
DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. .501-253-6807
Fanerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445
MCC of the Living Spring 501"-253-9337
Seek to Go!, PC Specialist, PUB 429 501-253-2776
Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332
Positive Idea Marketing Plans 501-624-6646
Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East 501-253-6001
White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696
* is where you can trmd TFN. Not all are Gay-owned butall are Gay-friendly.
Hesaid he first thought the Dodgers might
have a policy against Gay and Lesbian
couples showing affectionin theball park.
"I’m frankly shocked," Bernheim said.
’q’heir response is atypical and outstanding."
He said the Dodgers have donemore
to make amends than any other corporation
he’s dealt with.
Goldey and Kott have been invited to
sit behind home plate to make up for the
game they missed.
¯ - - "It i-s not trivial-to-be thrown ouf’Of
p.u,b’,!.]c..p.l~ac:eb~as~ed Of, who YOU "are,"s"d
Jon Da~cids0n 0f the Lambda L~g~i’ D~-:
fense and: Edlacafion Fund, a Gay advocacy
group. ’q’his result is a home run for
all concerned."
The ruling may also permit the 6.2-mib
lion-member organization to reject Gays
as members. The Boys Scouts consider
homosexuality contrary to their oath .requiring
scouts tube "morally straight:"
The90?ye~ff-Oldorganization says its goal
is to ’l~iS~’itle educational programs for
boys and young adults to build character,
to train in the responsibilities of participating
citizenship and to devdop personal
fitness.¯
EdmrddresidentJustin Spears, aformer
Boy Scout l~ader, said he doesn’t know if
he want~.:..Ms 8-year-old son to become a
Boy Scoii~ because of the stance against
Gays. "Even though they have a legal
mandate, this discrimination needs to be
stopped," he said.
In Tulsa, longtime PFLAG (Parents,
Families and Friends of Lesbians and
GayS) activist Cathy Hinkle marched and
spoke ofhow her Gay son was a scout but
would have been barred under the BSA
policy. Hinkle was joined for part of the
protest by the new pastor of All Souls
Unitarian Church.
The OKC demonstrators marched to
the headquarters, where former scout
member Jim Craig, turned in his handbodkin
prdtest to Jim Russnogle, director
of field services for the Last Frontier
Council. "In Boy Scouts I learned a lot
about Boy Scout law. I believe scout law
is not being followed," Craig said. "A lot
of kids:that are Gay might not be tempted
to co~Iv;uicide if they had more support."
"
Russnogle read from a statement that
said that the Boy Scouts respects their
rights, and ask that the rights of the BSA
also be respected. "We believe avowed
homosexuals should not be role models;"
Russnogle read. He added that he is sorry,
that Dose. no longer wants to be consid;,~
ered an Eagle Scout, "But if that is his
opinion, I respect that."
Rob Abiera, owner and operator of
Ga~,0k~:(0m said thedemonstration was -
called to show supportfor Gay Boy Scouts
and Scout Masters and to educate how
Gay Scouts face discrimination. "We
know that the Boy Scouts has~been a
pioneer in reaching out to minorities and,¯.
should continue that effort in reaching out
to Gays. It is completely inconsistentwith
what they have done in the past," Abierav ~
said.
Demonstrators were turned away from
the national Boy Scouts ofAmericaheadquartersMonday
afterpresenting a 55,000-
signature petition protesting the
organization’s ban on Gay troop leaders.
Fewer than a dozen demonstrators, some
wearing Boy Scout uniforms, see p. 3
were met by a security guard and not allowed past the
front desk. A secretary who refused to give her name said
she would forward the petition to the organization’s
president. The protesters hadhoped to talk withleaders of
the organization or at least schedule a meeting.
’"vVe’re disappointed," said Dave Rice, a former Scout
leader who marched in Irving. ’°We don’t like confrontation.
We like to sit down, shake hands and discuss a
solution that’s mutually beneficial."
In Seattle, more than_ 100 people rallied~ in protest
Monday night. One, former Eagle Scout Doug Barnes,
said he planned to send hisbadge back. Another, Jon
Wartes, said he already had done so. "Does the Boy
Scouts of Americareally understand the hurt that they’re
doing?" said Wartes, who became an Eagle Scout in 1959
and wrote part of the Boy Scout handbook.
At the Washington, D.C. protest, Graham Segroves
wore his Boy Scout shirt complete with his Eagle Scout
badge and other honors. Now with the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force, Segroves, 25, said he did not realize
he was Gay until he left the scouts eight years ago.
Segroves said he hopes President Clinton will agree to
a task force request thathe resignhis honorary presidency
of the Boy Scouts He also is watching for congressional
action on a proposed "Scouting f0~ All" act, which seeks
to revoke the Boy Scouts’ congre~slbhal charter.
The Supreme Court decision has ~IS0 left compames
that donate to the Boy Scouts of America in a quandary:
their employment policies contradict the Boy Scouts’
court-upheld right toban Gay troop members. The stance
already has cost the Scouts financial support from companies
such as Levi Strauss & Co: arid Wells Fargo.
Others, concerned about hurting the beneficiaries of such
funding - the boys themselves - are w~ighing their
options.
Chase Manhattan Corp. is considering revoking its
contributions. ’XDn the face of it, some issues appear to be
in conflict with our commitment to diversity," spokesman
Jim Finn said. ’%Ve will make a final determination
on this soon. It’s notsomething we are going to let rest for
a long time." Merrill Lynch & Co. in New York, which
gives between $100,000 and $150,000 a year, is "actively
reviewing" its relationship with the Scouts, said spokesman
Joe Cohen.
Media company Knight Ridder has asked "that funds it
gives to the UnitedWay notbe directed to the Boy Scouts
because it conflicts "with the company’s philosophy on
people and di~cersity, and the company could not support
such a discriminatory stance," said Polk Laffoon, vice
president of corporate relations.
The Tulsa Area United Way (l’AUW)does fund the
Indian Nations Council of the BSA. TAUW’s director,
Kathleen Coan, at a mid-summer news conference was
asked, "since TAUW doesn’t fund racist or anti-semitic
organizations, why it funds non-profits (BSA, Big Brothers
and Big Sisters of Green Country, the American Red
Cross) which discriminate against Lesbian and Gay
Tulsans?" Coan, responding with obvious anger,, stated
that she was "quite proud" of thefunding decisions which
TAUWhas made, and made no effort to explain orjustify
those decisions.
Steve Tumbo, of the public relations firm Sctmake,
Brookey Turnbo, and a recent addition to the Tulsa Area
United Way board was present at that press conference
and also reacted angrily to questiond aboutTAUW bias.
Mr. Turnbo, a longtime supporter of the National
Conference for Community and Justice, a Tulsa "human
rights" organization with a history of anti-Gay discrimination,
had promised to respond to inquiries about
TAUW’s funding of anti-Gay groups if the concerns
were expressed by letter. To date, TFN has received no
response to a letter sent in April.
Turnbo also was the organizer a few years ago of a
conference which claimed to be about diversity butwhich
failed to include Lesbians and Gay men in any of its
planning and Turubo also refused to alter the event even
when the matter was brought to his attention and individuals
were willing to volunteer to help correct the
exclusion.
Tumbo’s firm enjoys a privileged relationship with
Tulsa’s establiskment frequently working closely with
Tulsa mayor, M. Susan Savage, the Chamber of Commerce
and Tulsa Public Schools, frequently being involved
in bond and other elections.
Assault at Rose Hill by Tom Neal, editor/publisher
It was a picture perfect "photo op." The rabbi, draped
with his prayer shawl, was flanked one one side by
Mouzon Biggs of Boston Avenue Methodist Church,
Black pastor Dr. McCutchen, and the Bishop (Catholic)
of Tulsa, Edward Slattery, and on the other side by our
mayor, M. Susan Savage, and Sheryl Siddiqui of Tulsa’s
Islamic Society.
.M1 were gathered in the 100 plus degree heat and sun
to condenm a horrible act of desecration: the toppling of
Jewish tombstones in Rose Hill Cem-
: the Nadonal Conference of Christians and Jews) sends
¯ letters to the World condemning firemen who put Chris-
" tian holiday decorations up and condemns anti-Semetic
¯ attacks on Joe Lieberman but never to my knowledge has
¯ responded publicly to attacks on Tulsa’s Gay Commu-
¯ nity Center, to anti-Gay Oklahoma legislation, to the
¯ beating of Orr and Beauchamp, or even to the murder of
¯ Mathew Sheppard.
However, the organization has engaged in deliberate
¯
and conscious acts of anti-Gay discrimination, most
recently at an event at Bigg’s BOston
etery. And Rabbi Fitzerman of Congregation
B’nai Emunah put in context
just precisely how this act hurt, of
how it invoked memories of Nazi
atrocities with a story of a road to one
Nazi labor/death camp being paved
with Jewish tombstones.
But when push comes to shove, this
still was a crime against property - not
a taking oflife. Was it an assault on the
psyche of a community? Of course!
Not unlike the year-in and year-out
psychic assaults on Gay Tulsans from
our own elected leaders (members of
the legislature, our governor, our congressman,
our sen~ttors, our district
attorney),as well as from individual~
like Jonathan Brian Duke, the man
who was caught in the cemetery. According
to the Tulsa WorM, Duke had
been accused of harassing two Gay
men who lived near him.
Indeed, ifyouknew who and what to
look for, Tulsa’s Gay community was
wall represented in the crowd. I suspect
that after Jews, we may have been
the largest single group. There were
"baby" Gays in rainbow beads and
: shorts, a young lesbian couple quietly
: holding hands leaving the ceremony
] after all was over, establishment Gays
¯ from the Church of Saint Jerome, even
somehardyhumanrights activists from
: Oklahoma City who dropped every-
: thing to come to be here in solidarity.
"So when Rabbi Fitzerman
says he’s grateful to llve in
an "open eommunlty,"
one that "embraces
diversity," "a place of
profound moral health,"
I am grateful that for
Tulsa’s Jewish eommunlty,
this may finally be true.
I hope so.
But for Gay people dearly
this is not yet true. For
Gay Tulsans, Tulsa
remains a place of deep
hypoerlsy, where our
tax dollars,
and our talents are
greedily taken but our
exlstenee is mostly
denied when not
speeffleally condemned. "
- Tom Neal
Amazingly, Rabbi Fitzerman did
Avenue Methodist Church. And in a
particularly cynical fundraising ploy,
NCCJ honored Robert Lorton, owner
and publisher of the Tulsa WorM, a
business knownfor at least fifteen years
for its anti-Gay discriminatory business
practices, its "humanitarian" of
the year.
So when Rabbi Fitzerman says he’s
grateful to live in an "’open community,"
one that "embraces diversity,"
"a place of profound moral health," I
am grateful that for Tulsa’s Jewish
community, this may finally be true. I
hope so.
But for Gay people clearly this is
not yet true. For Gay Tulsans, Tulsa
. remains a place of deep hypocrisy,
where our tax dollars, and our talents
are greedily taken but our existence is
mostly denied when not specifically
condemned. It is a place where even
our presence in human rights groups is
begrudging and is predicated on our
not getting "’uppity." (Note how these
groups much prefer to have non-Gay
Gay advocates like Nancy McDonald
rather than actually have Gay people at
the table. Note also that this is no
cnttcism of Nancy’s good and hard
work. She’s not responsible for their
prejudice.)
And while Gay people seem to get
the connection between anti-semitism
and anti-Gay values, the ~luestion remains
whether Tulsa’s Jewish commention
Gay people along with Jews, Catholics, Blacks,
Asians and Hispanic Americans as those .who are attacked
because we do not fit some "mythological profile"
of a "true’.’ American. But as a long observer of Tulsa’s
so-called "human rights" community, it is hard not to be
somewhat bitter at the contrast between how seriously
assaults on Tulsa’ s Jewish community are taken as compared
to those on Tulsa’s Gay commumty.
Let us merely start with who was on, and who was not
on, the dais! While there seems to be evidence that Gays
were also targets 6f Jonathan Brian Duke, and there
certainly are Gay community leaders who were concerned
and attending the event, like Father Rick
Hollingsworth of Saint Jerome, or members of Tulsa
Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR), we were not
represented.
Duke had not attacked Cathohcs but the Catholic
bishop was on the dais. Nor did he attack Methodists but
Mouzon Biggs was there. Nor had he attacked Blacks but
one of the most senior Black clergymen was there. Nor
did he attack Muslims but Siddiqui was invited to the
dais.
Can anyone remember when ever our mayor has attended
a Gay event? She’s usually conveniently out of
town. Sure she sends her best bud, Hilary Kitz, whom we
adore but it’s not the same. We did not see her at the
memorial hdd in City Hall Plaza for Mathew Sheppard,
nor did she release comment about that crime, or more
relevantly did she comment on the brutal Brookside
beating ofTony Orr andTim Beauchamp- indeed a local
crime. Nor has our mayor responded to now years worth
of calls for diversity training for police and other city
workers which actually includes Gay people in the "diversity."
Nor did she add her voice to the effort to amend
our state hate crime statute to include "sexual orientalion."
Local ’’human rights" organizations like the National
Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ, formerly
munity does. While Tulsa’s Jewish community by an3’
standard is successful in business and in political impact,
and is influential due to those talents in wild disproportion
to its numbers, it still seems to bdieve that it cannot
risk expending its "’capital" to help Gay people. And it is
also, frankly, a community which has not dealt with its
own prejudices against Gay people, its homophobia and
Its heterosexism.
Part of the reason that things are better in Tulsa forJews
is that non-Jews made the effort to try to make things
better. It’s morally right for those still excluded to call on
those who’ve been helped to turn and to help those still
left behind. Tulsa’s Jewish community and Tulsa’s Gay
community have much in common.
Unlike racial minorities, neither community is an "onsight"
minority. We are known by our actions, by going
to our places of worship’or our community centers, or
businesses. We are subject to similar pressures to just
"convert." And we share the horror of Nazi persecution,
a fact finally acknowledged by organizers of the local
Holocaust interfaith remembrance event this year, albeit
only after much cajoling and the intervention of one
blessedly open minded Tulsan, herself the daughter of
Holocaust survivors.
The rabbi’s inclusive language is a good start. God
forbid that there should be a next time for suchan event
but when next there is a shared stage, an effort at representing
the"diversity"ofour town, maybe thenone of our
leaders will be on the dais. And maybe just like the Gay
people who were in that 100 degree heat, who understand
that an attack on Jews is an attack on us too, Tulsa’s
Jewish commumty will throw their influence behind the
Gay commumty’s efforts for fair treatment by our law
enforcement system, by our legislature, and by our community
organizations.
The God of Israel commands, "... justice,justice, shalt
thou seek..." You don’t have to be a Jew or a Christian
to honor these words.
Universal Florida To
Offer Partners Benefits
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Universal Florida will start
offering health and other benefits to domestic partners,
both Gayand straight. The benefits, which will
take effect Oct. 1, also will cover dependents of
domestic partners.
’This is a part of our ongoing efforts to recognize
the diversity of the team members in our workforce
and to provide an array of benefits and services
sufficient to be recognized as an employer of choice
in this very dynamic Orlando labor market," said an
internal Universal document obtained by The Orlando
Sentinel.
Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando’s largest employer
with more than 55,000 workers, has offered
health benefits to employees’ Gay partners since
1996. But Disney doesn’t cover heterosexual partners
of employees tmless they are married.
Disney doesn’t plan to change its policy regarding
unmarriedheterosexual partners, said spokesman Bill
Warren. "It’s our position that there is a legal remedy
to be’formally married, and Seeg those benefits with
heterosexual couples," Warren said.
Universal, the area’s fourth-largest employer with
11,800 employees, will extend the benefits to any
domestic, partner 18 or older who has lived with the
employee for at least six months. In addition, the
theme park resort’s statement said, partners, must
have ’~oint responsibility for eachother’s financial
wdfare and basic living expenses," although it is not
dear how that would be proved. In addition to medical,
dental, vision and dependent life insurance, domestic
partners will be able to use Universal’s employee
assistance program, sctfolarships and other
benefits. Employees can enroll their partners in September.
Hate crimes increase
11.7% in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (AP) -Hatecrimes increased 11.7%
in Los Angeles County last year, with blacks, Jews
and Gays the target of most attacks, the. Human
Relations Commission said. The increase was due in
part to better reporting of hate crimes, officials said
recently.
Last year’s attack on the North Valley Jewish
Community Center by a gunman led to an "unprecedented
awareness" ofhate crimes, said RobinToma,
acting executive director of the county Human Relations
Commission. Buford O. Furrow Jr., a white
supremacist, is charged with. shooting to death Filipino-
American postal worker 3oseph Ileto and then
wounding five people at the Jewish center.
Overall in 1999, the report said, 859 crimes motivated
by race. religion or sexual orientation-were
reported. That was up 11.7% from 1998. It was the
second-highest tally in 20 years, behind the peak year
of’ 1996, when 995 hate crimes were reported.
The upswing matched a 12% statewide increase in
hate crimes, announced last month by the state attorney
general’s office. The crimes ranges from crossbumings
to killings. Overall, blacks werethe most
frequent victims of hate crimes, but crimes involving
religion or sexual orientation saw the largest increases.
Hate crimes on school campuses .also rose
sharply for the second year in a row,jumping 58.7%,
from 46 to 73. Most of the crimes based on religion
were nonviolent, but more than half of those against
Gays and Lesbians were violent, the commission
said.
Univ. of Minnesota Alum
Donates for Gay Center
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A University of Minnesota
alunmus who made a fortune in the computer software
industry has donated $500,000 to the school for
an endowed Gay, Lesbian, bisexual and transgender
studies center.
The Steven J. Schochet Center for Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgender Studies opened July 1.
Schochet, a 1959 graduate, said he faced many barriers
as a Gay man on campus and hopes the donation
will improve the climate for GLBT students.
The center will be responsible for coordinating
graduate studies, establishing archives and starting a
lecture series and community forums. ’.The goal of
the center is to enhance the creation of knowledge
about GLBT lives through academic studies and
community interaction," said Liunea Stenson,
Schochet Center program director.
Texas A&M Waffles
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) - A Gay civil
rights group urged Texas A&M University to implement
an on-again, off-again ban on discrimination
again~st Gays. School presidentRay Bowen suspended
the policy change on Aug. 16, a few hours after it was
posted on the university’s Web site. In a vaguely
worded statement, Bowen said the issue needed more
study.
In a letter to Bowen, the National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force said Texas A&M shouldjoin other major
universities around the state in prohibiting discrimination
against homosexuals. "Failure to expressly
-forbid discrimination also sends the message to the
campus community that (homosexual) people are
second-class citizens and that discrimination against
them is acceptable," said ElizabethToledo, executive
director of the task force.
Bowen has stated the matter will be reconsidered
after a better understanding by all confirmed parties
has been achieved, said university spokesman Lane
Stephenson.
"He has directed the matter to go through the Office
of the Dean of Student Life as the start of the process
of reconsideration," Stephenson said. "We are already
starting to have productive discussions within
the university community."
On the Net: .Texas A&M University: http://
www.tamu.edu
Drag Queens-Invited to
Olympic Celebrations
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - The Olympics’ dosing
ceremony is going to be a drag. Drag queens will be
part of the Sydney 2000 games’ finale regardless of
what "right-wing reactionaries" think, ceremonies
director Ric Birch said at the end of August/
Themen dressedup in outlandish dresses, wigs and
makeup, will be "part of one tiny section" of the
dosing ceremony, a tribute to Australian films including
the 1994 cult hit ’.The Adventures of Priscilla,
Queen of the Desert," he said.
Some of the participants would be dressed in original
costumes, including a frill-necked lizard outfit
from the film, which features twodrag queens and a
transsexual driving a pink bus through Australia’s
Outback.
A report in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper
sparked heated debate onradio shows. One, caller said
he would trade his dosing ceremony ticket after
hearing the news.
Birch directed the opemng ceremony at the 1992
Barcelona Olympics and was involved in the opener
at Atlantafour years ago. He said he was annoyed that
constant leaks were wrecking what should be a surprise
for the public. "I’m really disappointed at the
way the mediais gleefully trying to expose the secrets
that we call surprises," Birch told Australian Broadcasting
Corp. radio.
Photographs of the Olympic cauldron being lit in
rehearsals, which are usually kept under wraps, have
been printed. Speculation on who will ignite the
cauldron has intensified.
Birch said the inclusion of drag queens also reflected
one of Sydney’s mostcolorful events, the Gay
and Lesbian Mardi Gras, a Gay pridemarch and street
carnival that attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators
each year. "That’s part of Sydney life whether
(critics) like it or not." Birch said. "For the right-wing
reactionaries or whatever part of a community is
..outraged about it - well, they’re always going to be
outraged."
Olympics Minister Michael Knight said all the
plans forthe ceremonies had been approved by the
organizing committee’s board. "The dosing ceremony
runs for several hours and has a very different feel to
United in
God’s Love
MCC-United
Community
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
at Community ofHope
2545 South Yale, Su~n~ da~.ys at llam, 749-0595
A Welcoming Congregation
HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm
1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754
Sandra Hill M.s.
Licensed Professional & National Certified
Counselor, Certified Hypnotherapist
Psychotherapy & Clinical ConsuItation
After Hours Appointments Available
2865 E. Skelly Drive, Suite 215,745-1111
The Open Arms Project
Young Adult Support Group
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
, 918-584-2325
Mingo Valley Flowers
9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145
918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-44A.-5934
Family Owned & Operated
Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW
Child, Family, Individual & Couple Psychotherapy
(918) 743-9559
2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518
The Pride StoreV
1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor
Tulsa Gay Community Services Center
743-GAYS (743:4297)
6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday
12-9 pm, Satarday, all sales benefit the Center
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The Episcopal Church Welcomes You
opening ceremony - it’s a party," he said. "Fhe
athletes are going to be on the field from the word go
as part of this giant party celebration: The whole feel
will be one of great celebration and fi~n."
Same-sex Marriage Ban
Appears Headed to Ballot
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - It appears likely voters will
get a chance to decide whether to ban same-sex
marriages in Nebraska: A petition effort to place the
proposed constitutional an~endment on th~ ballot
gathered at leas t 19,000 more than the needed 105,214
signatures:, the Secretary Of State’ s,office announbed.
The same~sex p~tition was circulated: by the De-
[fehse: of Marriage Amendment Committee. With
signatures t¥om 82 counties counted, the total-verified
was 124,495. About 10% of the signatures were
determined to be invalid.
The petition effort was headed by Guyla Mills,
director of the NebraskaFamily Council and a lobbyist
for the Nonpartisan Family Coalifon- two groups
that support the peftion.
Mills said sheis confident that when all the signatures
are verified they will have about 45,000 more
thanwhat is required, and that will deter anyone from
thinking about challenging them.
At this time the Nebraska chapter of the American
Civil Liberges Union has no intention of challenging
anyof the signatures, even though it remains opposed
to. the amendment; said ACLU director Tim Butz. A
group organized to fight]he initiative, called the Vote
No on DOMA (Defense of Marriage Amendment)
Committee, also has no plans to challenge the signature
count. Other groups opposing the effort include
Nebraska Advocates for Justice & Equality, a nonprofit
Omaha group, and PFLAG (Parents and Families
of Lesbians and Gays).
Butz said theACLU id researching what impact the
amendment would have on exisfng laws dealing with
business partnerships and existing legal agreements
between Gay and Lesbian couples. The ACIJd also is
looking into what impactit would have on companies
that offer same-sex health~benefits,-to workers. ¯
The proposed constitutional amendment will read:
’~Only marriage between a man and a woman shall be
valid or recognized in Nebraska. The uniting of two
persons of the same sex in a civil union, domestic
partnership, or other similar same-sex relationship
shall not be valid or recognized in Nebraska.’"
Nothing in current Nebraska law s.pecifically prohibits
same-sex marriage. Supporters of the petition
say it will clarify in the consmutlon that only marriages
of a man and woman are legal in Nebraska.
Thirt.y-tl~r.ee states have passed law s or amended their
const~tutxons to ban same-sex marriages.
Officials Say No to Two
Morns on Birth Certificate
DENVER (AP) -The state health department will
ask the Colorado Supreme Court to ban Lesbian
couples from placing both their nmnes on a baby’s
birth certificate, a health official said. The issue was
raised after two Boulder District Court judges allowed
seven Lesbian couples to place their names on
birth certificates. One of the women in each couple
was the birth mother. The judges said Colorado law
allows people who have :no biological,connection to
"a child tO ~ssume parentalrights ii~ certain situations.
The Department ofPublic Health and Environment
appealed, arguing that the judges had overstepped
their legal authority by creating a new_ kind of pare_ntchild
relationship.
"It needs to be the decision of the legislature rather
than the courts," said Cynthia Honssinger, a director
in the health department. But the Colorado Court of
Appeals turned down the health department’s request
to overturn the Boulder courts. The appellate court
said the health department didn’t appeal on time nor
should it have any interest in the matter.
Honssinger said the health department now plans
to ask theColorado Supreme Court to look at what the
Legislature intended when it enacted the Uniform
Parentage Act. Lawmakers wanted to help single
mothers get child-support payments from deadbeat
dads, she said.
Jeanine Pow, a lawyer representing one of the
Lesbian couples, said the law traditionally wants
what is in the "best interest" of the child, which is two
adults who are responsible for the child. "The health
department is wasting taxpayer money on punishing
the children of Lesbian mothers," she said.
The women in the seven Boulder cases want to
remain anonymous to protect their clfildren and themselves,
their lawyers said.
GayArts Group Sues San
Antonio; Claims Bias
SAN-ANTONIO (AP) - A chItural arts 2roup fliat]ost
Its c~ty fundlng.m 1997 armd 4omplaint~ ,o~er !ts
+ponsorship of ~i Gay and Lesbiati fihri fest~fil’
the city to court on accusations of violating the First
Amendment. Attorneys for the nonprofit Esperanza
Center contend the City Council cut off the organization
because of its viewpoints a violation of free
speech- mad because of pressure from residents who
told council members they opposed "promoting a
Gay lifestyle."
Also Suing the city are two groups under the 13-
year-old Esperanza’s fiscal umbrella, the San Antonio
Lesbian andGay Media Project mad the s~nall arts
gr,o,up VAN
~lie Esperanza_N~d other plaintiffs were singled
out by the city because of the viewpoints expressed by
~he Esperanza ~n a variety of ways, Esperanza lawyer
Am~; Kastely told U.S. District Judge Orlando L.
G,qrci~i iff0utlining their case.
The Esperanza Center filed suit after the council
voted in September 1997 to stop giving it money.
Although the couucil reduced funding to most arts
groups by 15% at the stone time, Esperanza was the
only one ~hat was cut off altogether.
Several residents had voiced their opposition to
financing Esperanza, saying they disapproved of the
behavior they believed the group was advocating.
The city’s Cultural Arts Board had recommended
$62~500 for Esperanza, which had been receiving city
money for ~even years. But after the council vote, the
cit)/ i~’ei~aJ:~ment 6f Ar~s .and dultural Affhirs also
withheld $14,000 from the Texas Commission on the
Arts, for a total loss of about $76,500.
Now, the group’s leaders are seeking the money
they believe they deserve. They’re also seekang an
order from the court to force the city to follow its own
criteria for granting arts funding.
But lawyers representing the city say council members
didn’t stra~: from the criteria. They say some
council members just didn’l support the Esperanza
Center while others wanted to divert some of the arts
funding toward more basic city progrmns.
For~ner councilman Jose Menendez testified that
while he had received several phone calls and letters
objecting to financing Esperanza, he simply felt that
artsfluading was not a priority. He said Iris district
needed sidewalks, speed bumps and more firefighters.
’qqae arts ~vas an area where we could get lnore money
for basic servxces."
The city’s law yers questioned whether Esperanza,
which used to be called the Esperanza Peace &Justice
Center, should have been eligible for arts money in
the first place. Indeed, some council members had
viewed it more as a political organization than an arts
group, former councilman Roger Flores testified.
Eduardo Diaz, former director of the city’s arts
depar.tment: ~onceded~ ~upon, questioning.by assistant
city attorney. Amy Eubanks that Esperanza technically
is not an arts organization because its massion is
not exclusively the presentation or production of art.
¯ But-he-added that it has.been Esperanza’s practice
over the years to incorporate arts progran~s.
Diaz testified earlier that he had no doubt that
Esperanza met the criteria for funding He.said the
g up has been an acttve player tn cultural events
for many years. He said there are :other Ynon-arts"
groups that receive arts funding. At the time of the’ 97
cotmcil vote, the Witte Museum, primarily a natural
history and science museum, was among four organizations
that were receiving 70 to 75% of the total
amount of arts funding, Diaz said.
Esperanza execuuve director Graciela S anchez testified
the center has used arts programs to "g~ve voice
to the voiceless."
Medical Marijuana
To Be Investigated
SAN DIEGO (AP) - The University of
California, San Diego will soon begin
trials on medical marijuana at the nation’ s
first research center designed to explore
the drug’s therapeutic potential. Doctors
announced the Center for Medicinal Cannabis
Research as part of the state’s effort
to set medical guidelines following the
voter-approved medical marijuana law.
The center, headquartered in San Diego,
will begin distributing grants to conduct
clinical trials at lmiversities and research
centers throughout California as
early as January.
The studies will look at whether marijuana
is a safe alternative for treating
certmn kinds of medical conditions and
the best ways to administer it, such as ¯
through pills, patches or sprays.
’~Ourjobis to show if these products are ¯
helpful and we can answer t~.at defini- -"
tively," said Igor Grant, the center’s director
and professor of psychiatry at
UCSD. ¯
Gov. Gray Davis has already approved ¯
$3 malhon to fund theprogram first year
while legislation calls for a three-year
program. The center was set up in large
response to Proposition 215, the 1996
state initiative allowing seriously ill pa- °
tients to grow and use marijuana f~ pain o
relief, if they have a doctor’srecommen- o
dation. Measures similar_to the California ¯
initiative have passed in Alaska, Arizona,.
Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and
Washington state. ¯
State Sen. John Vasconcellos, who ¯
pushed for medical marijuana, pelmed the ¯
program in 1996 but initially faced oppositionfromlaw
enforcement groups. Only ¯
after working with Attorney General Bill
Lockyer did Vasconcellos convincemany ¯
that research was a good idea.
"It’s been a very long road since the °
passage of 215 to even get as far as we had
with research," said Rand Martin, a ¯
spokesman for Vasconcellos. "We have °
had to deal with alot of political problems °
and the most exciting thing is that we’re ¯
putting the politics behind us." o
Proponents have long argued that marl- "
juanahelps patients with chronic pain and "
with AIDS, cancer and multiple sclerosis ¯
by relieving pain and nausea. Opponents .
of marijuana say scientific research is "
necessary.
’Wee consider research a good thing,’" -"
said Bob Weiner of the White House
National Drug Control Policy Office. "Fo "
have medicine determined by science and ¯
not by popular will is exactly what we
support." ¯
Doctors at UCSD’s center hope the "
research will eventually determine"
whether marijuana has medical benefits -
because current federal law says the drug "
has no medical purpose.
Trial patients will get marijuana from :
the National InStitute on Drug Abuse and -
researchers have pledged to follow all
medical guidelines. ’‘There’s been a long "
history of contention around cannabis and
it has been difficult to do research," said ,
Grant. "This it the ~first study that’s "
mulfidisciplinary. The state of California "
has taken the lead here." ¯
Malay AIDS-Group -
Protests Testing
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -"
Malaysia’s biggest AIDS .aw.areness and, "
prevention body has protestea a proposat ¯
in a southern state to subject
"_ Muslim men to HIV tests before they are
¯ allowed to getmarried, anews report said.
." The criticism of the move by Islamic
¯ religious authorities in Johor state came
¯ fromPrimeMinisterMahathirMohamad’s
o° daughter, MarinaMahathir, an outspoken
: AIDS activist who heads the Malaysian
AIDS Council. "The assumption is blood
~ testing is somehow preventive, unfortu-
¯ nately it is not," Marina was quoted as
¯ saying by the Beriiama news agency.
"- Mandatory HIV testing was also a vio-
¯ lation of human rights, she said. AIDS
¯ activists would soon meet with state offi-
¯ cials to ’discuss the proposal, she was
~ quoted as saying.
° She told reporters that educating the
¯ public on preventive measures will be
¯ more effective in curbing the deadly dis-
" ease in the predominantly Muslim Southeast
Asian country where discussing
sexual issues in public is taboo and where
introducing sex education in schools is
being resisted by conservattves.
Over the weekend, top government officials
in Johor proposed compulsory
blood tests on Muslim men, a move that
would affect men in the dominant Malay
community. Johor chief minister Abdul
Ghani Othman was quoted as saying by
newspapers that it was part of efforts to
check the alarming rise of HIV cases in
the state. "In 1999 alone, there was a 73%
increasein ttIV cases among Malays compared
to the previous year,"he was quoted
as saying by New Sunday Times.
Clinton: "Break the
Silence’ about AIDS
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - Africans must
"break the siIence" about AIDS or risk
losing hard-fought democratic and economic
gains, President Clinton said Sunday
as the White House highlighted more
than $20 million in U.S. aid to fight AIDS,
malaria and other diseases devastating
Africa.
"In every country, in any culture, it is
difficult, painful, at the very least embarrassing,
to talk about the issues involved
with AIDS," Clinton said after touring a
health center in the Nigerian capital and
hearing the stories of several people living
with the disease.
Clinton’s two-day stay in Nigeria was
intended to underscore U.S. approval of
the 15-month-old democratic government
in Africa’s most populous nation, with
123 million people.
Along with dealing with the heavy
themes of AIDS and debt relief, Clinton
used the trip to get to know a country he
deliberated bypassed on his last trip to
Africa, in 1998, when it was under a
military dictatorship.
Led by a throng of singing children, he
trudged through the Nigerian village of
Ushafa on Sunday, past mud brick huts
and flimsy metal sheds, with scrawny
chickens scattering in his path.
"We want to help you build your
economy, educate your children andbuild
a better life," he told villagers, wearing a
cream-colored royal African robe given
to him by the village chief.
AIDS killed 2.8 million people worldwide
last year, and is now the leading
cause of death in Africa. The Clinton
administration will spend $9.4 million
this year for AIDS and HIV infection
prevention and care in Nigeria, $8.7 million
more for polio eradication and $2
million toward prevention of malaria.
In sub-Saharan Africa, 13 million children
have lost a parent to AIDS, and the
disease is reducing life expectancies and
Colle.ge Hill
Presbyterian Church
In response to God’s Love, College Hill
Presbyterian Church is a community of God’s people
called to tell others the Gospel of Jesus Christ through
worship, service, and evangelism. To nurture our faith,
we gather for worship, prayer, study and fellowship.
Trusting in a living, loving God, we seek to become a
compassionate voice for peace and justice.
Our congregation welcomes all persons who respond in
trust and obedience to God’s grace in Jesus Christ, and
desire to become part of the membership and ministry
of Christ’s church. Membership is open- to all people
regardless of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition,
marital status, or sexual orientation.
Sunday Worship 1 lam
College Hill Presbyterian Church, 712 S. Columbia Avenue, 592-5800
(One block west of Delaware and the University of Tulsa Campus)
Financial Planning With A
Clear Commitment.
At American Express Financial Advisors, we want to make our
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Nhether you’re single, in a committed relationship, or i:~ng for children, your American
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with Theresa at
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ext.121
dimming development hopes across the ; Fe Maria, who asked that only her first
continent. "Is it harder to talk about these ¯ name beused, has gained weight and feels
thingsthantowatchachilddieofAIDS?" ," better, although the medicines give her
Clinton asked. "We have to break the ¯ headaches.
silence about how this disease spreads ; Dr. Ellen Koenig, an An~erican physiand
how to prevent it." ° cian who has lived and worked in the
Power About 2.6 million Nigerians, 5.4% of:
DominicanRepublicfor31 years, was the
the population, are afflicted with AIDS. ° impetus behind bringing the trial here.
That puts the country on better footing i And she insisted the company agree to
than many of its neighbors with higher ¯ continue paying for treatment after the
~onnc~~-~e1 ., infection rates, but in danger ofletting the:test.
disease gain ground, Clinton said. "AIDS ". "In some places, the drug companies
can rob a country of its future," Clinton ; come in, do the trial and then they leave,
¯ said. "I know you are not going to let that ¯ and the people don’t have the money to
happen to Nigeria.’" : buy the medicine," said Ceneyda Brito at
I~lbl|¢ S~l’~ice Cenlpan¥ of Oklahoma He promised continued U.S. support " the Dominican advocacy group AIDS
for Nigeria’s transition to democracy, but ," Action.
euslomer Santice Is Now Available 9.4 did not, as Nigerian President Olusegun
Hours A Day, Seven Days A Week. Obasanjo had hoped, agree to cancel or i Doctors Accused of cut the nearly $1 billion U.S. portion of .
These days, traditional 8-5.business hours Nigeria’ s $32 billion foreign debt, amove _" Improper HIVTesting
aren’t always convenient. So PS0 has made it thatwouldrequirecongressional approval..
Speaking to business executives later : JOHANNESBURG, SouthAfrica(AP)-
easier than ever for you to c0ntaet us. Sunday, however, Clinton said he sup- ." More than 50 physicians here are accused
of HIV-testing patients without their
Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7 rpioartssperenddusctihnegetxhteradmebot,nbeyutoonnilmy pffroNvigineg- -° knowledge or consent - and then passing
- offering ar0und-the-cl0ck answers to your lives anddiversifying the economy. ’q-here : on the result to the patients’ employers,
uestions - and better access to service, must be a dividend to democracy for the ° media reported at the end of August.
¯ ° The University of Witwatersrand’s
people of Nigeria," Clinton said. ¯
Now it’s easier for you to inquire Clinton, accompanied by danghter i AIDS Law Project has filed complaints
against the doctors with the Health Prac- about your monthly electric bill. Chelsea, began his day with services at a °
titioners AssociationofSouthAfrica. The
Or report a power outage. Or Baptist church in Abuja, and then ventured
outside the capital to get a firsthand -" tests were performed at the request of the
arrange to have your look Sunday at both the pageantry and ~
patients’ employers, the Johannesburg
F.-verty of life in Ushafa, a pottery-mak- ° newspaper the Saturday Star reported.
power turned on or ing center. ’‘icame to Nigeria to express ¯" Most patients were not given counsel-
. off. Our professionally the support of the people of the United "- ing before or after the test, the group said,
" States,"Clintontoldvillagersfromamake- ; adding that in some cases, test results
trained, friendly and shift platform. ~"VVe snpport your democ- "
were sent directly to the employer without
¯ informing the patient. knowledgeable customer racy. ""
I~LhairatAbdulrazaq Gwadabe, whorep- A positive result meant almost certain
service representatives are resents the village in the Nigerian Senate, "
dismissal, the group said. In a fifth of the
standing by to serve you. said she explained Clinton’s visit to vii- "
cases, the employee was a domestic
¯ worker. "It’s nothing less than total dis- All day, every day. lagers ahead of time¯ "I had to translate it - as the king of the world himself is coming. : crimination. The doctor is not concerned
¯ with the well-being of the patient, just the
To provide faster response The president of the world is coming to.. continued loyalty of the employer who
to your needs, we have listed their chief," Gwadabe said. "o wants to know if their employee is HIV
our t011-free numbers below. Dominican Republic : positivet,h"weitphroject.SaiJdennifer Joni, an attomey
Hosts Drug Tests : According to the Health Practitioners ¯ Association’s rules, HIV tests can only be
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Repub- : performed without a patient’s consent if a
lic (AP) - American researchers testing a o health professional has been exposed to
new AIDS drug needed patients who had : infection by a needle.
~ never received any treatment. The Do- ¯ Possible punishments for physioans
oi~ A~d Save mimcan Republic has them-by the thou- : found to break the association’s rules in-
|
sands. ¯ clude a warning, a reprimand, a fine of
"It seems like a win-win," said Joy : less than 10,000 rand ($1,450), and sus-
FoR
24 HOURS |I Schmitt, spokeswomanforAgouron Phar- : pensaon or removal fromthemedical reg- maceuficalsofLaJolla, California. People o ister. Abouta.2 million South Africans -
TOt.k’FREE SERVICE i "are getfingtreatment., and we’re get- : roug.hly 10% of the populafion~ - are HIV
I ting the patients we need for the trial." : pos~uve.
Agouron is using Dominicans to test its ¯
Customer Services: 1-888-216-3523 | capravinne because it canbe hardin the : Police Arrest Man I United Statesand Europe to find patients
Billing Inquiries: 1-888-216-3490 | who haven’t received any other treat-; For Spreading HIV
Outage Reporting: 1-888-218-3919 I ments, between health insurance and pub- -
|
lic health systems. NATCHITOCHES, LA (AP) - For the
Finding such people here was easy: ¯: second time recently, policehave charged
I More than 2% of the country’s 8 million ° a man with intentionally spreading the
Servici0 a Clientes: 1-888-216-3505 | people are infected with the AIDS virus - . AIDS virus. Eric Vashawn Alexander,
Preguntas S0bre su Cuenta: 1-888-216-3491 I
and few can afford medicines that cost : 26, was arrested and charged with inten-
I many times the average income. "No one ¯ tional exposing of the AIDS virus.
Palta De Suministr0:1-888-218-3924 ! helps you here if you have this disease," ¯ Alexander reportedly bit a man in the
said Fe Maria, who lived 13 years carry- " back as he intervened in a fight between a
I ing the AIDS virus without hope of get- i boyfriend and girlfriend, said police Lt.
I - ting treatment before going on the trial. " Chris Stanfield. During their investiga-
I ~"1~’~’.~ I Capravirine, which researchers hope" tion, officers learned that Alexander had
~~1~~,~
I will help fight off mutations of the-virus.,
tested positive for HIV. He was booked
I has already been through the safety phase " into the Natchitoches Parish Detention
of testing. In the current andcritical phase, Center. If convicted, he faces up to 10 Public Service Company of Oklahoma | 90 Dominicans and about 200 people in- years in prison, Stanfield said. Police also
I the United States and Canada are helping ¯ arrestedEamestWest,,onthesamecharge
............. ¯t test its effectiveness. Some participants " after receiving complaints that he allegget
a four-drug cocktail including " edly exposed four women to the AIDS
capravirine; others receiveadrug cocktail ¯ virus through unprotected sexual contact.
without capravirme.
by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor
As an author who prides himself on
getting the facts correct (Never straight,
always correct); I have to own up .to an
error that appeared in print in the August
issue. I mistakenly attributed the appearanc~
to RENT hiTulsato the auspices of
~d~brity. AttraCtions. Thins¯ Was false, it
was actually SF~:Thea~cal Group with
¯ . . : .M~eh has been maded the-
Norvell, who tm~e show, inc|udln criticism o{
lamo izlng a drug-rldden life.
Not so. It poignantly points out
the effects -0f such a llfe. What
been promoting
RENT. My apologies
to all parties;
the error was actually
caught and
corrected before
press time (Thanks
Kristin!), but the
publisher used the
unrevised version
of the column at
press time. To err
is human, and it
can happen to the
best of us, no matthe
show is about, in my estimation,
is the pursuit of
dreams: and the most common
dream of all -
finding.love;{or that is common
to allof us. Gay, Straight.
ter how careful we ,,
try to be. Blael~. White. and so on...
So,.n6~v that the . .
"oopls,~.¢g60fed..... ’ " .,,-
p0rfi6n 6f~h¢ ~61Umnis out of the ~vas, on
withthe ~uia Stuff!-Hope you get a ~h’ance
to see RENT, it’ s a powerful show, and as
one friend ofmine remarked, is "bite) and
zippy." I’ll leave it to the reader to interpret
those comments-. I liked the choice of
words, personally. The show does reach
out and bite, and it does move zippily
along. The only problems I had were that
themix of the sound left the vocals muddy
& almost inaudible under the guitars; and
that some of the performers need to work
on their diction. This observation was
echoed by TFN writer Karin Gregory in
Dallas, who saw the same touting show
down there.
This show is basically rock opera, sung
through almost entirely. That requires the
lyrics to be audible and clear, otherwise
it’s impossibleto understand the plot. I
knew the show, and still l~ad to strain at
many points to catch dialogue or lyrics.
Hopefully, these issues will be addressed
for die future shows in the rnn. In all other’
aspects, ~t was a powerful evening of
theatre and storytelling.
Much-has been made of the show, including
criticism of glamorizing a drugridden
life. Not so. It poigriantly points
out the effects of such a life. What the
show is about, in my estimation, is the
pursuit of dreams; and the most common
dream of all - finding love; for that is
common to all of us, gay, straight, black,
white, and so on. "Love is love", to quote
fantasy writer Lynn Flewelling. And as
such, should be respected and honored no
matter What form it takes. RENT illustrates
this in an upffont, grab you by the
shirt kind0f way?Sound of Music, it alia’ t,
sobe prepared.-
RENT explores the issues, of love and
its pursuff~ finding iL recognizing it; and
notletting fear, pri~le,and n~iSunderstanding,
and the defenses we all build to protect
ourselves deny the love we really
want to have. Fear can be an amazing
thing when it comes to that. In that sense,
REN~ is also about overcoming those
obstacles and recognizing that love is
hard to find, and shouldn’t be tossed away
when the genuine articleis found.Atimely
" Issue right now; as a friend of mine is
¯¯ taking a journey down that hard road that
I have taken so many times before, and am
" in the middle of right now.
Lots of things masquerade as love -
¯
control, fear, even hatred. The real firing
doesn’t land in your lap too often. Lot of
lookalikes do, the trick is distinguishing
¯
the real from the fake. And too often, the
-real is waF.to0
scary, and so is refused.
If you’ve
got the real thing,
hang onto it. Well,
join me on my
ramble, will
you?Dunno where
all that came from.
¯ . Well, I do, but
that’s a whole
book unto itself.
RENT succeeds
admirably inillustrating
¯the aforementioned
ideas,
albeit in a much
less lOngwinded
way (editorr s note:
indeed)¯
The ~tandout
songs were "I will
cover you , ’X)ne
song", m~d "’Without You", wlrich is by
far the most beantiful and-evocative song
in the whole show It captures exactly
how one feels when you know the one real
thing has gotten away from you, either by
circumstance, or worse, by your own
clioice. "Without you, the w.d,rld turns, but
I die too.., without you.. ¯ ....
Speaking of Dreams, Arturo Brachetti
was fabulous. Let me rephrase that...
Arturo Brachetti’s show was fabulous! I
hope most of you caught it, as it was an
excellent evening of theatre. The man is
literally a cast of thousands unto himself.
And his quick change of Scarlett pre and
post curtains was worth the price of admission!
His show was a fast paced conglomeration
of incredibly quick changes
that left yon wondering ’~aow did he ’o
that?", mixed with comedy, magic, and
excellent s torytelling. Andhe can do amazing
things with his hands. Making
shadowplays, I mean.
His theme? Dreams... Finding them,
¯ follo::-ing them, accomplishing them; and
: having, fun with your inner ~hild while
doin2 it Alternatively hilarious and p0ignant~;
his range ofcharacters and’ theatre
is amazing to see. He is a prime example
of what one can do with dreams, belief in
those dreams, and hard work - the two
main ingredients of magic. The other aspect
of that was the fact that, regrettably,
so many of Us h~ve that child within that
still has those dreams of ~hildhood, and
we lock them away. Arturo was all about
letting that child out to play, and having
fun, which showed in his production.
The show was excellent in all regards,
from the autobiographical structure that
set up the changes and made it an intimate
evening even for the PAC’s Chapman
Hall. Themusic ran the gamutfrom dance/
techno to classical, the lighting was fantastic,
and Arturo’s box was huge! Well,
at least the one onstage that served as sets,
movie screen, prop house, and costume
storage. At one pointed, he enacted an old
western playing every character, and it
was truly indescribably hilarious.
He also performed a series of vignettes
in tribute te film director see Arturo, p. 9
septem;ber
FRIDAY 8 pm SATURDAY’~NgH SUNDAY 3 pro°
september 22 s~ptember 2~3 ~’;~ :?’ september 24
Altan
"The hottest group in the Celtic realm these days."
The Boston Globe
September 12 at 8 p.m.
Chapman Music Hall .................
Tulsa PAC, 3rd & Cincinnati
TULSA
PERFORI~ING
ARTS CENTER
TRUST
Tickets $14, $16, $18
Call 596-7111 spo,,,o,~
Outside ~ulsa call 1-800-364-7111 ~ ......... ?~’ "~:
Online: www.tulsapac.com
.~"
Presented by the .. Tulsa Performing
And you thought the ice cream man
brought joy to your street¯
Sure, popsides are great. But how about a
truckload of new channels, including WGN? How
about.a high-speed Internet that’s always on and
better priced? How.:about service so thorough and
sweet you, can almost ~taste it? Now these, these
are the things you can sink your teeth into.
We’.re in.gear.
COMMUNII~ATIONI~
665-0200
Tulsa’s PRIDE 2000!
VIDEO RELEASE PARTY
Now that summer’s end is in sight and cool weather a hopeful
prospect, the time is ripe to celebrate the Pride Week events that
began Oklahoma’s heat wave.
The Diversity Celebration 2000was a huge success that
attracted fabulous people, was spectacularly beautiful, socially
concious, wi.ttyand revealing. And its all on tape. This year Tulsa
Oklahomans for Human Rights has joined with BoyBlue
Productions in making a.professional commemorative video. It will
include highlights of all Pride Week events including: appearances
by Greg Louganis, Rev. Mel White and Grethe Cammemeyer~ the
enormous parade, the art show, follies, community heroes, festival
and the Soulforce. workshop.
Friday night’s release party will include.a preview of the video,
live performances and dancing. Details are pending but mark your
calendar for 8pro Sept. 29th. And you wilI of course be able to
purchase your copy at the party.
Proceeds from the sales of the Diversity Celebration 2000
Commerative Video will benefit the services and programs of
TOHR Orders may be placed in advance with visa or mastercard
by calling TOHR at 743-4287. Orders plaCed by Sept 22 will be
.available for pick up at the Release Party.
#
For your copies of Diversity Fest 2000
Contact the Tulsa Gay Community
Service Center, 743-4297, POB 2687, 74101
x $20.00 = $
MO, Check, Visa, MC, no cash please.
exp. date
Signature
Federico Fellini, who passed away afew
years ago. It was touching, but I don’t
think the audience "gotit."I doubtmost of
the audience had a clue who Fellini was.
At one point, the box split, and the curtains
were raised to reveal the work be-.
hind themagic.Anice touch, giving honor
and recognition to the work that goes on
behind the magic to make it happen.
It was truly a magical evening, and it
was funny to see the audience go from the
thought process of"What the hell is this?"
to ’qhis is so cool!" Armro was different
from anything Tulsa has seen, and it’s a
good thing. He soon held us all in thepalm
of his hand. Not as tasty as this writer
would have liked, but it was the markof a
true artist. Tulsa’s a tough crowd to win
over, especially for anything avant garde,
but Arturo did it magnificently. He’ll be
in a sitcom this fall, so that’ll be something
to watch for.
For our Lesbian readers, as wall as Gay
men, Janis Ian will be appearing in concert
at The Oklahoma Center for Poets
and Writers’ Celebration of Books, along
with. poet Maya Angelou, This occurs
September 29-30, and for more information,
call 594-8215.
In September, we have a few events
wc.-th catching: On the 12th, the Irish
music group Altan will make an appearance
at the PAC. They have had rave
reviews, and itlooks like a lovely evening
,,f traditional Irish music ahead. For tickets,
call 596-7122
September 14-23, Heller Theatre presents
"Art", a show about a painting that
engenders discussions of the quality and
meaning of.life itself. 746-5065. Theater
Tulsa offers up some pop culture with the
musical version of "Everything l Need to
Know I Learned in Kindergarten" September
15-23.
Tchaikovsky’s "Sleeping Beauty"
wakes in Tulsa as Tulsa Ballet presents
the venerable dance epic September 22-
24. (I wouldlove to see Matthew Bourne’s
take on this one! He’s the man behind the
homoerotic version ofSwan Lake. I doubt
that will happen in Tulsa, though TBT is
moving beyond a stdctly traditional approachunder
Maestro Angelini.)Go see it
for the music and the grace. For info, call
749-6006
Warren’s murder has drawnnational
attention from Gay and non-Gay civil
rights acti.vists, who fear he was killed
because of his race or sexual orientation,
or both. "At this point there is no evidence
of abate crime," Marion County Prosecutor
Richard Bunner said after the indictments
were issued. "If any evidence is
uncovered, appropriate action will be
taken."
Court records indicate Warren, Parker
and Wilson argued twice the night of the
beating - once about an unspecified rumor
that had circulated about Warren and
Parker, and the second timeabout $20 that
Wilson took from Warren’s wallet: The
beating began after the second argument.
The grand jury met for about 90 rain:
utes and then immediately issued the indictments.
Wilson had soughtto block the
grandjury fromhearing allegations against
him, saying he should nothavebeen transferred
to adult court. The Supreme Court
mined down his petition 3-0.
Wilson and Parker will continue to be
held in a juvenile detention facility until
their trial. If convicted they likely will
remain in ajuvenile facility until they are
21, at which point they wouldbe moved to
an adult facility. A trial date has not been
set.
." TULSA - Furniture queens can now re-
¯. joicet Tulsa is now home to an Odds &
Ends Outlet Store, the fourth in the US
¯ which the distinguished Baker Furniture
¯ has opened. The store is located at 4329 ¯
So. Peoria, near the old John Zink prop-
" erty and is open 7 days a week. The store
¯ features Baker, MillingRoad, andMcguire
¯ furniture in a gallery like setting. ¯
Baker president, Chris Plasman, re-
" sponded to questions about the choice of
¯ Tulsa, saying, "residents in larger cities,
¯ such as Chicago and Atlanta, have been ¯
clamoring to get but we chose Tulsa.
¯ Certainly Tulsa’s demographics are very
¯ favorable, butthe decisionwas alsoheavily
¯ imquencedbytheresidents’ reputationfor
." uncompromising taste and style and a
genuineapp,r,eciation ofhistoryandcrafts -
: manship...
For more information, or store hours,
" call 746-0329.
¯
He was also hospitalized for a week after
being attacked with a knife by a group of
men who called him derogatory names,
he said. In 1995, he fled to the United
States and requested asylum, but was de-
At his hearing before immigration officials,
a Latin American history expert
testified that Gay men with female sexual
identities in Mexico are heavily persecuted
by the police and other groups and
are likely to become scapegoats for
Mexico’s economic and political problems.
The expert said Hernandez-Montiel
faced persecution if deported to Mexico.
Federico Gomez, press director of
Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission,
acknowledged that homosexuals
and cross-dressers still suffer from
discrimination, but added that he believes
Mexicans, in general, have become more
tolerant of people’s sexual orientation.
Gomez said he did not think the
Hernandez-Montiel case "reflected society
as the whole."
Judge A. Wallace Tashima wrote that
the appeals panel had determined that
’~3ay men with female sexual identities in
Mexico constitutea protected ’particular
social group’ under the asylum statute...
and that Geovanm is a member of that
group."
The Board of |mmigration Appeals had
contended that Hemandez-Montiel should
return to Mexico, saying he did not estalJlish
that he suffered abuse because of his
membership in a particular social group.
The appellate panel ordered the board to
reverse its decision and grant Hernandez-
Montiel asylum.
Want to get involved?
Need to get tested for HIV or
a Coming Out Support Group?
Call 743=GAYS (4297)
Tulsa Gay
Community
Services Center
1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor
by Lamont Lindstrom
When I was in highschool, my soon-tobe-
Gay friend Carl spent all hi s spare time
drawing fantastically elaborated plans for
pipe organs. In his
sketches, he piled keyboardbehindkeyboardand
rank onto rank. (All those
pipes and organs, of
course, should have gaven
me a clue.)
Since that year, I have
met many Gay guys with
considerable creative talents,
sometimes eccentrically
applied. One friend
constructs fantasy Christmas
trees. Another designs
websites. Another does
flower arrangements. Another
collects rococo pictures
of the Holy Mother.
Gays are deeply involved
in the fine and less
fine arts, from opera and
ballet down to cheesy TV
programs like Survivor.
When the AIDS epidemic
was at its worst, activists
invented the "Day without
Art" which foreshadowed how dull art
and culture would be in America should
all homosexuals ever pass away.
Why all this Gay creativity - creativity
which often is frenzied and even odd?
Anthropologist Sherry Ortner, drawing
on the Frenchfeminist Simone Beauvoir,
once proposed that ’Man is to Culture as
Woman is to Nature.’ Ortner was seeking
a-reason for why, almost everywhere,
people value what men do more than they
value whatwomen do. She concluded that
we associate women with nature, mostly
because women have kids. Women are
naturally creauve. Men, whose contributions
to making babies are momentary at
best, and much less embodied, have to
express our creativity by other means.
Ortner observed thathumans value culture
over nature. Culture is what preserves
us in nature. It tells us how to make
a living off the land. Whereas culture
protects, nature kills. Disease, aging,
drought, famine, earthquakes and tornados
may well be theendofus. Culture also
needs continuous reconstruction and cultivation.
We have to keep it all going and
we have to make sure to pass it down to
kids.
Given this preference for culture over
nature, Ortner concluded that men’s cultural
contributions are valued more than
women’s natural creativity. Others have
also pointed tomasculinejealousy offeminine
fertility. Womenunmistakably bring
new life out of their bodies. Less natural
men are driven to invent culture instead.
And we are jealous enough to insist that
our male creations - rituals, clubs, political
parties, novels, symphonies, paintings,
whatever- are somehow better, more
noble, and more enduring that just another
slobbery child. There is some truth
here, too. An ordinary human being lasts
little more than three quarters of a century
at best. Cultural creations-such as political
parties or rituals -may endure for
generations.
Gay men are particularly engaged in
cultural production insofar-as many of us
don’t contribute even the minor male donation
to human reproduction. Instead of
children, we have to live in our art, our
books, our sense of style (or maybe our
"...Anthropologist
Sherry Ortner,
drawing on the
French feminist
Simone Beauvolr,
once proposed that
’Man is to Culture as
Woman is to
Nature.’ Ortner was
seeking a reason for
why, almost everywhere,
people value
what men do more
than they value what
women do..."
dogs or cats). This is another instance- as
with penis size - where Gays are
hypermasculine. Gays who do not reproduce
naturally specialize instead in masculine
cultural creativity.
Some have criticized
Ortnerforoversimplifying
cross-cultural nuances of
male!female power relations.
Another sort of complication
comes from the
fact that many people disbelieve
an individual creativity.
Everyone, of
course, has a theory about
where new things come
from. But not everyone in
the world credits individual
creativity, orgenius,
or talent for the birth of
new things and new ideas.
Even in ,our own culture,
notions of creativity
aren’t that old. The English
noun "creativity"
only dates back to 1875 or
so. Before the modem era
- and the triumph of indiw[
dualism - our ancestors
talked instead of "inspiration,"
as others still do today. Once upon
a time, the word "’genius" referred to an
external spirit who inspired you with new
ideas. It did not mean some internal, mental
brilliance.
Onthe South Pacific island where I
once lived, nobody believes in creativity
in the sense of some mysterious
brainpower. Rather, clever people are
those with good ties to the world of ancestral
spirits. Nobody believes that men are
naturally more or less intelligent, either.
New ideas and new firings - if they are
worth anything - have to Come via inspi-
.ration from the ancestors.
Clever people are those with good communicauve
links with spirits, not those
who claim inborn talent. Men, for instance,
who come up with new songs
insist that they overhear these in their
dreams. Nobody would take credit for
composing a song by himself. If he d. 1,
how can it be any good? If you simply
make up something on your own, it obviously
can’t compete with music inspired
with spiritual wisdom.
But even on this Pacific island, men
manasecultural production although they
do so by monopolizing the means of inspiration
rather than the means of creativity,
as is the case here in America. Have a
look around at your culture, goodand bad.
Most of it is a male production, and a
notable ratio of that is Gay male productioLna.
mont Lindstrom, Ph.D., teaches anthropology
at the University of Tulsa
where he can be reached at: lamontlindstrom@
utulsa.edu
Hospice ofGreen Country seeks volunteers
to help provide care for patients and
their families who are dealing with issues
of terminal illness. Volunteers help run
errands and provide companionship.
For more information, call 747-CARE
(747-2273).
Volunteers are also needed at the Tulsa
Gay Community Services Center, 743-
GAYS (743-4297), to staff the Pride Store,
answer phones, pack boxes, catalogue
books and videos. Call for more info.
Timothy.W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for
justice & equality for
Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury,
Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
Weekend and evening appointments are available.
Are You Gay or Bisex.u. al?
Are You Native American?
-Iulsa’s Two-Spirited Indian Men’s
Support Group is here for
¯ Evening support group meetings
¯ Relationship workshops
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HIV testing
For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
Call 341; 6866
Int rn.ational
ToursSormorein/ormat’on.
Massage TherapyS~
Edgar O. Cruz, L.M.T.
Pager: 918-889-5255
Voice Mail: 918-697-9282
Lic. #C4133
Country Cl ab Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm
lbody
Tulsa’s only
professional
body-piercing
HOLY TRINITY GREEK
ORTHODOX CHURCH
THUR’SAT 11-11
SUNDAY 11-3
by Karin Gregory, TFN correspondent "
With election year just around the cor- ¯
ner, I want to ask you a question: Aren’t "
you afraid? Many people want to bury ¯
their heads, but you just can’t this year.
It’s too important.
Are you registered? Do
you know the candidates
and what they support, tol -
erate, condone, condenm,
and deny? Looking athighlights
of the Rep.ublican
National Convention last
month (What-youthought
I’d watch the whole
thing?), I was interested in
many things they pointed
out, one of which was the
"leave no child behind"
theme Bush espoused.
Funny, when he was our
govemor’for afew months
before embarking on his
Presidential campaign, his
"leave no state behind
without a governor" theme
didn’twork so well forhim.
Make no mistake grrls -
this is one Bush you
DON’T want to push an)’-
where, especially into the
~Zqlite House!
Let’s look at the issues
facing all of us this year.
Many have spoken of a
"different kind of Republican"
in George W. Bush.
Hrnmmm, I wonder. The
Republicans made a great
showof including as many
minorities as they could
find on the streets of Philadelphia
to join their little
convention. Again, great
appointing Supreme Court Justices, and
Bush has at least one to appoint, if he’s
elected. How many of you think he’ll
appoint someone who’s sensitive.to Gay
civil rights? If anyone if raising ’his/her
hand - PUT IT DOWN
"...What 1;es
were working
the floor
the week of the i
Republican
"Convention? ¯ ¯ ¯
Our eonservatlve
friends made a b;g
deal about inclusion
- Hispanies, African
Amerieans, the
GaylLesbian
Community,
the Pro-Choieers.
Yep, they really want
the votes, don’t they?
These people were
wooed and charmed
in front of cameras,
but what
happened the
,’morning after"? "
NOW!
UnderBush,manylaws
brought about by the Supreme
Court, laws which
helped to make us a demoeracy,
could be overturned~
What would hap:
pen if the Roe vs. Wade
decision was overturned?
It could happen very easily.
Andwhat do youthink
would happen to the
progress of Gay and Lesbian
couplelaws that have
come about in the last few
years? Gays? Lesbians?
Able to have rights? Bush
already denies that Gays
and Lesbians should have
"special rights". Read that
as "equal rights" and you
have the makings of a fascist
country. The makings
of amanwho would make
Charlton Heston look liberal.
But there’s another
story to this "coupling" of
Bush and Dick. Yep, you ’
know what I’m talking
about. Or rather, who I’m
talking about. It’s the old- i
est story around. Weak
Texas governor runs for
President; weak Texas
governor wins primary;
weak Texas governor.
picks running mate; rtmshow.
The Republicans are like that, you
know. Every few years they assume a
different identity, muchlike a chameleon,
so they can get votes by convincing peg.ple
they’re something "different" this ttme.
Each time (I’m talking Reagan and
George, Sr. here) the public has been
fooledby the rhetoric, the nicely groomed
candidates, and the lies.
What lies were working the floor theweekofthe
RepublicanConvention?Well,
let’ s go back to those people picked from
the streets of Philadelphia. Our conservafive
friends made a big deal about inclusion-
Hispanics, African Americans, the
Gay/Lesbian Community, and even the
Pro-Choicers. Yep, they really want the
votes, don’t they? These people were
wooed and charmed in front of cameras,
but what happened the "morning after"?
Well, the Republicans got together and
voted onNOT including same-sex recognition
among couples, NOT including
Gays in hate crimes legislation, NOT including
Gay civil rights of any kind, and
NOT including abortion for any reason.
Yeah, lies, damn lies¯
Despite all this bravado show of inclusion,
the Republican ticket ofGeorgeBush
and Dick Cheney already shows aHUGE
bias - Bush and Dick. See? They just had
to get those "family values" in after all!
Many may be wondering why I’m so
worried about this election year. George
W. Bush is certainly not a strong politician,
given the fact he was a Texas governor,
the weakest form of governor. And
you may be saying, ’He doesn’t make the
rules; Congress does."
OK, but the President is responsible for
¯ ning mate has Lesbian daughter. WHAT?
Dick Cheney, so hell-bent to do every-
" thing Conservative in the book, has a Les-
¯¯ bian daughter? What I want to know is
¯ why would this man be a party to a party
that denies his daughter equal rights?Why
¯ would she want her father to run in this
¯ party?
: On yet another television news pro-
" gram, host Cokie Roberts asked Mrs.
: Cheney about the possible hypocritical
¯ effects this has on their family. Mrs.
: Cheney said her daughter’s lifestyle was a
." "private matter." Well, Mary Cheney has
¯ been very out for many years and has ¯
¯ worked for Gay civil rights for many
years. And I resent Mrs. Cheney saying
¯ that her daughter’s Lesbianism is a "pri-
¯ vate matter" as if the girl has a disease. ¯
¯ Sounds to me likemomis the sicko here. So why, if homosexuality is such a
¯ private matter, has George W. Bush sup-
- ported every anti-gay legislation? If ho-
¯ mo~exuality is a private matter, why does
¯ he thiM: he has the right to tell me with
¯ whom I sleep? Why do the Republicans
¯ want to make such a federal issue out of ¯
such a"private matter"? Is homosexuality
" only private to the privileged few, like
¯ Mary Cheney? Or is it a matter that will
¯ decide,muchlike the sexual revolution of ¯
the sixties, the very way people look at
¯ one another in the future? As human be-
" ings, not as Gay, Straight, Lesbian, Bi-
¯ sexual, Transgendered, etc., etc., etc.
] You have a decision to make. If you
¯ want ANY possibility of equality, make
¯ sure you are registered. Then make a date ¯
¯ with yourself to go to a little booth in November. You know what to do.
Walk for Life 2000
8th Annual
Tulsa AIDS Walk
Saturday, Oct. 7, 9:30am
Vete ran’s Park, 21 st & Boulder
Fo.r more information, call 585-5551.
Donations-will be increased by 50% with
matching dollars through the generosity of
-the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The Walk is
sponsored by the Community Service
Council, and will benefit the Tulsa Community
AIDS Partnership (TCAP),
The Walk is an all volunteer effort and there
are no administrative costs.
Tulsa Family News is proud to donate this advertisement in support of the Walk
and the Tulsa Community AIDS Partnership (TCAP)
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, September 2000; Volume 7, Issue 9
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
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Tulsa Family News
Source
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
September 2000
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, August 2000; Volume 7, Issue 8
Format
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PDF
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Language
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English
Type
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newspaper
periodical
Coverage
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/items/show/604
2000
AIDS
AIDS drugs
AIDS research
AIDs Walk
aMUSEments
arts and entertainment
asylum
Bars
Boy Scouts
businesses
churches
Community Center
discrimination bans
gay bashing
Gay marriage
gay parents
Gay Studies
hate crimes
hate crimes bill
HIV testing
Jim Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
lawsuit
malpractice
marriage equality
medical marijuanan
Murder
Olympics
Openarms Youth Project
Partner Benefits
performing arts
Raging Lesbian
Red Cross
Red Rock Tulsa
restaurants
San Antonio Lesbian and Gay Media Project
Tom Neal
Tulsa Family News
VAN
Walk for Life
-
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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MCC +American Expre.ss
Offer Financial Planning
TULSA - Tulsa’s Metropolitan Community Church
United (MCC-United) with Theresa M. Barnard, a
financial planning advisor with American Express Financial
Advisors will present a series of financial planning
seminars at MCC United. One seminar will be
"Financial Strategies forGayMen&Lesbians" and will
be held onTuesday, September 5th and will be repeated
on Tuesday, October 10th. Barnard will present "Retirement
- Explore Your Options, Create your Retirement
Income," on Tuesday, .September 19th and ,Estate
Planning" on Tuesday, October 24th. All seminars
will be at 7pro at the church located at 1623 No.
Maplewood, just north and west of Sheridan and Pine.
Bamard and MCC United provided the following
statement from American Express Financial Advisors:
"We want to make our commitment to Gay men and
Lesbians clear. Just as we have ~ktended domestic
partner benefits to our Lesbian and Gay employees
worldwide, wearecommi tted to providing sound finan,
cial advice that specifically addresses the unique finandal
issues affecting our Lesbian and Gay clients."
see MCC, p. 3
Women Try to Change
Canada’s Marriage Law
VICTORIA, CANADA (AP.)- Two women at the
center of a constitutional court challenge exchanged
vows inJuly as friends andrelatives witnessed the union
ceremony. Judy Lightwater, 49, and Cynthia Callahan,
36, pledged to "cherish and sustain each other" for all of
their days with "passion, honor, patience and laughter."
Since Canadian law recognizes marriage only between
aman and awoman, it was legally impossible for
the Gay activism to get a marriage license. But the
British Columbia government has asked the provincial
Supreme Court on behalf of the couple to declare that
same-sex marriages are legal. The court challenge is
expected to reach the Supreme Court of Canada within
about seven years.
The provincial government issues marriage licenses
but is boundby federal rules as to who qualifies. "When
I see there are two people who are dearlyin love and
want to make a commitment to each other and want to
have the same access to laws that are available to others,
as a human being I ask myself why should ~ose people
not be able to make that commitment? said B.C.
Attorney General Andrew Petter.
"We’rein loveandwe want to tell everyone about it,"
........... said Lightwater: "It"s not that complicated.~ More love
in the world is something everyone supports."
The other couple named in B.C.’s court petition are
Murray Warren and Peter Cook, who filed a human
rights complaint after they were. refused a marriage
license 18 months ago. see Courts, p. 3
DIRECTORY P. 2
EDITORIAL P. 3
US & WORLD NEWS P. 4
HEALTH NEWS P, 6
ENTERTAINMENT P, 8
GAY STUDIES P. 10
Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans;Our.Families + Friends
" Building AEVER
A More Light Presb erMn Weekend
¯ TULSA - A local liberal protestant church, College Hill Presby-
¯ terian Church recently became a"More Light" church byjoining
¯ the More Light network, a group of Presbyterian affiliated
¯ organizations which are dedicated to welcoming Lesbians, Gay
men, Bisexuals and Transgendered persons into the church in all
roles, both as lay members and as ordained leaders and clergy.
Now in August, on the 25, 26, and 27, the congregation will
host a "More Light" event and organizer both to help educate
local religious groups and individuals, and to recognize and
¯ celebrate College Hill’s joining the More Light group.
The Session (the board of directors of the congregation) has
invited Michael Adee, Ph.D., who is a full time organizer for
More Light network, a weekend of workshops.
~ According to College Hill’s spokesperson, "these three days
¯ will be filled with opportunities for worship mad fellowship
¯ together, to learn more about ministry to and with Gay, Lesbian;
Bisexual and Transgendered persons, and to inform and welcome
¯ others to this ministry of compassion, inclusion and justice."
The opening event will be a lunch on Friday; August 25th,
¯ from noon to 1:30 in the Fellowship Hall of the church which is
¯ located at 712 So. Columbia Ave. The church is just west of the
¯¯ campus of theUniversityofTulsa and sinceTU has tomdown the
old Kendall School to build a Tennis Center, the church can be
seen from Delaware.
The lunch presentation is called, "Building a Church for
Everyone," and church professionals and elders from Presbyterian
Churches in the area are invited to attend this luncheon. Adee
will give a short presentation on the history and goals of More
Light Presbyterians, followed by a question and answer session.
The meal will be $5.00.
On Saturday, August 26th, Adee will lead a workshop "Caring
for All God’s People," from 8:30- 12:30 again in the Fellowship
Hall. According to organizers; those attending this event will
gain greater understanding of the pastoral care needs of GLBT
people and their families, see Light, p. 3
¯ Others May Follow
Vermont’s Lead On Unions
¯
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP)- Legislators in Rhode Island and New
¯ York are hoping their states follow Vermont’s lead in granting
¯ same-sex couples the benefits of marriage. "From New Hamp- ¯
shire to California, politicians are intrigued by the civil unions
¯ statute Vermont created to grant Gay and Lesbian couples rights
¯ and benefits without wandering into the politically volatile ¯
thicket ofmarriage. But most advocates say Vermont will remain
." a pioneer on the issue for the foreseeable future while the public
¯ becomes more comfortable with the idea. ¯
A state senator in New York is drafting a bill based on
: Vermont’s statute and a Rhode Island state representative is
." pushingabill to expandhis state’s marriage laws toinclude same-
¯ sex couples. "I would not introduce anything but marriage;’ said
: Rep: Michael Pisamro, a Democrat from Cranston, R.I. "I don’t
: necessarily see something like civil unions or domestic partner-
. ships as a stepping stone to marriage." Pisaturo earlier this year
; said Rhode Islanders are still uncomfortable with the idea of
¯ recognized partnerships between Gay people. That’s why heheld
~ . off on a bill to legalize same-sex marriage and will try next year.
¯ In the New York state Senate, Manhattan Democrat Tom
: Duane is drafting a bill that his aide said would be "similar to"
." Vermont’s first-in-the-nation civil unions statute, although de-
." tails were still being worked out. "Our Legislature won’t be back
, ’ until January., ~s~ it wouldn’t be until then,", said Scott Mdvin. ~
: Advocates also see opportunities in New Hampshire, Con-
: nectient, New Jersey, Massachusetts and California for laws
¯ granting marriage benefits, either through marriage itself or
¯ through a civil unions compromise like Vermont, s. ¯
"I think the situation we’re in is Vermont will be there and will
." have to have the courage of its convictions for a while and then,
¯ I think, it will fall into place in a number of spots," said Beatrice ¯
Dohrn, a lawyer for the Lambda Legal Defense and Education
: Fund, which led the legal fight in Hawaii for Gay marriage.
¯ Although most advocates insist that full inclusion in marriage
¯ statutes is the only way for Gay and Lesbian couples to achieve
; equality, some see the civil unions statute as a good way to begin
." moving toward that goal.
¯ "Using Vermontas a model, other legislatures wishing to enact
¯ equal benefits,~ see Unions, p. 2
¯
Boy Scou.ts Target.ed
For Ant -Gay B=as
¯
TULSA - In conjunction with a National Day of
¯ Protest ofthe Boy Scouts ofAmerica~ Kerry Lewis,
¯ spokesperson for Tulsa Oklahomans for Human
¯ Rights (TOHR), has announced that TOHR and
: other local organizations will hold a protest at the
¯ local headquarters of the Boy Scouts of America on
¯
August 21st. The time of the event will be available
¯ by contacting TOHR at 743-4297.
The protest is in response to a recent US Supreme
Court decision which overturned a New Jersey
court ruling that the Boy Scouts’ anti-Gay policies
were illegal under New Jersey non-discrimination
laws. According to Lewis, "the purpose of these
protests is to provide a visible and rational response
to their discriminatory and de-humanizing policies."
The Indian Nations Council of the BSA is located
at 3206 So. Peoria. Parking is limited at the
site but is available on the street a few blocks away
in the Brookside business area.
Lewis noted also that there are also several other
options for you to register your protest of the Boy
Scout policy. One is to write a letters of complaint.
Informational materials, including sample letters,
are available by contacting TOHR.
¯ And in discussions with Tulsa Family News,
¯ Lewis acknowledged that another aspect of the
¯ Boy Scouts’ discriminatory policies was Tulsa
¯ AreaUnitedWay’s (TAUW) funding for the BSA.
¯ Lewis acknowledged that some in the community
¯ favor designating TAUW as the target of protests ¯
or demonstrations, but that those discussions were
~ ongoing.
¯ Lewis also said that the next meeting of Tulsa’s
Diversity Council will beonTuesday, August 22nd
¯
at 7pm at the Center.
: Further in the future is a visit to Tulsa by Dr.
: Laura Schlessinger, radio talk show host known for
her characterization of Gay people see BSA, p. 3
Barnes & Noble Boots
¯
TULSA-In amove thatis being decriedby smaller
¯ newspaper publishers across the US, Barnes &
¯ Noble has thrown out most community publica-
¯
dons out of its stores across the US.
¯ In Tulsa, Barnes & Noble representatives sent ¯
notice to TulSa Family News by letter in the last
¯
week of June of the new policy which went into
: effect on July 1st. Newspaper reports from else-
. where in the US note that Barnes & Noble sent the
: letter to most publication in sometime in March.
: Local representatives could giveno explanation for
¯ the several month delay before informing Tulsa
: publications.
¯ Barnes & Noble stated in its letter that it was
: removing the publications in order to use the space
¯ forit own merchandise but after TFN publisher
: spoke with (the no~w former) manager of the 71st
: St. store, it became clear that while minority pub-
: lieatious were being removed, Barnes &Noble was
¯ creating a new space inside the store for two com-
" ¯ mtmitypublications; TulsaPeopleand Urban Tulsa.
¯ These two were retaining distribution privileges
¯ because they have the largest volume of copies
¯ ¯ distributed. Both- Tulsa People (TP) and Urban
: Tulsa (UT) are publications with histories of fail-
" ing to serve Tulsa’s Gay &Lesbian communities or
: of having anti-Gay policies (UT).
Tulsa Family News publisher Tom Neal said,
¯~ "this policy inherently discriminates against mi-
¯ nority community publications. By virtue of being
¯ minority, we simply cannot compete on a highest
," volume basis."
: Neal added that given a choice between making
¯ purchases at Barnes & Noble or at Borders, he
¯ encourages community members to buy at Borders
¯
which consistently has been more supportive of
: Lesbians and Gay menin Tulsa. Neal also suggests
¯ that readers letMattMozzoni,manager of the 41st ¯
St. Barnes & Noble see Barnes & Noble, p. 3
Minority Newspapers
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine
*Club Vortex, 2!82 S. Sheridan
*Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*St. Michael"s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd
"*The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th
712-2324
610-5323
583-2119
835-2376
749-4511
744-4280
745-9998
834-4234
585-3405
660-0856
584-1308
749-1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Advanced Wireless & PCS, Digital Cellular 747-1508
*Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41 665-4580
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15 712-1122
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21 712-9955
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale 494-2665
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria 743-5272
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria 746-0313
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth 295-5868
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th - 749-3620
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838,-8503
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial 369-8555
*Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 592-0460
*Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoffa- 744-9595
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th P1. 6!0-0880
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. 628-3709
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st 742-1460
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning 459-9349
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly 745-1111
*International ~[ours 341-6866
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering 747-0236
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening 582-8460
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15 599-8070
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard. #210 747-5466
*Li~:ing A~tSpace, 308 South Kenosha 585-1234
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd 584-3112
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 663-5934
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place ....~-
664-2951
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo 838-7626
*The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor 743-4297
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, "74101 747-5932
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921,747-4746
Scribner’ s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square 749-6301,
Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-7829
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563
Fred Welch, LCSW, Connseting 743-1733
*Wherehouse Music. 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222
*Whittier News Stand. 1 N. Lew~s 592-0767
www.gaytulsa.org
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337.74101 579-9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black & ~Vhite, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 583-7815
*]3 L/G/T Alliance. Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 5K3-9780
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Horence
*Church of the Restoration UU, 1314N.Greenwo°d 587-1314
*Commtmity ofHope United Methodist, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300
*CommunityUnitarian-Universalist Congregatmn 749-0595
Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
Free SpratWomen s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
918.583.12.zhS, fax: 583.4615
POB 4140. Tulsa. OK 74159
e-mail: Tu!saNews@ earthhnk.:~et
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Seal
Writers + contributors:
James Christjohn. Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P.
Legrandbouche. Lamont Lindstrom. Esther Rothblum, Mary
Schepers. Hughston Walkinshaw
Member of The Associated Press
Issued on or before the ! st of each month, the entire contents -:
of this publication are protected by US copyright 1998 by
T~,u~ ~:o~ Ndw~ and may not be reproduced either in "
wholeorin part without written permission from the publisher. "
Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s ,.
sexual orientation. Correspondence is assmned to be for
publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & be- ".
comes the sole property of rJ,4~ ~.’. Ncnu4~ Each reader
is entitled to 4 copies of each ediuon at distribution
¯
points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583-6611
*Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
Holland Hall School, 5666 E. 81st 481-1111
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
*House of the Holy Spirit Minstries, 3210e So. Norwood
Interfaith AIDS Ministries 438-2437, 800-284-2437
*MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral PI. 748-3111
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tulsa
PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901
*Plalmed Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
*Red Rock Mental Center, !724 E 8 584-2325
O’RYAN, support group for 18-24 LGBT young adults
O’RYAN, Jr. support group for 14-17 LGBT youth
St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincim~ati 425-7882
St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
*St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
*TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105
Co~tfidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, c,~o The Pride Center 743-4297
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform~ Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*TulsaGay Community Center, 1307 E. 38, 74105 743-4297
Unity Church of Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
BARTLESVILLE
*Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN
Borders Books & Music, 3209 NW Expressway 405-848-2667
Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
TAHLEQUAH
Stonewall League. c~J! for i~fformation: 9!8-456-7900
*Tahlequmh Uvjtarian-Uni vcrsalist Church 9182456-7900
Green Country A!DS Cozdition, POB !570 918-453-9360
NSU Schoo! of C,ptometry, 1001 N. Grand
HIVtestln,, e’ve~v other T~es. 5:30-8:30. cal! for dates
Autunm Breeze Restaurm~. L~w~.. 23
*Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main
DeVito’s Restaurant. 5 Center g t.
Emerald Rainbow. 45 &l:2 Spring St.
MCC of the Living Spring
Geek to Go!, PC SpecialisL POB 429
Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery
Positive Idea Marketing Plans
Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East
White Light, 1 Center St.
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
*Spirit of Christ MCC. 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134
501-253-7734
501-253-7457
501-253-6807
501-253-5445
501-253-9337
5~ 1-253-2776
50!-253-5332
501-624-6646
501-253-6001
501-253-4074
417-623-4696
* is where you can f’md TFN. Not all are Gay-owned but all are Gay-friendly.
Tulsa Family News wishes to correct an
error in our July issue. In an article about
GayTulsa.o,:g, we mistakevJy indentified
their Associate Webmaster, Scan, as Seth
and as a "partner" in the r,on-profit organization,
rather than by his correct title.
TFN regrets any all,stress this caused to the
staff and friends of GayTulsa.org. - TN
equal status for Gay and, Lesbian people
wi!l look at this," said David Smith ofthe !.
Humau Rights Campaign, the nation’s
the country that would look to this.’.’
Vermont’s law is parallel to mamage
but ~s a separate legal creation. It has
prompted a lot of debate around the country
about granting benefits to couples who
want legal recognition and protection for
their long-term relationships.
Vermont lawmakers have said repeatedly
that their law could be a model for
other states to emulate as they seek to
steer clear of the emotional debate about
marriage. Thirty-two states have adopted
statutes specifically outlawing Gay marriage.
Because civil unions aren’t marriage,
though, the Vermont authors of the
law say, they’re a way to take a step
without getting bogged down in emotion,
religion and morality.
But to people like California Assemblywoman
Rep. Carole Migden of San
Francisco, that’s demeaning. ’.’Thepremise
of civil union is still an insult, but nevertheless
we’re pleased that the state of
Vermont recognizes the quality of Lesbian
and Gay equality in a less-than-dignified
way," said Migden, whose state last
year outlawed Gay marriage in a referendum.
"We’re moving along. Each year we
add to it, It’s a step-by-step buildingblock
process."
Some Gay civil rights advocates caudonthat
experiences in Hawaii and Alaska,
where courts said same-sex couples should
be allowed to marry and then lawmakers
and voters reversed them, should temper
any predictions that the idea of civil unions
will spread quickly beyond Vermont. "I
think it’s important to bear in mind that
Vermonti s aleader in notjust civil rations,
but in terms of hate crimes, second parent
adoption and nondiscrimination is sues for
the Lesbian and Gay community," said
Tim Sweeney, deputy executive director
of New York state’s Fanpire State Pride
Agenda. "I think that’s an important context
to keep in mind."
Political considerations appear to be far
from the minds of many of the people
entering into civil unions since they became
thelaw on July !. Ofthe 115 that had
been reported to the state vital records
division through Monday~ more th;m tw othirds
have b~eu between conples from
outside Vermont. That’ s even though civil
unions are not legally recognized anywhere
else in the country.
That "alone will make a difference in
other states, though, advocates say, be~
cause it is generating debate in practically
every state. "The whole mo~cement an
Vermonthas createda tremendous amount
of education and discussion about Lesbian
and Gay relationships and the kind of
discrimination we face," Sweeney said.
"It’ s been an extremely positive discusstun
and very helpful to humanize Lesbian
and Gay relationships and our families
."
by Tom Neal, editor/publisher
How disappointing that Colin Powell would lend his
credibility to the Republican scam of being a party of
inclusion at the recentGOPconvention. Since the days of
that deficit-creating monster Reagan, Republicans have
represented the worst in American character: hate-mongering,
religiously intolerant, and committed to undermining
constitutional rights of those unlike themselves.
In Philadelphia, we see Blacks, Latinos, women and
the disabled trotted out but we still read the same attacks
o~ Gay Americans. Gays can be soldiers ouly at the cost
offree speech. Gayrelationships,by federal law, can only
be end class.
In Oklahoma, Democrats aren’t much better. Republicans
talk nasty about Gay taxpayers. Democrats keep
quiet but both abuse the authority of the State to attack
Gay Oklahomans. God forbid we should get through a
legislative session without a vote by the majority to
remind us of the contempt in which we are held.
Whenboth parties treat all fairly, when the accidents of
birth: race, ability, ethnicity, sexual orientation and the
choices of a free citizenry: political affiliation, religious
"lifestyles" or "preferences", all are of no more importance
than that of being left or fight-handed, then Americans,
Republican and Democrat, can say we are thenation
of fairness for all.
The statement continues, "whether you’re single, in a
committed relationship, or caring for children, yotir
?maerican Express financial advisor ca~’help you take
control of your financial future. We can help you:
Establish savings and investment plans.
Protect your assets from unnecessary taxation.
Avoid financial restrictions placed on unmarried
couples.
Avoid cosily delays in the receipt of life insurance
proceeds."
Bamard requests that those wishing to attend please
telephone in advance to her at 748-8191, ext. 121.
They have been in a relationship for 29 years. "The
community support has been really important to me
because I don’t have the support from my family," said
Callahan, whose parents did not attend her union ceremony.
as being "biological error[s]". TOHR is trying to work
with other groups to design an effective protest for her
visit this fall.
On Tuesday, Aug. 8th, TOHR will hold its general
membership meeting at the Tulsa Gay Community Services
Center at 7:30pm. The regular business session
(which is usually short) will be followed by a special
program presented by the Credit Counsding Center of
Tulsa, a Short presentation on financial responsibility,
etc. Members and those interested in the community are
invited and encouraged to attend.
And on Sunday, Aug. 13th, the"Lesbian Connection,"
a program of TOHR, is inviting EVERYONE in the
community to come out and have fun at Keystone lake.
Burgers will beprovided - youbring the rest! Swimming,
volleyball, fishing, boating, etc. will be available all day.
Call the Center for directions.
The initial planning meeting for "Diversity Celebration
2001" will be held at the Tulsa Gay Cominunity
Services Center beginning at 1 lain on Saturday, Aug.
19th.
know about their nnhappiness with the new policy.
Mozzoni seemed to be sympathetic to the situation but
has stated that since it comes down from corporate.
headquarters, hehas litflechoice. Mozzoni canbe reached
at 665-4580.
National Gay Organizations Comment on Cheney
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Human Rights Campaign
(HRC) and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force
(NGLTF) have issued comments on the record o’f Richard
B. Cheney, George W. Bush’s Vice-presidential
nominee, on Gay and AIDS issues.
Cheney, a former defense secretary in the administration
of Bush’s father, and a member of the U.S. House of
Representatives from 1978-1989, has an extremely conservative
record, HRC noted. Like Gov. Bush, however,
Cheney seeks to package a conservative record with a
moderate image, the organization said. "The choice of
Secretary Cheney is in keeping with Governor Bush’s
strategy of staking out conservative pos!,tions and wrapping
them in a moderate package, said Wiunie
Stachelberg, HRC’s political director.
As a Wyoming congressman, Cheney opposed early
efforts to address the HIV/AIDS crisis. Most notably, he
was one of 13 House members who voted against the
AIDS Federal Policy Act of 1988, the first major bill to
provide funding for HIV/AIDS counseling and testing.
Cheney also supported an effort to reduce funding for
HIV/AIDS research. In addition, Cheney voted against
the Hate Crimes Statistics Act of 1988 and supported an
amendment that added anti-Gay language to the bill.
As defense secretary, Cheney supported Pete Williams,
the department’s chief spokesman, when The Advocate
magazine revealed his homosexuality. "I have
operated on the basi, s over the.years with respect tO my
personal staff that I don’t ask them about their private
lives," said Cheney. "As long as they perform their
professional responsibilities in a responsible manner,
their private lives are their business."
Cheney opposed President Clinton’s effort to lift the
ban on Gays serving openly in the military. Cheney told
CNNin 1993,"I am one of those people who believes that
people’s sexual preference and orientation are a private
matter. It’s something that is a personal matter for them,
and no one else’.s business. And that’s the way I ran the
civilian side of the Pentagon... On the military side,
though, you can’t pursue that policy."
Later in the interview, Cheney ffaid: "I basically don’t
believe in discrimination, but I did conclude, as secretary
of defense, that the ban on Gays in uniform was appropri-
Topics include: coming out, integration of sexuality and
faith, responding to homophobia in the church and society,
helping parents of GLBT children and children of
GLBT parents. This group is open to all. ’ It will be
especially helpful for GLBT people and their families,
their friends, and fellow church members, elders, teachers
and youth leaders. Continental breakfast and snacks will
be served.
Sunday morning, the Church School Mid-highs to
Adults will.begin at 9:35 in the Chapel. This event is rifled
"Bringing Body and Soul Together (Let’s Talk about
Faith and Sexuality)" This Church School Class will
feature’an interactive discussion on Christian sexual
ethics. Those choosing to attend will share in an hour
devoted to how Christians integrate faith and sexuality in
living the Christian life. The focus will be what makes
’good relationships’ for all God’s people.
Then on Sunday, August 27th, the regular worship
service at 11amin the Sanctuary will feature a sermon by
Michael Adee. The service entitled "Celebrating Diversity
and Inclusiveness" will honor "Christ’s call to be
inclusive." The chancel choir will offer special music for
the occasion and communion will be celebrated. This is
the formal event to mark College Hill’s declaration to be
inclusive and work as part ofMore Light Presbyterians to
bring the Presbyterian denomination to the inclusion of
GLBT people in ordination as well as membership..
Finally on Sunday afternoon from 5:30- 7:30, aYouth
Event, "On Being Gay & Being Christian" will be held.
The College Hill youth fellowship will be hosting
individuals and other youth groups for pizza and open,
informal conversation about sexuality andfaithfor youth.
Adee will be the facilitator on topics ranging from being
GLBT and Christian, coming out, harassment at school
and church, sexual sdf-esteem, dealing with family, and
Gay/Straight friendships.
This event hopes to help Gay and Straight youth underctand
themselves and each other better.
For more information about these events, contact "
College Hill Presbyterian Church at 592-5800.
: ate."
¯. HRC has endorsed Vice President A1 Gore for presi-
¯ dent. He has yet to name a running mate. Cheney is
: currently the chief executive officer of the Halliburton
: Co., a publicly traded company that supplies equipment
¯ to the oil industry. Halliburton does not have a non-
. discrimination policy thiat includes sexual orientation nor
: a domestic partner program for Gay employees.
¯ According to the NGLTF research, Cheney opposed
: the Equal Rights Amendment, opposes reproductive
¯¯ choice and supports prayer in public schools.
NGLTF notes like HRC that Cheney in 1993 opposed
¯ President Clinton’s effort to lift the military ban and
¯ openly Gay servicemembers. At the height of the debate,
¯ Cheney warned that defense cuts and the proposal to lift
: the ban "have led to a decline in the quality of military
¯ recruits."
¯ He added that "the whole reduction in defense spend-
: ing, the controversy over Gays in the military, has led to
: an unwillingness to serve and low morale."
¯ NGLTF adds that Cheney has served as a trustee of the
¯ arch-conservative American Enterprise Institute, where ¯
he was a former senior fellow. The American Enterprise
¯ Institute is home to many right-wing thinkers, such as
¯ former Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, former
¯ House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Charles Murray, ¯
author of "The Bell Curve," a book which suggests that
¯ differences inintelligence existbetweenblacks and whites
¯ and that these differences are genetic and immutable.
¯ American Enterprise Institute scholars have also been
~ outspoken in their opposition to equal rights for Gay,
: Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender people.
: "George W. Bush has flubbed the most important
¯ decision in his presidential camp~gn," said Elizabeth ¯
Toledo, NGLTF executive director. "His compassionate
¯ conservatism holds out no compassion whatsoever for
¯ theGay, Lesbian,BisexualandTransgendercommunity. ¯
Furthermore, it sends a chilling signal to women, to
¯
people of colo~: and to those concerned with fairness and
: equality that a major political party would offer up a
candidate with such a background to the voters. This
¯ selection demonstrates that right-wing, religious extrem-
¯ ists are still a powerful force on the political landscape."
¯ Openly Gay Republican ¯ Featured at Convention
. PHILADELPHIA -Rep: Jim Kolbe of Arizona made
¯ history when he became the first openly Gay member of
¯ Congress to address a Republican convention. The Ari-
¯ zona congressman had a prime-time speaking slot, ad-
¯ dressing the GOP on trade issues for three minutes.
¯ Kolbe, first elected in 1984, is the most senior openly
¯ Gay member of Congress andis the only openly Gay
¯ Republican in the House. Having Kolbe speak at the
¯ convention was an idea first raised by Washington city
¯ councilm_.an David Cataniain April, when the Log Cabin
] Republicans, themostprominent Gay GOPorganization,
." met with presidential candidate George W. Bush.
¯ Bushmetwith the group, a first for a candidate preparing
to pick up the GOP presidential nomination, despite
his opposition to many of the its issues, including Gay
." marriage. Log Cabin Republicans Pleased Members of
¯ the Log Cabin Republic,~ns are delighted by Kolbe’s
: place.in the convention lineup - especially considering
¯ that he backed Bush’s rival, Sen. John McCain, during
¯ the primary season.
¯ According to the group, this is the first lime a wall- ¯
known openly Gay person has gone to the podium at the
¯ GOP national convention. In 1996, a little-known Log
¯ Cabin Republican member from California, Steve Fong,
¯ gave alow-prof’ile, one-mi nute speech amidlittle fanfare.
[ But some socially conservative Republicans, who are
¯ opposed to civil rights for Gay people and have warned
¯ Bush about reaching out to the Gay community, were
" unhappy with the prospect of having Kolbe speak, One
leading conservative Republican told ABCNEWS he
¯ was "flabbergasted" by the decision, and called it a
~ "shock." "It is not going to be a happy time," said the
¯ Republican. "I think it is a really bad decision."
: Kolbe is a founding member of the National Advisory
¯ Board of the Log Cabin Republicans; the nation’s most
[ prominent Gay GOP group. In 1997, he gave the keynote
¯ address at the LOg Cabin Republicans convention. Kolbe
¯ was a strong proponent of the NorthAmerican Free Trade
i Agreement.
Pentagon Says Gay
Policy Is Working
WASHINGTON (AP) - The military’s much-criticized
policy on Gays in uniform is working, but
training must be improved to eliminate anti-Gay
behavior like the abuse that led to a soldier’s murder
in Kentucky last year, the Defense Department said.
"We think we’ve got it right this time," Carol
DiBattiste, the undersecretary of the Air Force, told a
news conference Friday to publicize anew Pentagon
program to re-emphasize in training that such behavior
is unacceptable.
Speaking at the same news conference, Bernard
¯ Rostker, the undersecretary of defense, said he disagreed
with President Clinton’s statement last year,
after the beating death of Pfc. Barry Winchell by a
fellow soldier at Fort Campbell, Ky., that implementation
of his policy on Gays was "out of whack."
"I don’ t agree with that characterization. I think the
policy is working reasonably wall to provide a degree
of safety’.’ for Gays in uniform, Rostker said. "The
days of witch hunts, the days of stakeouts, are really
gone." Even so, Rostker said, more needs to be done
to ensure that everyone in the military understands
the policy.
The Clinton administration’s policy on Gays in the
military is derived from a law passed in 1993 after
Clintonfailed topersuade Congress and the Pentagon
to allow Gays to serve openly. ~.The policy, known as
"don’t ask, don’t tell," holds that Gays can serve in
uniform so long as they don’t reveal their sexual
orientation. One problem, however, has been unwarranted
investigations of people suspected of being
homosexual. There also is a fear among discreetly
Gay service members that if they ,qomplain about
harassment, they will be discharged. ’"
The announced plan to eliminate anti-Gay behavior
was created by a panel of civilian and military
officials led by DiBattiste of theAir Force. It was in
response to a Pentagon inspector general’s report in
March that found anti-Gay behavior was commonplace
in the military. DiBattiste said the key to her
panel’ s plan is adoption of an"overarching principle"
meant to clarify to all in the military that unacceptable
behavior includes not just abuse of Gays but also
"inappropriate comments or gestures." "That’s the
high road that we need to take," she Said.
The DiBattiste panel’s 13-point "action plan" is
largely reiteration of previous expressions of deterruination
to stamp out anti-Gay behavior and to hold
military commanders responsible for policy infractions.
Last December, Rostker’s predecessor in the
undersecretary’s post, Rudy de Leon, issued a statement
that "harassment of service members for any
reason, to include alleged or perceived homosexuality,
will not be tolerated," and commanders must take
prompt action against violators.
Michelle Benecke, an executive director of the
Servicemembers Legal Defense Fund, an advocate
for Gay rights in the military and a frequent critic of
Pentagon policy; called the DiBattiste panel’s report
"’thoughtful and considered." ’.’Today’s recommendations,
if implemented, would be a very good start,"
Benecke said.
The spark that caused- the Pentagon to take a closer
look at the Gay policy’s implementation, and at the
extent of anti-Gay behavior in the field, was the
Winchell murder at Fort Campbell on July 5, 1999.
Two of Winchell’ s fellow soldiers were convicted in
the crime and are in prison.
Gen. Eric Shinseki, the Army chief of staff, released
the Army inspector general’s report Friday on
circumstances surrounding the Winchell murder. The
report concluded that some members ofDCompany,
2nd Battalion, 502rid Infantry Regiment, Winchell,’ s
unit in the 101st Airborne Division, violated the
military’s policy against anti-Gay behavior, but it
exonerated all commanders at Fort Campbell.
TheArmy report also concludedno general climate
of homophobia existed at Fort Campbell. With some
exceptions, "It was determined that the command
climate at Fort Campbell before 5 July 1999 was a
positive environment," the inspector general’s report
said. It also said the chain of command at Fort
Campbell "respondedappropriate1y"when confronted
with situations that appeared to violate the "don’t ask,
don’t tell" policy.
" Rep. Mart,y,. Meehan, D-Mass., questioned these
conduslons. ’Giving FortCampbdl arelatively dean
bill of health doesn’t square with recent reports of
prevalent anti-Gay harassment throughout the services,"
Meehan said.
Vermont Papers Will Print
Civil Union Notices
RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) - Aunotmcements for civil
unions are beginning to appear alongside wedding
announcements on wedding pages in newspapers
around the state. At many newspapers, editors said
they will treat announcements of same-sex unions the
same as traditional marriages, placing them in the
same section of their newspapers and in the same
format, although perhaps under a different heading.
The decision "took about 30 seconds of deep
thought," said Valley News editorJim Fox. "It wasn’t
very difficult." "Of course we would treat them the
same," said .amnette Sharon, managing editor of the
Manchester Journal. "ff they want to make that announcement
to their neighbors, the newspaper is the
place for that to happen."
Evennewspapers thathave editorialized against the
law granting marriage-like benefits to same-sex
couples appear likely to print civil union announcements.
Mark Smith, publisher of The Caledonian-
Record, said no one had.brought such a notice to his
St. Johnsbury paper, but if someone did, he would
probably publish it. "My personality is such that it
will depend on the attitude of the person who comes
through the door," he said. Smith said he would
comply with a polite request but dig in his heels if he
felt pressured.
So far,the reqtlests have been few. In Brattleboro,
where the first civil union was certified just after
midnight on July 1, no announcements have been
submitted to the local newspaper, the Reformer.
In August, that will likely change, though, when
John Calvi and Marshall Brewer of Putney, have a
civil union ceremony, and submit an announcement.
The couple- and the newspaperi- made national news
more than a decade ago when the Reformer became
the first mainstream newspaper in the United States to
publish a Gay wedding announcement.
Joseph Watson of Leicester, entered a civil union
with his partner, Michael Warner, on July 7. Watson
said he had no problem with sending out the notice,
which has appeared in the Addison County Independent
and was in the July 23 edition of the Sunday
Rutland Herald and Times Argus. It will also be in a
new "Milestones" section of the Gay newspaper "Out
in the Mountains" and is expected to be published
soon by The Burlington Free Press.
Addison . County Independent publisher Angelo
Lynn said his paper received only aletter of praise for
its publication of Watson’s civil union notice. At the
Newport Daily Express, however, managing editor
Susan Davis doesn’t expect such a smooth reception.
Davis said if she receives civil union notices, she
will print them as long as her publisher approves. But
she anticipates a backlash. "I don’t have a problem
with it, but I know a lot of people do," she said. "’This
is the Northeast Kingdom and everybody is running
anti-civil unions (for the upcoming dections).. It’s
a huge issue up here."
Man Charged With Hate
: Crime in Beating Death
BARRON, Wis. (AP) - A man charged with helping
murder a 22-year-old hearing-impaired, mentally dis -
: abled man now also is accused of a hate crime in the
: killing. Prosecutors contend Raymond C. Walton,33,
¯ of Barron, helped beat Michael J. Hatch to death with
¯ a tire :iron Oct. 20 because Walton thought Hatch was
: Gay, according to court records.
: Walton was charged with being party to first-
." degree intentional homicide and armed robbery in
¯ Hatch’s death. The hate-crime enhancer was added to
". the charges last week.
~ Barron County District Attorney James Babler dedined
comment on the hate crime filing, which says
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Walton intentionally selected the victim because of
his belief or perception regaa’ding Hatch’s sexual
orientation.
Authorities say Walton a~d Corey L. Kralewski,
21, killed Hatch and left his body in a rural Barron
County corufield. A criminal complaint said
Kralewski, Walton and Mary Reed spend the evening
of Oct. 19 at several Barron bars. Kralewski played
pool with Hatch, whom he knew from high school.
Later, the group left the pool hall and drove to a
field near the Dunn County line. Reed told authorities
she sat in her truck while Kralewski beat Hatch with
a tire iron. Walton also hit Hatch several times, she
said. In a written statement, Kralewski told authorities
heknocked Hatch down with afew blows but that
Walton did most of the beating. Walton showed
authorities Hatch’s body. Kralewski pleaded innocent
to a homicide charge and goes on trial Aug. 7.
Reed, 34, pleaded guilty to aiding a feton and was
sentenced to t~vo years in prison.
Chicago Bishop Faces
Ecclesiatical -Charges
CHICAGO (AP) - A United Methodist lay member
has filed a complaint with the church, accusing his
Chicago-based bishop of using the office"as a public
relations and news media channel for promoting
homosexuality," among other things. John
Juergensmeyer, an attorney and member of a United
Methodist church inElgin, is calling for Bishop C.
Joseph Sprague to resign or be removed.
Sprague, formerly a United Methodist pastor in
Columbus, Ohio, heads the church’s Northern Illinois
Conference. He was one of several Methodists,
including at least one other bishop, arrested while
protesting anti-Gay measures adopted at the church’ s
general conference in Cleveland in May
Juergensmeyer said that Sprague’s arrest was a
"triggering point" for his complaint. But he said
Sprague’s overall political views have long troubled
him and other conservative United Methodists. "He is
reducing the church only to a political instrument
rather than a spiritual force." said Juergensmeyer,
rather than a spmtum io~c~, ~a~,., o~.~r,~,l.....av.,
who also ~s accusing Sprague of promotang writings
about Jesus Christ that luergensmeyer says violate
church doctrine.
Earlier this month, Sprague told the United Methodist
News Service that the letters of complaint
seemed to be "part of an organized effort of a small,
very vocal minority." He also said he made his views
clear when he stood for election as bishop four years
ago. Sprague was re-elected to his second four-year
term at the church s North Central Jurisdictional
Conference this month.
Man Gets Two Life
Sentences for Slaying
BALTIMORE (AP) - A man who told police he
attacked Gay men because he thought Gays were evil
was given two life sentences for the slaying of a h.otel
guest last June. Gary William Mick, 25, was gaven
one life sentence for first-degree murder and a concurrent
20-year sentence for robbery for the attack on
Christopher Williams Jones. He received a consecutive
life sentence with all but 30 years suspended for
first-degree attempted murder and a concurrent 20-
year sentence for attempted robbery for a separate
incident last September. Mick, of Baltimore, pleaded
guilty to the two attacks in May.
Jones, 37, of Metuchen, N.J., was attending a
pharmaceutical conference in Baltimore whenhewas
found bludgeoned to death at the Admiral Fell Inn.
"We loved our son and his partner in life as we love
all our children and their lifemates. The emptiness we
feel because of this loss is extreme," said Howard
Jones, the father of one of the victims, in a family
statement to the court.
Prosecutors said Mick accompanied Jones to his
hotel room after the two met. once.inside, Mick
struck Jones nine times on the right side of the head
with a claw hammer. He then stole Jones’ truck and
credit cards, which he used to buy clothes, jewelry,
food and a beard trimmer, prosecutors said.
The second attack occurred in September. Prosecutors
said Mick attacked another man he had met, but
the victim was able to fight him off.
Lesbian Recieves Headof-
Household Status
SACRAMENTO (AP) -The state Board of Equalizationhas
voted to grant head-of-household tax status to
a Lesbian who is supporting her partner and nonbiological
child. The board voted 3-2 to allow the Los
Angeles family to file with one of the women as the
head-of-household, which will savethem about $2,500
a year in state and federal taxes.
Helmi Hisserich and Tori Patterson of Los Angeles
have been together 14 years and had a daughter in
1997. Patterson gave birth and has stayed home to
raise the baby since then. When Hisserich filed a tax
return for 1997, she checked the box for head of
household and calculated accordingly.
The Franchise Tax Board said she was not eligible,
saying head of household status covered situations
only where an unmarried person was paying more
than half the expenses of an adoptive or foster child,
or any blood relative. They said she owed $1,050,
Hisserich said.
Sbnnnon Minter, staff attorney for the National
Center for Lesbian Rights in San Francisco, argued
Hisserich’s case before the board June 30. "This is the
first time they’ve addressed this issue," he said. "It
recognizes the reality of our families and gives legal
validation to the reality that our client is a parent
regardless of the fact that she doesn’t have a biological
relationship to the child."
Hisserich said the board had to consider whether a
heterosexual couple would be treated in the same
manner. "But if we were a heterosexual couple, we
would be mamed. We’ve been together 14 years,
we’ve registered as domestic partners in our city, our
county and the state. We’ ve done everything we can,"
she said.
The Board of Equalization will vote again after its
staff prepares a written decision, and will comment
publicly on its reasoning when the vote is final,
according to spokeswoman Cristina Herrera. That
could take up to three mouths, she said.
-- ~i~-n~)g~s~i~d tile vote was the logical extension of
Califo~aua court rulingsin the past two years that had
granted parental status to Gay men and Lesbian
couples planning and having children. Because intent
was the basis of his winning argument in the tax case,
Minter said the decistonmostlikely woulon’t apply to
situations where someone moved in with a partner
who already had a child. The ruling affects only state
tax status, but I-Iisserich said the Internal Revenue
Service followed the state on head of household
status.
Jury Votes Death to
Killer of Lesbian Couple
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -A Mnltnomah Countyjury
sentenced to death a Portland man who killed a
Lesbian couple in a karaoke bar. Eric Walter Running,
49, was fOund guilty of two counts of aggravated
murder in the February 1998 shotgun slayings
of Jaqueline J. A_ffderson, whom he had dated, and
Barbara J. Gilpin. Running killed the women after
Anderson, 29, a poet and writer, broke up with him
and returned to her 10-year-relationship with Gilpin,
44, a landscaper.
In an unusual split, the jury imposed the death
sentence only for Anderson’s murder, giving a life
sentence without the possibility of parole for Gilpin’.s
death. Ten of the 12 jurors voted to give a deat~
sentence in Gilpin’s murder, but a unanimous verdict
is needed.
"’Barbara Gilpin deserved the same verdict as my
daughter," said Jack Anderson. "But one death sentence
is all that it takes. I don’t care if he dies
tomorrow or never, I’m just glad he can’t be a threat
to anyone anymore." Running smiled as the verdicts
were read. Hewill become the 25thperson onOregon s
Death Row at the state penitentiary in Salem.
Almost 20 patrons at the Ambassador Restaurar.’-a
and Lounge in Portland witnessed Running kill
women Feb. 24, 1998. Rurming’s lawyers offered
insanity defense.
Se.n.a.te OK’s $600 ¯ $200 million interuational program to
Million for AIDS
batfleHIV/AIDS. Speaking ahead of the
. " ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian
WASHINGTON (AP)-Legislafioncom- " Nations) Regional Forum, Asia’s largest
mitring up to $600 million in U.S. aid for " security conference, Downer noted prefighting
HIV and AIDS in Africa and ¯ dictions that AIDS threatens to reduce or
developing countries elsewhere was " even reverse Asia’s economic growth. "I
passed at the end of July by the Senate. On
don’t think the Asia-Pacific region can
avoicevote, theSenateapprovedabillby turn,!ts back on this devastating prob-
Sens. Bill Ffist and Jesse Helms, both
lem, Downer told’anews conference.
Republicans, authorizing $300 million in " Most of the $200 million will be tar-
¯ geted at countries in the Asia-Pacific re-
" glen, Downer said, and Canberra expects
¯ to work dosdy with the Association of
¯ Southeast Asian Nations.
¯ Much of the funding remains uncom-
", mitted, but some will augment existing
¯. programs in Indonesia and Papua New
¯ Guinea, Australia’s immediate northeru
¯ neighbors.
Relations Committee, said the bill requires
that up to $220 million of all U.S.
bilateral funding forHIV-AIDS programs
over the next two years be spent on supporting
orphans in Africa. T,he United
Nations has predicted that the disease is
expected to wipe out half the teen-age
population in some poor countries in Africa.
Similar legislation passed in the House,
which voted earlier this month to fully
fund President Clinton’s request for $2’44
million next year for combating and treating
AIDS in poor counmes.
each of the next two years for AIDS
prevention and treatment and also for the
care ofAIDS orphans in developing countries.
Thebill directs the Treasury Department
to establish a trust fund with the
World Bankfor the prevention efforts and
the treatment of orphans.
Helms, chairman of the Senate Foreign
HIV-Treatment Ctr.
Targets Blacks
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - A treatment
center for blacks who have AIDS or HIV
is planned in a county where only a third
ofblackAIDS patients gettreatment, compared
to half of infected whites. Rochesterhas
the second-highestnumber ofAIDS
cases in Ne~v York state, after New York
City. The number of local AIDS cases has
leveled off among whites but is climbing
among blacks, according to the Rochester
Primary Care Network.
Existing programs are not reaching t~
growing number ofblackmenanawom
who are HIV-positive, Art Collier, prestdent
of Primary Care Network, said. The
rateamong MonroeCounty’residents who
are black is over eight times the rate
among white residents, he added. Before
1991, 64% of reported AIDS cases in
Monroe County were among whites mad
27% were among blacks.
The center expects to have an initial
casdoad of about 150 patients. Besides
medical care, services will include mental
health counseling and treatment for substance
abuse. TheNational Black Leadership
Commisston onAIDS is helping plan
the center and recruit ablack staff, Collier
said. Coordinatbrs believe black patients
will respond better to treatment by black
medical personnel. Dr~Anson .,W;urapa.,~
black physician at strong Memon
Hospital’s AIDS Center, said blacks tend
Russia’s
Infections Growing
MOSCOW (AP) - The number of registered
HIV cases in Russia has soared in
the last six months and will continue to
grow, but the government doesn’t have
the money to fight the epidemic adequately,
a top health official said.
By tl~e middle of July, Russia had some
53,1~30 registered HIV cases, with almost
half ofthemcomingin the last six months,
said Vadim Pokrovsky, the head of the
Federal AIDS Prevention Center. But he
said that the actual number of Russians
infected with HIV, the virus that causes
AIDS, is probably more than 300,000,
since only about 10% of the population.
has been checked. "The regi,s,tered cases
are only the tip of the iceberg, Pokrovsky
said. "We must accept the fact that we are
facing avery quickly spreading epidemic."
Increaseddrug use andprostitution since
the collapse of the Soviet Union have
been two key reasons for the rise in HIV
cases? Still, a low incidence in HIV-ca.ses
in recent years as well as more pressing
economicproblems m.ean ~.e~g~ov~eru~,~t,
has been slow to combat AID~. in zu ,
only 46 million rubles ($1.65 million)
was set aside to combat HIV and AIDS,
Pokrovsky said.
If Russia doesn’t take new measures to
stop the spread of the virus, the country
could have some 1.6 million HIV cases by
2015, he said..and those who are infected
nrobablv won’tbeable to get the help they.
the government’s manmty to pay. wm
people probably shouldn t count on getting
treatment," Pokrovsky said. .
HIV is worst in the Moscow regto.n,
where some 5% of young people are infected,
Pokrovsky said.
Rise in HIV
Infections ih Gays
College Hill Presbyterian Church
announces a
"More Light" Weekend
with Michael Adee
National Field Organizer, More Light Presbyterians
August 25 - 27, 2000
Building A Church for Everyone
Friday, August 25th, Luncheon: Noon - 1:30, Fellowship Hall
History and goals of MoreLight Presbyterians, followedby a question and answer
session. Cost: $5.00 for the meal
Caring for All God’s People
Saturday, August 26th, Workshop: 8:30 - 12:30, Fellowship Hall
Pastoral care needs ofGLBT people and their families. Continental breakfast and
snacks will be served.
Bringing Body and Soul Together
Sunday, August 27th, Church School Mid-highs to Adults, 9:35am, Chapel
An interactive discussion on Christian sexual ethics.
Celebrating Diversity and Inclusiveness
Sunday, August 27th, Worship ll:00am, Sanctuary
A special worship to celebrate our diversity and Christ’s call to be inclusive.
Michael Adee will preach and we will share communion together.
On Being Gay and Being Christian
Sunday, August 27th, Youth Event 5:30 - 7:00pm
The ColleggHill youth fellowship will be hosting individuals and other youth
groups for pizza and informal conversation about sexuality and faith for youth.
College Hill Presbyterian Church, 712 S. Col~bia Avenue, 592-5800
(One block west of Delaware and the Uni;~sity of Tulsa Campus)
’Financial Pla.nning With A
Clear Comm,tment.
~t American Express Financial Advisors, we want to make our
3ommitment to gay men and lesbians clear. Just as we have extended domestic partner
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our lesbian and gay clients.
Nhether you’re single, in a committed relationship, or caring for children, your Americar
~xpress financial advisor can help you take control of your financial future. We can help
~OU:
Establish savings and investment plans
Protect your assets from unnecessary taxation
Av.oid financial restrictions placed on unmarried couples
Avoid costly delays in the recei pt of life insurance proceeds
series of Seminars given by
"heresa Barnard, American Expeess Financial Advisor
Where: MCC United When: 7:00 P.M.
1623 N Maplewood Ave
¯
TORONTO (AP) - Figures showing.a
to mistrust the medical sys.te.m, a~.d w.~en , rise of HIV infections amongG~Y., menm
everyone on the staff is whtte, tlae s~tua- " Ontario could be the fLrst sigu O~ mcreastion
is worse. - " ~.... " ing HIV levds for Gay men in Cam.a.dar
Natioo~!JY, one in .5~b,~abk.,m~,’~s,.m7 AIDS. activists note. A. recent prownce2 1. Create your Retirement Income
fectedw~HIV,’,andAiDSis’theleaamg i wide study conducted by University ot [Tuesday; September 19th
cause’of!~a,.~.~d~allblackAmerica~ Toronto and community gr6ups f°und an
between:th~.~g~of 25:and44:Thbdis-~. increasing number of HIV infections [e Estate Planning
ease i’s gr6wiiig fastest among -black among O~tario Gay men ~ter_ 19°~6,~ _ r [ Tuesday, October 24th
women, who a~.ount for 56% of HIT ~ In 1992, the infection rate was ,.~ 1~
cases in women. " - " 100 people tested, the ~tudy found. The
/
¯
number dr°pped t° 0"87J 1"00 in 1"996; d
Australia
a]or HIV Initiative-’" -" "
risen to 2.07/100 people testea. llae stuaY
mirrors recent results in San Francisco
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Australian " which showed that HIV infections among
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer an- " Gay andBisexualmentherenearlytripled -
nounced thelaunchrecenflY of asix-year’ over the past two years.
-’inancial Strategies for Gay Men & Lesbians
Tuesday, September 5th and Tuesday, October 10th
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by Karin Gregory
I just love Dr. Laura Schlessinger. Really,
I do. I think she and I could be great
buds. You know how some girls make
plain girls their friends just to make themselves
look prettier? Or how some pal
around with fat girls just so they’ll look
thinner? Well, Dr. Laura could be my
girlfriend (eeeewwww, not that way!!!)
because every stupid thing I’ve ever said
in my life would sound intelligent next to
the things she says. And she’ll be saying
plenty, I’m sure, come October, when she
rides in on her broomstick to Tulsa.
Who is Dr. Laura, you ask? If you’re
Gay, you’ve been in a cave. Laura
Schlessinger, shock jock advice-giver of
the radio circuit, has called Gays and
Lesbians "biological errors", "sexual deviants",
and my personal favorite,
"pedophiles."
She says she does this out of compassion
for us, not out of hatred. Oh no, I
don’t feel hated and maligned by those
statements, do you? She spews her hatred
and bile via the airwaves, with complete
support from the Religious Right. You
know them- that group that has the inside
info on the "homosextml agenda"! As if
her radio show weren’t bad enough,
Schlessinger’s taking her "teach intolera-:
ze" rantings to the TV screen in September,
courtesy of that "giant" of great
television programming, Paramount.
"OK," you’re saying, "the Lesbian is
once more raging about something, but
what has that got to do with me? What’s
one more ignorant person in a long line?"
Funny you should ask. "Dr." Laura (she
has a Ph.D in physiology, not psychology)
has become svch a controversial
figure (much like Am., Bryant in the late
’70s when she tried to inflate anti-Gay
legislation) that the G/L/B/T commurnty
has united to protest her television show.
All over this country are planned protests
to keep her off the TV screen.
And debates have become so heated
that major advertisers such as Proctor &
Gamble, American Express and United
Airlines have pulled out, saying that they
don’t need any more controversy. And
Geico InsuranceCompany (my insurance
company!) tookits advertising away from
her radio show at the beginning of July.
The reason? The company could not, being
supporters of diversity, condone the
words and actions ofsomeone who clearly
sees diversity as wrong. These are not
their exact words, mind you, but .youmay
find out more by going to
www.stopdrlaura.com.
Let’ s lookat this woman’s careerbriefly
and find out just what led her to this
homophobic phase in her life. Several
years ago I.first heard her radio program,
and I thought that she was telling people
the truth, even if they didn’t want to hear
it. Somehow I admired that, although I
didn’t always agree with everything she
said. She is a big proponent of parents
taking control in the home and not blaming
everyone else for how their’children
behave. That part hooked me since Iwas
a middle school teacher at the time and
saw parents who didn’t think they hadan]
responsibility for their child’s behavior.
So far, so good. And I even read reports
that she used to support theG/IJB/T community.
Two years ago, however, she
converted to Orthodox Judaism, adopting
intolerance as her Bible. Now she says she
can’t support the G/L/B/T community
because of religious teachings.
If you hate me, hate me. But don’t lie
: about it, saying you’rejust~following the
¯ Old Testament. Hell, if we followed all
the Old T0.~tament teachings we’d still be
¯ selling ot~ daughters into slavery; still
¯ buying s~ves from neighboring coma-
" tries; and~ould be allowed to kill, with-
" out impunity, anyone who worked on the
¯ Sabbath. Gee, I didn’tknow that the Jew-
¯ ish could also play pick and choose with
¯ religious teachings like some Christians.
How much does she really believe in
¯ these religious texts? Who knows? She
doesn’t even have a consistency when it
¯ comes to condemning homosexuality.
¯ Well, she does, but she tries to say that
¯ she’s not condemning anyone. The point
¯ is,shehas saidthingsinprintandonradio, ¯
takenthemback, backpedaled, madeother
¯ people speak for her so many times it’s
¯ ridiculous. Her stand is so ambivalent, so
¯ setin sand, thatno one canbelieve or trust
¯ anything that comes out ofher mouth. Her
¯ press agents said she apologized for her
¯ remarks about Gays being "errors", and ¯
¯ then the next day she said she wasn’t
apologizing.
¯ Dr. Laura has denounced the American
¯ Psychiatric Association and the National ¯
¯ Education Association for their - oh, I
suppose- compassk hate stance on equal
¯ rights for all, andinstead has sold her soul
¯ to Religious Right organizations like Fo-
¯ cus on the Family. She promotes, within
¯
her own radio show, an intolerance to-
" ward Gay people on all levels, even to the
¯ point of denouncing hate crimes legisla-
¯ tion.
¯ I can see her leading cheers to teach
children who’ve just come home from
¯ school how to actively hate homosexuals.
"Gays are bad! Gays are fey! Let’s go
¯ bash ~ Gay today!" She says she is a
¯ moralist and has openly opposed the Ver¯
mont same-sex partners’ rights decision a
few months ago. But again, she’s not
¯ hatingus. She’sjustcompassionate.Yeah,
¯ this is why she takes an attitude of "I’m
right no matter what" on her radio show,
¯
and will also, I’m sure, on TV. But let’s
¯ see how that could work against her, shall
¯ we?
Anyone who’s ever watched a few epi-
: sodes of"Frasier" knows how easy it is to
¯ just hit a button and get rid of pesky caller
¯ #1. How does this work on TV, when
¯ you’re faced with the pesky caller in per-
" son? Taping. has already begun on her
: show, andfrom the reports, it doesn’ tlook
¯ likeasuccess. Dr. Lauradidn’tknow how ¯
to ask the proper questions, or even know
¯ some rudimentary technical televison
¯ knowledge i~her first tapings.
¯ There’s n~question that Dr. Laura is ¯
used to the ~d~o. But she also wants an
¯ audience like the one on radio - one she
¯ can rant to ,and not have to.see. Because ¯
¯ for all her bravado and showmanship, she
really DOESN’T WANT to help anyone.
: She actually doesn’t seem to like people.
¯ You can bitch and moan to people all you
: wantif you don’tsee their faces. She’s on
: radio and~feels safe.
i Guess What? Rea[peopie~
! may had.e, more difneultyi~ing~p.le
0ff if she him to .fae~i. them, [f’.~votild be
interesting to seehow b~y!hla~ di~S if
¯ she has to face questions about her views
¯ on homosexuality, but I know I won’t be
~ watching. I think she should just quietly
¯ go away, like Anita Bryant. A career
¯ shriveled by her own hatred. ¯
¯ Gregory is a Texas based writer, who
lives near Ft. Worth. Sheformerly taught
¯ school and also was a newspaper re-
. porter.
by Jim Christjohn, entertainment queen as ffelll He speaks atleast threelanguages o trammg. And to do this you need that of doing the constant prePs/media events,
Happy summer, folks! Been a lot of fluently, and has a mischievous sense of o traimng. So it’s easy to injure your voice, being portrayed in press as living a life
changes since the last column- went on a humor. Welose alotofcastmembers, whohaven’t that wasn’t close to reality and the rumors
visit to Chicago where I discovered an Described as Versace on hyper speed, ¯ had the kind of vocal traimng that will based on the illusion. For instance,
artist I’m eager to tell you about, and Braehetti changes costumes at lightning ¯ sustain you through a show like this. And, "There’d be a photo op at a party. I’d go
closed the door on a ghost from the past; fast speed, transforming into more than " like I said, even if you have had it, there just long enough for the picture, then g~t
started a new job and more. 80 characters and giving life to legions of ¯ are moments you forget. And you defi- home to a cup of tea and bed. DoingS8
First, local news: Cyndi Vetter directs personalities. His show is a multi-media o nitely feel it later. Even the trained folks shows a week plus recording an~ alb~
Heller Theatre’s first production of the extravaganza, combining comedy, mu- . lose voices as they get caught up in the didn’t leave much time for a Wild
new season, "A Coupla White Chicks sic, magic, and emotions of the even if I’d wanted to live one. Thenthe~
Sitting Around Talking" by John Foi:d video in a unique show " I’d be, splashed across the C~adian
Noonan. Starring local favorites Julie collage of acting, ". , .Deserll~ed as Versace on Jc: What el- equivalent of the National Inquirer, with
Tattershall (an excellent actress) and storytelling, stunts layper speed, Braelaett] c]aan~es fect has doing this an article about what a party boy I was.
Maude Mix, it is the story of two women and caricature. He show had in terms Please."
who are complete opposites of each other, is thewinner ofthe costumes at li~latnin~ fast speed, of impacting your Feeling too tied to the show, he decided
and the unlikdy bond they form. They 2000 Moliere life and/or views to start over and move to NYC, where
discover that, together, they can over- Award(theFrench transformln~ into more tlaan 80 of the world? ironically, he ended up being recast in
come anything. The production runs Au- Tony, which has
el~araeters and ~ix,~n~ life to.
MH: "As I Rent. He took a week or so off to record
gust 3-6, at the Heller Theatre, 5328 S. never been one by said, I’ ve been vocals for the new album, which he pro-
Wheeling Ave. Reservations are rectA- anyone outside of le~ions of personalities, through years of duced and played instrument~ for.
mended at 746-5065. France), and a de- training, withsing- Heloves performing, dislikes pressjun-
While in Chicago, I had the chance to lighffully impish His slaow is a multl-media ing, and acting, kets and meeting hordes of people. He
meet some marvelous people, including fellow.Addalittle
extravaganza, eomblnln~
and dancing. I’d made an exception to come to Tulsa, for
TomMichael,whoIlaterlearnedisoneof Cirque De Soleil been so close to which the event was nice and relatively
the top cabaret artists across the nation, too that mixture comedy, music, marie, and v’ldeo getting parts so low key, in his eyes. At th~ time of the
consistently in the industr~’s top ten lists above, too. many times, only interview,hehadflownoutfromNYCity
amongthecompanyofMichaelFeinstein, Brachetti ar- in a uniclue colla~e of acting, to lose them to 6:30pm the prior evening, didpress, upat
Maureen McGovern, Betty Buckley, rivesinTulsaatthe peoplewhohadn’t 5:30am for more press, and was flying
Michael McAssey (who hosted the PAC courtesy of storytelling, stunts and earlea- had any training. I back an’hour after I spoke with him. Ah,
eveningatthepianobar-somethingTulsa Celebrity Attrac- was about to quit the glamorous life! ture. He is... a
desperately needs), Sally Mayer, Donna tions August6-13. show busines s Chad was kind enough to give me a CD
Murphy, and Amanda McBro(~fi. Tickets can be had deliChffully impish fellow, when the call came sampler of his new album, "No. 1 Fan,"
~He’s been actively singing in the Chi- by calling 596- from the Rent and it’s very good. Nice melodic rock,
cago nightclub scene for 12years, andhas 7111.Iwilltellyou Add a little Cirque De Soldl people. I’dbeenin and I love the first song -"Small Town
also performed with the Boston Pops and now, the costumes
too tlaat mixture above, too..,
so many situations Girl;" atl.~,ode to not giving up on dreams
Spokane symphonies. In 1995, he was that Brachetti de- where I’d been and p~venng with what life gives vou
invited to participate in the national Caba- signedandcreated through al! this Ng~i~2i~ really nice beach-boys n{eets
ret Symposium with such luminaries as rival any elaborate [and] training, and Fl’~i~,ood Mac kinda tune about break-
MargaretWqfiting, Julie Wilson. and Ann Bette Midler workedreallvhard ~ mg-!:~p¢ or ~vantiug to, by the title .of
Hampton Callaway. His album, "Sailing Cheridrag Queen onmy craft c~nly to ¯ "I~xmgton." After that is "Say Good-bye
On," is the perfect music for romancing extravaganza. Di ...RENT opens August 99 see people with no : t~hip-hoppy kinda rappish song
yournewguyorgal.TomMichael’svoice I mention he’s
and runs tlarou~la September 8
experieuce get wi~eat pop hook, withsomejazz~a~,d
wraps around you like a warm blanket on cute, designs a parts I was up for, rock bi-~:thrown in for good measure. It s
a winter’s night, and draws you in. mean frock, in his for 8 performances, and had just be- about growing up, growing old, selling
I was privileged to meet theman behind mid thirties (he’s come so disheart- out, doing what you’re told. "I know who
the voice, and spend-an afternoon with cagey about his RENT is only ttae ened with the biz. I wanna be..." The next ~s a ham~ting
him. He is as nice as the voice he sings age) and single?
~tla musical to win both
Sothis,gethngthat ballad/rocker, an ode to loneliness of a
those incredible love songs with. And RENT Opens call, really .rein- lostfriencFrelationshipanddrinkingalone.
he’sboyishlyhandsome, withblondehair August 29 and tlae Pulltzer Prize and forced my faith in On each, his voice handles the material
and incredibly intense eyes that dance runs through Sep- the business and and styles with aplomb, and he has a very
with light ’ every so often. His smooth tember3for8per- several qony Awards..." renewed that appealing tone. It seems there will be
" tenor voice and immaculate phrasing fin- formances. Tix go dream, something for everyone on the full CD,
mediately gave me a new perspective on on sale June 12th Also, I’ve be- and it will be worth picking up. I hope ~t
that style of voice, at 596 7111. RENT is only the fifth musi- come much more spiritual. I wasn’t spiri- gets radio play.
My favorite cut is the title song, which cal to win both the Pulitzer Prize and tual at all when I took this part. But Mimi Jeffrey Seller, the show’s producer,
I’ve heard done before, but not with such seve :al Tony ,Awards. Matinees are set is such a wonderful character and she’ s speaks of show with real enthusiasm, and
feeling that you feel the song flowing for Sat & Sunday, and there will be a grounded in faith, and to play that, every his eyes light up when speaking of the
around you. Beckie McKenzie, who un- special $25 per seat matinee on Wednes- night I have to believe it on stage. Since impacthe’s witnessedthe showhaveupon
fortunately was out of town the.Sunday I day, August 30. doing the show and portraying a charac- its audience. He sees "Rent" as a transforsaw
Tom perform, lent her voice and Presentatthepressconferenceannounc- ter, Mimi, who is very spiritual, I have mative experience. He hopes the show
arranged the music for the album, and ing this special addition to Celebrity At- become more open to that aspect of life will reach the younger Gay teens and
there’s not a tinker on it. When I asked tractions’ season were Marcy Harriell, where once I wasn’t, and I’ve heard from twenty-somethings and send a message
my host "Which local artists’ CD should MIMI on Broadway, and Chad friends and fans about their own searches that "Yes, you can be gay and successful,
take home with me as a souvemr. , the Richardson,ROGERonBroadway, flown for meaning, whichis one of the themes of that gay is more than OK and is cool. You
immediateresponsewasTomMichael’s’, in for the day to perform a couple of the show. And that has inspired me to can live ~oodlife, a rich life," and hopes
And he was right. Tom Michael’s "Sail- numbers from the show. They were both start searching. It’s so nice to bein a show they will be moved by the relevant expeing
On" is available from Amazon.corn, dynamate, and had incredible voices, that’s inspiring instead of traumatizang." rienees the show represents. The message
or Tower Records, Original Cast Records I was able to ask a few questions of Marcy Harriell has not done a CD yet, of inclusiveness is important to him for
(1-888-627-3993), Borders, Barnes and them, which they were most ~acious in but hopes ~t is in her future. And I can the audience to ’get."
Noble, Footlight Records, and answering. I spoke first with Ms Harriell, assure you, evenifshe sings the telephone Even today, he still has a passion for
CDNOW.com: who was as gracious as she was beautiful, book, it would be well worth listening to. this show evident in his speech and the
BrachettllS comang. No,~t s notaplece JC: This seems like an incredibly diffi- Chad Richardson is Canadian rock way his eyes light up. Having aecomof
tOast with herbs and tomatoes on ~t, it’s cult show to do, especially in terms of the singer, and has had two albums produced, plished quite a bit for his 35 years, he
ArturoBrachetti, the quick-change artist, vocals. His third is the upcoming "No. 1 Fan," chalks his success up to being a
Think "Greater Tuna" meets Robin Will- MH: (laughing) "Oh yes! Well, I’m a due out in May. He’s a handsome man, workaholic. He never tires of seeing the
Jams while doing David Copperfield’s classically trained singer - opera and so and he also has an incredible voice, much show s effect on audiences, its power to
act. Greater Tuna had two guys doing on, so doing this show was really different easier to listen to in many ways than embrace and connect with all people, and
quick changes to create the 22 characters in terms of it being arock show, basically. Anthony Rapp, the originator of the role. make them feel part of a family.
of a small mythical town; Arturo is one It places totally different stresses on your He also has incredible presence and very Of course, that does kind of clash with
man creating 88 characters during the vocalchords,andrequiresalotofstamina; piercing eyes. the show’s detractors, who feel that it
course of an evening - from cowboys to because when you get caught up in the Chad was a member of the Canadian glamorizes drug use and unsafe sex, but
geishas and barmaids to Royal Mounties, emotion of the show - which happens at cast ~f Rent, who reached rock-star fame you can’t please everyone.
he is a very channing man and handsome some point every night - you forget the .o as a member of the show. He quickly tired
by Lamont Lindstrom, Ph.D.
My sister just reported in from the annual
family reunion. Earlier this month,
the uncles, aunts, and cousins congregated
in apark on the suburban
slopes ofMt. Diablo,
California. Safe here in
Oklahoma, I’ve somehow
managed to .miss the last
decade ofthese family pic-
But news filters back.
This year my second
cousin Michael reappeared,
somehow on parole.
I am surprised because
it wasn’t too long
ago thathe attacked an elderly
couple in their car,
pulled up at a gas station.
He stabbed the oldwoman
dead. A .Vietnam War
flashback, Michael’s lawyer
said, which could wall
be true.
My family doesn’t talk
much. What facts I have
derive from the Oakland
Tribune lnternet newspaper
archives. Orrather, the
truth is that we happily gossip about each
other when those others aren’t listening.
Wejust don’t speak such things publicly.
And there at the picnic also were my
second cousins, once-removed, who are
autistic. Our gossip wonders if this condition
is their parents’ fault. The brothers,
who are now in their 30s, somehow make
a living repairing trails in Yosemite National
Park. We all know something about
them despite the fact that their autism is
never spoken of at our reunions.
My first cousin arson was at the picnic
too. arson is 46, unmarried, does something
with computers, and still lives with
my aging aunt and uncle. It makes one
think. It makes us gossip, too. Perhaps I
have a Gay cousin: Or perhaps arson is
just a happy solitary. Who knows? We
never talk about it:Opeuly, that is.
My family - likes yours, maybe - religiously
follows our own policy of "Don’t
ask, don’t tell." This peculiar sort of secrecy
is the framewt,rk of the closet. The
closet comes into being just because we
have agreed not to notice what is obvious.
arson’s sexual identity is an open secret.
He knows what he is, and we know what
he is too. But because we never admit
what we know, not publicly anyway, we
avoidhaving to deal withits consequences.
If we did acknowledge that we know,
we might have to do something. Dismiss
the newly uncloseted Gay from the Army,
for example. My family wouldn’t discharge
Orson.(or me either,.for that matter)
fromthe clan,butitwouldface having
to revalue Gayness. It would lose the
comfort of our open secret. This would
demand considerable emotional and political
transformationonall sides, It’s alot
easier just to go along to eat the hotdogs
and hamburgers and chat about kids and
the weather.
Eve Sedgwick, a literary critic and one
of the founders of "queer theory," proposedin"
TheEpistemology ofthe Closet"
that open secrets are fundamental within
modern American culture.
Part of her argument can be restated
simply. Homosexuality - which throughout
much of the 20th century couldnot be
recognized publicly - is nonetheless always
present within contemporary no-
My family doesn’t
talk much. What
f~ets I have derive
from the Oakland
Tribune Internet
newspaper archives.
Or rather, the truth
is that we happily
gossip about each
other when those
others aren’t
listening. We just
don’t speak such
things publiely.
¯ tions of sexuality. Gayness exists in order
: to maintain theboundaries of straightness.
¯ Wejust don’t admit it:
¯ Gayness has to exist as an open secret.
It is a shadowy, inverted,
and devalued reflection of
straight. When it emerges
from the closetand appears
clearly in public, it threatens
¯straightness if it becomes
a possible, alternative
normal sexuality.
Straight can’t exist withoutGay;
butitperhaps also
can’t exist-notin thesame
way, anyway - when the
open secret is revealed.
Likemurder and autism
in the family, the
unspeakability of secret
Gayness has maintainedits
shame. We’ve heard the
reaction: "Go ahead and
be Gay. Butkeepit to yourself.
Don’t thrust your
lifestyle in my face. We
don’t want to know about
it. How dare you Gays
flaunt k ? Can’t you keep it
secret?"
¯ You can understand the worry. Flaunt-
" ing destroys open secrets. Public recogni-
¯ ,tion of Gayness erodes the normality and
"6ounds of straightness. Telling one’s se-
¯ crets unsettles the uncles and the aunts
¯¯ and their elemental notions about who
¯ and what they are. Who can blame them? Nowonderthey’dratherhappily smalltalk
¯ with arson abouthis job andhis car- and
¯ not about what he does when no one is
;" looking (or when they are pretending not
¯
to be looking).
¯ So my family dogs its job, keeping our
¯ open secrets. And it’s not just my timo- ¯
¯ rous relatives. I have thirty-something Gay friends who avoid certain bars for
¯ fear they might run into family friends
¯ who’dtell thex" rmother. Li" kemomdoesn’t
¯
already know. But, sometimes, she really
doesn’tknow- she honors the open secret
¯ by not admitting that she’s seen through
¯ her son years ago.
¯ One of these years I’m going to finally
¯ make it home to the family reunion.
¯ "Orson," maybe I’ll say,"So what do you
¯ think of those Back Street Boys?"
¯ Lamont Lindstrom teaches anthropology
at the University of Tu,lsa.
¯
¯ It takes courage to scrutinize yourdefense structures, belief system, values, self-
" worth, self-doubt, behavioral patterns, and
¯ overall identity, and to shed the traits and
¯ beliefs thatno longer functionin your life.
¯
It takes uncommon courage and integrity
~ to implement the insights of that scrutiny,
¯ and to live honesty and authentically. ¯
Anyone who enters and completes this
: process is a survivor, and deserves the
¯ rewards of liberation, identity autonomy,
¯ and happiness."
: While much of this book is geared to-
" ward use by straight therapists for their
¯ Lesbian and Gay clients, lay people will
¯ also find it valuable. It will help people to ¯
fully understand that the rituals they have
¯ gone through are not unusual and that
: their goal shou!.d be a vibrant, happy and
¯ healthy life.
¯
Check for this title at your local library,
¯ or call Readers Services at 596-7966.
Timothy .W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
|
An Attorney who will fight for
justice & equality for
Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury,
Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
I 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
~sareavailable.
Are You Gay or Bisexual?
Are You Native American
Support Group is here .for you!
¯ Evening support group meetings
¯ Relationship workshops
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HIV testing
For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
rr
IGTA member
Call 341.6866
international
Toursiormorein!ormation.
e Therapy services
Edgar O. Cruz, L.M.T.
Pager: 918-889-5255
Voice Mail: 918-697-9282
Lic. #t34133
Country Club Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Ffi., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pro
Tulsa ’sonly
professional
body-piercing
American
Theatre
Company
presents
Shakespeare’s
Twelfth
Night
Augus, 17- !9
August 24 - 26
Eight o’clock
Eight dollars at. the gate
Phil brook Museum
2727 South Rockford Road.
by Ted Anthony, AP National Writer
N~V YORK (AP) - 715ose eyes. ~tNose
eyelashes. Those cheekbones. Those outfits.
She Is m~ American original, this
Tammy Faye Bakker - for better and for
worse, an utterly umque vessel that conrains
the strange stew of celebrity, spirituality
and sin we have come to expect from
our fallen 1cons in recent decades. Who
better, then, to explore, to figure out, to
focus in upon than the face that launched
1,000 quips? That’s the mission of a new
documentary, and "Tile Eyes of Tammy
Faye" doesn’t disappoint.
For those of you living on Jupiter’s
moons, Tammy Faye Bakker (now
Tammy Faye Messner) was/is the excruciatingly
mascaraed ex-wife of
tdevangelist Jim Bakker and former costar
of PTL, the North Carolina-based
television ministry that imploded in a pit
of accusations and recriminations in the
late 1980s.
He trysted with Jessica Hahn (who later
paraded in Playboy) and went to jail. She
got addicted to pills and ended up marrying
his best friend. Jerry Falwell got involved.
Things got nasty. Pop culture
references were born. Mascara companies
prospered.
Now, more than a decade later, Tammy
Fgye paces-the halls of her California
gated-community house, trying to sti~lI
together the swatches of her life and fin__
out what’s important to her. This proves
to be a funny and tragic endeavor, and
filmmakers Randy Barbato and Fenton
Baily chronicle it as it unfolds. Narrated
by RuPaul, of all people, it’s a festival of
weirdness camed out on an impressively
documentarian level, and it offers a deadon
look at Tammy _ aye without ever
poking fun at her. It lets her do all the
work, and work she does.
- She gives us a tour of her makeup case
(the eyes come from L’Oreal Waterproof
- She is praised by relatives in strange
ways ("When she was born, she had perfecfly
manicured fingernails:’ says an
aunt).
- She goes to a photographer to get new
head shots and smpri ses the makeup artist
by announcing that her lips, eyes and
eyebrows are permanently lined.
The film’s success, though, lies in assembling
a portrait of Tammy Faye that
transcends parody. She is an easy target
for a hip, sarcastic documentary. Instead,
we find out about a woman who was
reaching out to Gays and AIDS patients
long before anyone else in the Christian
broadcasting community Welearn about
awoman who endured cancer, thenjudged.
the experience worthwhile because ~t
brought her closer to her daughter. And
we discover, though she never says it
outfight, that she still respects Jim Bakker
- and may well still love him xn some
ways. Bakker, too, is interviewed here,
watched balefully by his new wife as he
talks - and sometimes reminisces fondly
- about his time with Tammy Faye.
In the end, you’re left with several
questions aboutTammy Faye: What DID
she and Bakker believe in? God? Ego?
Money? Themselve,’ 9 And what does she
really look like under all those layers?
Whatever she ultimately is, Tammy
Faye deserves some sympathy. She’ s been
through alot that wasn’t her ownmaking.
She’s going to church again, singing ~n a
local choir and trying to figure out just
who she is - an admirable trait in anyone,
and something not to be lampooned, no
matter what her past has held. "I don’t
know of any woman in our time who has
been so maligned," Pat Boone tells the
camera. "And yet she just keeps going."
And that trajectory makes for a fascinating
documentary - whether you end up
seeing it as a valid piece of journalism or
an entertaining celebrity car wreck.
Homosexual Rites of Passage: arises from lack of awareness that others
A Road to Visibility & Validation
by Marie Mohler, MA
reviewed by Barry Hensley
Tulsa Ciry-CounU Eibrary
Like e~eryone else, Lesbians and Gay
men go through a series of life events that
shape their personalities, morals and ability
to interact with other people. However,
because of sexual orientation, there
is often a different set of events and there
are different hurdles to jump. This book
analyzes these rites of passage to help
Lesbians and Gay men understand themselves.
Author ~ [thief approaches a variety of
topics, each with, a sep~ate chapter, inciudi~.
g ~,~nderstar,,ding Fear, Overcoming
c.~- Coming Out, Con-a~fitment
Rimai s ar,_d Aging Rites. Each topic builds
o~ the prevtous one.
Fern plays a big role for both straights
and Ga)’s. For Gay people, fear serves as
an obstacle to growth. For straightpeople,
fear of Gays "’smt’aces in antiGay bashing,
picketing, propaganda, hazing, attempts
at converting homosexuals and
discrimination in the workforce. Energy
is tied up in keeping the Lesbian and Gay
individual out of their world, consciousness,
and own ide.nti.ty,.b.y attemp.ting t,o,
keep homosexuahty mws~ble and stlent.
Mohler suggests that straights fear Gays
due to ignorance. "This ignorance often
may differ from one’s sdf. There is often
no motivation to learn about other cultures
or sexual orientations. Thus, anything
different from the self is considered
abnormal."
One thought provoking section in the
chapter on aging deals with the death of a
same sex life partner. A Gay or Lesbian
individual’s "truest support system, emotionally,
physically, sexually, and finandally,
may be flflfilled by this one person.
In light of’the fact that many heterosexual
peers and families may not mfite understand
the magnitude of homo~sexual fee!-
rags _~md. Gay!Lesbi,~ conuni~mem to !ife
parmers, ~t ma~ be devastating to not
rec~’~c ~N’.: much-needed suppn<i: dmSng
this a;~,::’~;v-g pefic,l. The heterosextml
majci:~.~? ~m,,y be blind to exiuatiL~g the loss
of one’s life partner to ’,he loss of a husband
or wife. While this lack of support is
a great tragedy, with great potenial for re-
~njuring and shaming homosexuals during
a time of great mourning, it is thevery
reason why Gay men and Lesbian women
needto stand together as a community
and validate the troth of their parmerships."
The chapter on coming out summarizes
the upbeat feel of the entire book: "(the
coming out) process affects homosexuals
physically, emotionally, and intellectuall)
- see Passages, p. 10
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
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Title
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, August 2000; Volume 7, Issue 8
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
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Tulsa Family News
Source
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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August 2000
Contributor
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James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, July 2000; Volume 7, Issue 7
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English
Type
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
Identifier
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/603
2000
African Americans
AIDS
aMUSEments
arts and entertainment
Bars
Boy Scouts
businesses
churches
civil unions
Colin Powell
Dick Cheney
gay bashing
Gay marriage
Gay Studies
hate crimes
HIV
homophobia
Jim Christjohn
journalism
Karin Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
Marie Mohler
marriage equality
military inclusion
Murder
Native Americans
performing arts
Raging Lesbian
Read All About It
Republican Party
restaurants
support groups
Tammy Faye Messner
Tom Neal
Tulsa Family News
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/590625efbb63be8cb25d8b9dc93531aa.jpg
b702d4d8f1ee914bff551b9101daf0e2
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/06ce247df8f6a426e68a567cee7a119b.pdf
ed98d8ae2a578073440d4ea6e68c6db6
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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High Court + Scouts:
No Gays Need Apply
by Laurie Asseo, Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The Boy Scouts can bar Gays from
serving as troop leaders, the Supreme Court said at the
end of June in a 5-4 decision on "free-association
rights." The decision may also let the-6.2-millionmember
organization reject Gay boys as members.
Forcing the Scouts to accept Gay troop leaders would
violate the organization’ s right of"expressive association"
under the Constitution’s First Amendment, the
justices nded on the last day of their 1999-2000 term.
"The Boy Scouts asserts that homosexual conduct is
inconsistent with the values it seeks to instill," Chief
Justice William H. Relmquist wrote for the court. Requiring
the organization to have a Gay scoutmaster
would force it "to send a message, both~£o the youth
members and the world, that the Boy Scouts accepts
homosexual conduct as a legitimate form of behavior,"
the ,..hief justice said.
"-.We’ re very pleased," said Scouts spokesman Gregg
Shields. "It’ s going to allow us to continue our mission
of providing character-building programs for youth."
see Scouts._ tg. 9
uNPredicts: AIDS Will Kill
One Half.of African Teens
GENEVA (AP) - AIDS has killed 19 million people
worldwide, but the worst is yet to come, the United
Nations has just predicted: the disease is expected to
wipe out half the teen-agers in some African nations,
devastating economies and societies.
’q’here is a whole generation which is being taken
outYsaid Peter Plot, head of the U.N. Joint Program on
HIV/AIDS. He said vulnerable countries in Asia, Eastem
Europe and the Caribbean risk a similar catastrophe
unless they act now to control infection rates.
In its 135-page report released at the end of June,
UNAIDS estimates:
-The virus has killed 19 million people worldwide,
up fronr 16.3 million at the end of 1998. ~t has infected
34 million more, including 5.4 million last year alone.
-More than 13 million children have been orphaned
by AIDS.
-In 16 sub-SaharanAfrican countries, more than onetenth
of the population ages 15-49 carries the Human
lmmunodeficiency Virus, or HIV.
-In seven of those countries, at least one-fifth of the
population is infected.
One-of the countries where 20% of the population is
infected is South Africa, which has 4.2 million people
who are HIV positive- the largest single national total.
The southern African nation of Botswana has the worst
rate, with more than one in three adults infected. That is
the equivalent of 90 million people out of the U.S.
population of 270 million, see Africa, p. 9
DIRECTORY P. 2
PRIDE PHOTOS P. 3
US & WORLD NEWS P. 4
HEALTH NEWS P. 6
ENTERTAINMENT P. 8
GAY STUDIES P. 10
Serving Lesbian; Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
Pride 2000: Greg,
Greta + ORU Too
TULSA - While the Edsel ferrying Greg Louganis broke down and despite a steady but mild rain, Tulsa’s 2nd Pride
Parade went off without a hitch. Beginning at the Tulsa Gay Community Services Center near 41st & Peoria, several
hundreds gathered along with grand marshals, Olympic champion Greg Louganis and distinguished US Army veteran
Greta Cammermeyer.
The. parade featured
churches, choirs, drag
queens and female impersonators,
leather "boys and
daddies," bars and businessmen
who spread out over
more than a mile and ended
up at Veteran’ s Park for the
Pride Festival.
This yearlikelast, a handful
of protesters gathered at
the beginning of the parade,
and then scurried to the end
to protest yet again.
Incontrast with those who
were protesting, the pastor
and a couple of members of
the CarbondaleAssembly of
God passed out bottles of
water without any message
of condemnation as they did
last year also. When asked
about their effort, they said
they just wanted to act with
compassion and to avoid the
nastiness - leaving judgement
to the Almighty.
see Pride, p. 6
Humanity Unites for Human Rights Oral Roberts University Alumni
Gree Louganis at the Millennium Parade Sharon Toele with Greta Cammermever
i" Vermont Judge Won’t Block-
Unions, Officials Rebel + More
¯ MONTPELIER,Vt. (AP)-Opponents ofVermont’ s civil unions. ¯
made another legal bid to block thelaw from taking effect on July ¯
¯ 1st. A day after a Superior Court judge refused to issue a ."
¯ preliminary injunction blocking the first civil unions ceremonies.
¯ from taking place, opponents filed a new request and added new °
plaintiffs.
A Virginia lawyer representing Shdtra and the other plaintiffs °
said Superior Cpurt Judge Stephen Martin did not have enough ;
information beftre him when the judge ruled that no irreparable °
harm would occur if the law went into effect. ¯
Lawyer Erik Stanley asked to add two new plaintiffs to the ;
lawsuit: town clerks in Corinth and Fairfield, who say they would °
be harmed if forced to issue civil union licenses. ¯
"These town clerks object to doing that on moral and religious °
grounds and have asked the attorney general’ s office if they could "
not issue these licenses," Stanley said. ’The attorney general ;
responded in a letter to them that if they refuse to issue civil ¯
unions licenses, they could be faced with civil lawsuits from the "
individuals to whom they refused to issue licenses." There also ¯
is the remote possibility of criminal fines or prison terms. ¯
Several town clerks say they object to homosexuality and do ¯
not want to be forced into providing licenses that will grant same- "
sex couples nearly all the rights and benefits Of marriage. " "
The clerks now have been added to 15 people who sued to -"
overturn the law. Eleven of those plaintiffs are members of the ¯
Vermont House who opposed civil unions, including prominent"
representatives such as Sheltra, Oreste Valsangiacomo, D-Barre, °
Robert Starr, D-Troy, and George Schiavone, R-Shelburne. ¯
They argue that an informal betting pool among 14 House "
members who supported the bill should invalidate it. The 14"
bettors each threw in a dollar to wager on the number of "yes" ¯
votes the bill would garner when it went before the House for ¯
preliminary approval in March. It passed by seven votes that day. "
Opponents argued the pool should have disqualified those who "
participated because it gave them an interest in the outcome of the ¯
vote. ¯
In a recent ruling, Martin said allowing Gay and Lesbian "
couples to enter into civil unions beginning Saturday would pose :
no harm to the initial 15 plaintiffs, see Vermont, p. 9.
Coke Adds Benefits for
Gay +-Lesbian Partners
WASHINGTON The Human Rights Campaign,
anational Gay civil rights organization, commended
the Coea-Cola Co. today for announcing plans to
extend health care benefits to same-sex domestic
partners of its United States-based employees.
"This is excellent news, and yet another sign that
domestic partner benefits are becoming a standard
component of benefits packages at forward-thinking
companies," said Kim I. Mills, HRC’ s education
director who oversees WorkNet, HRC’s
workplac project. "With this announcement, Coke
becomes the 99th member of the Fortune 500 to
take this important step."
The Human Rights Campaign and its Business
Council have been working with Coea-Cola and
KOLAGE, its Lesbian and Gay employee resource
group, for many months on this issue, Mills said.
HRC WorkNet (www.hrc.org/worknet) provided
data, strategy and other advice as needed.
The Coca-Cola Co. released a statement today
announcing the benefits, which will begin Jan. 1,
2001. According to the statement, employees will
be able to sign up during the fall benefits enrollment
period. The company also said it is researching
opportunities for implementing its policy on a
global basis. "Our company is committed to attracting
and retaining the most diverse workforce
in the world," Coca-Cola said in the statement.
"Our goal is to ensure that the Coea-Cola Company
is the best place for all people to work. This
extension ofbenefits is another step toward achieving
that goal."
"The Coea-Cola Company has provided worldclass
leadership to the beverage industry, and to the
business commtmity in Atlanta and all of Georgia
by taking this historic action," said Harry Knox,
executive director of the Georgia Equality Project,
whichrepresents Georgia’ s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
and Transgendered citizens, see Coke, p. 2
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW’ s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine
*Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
*Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’ s, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd
712-2324
610-5323
583-2119
835-2376
749-4511
744-4280
745-9998
834-4234
585-3405
660-0856
584-1308
*The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 749-1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Advanced Wireless & PCS, Digital Cellular
*Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. ISth
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial
*Ross Edward Salon
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main
747-1508
743-1000
250-5034
665-4580
712-1122
712-9955
494-2665
743-5272
746-0313
295-5868
581-0902, 743-4117
622-0700
749-3620
744-5556
838-8503
369-8555
584=0337, 712-9379
592-0460 "
*Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria 744-9595
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th P1. 610-0880
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. 628-3709
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758.E. 21st 742-1460
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning 459-9349
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly 745-1111
*International Tours 341-6866
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering 747-0236
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening 582-8460
*Kerfs Flowers, 1635 E. 15
599-8070
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 747-5466
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha 585-1234
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd 584-3112
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 663-5934
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664-2951
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo 838-7626
*The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor 743-4297
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101
747-5932
Richard’ s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921, 747-4746
Scribner’ s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square
749-6301
Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-7829
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard
835-5563
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling 743-1733
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
592-0767
www.gaytulsa.org
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101
579-9593
All Sods Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria
743-2363
Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159
587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6
583-7815
"13/UGFr Alliance, Univ. ofTulsa United Min. Ctr.
583-9780
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Florence
*ChurchoftheRestorationUU, 1314N.Greenwood 587-1314
*Community ofHopeUnited Me~o~li."~st, 2545 S:.Yale 747-6300
*Community Unitarian-Universanst tgongregauon 749-0595
Council Oak Men’ s Chorale
748-3888
*Ddaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware
712-1511
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742-2457
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Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard
747-7777
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o-mail: TulsaNews@ earthlinl~ net
Publisher + Editor:
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Writers + contributors:
James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P.
Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom, Esther Rothblum. Mary
Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw
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*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
O’ RYAN, support group for 18-24 LGBT young adults
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St. Aidan’ s ,Episcopal church, 4045 N. Cincinnati
425-7882
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*Tulsa Community College Campuses
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Unity Church of Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
B,ARTLESVILLE
*Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN
¯ Borders Books & Music, 3209NWExpressway 405-848::2667
: Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
: TAHLEQUAH
: Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
¯ *Tahlequah Unitarian-UniversalistChurch 918-456-7900
Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360
NSU School of Optometry, 1001N. Grand
HIVtesting every other Tues. 5:30-8:30, call for dates
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Autunm Bre~.,ze Restaurant, Hwy. 23
*Jim & Brent s Bistro, 173 S. Main
DeVito’ s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
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www.gaytulsa.org
stirs controversy
TULSA - gaytulsa.org, a non-profit continues
to stir controversy about and in the
Tulsa Lesbian, Gay, Bi and ~rans communities.
Hosted by webmaster David and his
: partner, Seth, a statement onthe sitenotes,
¯. " [that it is] an effort to chronicle the dme
sl~ent out and about in the Tulsa gay scene
¯ mixed with a bit of news and
¯ information. We do not claim to be fair,
objective, or even nice. This is 99%
¯ opinion. Whileyoumayormaynotagree,
¯ wecanpromise youwill be either amused,
¯ baffled, or (more commonly) pissed if ¯
¯ youkeep visiting. We acceptgossip, slander,
or anything else you want to submit
¯ we can post here."
¯ The awardwinning sitefeatures links to
¯ other web sites of interest and offers the observations of local writer, Dyke Di-
¯ vine. Also included are cordial descriptions
of local and state pnnt media: Tulsa
Family News, The Gayly Oklahoman and
¯ newcomer to Tulsa, the recently renamed
Tulsa Triangle.
¯ On the net: www.gaytulsa.org
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
*Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 41%623-4696
* is where youcan findTFN¯NotallareGaY"ownedbutallareGay"fri"endly"
i The Georgia Equality Project also played
¯ a key role in working with the company
: andKOLAGEto helpbring aboutthenew
¯ policy.
¯ GEP also unveiled a new initiadvg~to-
¯ day to persuade nine other Georgia COm-
" panies to provide domestic partner ben-
" efits to their Lesbian and Gay employees.
¯ These companies are: Home Depot, At-
: lanta Gas Light Co., BellSouth, Georgia
¯ Pacific, DeltaAirlines, Wachovia, United
¯ parcel.Service, Shaw Industries and Gulf
¯ Stream Aerospace.
¯ "Some companies in Georgia are be-
: hind the times in their treatment of their
Lesbian and Gay employees, said Kno .
"We are launching this initiative because
our Gay daughters, sons, fathers, moth-
. ers, aunts, uncles and cousins should re-
. ceive benefits for their dependent family
¯ members just like everyone eis .
¯ Earlier this month, DaimlerChrysler
: Corp., Ford Motor Co. and General Mo-
¯ tots Corp., along with the United Auto
¯ Workers umon, announced they would
offer health care coverage to same-sex
¯
partners of all eligible U.S. employees. It
¯ was the first time an endre industry, along
¯ with its leading umon, announeed domes-
¯ - tic partner benefits simultaneously. More
: than.3,400 private and public employers
¯ provide these benefits to their employees.
¯ So far this year, an average of five
: employers a week are announcing these
: benefits, according to HRC’ s WorkNet,
: which tracks these trends. Many of
¯ America’ s leading companies offer these ¯
benefits including: IBM, MicrosoftShell
~ Oil, Walt Disney, Fannie Mae, Cifgroup,
¯ Xerox, Time Warner and United and
: American Airlines. Additionally, more ¯
thanhalfoftheFortune 500includesexual
: orientation in their non-discrimination
¯ polities.
: Letters Policy
: TulsaFamilyNewswelcomes letters on ¯
issues which we’ve covered or on issues
: you thinkneed to be considered. Youmay
: request that your name be withheld but
letters mustbe signed&have phonenum-
~ bers, or be hand ddivered.
Anti-Gay Ads in Mexico "¯ past. of police was once so pervasive that
hate crimes andsame-sex domestic violence went
MEXICO CITY (AP) - The two leading candidates
in Mexico’ s presidential campaign have raised eyebrows
by casting doubts on each other’ s masculinity.
But the real surprise to .many,,,I~__ple in tl~i."s land w~.ith
a reputation for "machismo has been me negauve
reaction to the tactic.
Criticism led opposition candidate Vicente Fox to
quickly drop a negative TV ad aimed at rival Fran=
cisco Labastida, the candidate of the long-governing
Institutional Revohition.ary. Party, or PRI. Using a
¯ Mexican slang termfbr s0iii~0ne Of madefined seXu2
ality, the ad showed Labastida hugging and lifting a ~
PRI colleague by the thighs: It also featured shots of
male strippers at a’ campaign rally for another PRI
candidate. "
After canceling the ad, Fox’ s socially conservative
National Action Party, known as PAN, ran an advertisement
in newspapers defending itself tothe Gay
community. The p~t,,y is "not against.the ,O,,ay community
in any way,’ the ad said, adding: In a Fox
admiulstration, there will befrcedOm for people to
live without masks."
Carlos Monsivais, an author and social critic, said
the party’ s retreat was a milestone for Mexico, where
there are no openly Gay politicians and homosexualtty
has not been wtdely accepted..The most tm.po,
t~( thing is that even Fox and the right had to oacK
down and apologize to the Gay commumty,, h,e’ s.atd.."
"It’ s incredible to hear the word ’homophobta oemg ~
used even by the right."
Labastida’ s supporters have drawn their own criticism
for taking shots at.Fox’ s masct!!.inity with allusions
to his separation fromhis wife andhis being the
father of four adopted children. Such attacks have
seldombeenso directinMexicanpolitics, althoughin
the previous presidential election six years ago, the
PRI allegedly hired transvestites to attend an opposition
campaign rallyin Veracruz state in an attempt to
discredit it.
This time, the attacks were started by Fox. Fo,x,
called the PRI candidate a sissy and" La Vesttda,
a pun on his rival’s name implying Labastida is a
cross-dresser. But the atmosphere changed when a
minor-party candidate, Gilberto Rincon Gallardo of
the Social Democratic Party, stuck up for homosexuals,
the handicapped, rape victims and Indians in a
televised debate, the first time many of those groups.
had been mentioned in the race. "In weak democracies
like Mexico, legal protections are necessary to
prevent a tyranny of the majority over minorities, so
that people can decide on their own private lives
withou,,t a majority imposing its moral or cultural
views, Rincon Gallardo said.
On June 17, the Gay community held what was by
far the largest Gay-pride parade in Mexican history,
with organizers estimating a turnout of 30,000. Just
¯ five years ago, SUCh parades drew an average of about
1,000 people. But Gays haven’ t had much success in
their effort to make an issue of the banning of some
Gay cultural events by PAN officials in towns they
goBveemnj.amin Araujo of the Front for-People with
AIDS-HIV said that "Gays are more tolerated than
accacne~udteadte"iisnaMneimxipcoosasnibdiltihtyat. aTnhoepperenvl.yat..Ge,nacye,,p.oo.Il"~iatni.c,.ua.1-.
Gayattitudes wasillnstratedbY areportoymet_,mzen)
CommitteeAgainst Homophobic Hate Crimes: It
estimates that 190 Gays were killed in Mexico bec1a9u9s9e.
BofuttMheoirnss~evxautasl soereisenptraotgiorenssb.etWweeesnul1!h9a9v4ena"ndt
reached the point of having an openly Gay candidate,"
he said. "But we are now at a point where there
can no longer be an openly anti-Gay candidate."
Denver Cops & Gays
Work Together
DENVER (AP) - Gays and Lesbians have formed an
alliance with police to deal with late-night cruising,
loud noise and sex in public around Cheesman Park.
Police, Gay civil-rights activists and park neighbors
have been handing out fliers to motorists for the
past few weeks warning that police will crack do.wn
on traffic, park curfew violations and inappropriate
activity on surrounding streets. ¯
Thejoint effort wouldnot have been possible in the
¯ unreported, activists said.
: "I think there was, clearly, some traditional stereo-
. typing on both sides, but that has changed alot," said
¯ Lt. Jimmy Martinez, who leads a communi.ty-poli.c;
~ ing team in the Cheesman Park area: Marttnez sara
¯ acting Police Chief Gerry Whitman devised the strat-
~ - egy when he was captain of District 6 surrounding
~ Cheesman. Once the "Fort Apache" of city police
~ districts, District 6 is now a model for community-
~ policing programs.
Cheesman is ~a .well:known gathering #ace for ~ -~
Gays and Lesbians,~and friction de~eloped between
neighbors andparkusers¯ Marfinez~idpolicegot the~ --
Cheesman Park West Neighborhood Associationand
Equality Colorado, a statewide Gay civil-rights orga-
: nization, directly involved.
¯ Representatives on both sides said the strategy has .
~ worked. "For one thing, our work with the Denver
:~
police has become a model for how an organization
like ours can work with law enforcement," said Lori
¯ Girvan, directorofEquality Colomdo.DedeDePerein,
¯
who heads Equality’s Anti-Violence Project, sai.’d
i cooperadun with police has "built bridges" over me
". Gay community’ s prevalent, persistent fear and misi
trust of law enforcement.
JoeBarrows of theChcesman ParkWestNeighborhoodAssociation
saidheandhis neighbors frequently
called oolice with complaints before the communitypolicing
campatgn. Now compl.amt.s a~..e rare: Tl~.e
result has been a positive changem tlae atsrupttons m
the neighborhood. It’ s been a positive experience all
the way around," he said.
Mormans Attack Gay
Relationships in Nevada
CARSON C1TY (AP) - A Mormon church-endorsed
ban on same-sex marriages cleared one hurdle recendy
when the secretary of state’ s office said aballot
~etition contained enough signatures. The ruling by
Deputy Secretary for Elections Susan Morandi advanced
the constitutional referendum to its final step
- a test sampling names on the petition for regist.ered
voters. County clerks and voter registrars were given
until July 7 toverify that registered voters signed the
petition.
Morandi’ s office said the Coalition for the Protection
of Mamage got 120,558 people to sign its 15etitlon,
which is almost three times the number of
registered voters needed to put a question on the
Nevada ballot: Under the measure, Nevada would
recogmze mamages only of a re.an and woman. ,That
already is part of state law, but advocates want to t~acK
it up in the state constitution.
Opponents say the initiative amounts to discriminadota
and bigotry. The Progressive Leadership Alliance
of Nevada and about 20 other groups across the
state formed the Coalition for Unity to campaign
against the ballot measure.
The Coalition for the Protection of Marriage is
heavily supported by the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, whose members were central to
anti-Gay marriage efforts in Hawaii and Alaska, and
most recently, in California. However, the former
Catholic bishop of Las Vegas, Daniel Walsh, asked
priests and paris.ke_s to. support the ’~.aditi0nal f_~amily"
but not to support Ziser’ s effort because it fosters
ill-will toward Gays.
Gay Pride in Tel Aviv
" TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - Celebrating Gay pride,
thousands of Israelis in tank tops and shorts danced to
¯ deafening music and waved rainbow-colored flags at
¯ the end of June. The annual street party has become
¯ the latest venue in the culture war between secular
¯ Israelis and devoutJews who consider h°m°sexuality
¯ an abomination.
¯ "We promise to support your struggle against the
~ religious," legislator Tommy Lapid, leader of the
¯ secular rights party Shinui, told the cheering crowd.
~ In recent years, Gays and Lesbians in Israel have
¯ scored a string of successes in the courts, though not
¯ in parliament, where ultra-Orthodox religi°us Parties
¯ have considerable deut. Last month, the Supreme
Court allowed a Lesbian spouse to be registered as the
United in
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seeondparentofherpartner’sbiologicalson-in1994, ¯
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a revolt by nearly one-third of her own clergy when
: she allowed openly Lesbian Siri Sunde to return to the
poses.
The court rulings have coincided with growing " pulpit. Sunde had been barred after she married her
public ,acceptance of Gays. Just a few years ago, ". female companion. Gay marriages are legal in NorpublicdisplaysofGaypridewereunheardofinlsrael.
¯ way, with all the fights of heterosexual marriages
By contrast, Gays were hugging and kissing in Tel : except church weddings and the right to adopt.
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in-hand. There were no religious protests. Tel Aviv is
anoverwhelmingly secular city, and the parade was
being heldjust before the onset oftheJewish Sabbath,
during which observant Jews refrain from work and
travel.
Taking a break from the blazing heat, Kinneret
G01an said the scene made her feel that Israel was no
different from othercountries. "You only see pictures
of Israel when rocks are being thrown. I’m proud that
despite everything we can still do this," she said.
Golan~ said that in the increasingly bitter culture
war betwTeen Israel’ s secular majority and thedevout
minority, the distrust is. so great that "each side
defines itself as the opposite:of what the other is."
Therefore, she said, many secular Israelis will sup-
]2~ort causes as long as they are denounced by the
’~:~’~r~igious community.
Lapid, standard bearer of the secular fight against
whathe calls religious coercion, said his party and the
homosexual movement are natural partners. Next
week, a bill proposing recognition of same-sex civil
unions will be up for approval. However, Lapid said
it will likely fail because of the influence of the
religious parties. But some of those dancing in the
parade said they paid little heed to politics. "Who
cares what they do in the Knesset? Look at this
celebration," saidAnat Schumaker, one of theparticipants.
"We’ re here and they can’ t do anything to stop
Gay Clergyman Shakes
Up Norweigan Church
OSLO, Norway (AP) - The selection of an openly
Gay clergyman in defiance of state Lutheran church
guidelines raised concerns Friday that the issue of
homosexuality could split the church. The Church of
Norway’ s highest body, its 85-member national congress,
ruled in November 1997 that clergy who enter
homosexual partnerships could not hold jobs that
require ordination.
However, the~Oslo Bishops’ Council of clergy and
laity voted 4-3 on June 15 to appoint Jens Torstein
Olsen as chaplain for the Majorstue Church. Olsen
noted onhis application that he was living with a Gay
partner.
The council minority appealed the decision to
Trend Giske, head of the churches and education
ministry that formally employs state church clergy.
He initially said he saw no reason to reverse the
council majority’s decision, but will make a final~
decision next month. If hired, the 51-year-old Olsen
would be Norway’ s first male minister who is openly
living with a Gay partner.
Oslo Bishop Gmmar Staalsett saidhe expects the.
ministry to respect his council’ s majority, in keeping
with usual practice. "Olsen is dearly the best qualified
for the post," Staalsett said.
But the move prompted Norway’s head bishop,
Odd B0ndevik, to say he was calling an emergency
meeting of the national bishops council on the matter
probably in August. "The appointment.., can split
the Church of Norway," he was quoted as telling the
Norwegian news agency NTB.-"When we said the
issue does not have to be a splitting factor, we assumed
that each individual bishop would be loyal to
the national church council’s resolutions and the
church itself," Bondevik was quoted as saying.
An anguished debate over Gay clergy has already
led to bitter disputes within the church. Last year,
reform. Half a million people were expected for the
annual Christopher Street Day parade in the German
capital. The bill, to be presented to parliament before
t breaks for summer next month, would recognize
registered Gay palTmerships as families, said Greens
lawmaker Volker Beck. However, homosexual
couples apparendy would not have the right to adopt
children - a demand of the Greens rejected by the
dominant Social Democrats.
Gay partnerships wonld get legal rights similar to
heterosexual couples on taxes, social security and
~mmigration law - an important point for Gay couples
where one parmer is a foreigner. Beck said the proposals
still require formal approval bythe parliamentary
groups of the two governing parties.
Opposition conservatives blasted the plahs and
hinted they would try to stall the bill in th~ upper
house of parliament, where the govemment,lack.s a
majority. Thomas Goppel, aleader of Bavaria s rightist
Christian Social Union party, called the proposals
"absurd." Germany’ s Association ofGays and Lesbians
welcomed the draft saying it did notmeet all of the
group’ s demands but still were a great st p forward."
Minnesota ’Sodomy’
Law Under Challenge ¯
¯ MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A state law that makes oral
and anal sex acrimeis unconstitutional and shouldbe
¯ thrown out, tim Minnesota Civil Liberties Union
¯ claimed in a lawsuit filed at the end of June. The
i MCLU and the Lesbian and Gay Rights Project of the
American Civil Liberties Union are challenging
¯ Minnesota’ s sodomy statute, saying the law violates
the right of privacy guaranteed by the state constitui
tion. Thelaw - which applies to all consenting adults,
even married heterosexuals - makes violations pun-
: ishable with a year in prison and up to $3,000 in tines.
¯ Theclass-actionlawsuit,filedinHennepinCountY,
¯ asks the court to declare the statute void and prevent ¯
the state from enforcing it. The plaintiffs include two
: married heterosexuals who say they risk prosecution,
: a Lesbian who fears eviction because her lease pro-
" hibits illegal activity, a Gay law student who fears
¯ being disbarred, a divorced Gay manwhofears losing
¯ his right to visithis children, and a group of Lesbian,
¯ Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered lawyers and law
¯ students.
¯ According to the MCLU, 18 states still have sod-
.: omy, statutes, down from all 50 in 1961. In five of
": ~ose s’tat~s, the law hpplies 0nly to Gays [editor’s
¯
note: Oldahoma is one of those with laws only di-
¯ rected at Gay people]’. Legislatures have repealed
¯ sodomy laws in 25 states, while courts have over-
. turned them in others. In one of the most recent cases,
an appeals court in Texas voided that state’ s sodomy
¯ law two weeks ago.
¯ Attorney General Mike Hatch was out of state and ¯
unavailable for comment on the lawsuit, said his
¯
spokeswoman, Leslie Sandberg.
¯ Tom Prichard, executive director of theMinnesota
Family Council, which has helped fight off attempts
¯ to repeal the law at the Legislature, said the law
should stay on the books, and he criticized theMCLU
¯ for filing the lawsuit. ’°They’ re trying to do an end run
by getting the courts to strike it down instead of going
through the appropriate channel, which is the Legis-
¯ lature," Prichard said.
. ated offices to deal specifically with Gay
alth Officials to health issues. Officials in Seattle have
Focus Gay Needs :d velo#as iali d mpaigntovac-
¯ cinate Gay men for hepatitis.
BOSTON (AP) - Boston public health
officials have agreed to try to better meet
the needs of the city’ s Gay community by
collecting data onillnesses,raising awareness
of health issues and seeking funding
for new programs. Their decision follows
the lead of other big U.S. cities, where
officials have already taken action to address
the health needs of Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgender residents.
’q’hereis clear datathat shows there are
health differences between the Gay and
larger communities," said Stephen
Boswell, executive director oftheFenway
Community Health Center, which serves
a high percentage of Boston’ s Gay population.
"If those problems are addressed,
we can make a significant impact."
At a conference held in Boston in May,
officials from public health agencies
around the country cited studies showing
Gays are at risk for a range of health
problems, including depression, breast
cancer, and substance abuse.
After years of focusing solely on HIV
and AIDS, Boston’s public health officials
decided soon after the conference to
develop a more efficient way to deal with
the community’s other pressing needs,
said John Auerbach, executive director of
me Boston Public Health Commission.
q~nis.is the first time the he~Ith department
has acknowledged it needs to specifically
address the health needs of the
Gay community," he said. "This is a significant
step forward."
Health departments in New York, Chicago
and San Francisco have already c~e-
While Louganis left immediatdy alter
the parade to fly out of the city,
Cammermeyer spoke briefly in the rain,
noting that she really might have preferred
not to come to Tulsa, thinking that
it might not really be safe or wdcoming,
but that probably she needed to come to
Tulsa for precisdy that reason.
Another group which received great
atteiation was ORU.out.com, a new Lesbian
and Gay alumni organization for
Oral Roberts University (ORU). While
Gay alumni groups exist around the country,
ORU.out.com is unusual in thatORU
has a policy of banning Gays as.students,
faculty or staff. Regardless, ~e ~oup
numbered about 20 and group orgamzer,
Jeff McKissic notes that about 60 people
have gotten involved.
Orgamzers of the Parade and Festival,
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights,
Inc. estimated that some 3,000 participated
or attended.
More than !00,000 march in
Paris Gay Pride parade
PARIS (AP)- In a festive celebration of
Gay pride; more than 100,000 people
marched and danced on the last weekend
in June through the streets of Paris behind
a giantbanner with the slogan for this
year’s parade: ,Homophobia - a social
pl~gr~h------ Educatton Mimster Jack Lang
and the Socialist Party’s mayoral candidate
Bertrand Delanoe were among the
politicians thatkicked offGay Pride 2000
behind dozens of motorcyclists from the
Gay Bikers Club.
Rainbow-colored flags waved under
overcast skies as the parade wound from
:: Feds to Fund AIDS
¯ Vaccine Search
¯ WASHINGTON (AP) - Four new part-
" nerships were announced by a federal
¯ health agency Tuesday to provide fund-
: ing to groups attempting to bring anAIDS
¯ vaccine to market.
i Theseparme.rships, call,edHIV ~acone
¯ design and development teams, were
¯_ prompted by~ a. presidential dirertive to
¯ increase public-private cooperation in
: developing vaccines to major diseases,
: according to the National Institute of Ai-
: lergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID),
¯ the section of the National Institutes of
: Health that set up the deals.
¯ "Many vaccines in use today resulted
i
fr°mb°th g°verument-sp°., snL0r--~andpfi.-
vate research," said Dr. Anthony S. Faucl,
: director of NIAID.
¯ The awards are incentive-based, aimed
¯ at teams that have a vaccine in develop-
: ment but have not yet reach_ed human
~ testing. The teams will receive funds as
¯ they achieve preset goals.
¯ Three U.S. companies - Advanced
~ BioScience Laboratories in Kensington,
¯ Md.; Chiron Corporataon in Emeryville,
¯ Calif.; and Wyeth Lederle Vaccines and
¯ Nutrition in Pearl River, N.Y. - as well as
~ a consortium of Australian universities
¯ led by the University ofNew SouthWales
¯ all have different tactics on how to create
¯ a serum that will protect humans from
; HIV infection, which causes AIDS.
.district. Boolmng techno and 0asco music
¯ played as drag queens and other elabo-
¯ rately costumed men and women danced
on colorful floats and along the sidelines
of the parade Police estimated the crowd
size at between 100,000 and 130,000
people, while organizers said that 250,000
people turned out for the event.
Coinciding with the weekend of the
parade, Social Affairs Minister Martine
¯ Aubry said the government planned to
: introduce new laws oudawing discrimi-
¯ nadon against homosexuals. Aubry said
: the new legislation would appear as an
¯ amendment tO a "social modernization"
: bill currently going through Parliament.
¯ Denver Pride Draws 100,000
¯ DENVER (AP) - More.than 100,000 at-
" tended Denver PrideFest 2000. The festi-
~ val, organized by the Gay, Lesbian &
: Bisexual Community Services Center, is
¯ inits 10th year. No violence was reported
~ dUring the parade betweenCheesmanPark
: and Civic Center Park that featured 100
: floats. The festival also featured 230
¯ booths and. a family zone with the signs:
~ "drug-~ alcohol-, hate-flee zone."
¯ Activists told a crowd at the Civic Cen-
: ter that good people standing up to big-
~ otry, not legislation, will protect Gays,
¯ Lesbians and Bisexuals from violence.
¯ "In every case, a mass mobilization of
¯ people changed thepolitteal clunate, sm
¯ Leslie Feinberg, author of ’q’ransgender
¯ Warriors" and "Stone Butch Blues."
Gay Pride Elsewhere
¯ SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A rollicking
; ,,Gay p,fi,de parade replete with dancing
nuns, all-maleche.~rleading squads and
¯ drag queens in stilettos attracted a half
¯ million revelers as it made its way from
Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for
justice & equality for
Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury,
Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
Weeke~qd and evening appointments are available.
Just for laughs
artur0
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Directed b~/
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Pierre Bernard
-~ "Arturo Brachetti is
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August 6-13
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" the waterfront to City Hall.
As David Ellard watched the processouthern
Paris to its destination at the ¯ sion see Pride, p. 8
Place de la Bastille, near the city’s Gay
Power
of Oklahoma
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Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7
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by Karin Gregory
COMING OUT.
Even the words evoke an ominous, almost
surreal scene, like the Great and
Powerful Wizard, whose
deep voice echoes
throughout closets everywhere.
In my case, my 44
yearold closetwas sot’ffled
that I couldn’t hea~ the
echo e~}en if I tried, i finaily
Sprang out, machete
inland, :r~dy to tell everyone
that I’ma Lesbian!
Well, two or three people,
anyway.
Because I didn’t know
what was all involved in
"coming out." I had no
good role models to speak
--of in that area. And don’ t
tell me Melissa Etheridge
and Ellen DeGeneres -
because famous people
will always be heard and
don’ t have to repeat themselves.
I, onthe otherhand,
have to tell friends individually
and hear such remarks as: "Oh, I
always knew that"; "Yeah, I was wondering
when you were going to tell me"; and
the ever popular, "YES! We knew it! We
win the bet!"
Umm, friends, if you knew it for so
long, how come I JUST found out? You
could have let me in on it! (Best friend’ s
¯ note: I tried! You don’ t just sit someone
down and tell them "Um, Karin, I think
you’re Gay. Deal with it!" - Jim) Actually,
I hav&known, all my life, but I never
gave a name to it. And there were the
various signs that threw me totally off
track. Instead of telling you my. boring
life, I’ 11 give you a sampling of it, interspersed
with the steps I went through (and
probably many of us go through) in realizing
my true nature. ~
I know what you’ re saying. If I’mreading
Tulsa Family News, I know I’m Gay
and what could you possibly tell meabout
it?" Nothing, but since I want you to read
about my boring life anyway, I have to
jazz itup somehow. Also, there may be a
few of you who are reading your
boyfriend’s copy of this newspaper. If
you’re "curious" and your boyfriend is
reading Tulsa Family News, then you’ re
both Gay! Read on.
I. "I’m What?"
Sooner or later you have to start questioning.
What kind of music do you listen
to? Yep, if you answered Tori Amos, Ani
DiFranco, Sophie B. Hawkins, !Indigo
Girls, and Sarah McLachlan, then you
need to examine your lifestyle. I haven’ t
known a Gay personyet who doesn’ t love
Sarah McLachlan. However, if you own
five differentcopies ofMelissa Etheridge’ s
Breakdown (and I do!), the questioning is
over. ’ ~ ¯
II..Environment
.I came into this world kicking and
screaming, and when I found out, in my
neighborhood full of boys,-that I was
differentfromthem, Ikickedandscreamed
again. I wanted to be a boy. lplayed just
like ~the boys; doing everything they did
exeep,tJ~,e,, standing up. And I was pissed
I icouldn’t master that! Physically and
¢motionall);i Was a gifl~butI thought like
a:boy. So when I would question myself
- years later, I always wentback to the same
thing: I HATED girls then. Well, most
little boys do hate little girls at that age. If
"It was hound
to happen...
Marolyn was
i~autfful, with
lees and
weB, 7ou
~en yo~ mantra
[or a smmer
s~s no~
~ST yo~ ~d;’
" they don’ t, they’ re usually Gay boys WhOr’i".
.. feel more comfortable around girls play-
" ing house, school, and Easy Bake Oven.
¯ By the .way, if you played with dolls
when you werelittle, don’ t
think that disqualifies you.
Especially if you. had a
Barbie doll and spentmany
a day practicing undressing
her. It was when I was
13 that things became, for
want of a better word,
sticky.
III. Crushes
She walked in beauty,
like the night...OK, so
they all did at one time or
other, didn’t they? This
particular she walked into
my eighth grade English
classroOm, and I immediately
thought,"Wow, she’ s
pretty." I never used that
word to describe any gift
before. All right, there was
the time I whistled at Ann
" Margret in the movie theatre
when she came on
" screen in "Viva Las Vegas."
¯ Some people don’t see signs that say
" "Caution - Falling Rocks"; I don’t see
¯ signs that clearly scream, "Karin- you’ re.
¯ a Lesbian. Get over it. when my eighth
¯ grade crush continued into ninth grade, I
¯ went to her house for a sleepover.
I’ll say this here and now - Jane Eyre
¯ shouldbeforbidden reading injunior high.
" The protagonist as a little girl has a crush
" on her best friend, which author Charlotte
¯ Bronte says ~s normal Besides the very
¯ obvious inference that Charlotte had her
¯ own Lesbian feelings, it did much to help
¯ me rationalize the rest of my life. If I felt
¯ something for a girl, then I invoked the
¯ name ofCharlotte Bronte, and things were
¯ "normal" again. So when I wanted to
: watch my friend undress in front of me,
¯ that wasjust anormal straight girl feeling.
¯" When I fantasized about crawling in bed
: naked withher, I still usedCharlotte Bronte
: as a guide. Charlotte was talking about
- "little" girls, mind you.
¯ When I was 30 I met a woman who,
". without touching me, did things to my
¯ southerly regions that no one had ever
done before. When I’ d had enough frus-
" tration, I had sex with a man, and truly
¯ believed there was something wrong with
: me for not feeling what I thought I should
¯ feel. Whom did I call in as my counselor?
" Yep, good old Charlotte.
¯ IV. In Love
It was bound to happen, and this time a
¯ Lesbian became not only my crush, but
¯ probably the only person I’ ve ever fallen
: in love with. Marolyn was beautiful, with
¯ great legs and a great pair of - well, you
¯ get it. When your mantra for a summer is
¯ "She’s just my friend, she’s just friend,
¯ she’ sjustmy friend", she’ s notJUST your
¯¯ friend.
Have you ever had amoment of clarity?
¯ Amoment when suddenly the clouds part,
¯ the sky opens up, and you just KNOW
-" what you want? Marolyn took me to my
¯ first Lesbian bar (we were "just friendg’:,,
¯ mind you), Sue Ellen’ s in Dallas. As we
danced a slow _..d~,c~ together, my m~ ....
-" merit of clarity hit. I d shoved down the~.;~ ~
¯ feelings about Marolynfor so long that a!l,;!’~::
¯ at once they came rushing at me and l
¯ conldn’ t deny any longer. I looked arotmd
¯ and just knew I had finally found some-
" place to belong, see Lesbian, p. 11
by Jim Christjotm, entertainment editor
Some of you might ask, "What’s he
clucking about this time?" And well you
might - run, don’t walk, to see Chicken
Pun. Created by ’%Vallace and Gromit"
impresario Hick Parks, this rollicking
comedy about chickens dreaming of a
better p!a~..~.~, ~far away fromthe ~neentra-
¯ tion c~ami3 Chlcken farm ttiey re in’fs a
witty, int~-.ligentfi~~1m........ ¯ .~
I havehad my suspicions~’abtut Nicks~
familystatus given
some subtle references
in the
Wallace&Gromit
shorts (available
on video, and well
worth it), such as
Gromit (a dog)
knitting a rainbow
striped sweater.~
The Wallace and
Gromit shorts are
guaranteed to
cheer up the most
depressed person
in the world, and
watch for the
subtle touches he
puts in, like the
newspaper-headlines
in thepapers
the characters
read.
While the films are claymation, they
are not children’s films. With Chicken
Run, thereality ofwhathappens to chickies
whodon’ tlay theft share ofeggs is brought
home in an unflinchingly touching way.
And yes, you wiII reIate to the characters
- and never look at chicken pot pies the
same way again. As for the aforementioned
clues as to the Gay sensibility of
the film, Cheek out the ratsi relationship.
And when the birds are practicing flying,
one ofthe best gags was when they fall,
and the rat says "It’ s raining hens", which
to those of us who re,c~l a certain song
with a similar rifle, realize it’ s a pretty big
tipoff as to the sensibility that inspired
this film.
The jokes are all extremely well done,
and the sight gags, well, the film begs a
second and third viewing to take everything
in, and look at the backgrounds.
There are gems hidden everywhere. It is
ironicthatMel Gibson,homophobicadulterer
that he is, lends his voice to the film
in a really well done turn as a Rhode
KD Lang
¯ KD Lang’s newCD is a delight. Re-
: member those lazy weekends whenmom
: (in some ease, you) Wouldpiit her favorite
¯ records on the changer in the late 60’ s
: early70’s?BarbraStreisand’sStoneyEnd,
¯ and Sergio Mendes’ Brazil ’66 come to
¯i miipindadt.eWd ieiilil{,aK~Dfhioa~sslt~a.k~enmthait~sofu’n.d~_a~nv~d-,"~ ~
¯ met fling that grows in to ab~t diore of a.
"...While the films are
claymation, they are not
children’s films.
With "Chicken Run,"
the reality of what happens to
ehiekles who don’t lay their :
share of eggs is brought home in
an unflinehlngly touching way.
And yes, you will relate to
the characters- and never look
at chicken pot pies
the same way again...."
serious thing.
And it is the perfect
album for a
cloudy Sunday afternoon
with your
loved One, your.
summertimefling.,
or even an imaginary
lover. The
-albuin’ S title is In~..
vindbte Summer,
and La Lang has
ne~er soundedbetter.
Thealbumprogresses
with the
nervous, first on~-
tact ditty about a
possibleloveinter--
est titled "The
Consequences of
Falling", and she
captures the moment
perfectly.
Island Red cock named Rocky. One must
think that someone planned that casting -
and this is the place for an obvious joke,
¯ This segues into an up tempo number
¯
called"Summertime Fling" thateapsulizes
¯ that high, giddy feeling when itis discov- ¯
ered that indeed, the objet d’affection
: returns the feeling. It is sure to bring a
: smile to the mostjaded heart. Thememory
¯ may be buried deep, but it’ s in there some-
" where! The albums builds to a quieter
: climax than one might imagine, as the
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. or Marcus Winkler 280.6234
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: seriousness of the relationship deepens. Are You Gay or Bisexual?
¯ "Love’ s Great Ocw.an" is a winner, and - ~B~,~t Va~ll ~r’~[il/a~ &m~.e’|eltrm9 _
has a mysterious feel to it that gives the /’~1 ~ /OM II~.ilI~.~ a’~III~.~lI~.ll.
album some weight. The rest are pretty~--
standard love songs, pleasantto~ " ............. n’
eat for a dinner o essin to- /ulsas iwo-~plrlteo inolan Me S ",eta \"~
: makeout album. The retro feel is great, Support Group ts here for you.
¯ andblends well into the music, capturing
¯" the feeling perfecdy ofsome ofmy favor-
: ite songs remembered-from childhood
: and beyond. Highly recommended. It’ s a
¯ great companion, piece to Melissa
: Etheridge’s darker "Breakdown". With
: Melissa, you cover the darker cynical
: moments, with La 1 ang, the bright sun-
: shiny day moments.
¯ I caught Arturo Brachetti on a guest
¯
appearaneeonDrewCarey, andyes,he’s
: family, and yes,he’ s fantastic. Well worth
¯ Evening support group meetings
¯ Relationship workshops
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HIV testing -
which I will leave to your imaginations. ¯ seeing what he’ s gotup his sleeve! Check
Think about it. (R~oc~y,.....Rhode, gg~.it? ;.,rpriorcol~f~r~t~.. ¯ :
Right up there with Ginger Chickeh, ifi~ : .... And fi~t mbliffi, the’R~ilt ifiteiaiiews!’
heroine of the piece. Rosemary is the :
Chicken that doesn’ t have babies. You’ll
get it when :~you see.the, film.) All the
actors are marvelous, and if you’ re a fan
of any of the British comedies on PBS
Sunday nights, you’ll recognize a few
voices. If there’s one film you see this
summer, make it this one. It’ 11 be well
worth your time. I plan to see it several
more times, and get the DVD when it
comes out - just to scroll through the
frames and catch what I missed the first
ten times. And I think instead of chicken
pot pies, I’ll stock up on the vegetarian
ones instead. Andinstead of roast chicken
sandwiches, the veggie chick burgers as
well.
Buh-bye, colonel!
¯" in the city’s 30th annual Lesbian Gay
¯ Bisexual Transgender Pride Parade, he
¯ said such events provide "a little light of
: hope.., acceptance of Gay people is still
¯ the toughest issue out there," said Ellard,
¯ 35. "The religious right still thinks we’re ¯
a threat to family values. But when you
¯
look at the Gay families marching with
: their children.., you see thatit’ s not true."
¯ What began in 1970 as a meager pro-
: cessionfollowedby an unassuming"Gay-
¯ in" at Golden Gate Park has become one
: of California’ s biggest events,
¯ see Pride, p. 9
For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
’q’beprobability thatyoudiefromAIDS
when you arc 15 today is over 50%in
these countries," Plot told a press conference.
"We arc going into societies where
there arc more people in their 60’ s and
70’ s than there are in their 40’ s and30’ s,"
hc said. "This is unheard of."
¯ In Washington, the Peace Corps an-
: nounced a worldwide campaign to push
¯ similar measures - training its 2,400 vol-
: unteers inAffieain preventive tedmiques
¯ and forming a200-member"crisis corps"
: tohelp educate commtmities. "There is no
¯ option for any organization working in
: development other than to play a role in
¯ helping these countries confront the HIV-
¯ AIDS crisis," Peace Corps Director Mark
With dwindling numbers of economi- i Schneider sai~.
eally active adults left tosupport the re~ L .,~ .~o~~i~~~.~d~l~st rate
of the .’.population, the. impact on ~.~tff~ot~:~i~A~i~t~i2~.;%~ is cooving
¯ . ~!~ .....,~ ~,-~.o:,~. ~7~." ~~ ~7,~>.>-.~ : ~_.: Afficamnattous ts devastating. Agng,~ t.~ ~ai[.an*-~i~su~ssf.u~ ~..emBpatgn 0,f protural
production in nations like Zim.~: ~ moting’¢Offdoni~us~. And’ Brazil" s policy
bwe, wh,ere 2,000people die each w..~ee;;~ : of prevention coupled with locally pro-
AIDS, is falling. Businesses are goi~i~g ¯ ducedaltemativestohigh,costanfi-AIDS
bankrupt beeause of the deaths of skilled, : drugs has halved the number of deaths
educated staff members. Hopes of better
education are also in tatters. The number
of new teachers trained in 7a~bia is just
keeping pace with .the number felled by
AIDS. Children are leaving school because
they are orphaned or forced to work
to support their families.
Hospitals are overwhelmed by AIDS
patients. Many have inadequate supplies
of even basic antibiotics to fight the pneumonia,
tuberculosis or mouth fungus that
accompany AIDS, let alone the sophistieated
drugs whichhave eased suffering in
rich countries, the report said.
Denial continues to be a problem. The
report cited a 1999 survey of 72 minors
orphaned by AIDS in a hard-hit Kenyan":
commnIfity: Although all knew of the
disease~one of them believed their parents
had died of it. Most thought witchcraft
or a curse was to blame.
Piot Said one of the reasons for the
explosion of cases in southern Africa is
the legacy of apartheid~ which separated.
men from their families in rural areas and
forced them to work in towns, with only
prostitutes for relief. But he said govern:
ments were also to blame for ignoring the
problem for too long. "What is happening
in southern Africa should.be a lesson for
countries today which don’t have a big
problem yet," he said. "I’m thinking of
Asia, I’m thinking of easte,,m, Europe, I’m
thinking of the Caribbean. About $~ bill
lionis needed annually forprevention and
education programs to turn the tide, Plot
said. He called for debt-relief programs
for poor comitries..
Sandra Thurman, director of President
Clinton’s White House Office on AIDS
policy, said the report urgently underscores
the need for goverm~ent l~aders to
face the crisis head on. "It will take the
engagement of all sectors of all societies
ifwewantto winthebattle againstAIDS,"
Thurman said in a recent statement.
Although Asiahas relatively low infec:
tionrates overall, there arefears that could
change because of the density of its population,
gome 0.7% of the Indian po,,p~ation
is ~IV-positive, or 3.7 milliof~ii~e
overall:Thediseasehas so farbeenl~g~ly
confined to drug addicts.
Infections in the former Soviet blocare
soaring because of drug addiction. Piot
said the number of new HIV cases in
Moscow last year far outstripped all previous
years combined. And the disease is
proliferating in Caribbean countries like
Haiti and Barbados because people have
multiple sexual partners from an early
age.
Despite the gloom of the report, Plot
said there are signs of hope. Uganda,
whichused to be the worst-affected country,
has slowed new infections thanks to
strong prevention campaigns and increased
condom use. Zambia is following
suit.
: and led to huge savings in hospital bills,
," the report said.
¯ "In the West and in Europe, the impact
:. of treatment has been spectaculars" Piot
said. "Mortality has really collapsed..There
isa longer and better life for people with
AIDS."Onthe Net: http://www.uuaids.org
In renewing his plea for suspending the
law until the central issues go to trial,
Stanley argued that there is realharm that
could happen.’ The clerks’ rights to freed0m
of religion under the Vermont Constitution
would be violated, he said:,
He also argued that taxmoney wouldbe
spent through providing,rights and benefits
to same-sex couples. Permitting
umous to go forward that may in the
future be ruled unconstitutional would
cause irreparable harm, he said. In all, the
~ lawsuit_,claims.:that the.,civil unions_law_
violates five different articles of the state
Consttitution, several state statutes and
House rules.
Many of those arguments were made
when the i|~wsuit first was flied and the
state’ s lawyer handling the ease said he
did not believe any substantially new
claims were made that would prompt the
judge to change his mind. "I don’t think
there’ s a ntl~ ttdt:~~ys~~u:can only ask
once, butinpractical term~ someonewould
put together their best case for a preliminary
injunction," said Chief Assistant
Attorney General William Griffin. "My
view is they’ ve had their day in court and
-the court made a decision. I.guess I’ d be a
little surprised if we went around again."
Varmont Official May.Dof~ LaW
TOPSHAM, Vt. (AP) - The town clerk is
considering defying the state by refusing
to issue civil union licenses to Gay and
Lesbian couples. Juanita Claflin describes
the unions as "endorsed perversion." The
law, whichis to gointo effectJuly 1, states
that if a town clerk does not want to issue
the licenses he or she must at least appoint
someone else to do so.
In a memo sent on town letterhead to
every Topsham honsehold earlier this
month, Claflin tells voters she will not
issue the licenses and asks if they believe
she should defy the law, resign or appoint
a willing assistant to deal with the paperwork.
Most of the responses so far have
urged defiance of the law, but Claflin said
she has not decided whether to risk lawsuits
and penalties by following the
townspeople’ s wishes.
"I still have to make that absolute final
decision," she said. After the townspeople
respond, she will meet with the select
board and possibly hold a public meeting
to tell residents about the potential consequences
of defying the law. "I made the
commitment to the people that I would
uphold what they said," she added. "If "
they’ re still of that opinion (after being
informed of the consequences), I’ll take :
my licks." ¯
At least one other town clerk, in "
Tunbridge, has resigned over the issue. In
Waterbury, the town clerk and assistant
town clerk also resigned recently, citing "
unspecified personal reasons and an ef- ,
fective date of July 1. ¯
Claflin’ s opposition to civil unions has "
~no secret since She was elected in "
summa.e,dCh. t~hWe hpe~n,,s~h.ee ,w,easxcsewp0trtonins,elslheciivni-l
on licenses into her oath of office. At
the time Claflin thought the bill, then
being debated, would notpass, she says in
her letter. "Well, I was wrong... The
unthinkable did become law," she writes.
"I stand firm and unwavering in my commitment
to refuse to be a party to this
endorsed perversion based on my constitutional
rights and personal belief."
But theNew Jersey assistant scoutmaster
ousted when the organization learned
he is Gay expressed dismay at the ruling.
"I’mdef’mitely saddenedby thedecision,"
said James Dale. "People don’t join the
Boy Scouts beeaus~ they’re anti-Gay.
People join the Boy Scouts because they
want acceptance, they want community."
The ruling did not specifically give the
Scouts permission to bar Gay youth from
membership, but its language left room
for that interpretation. "I think it suggests
that they can" ban Gay boys from being
Scouts, said Evan Wolfson, Dale’ s lawyer.
"They won the.right to declare themselves
an anti-Gay group." University of
Southern California law professor Erwin
Chemerinsky agreed, saying, "I don’ t see
any basis for drawing a distinction between
Scout leaders and Scouts."
The Scouts organization, formed in the
United States in 1910 and now boasting
6.2 million members and adult leaders,
has a policy that "avowed homosexuals
are not extended membership or leadership
positions," Shields said. He would
not say whether the organizationhas withdrawn
membership from Gay youths.
But Scott Cozza, an adult Scout leader
in California and president of Scouting
For All, which advocates letting homosexuals
join, said: "They’ve kicked out
Gay Scouts and now they’ll continue to
do so because they’ ve been given the goahead
by the Supreme Court to continue
to discriminate."
The justices reversed a New Jersey
Supreme Court decision that said the
Scouts wrongly ousted Dale, an Eagle
Scout. The state court said the Scouts
violated a New Jersey law banning discrimination
in public accommodations.
But Rehnquist wrote, ’q’he forced inclusion
of an unwanted person in a group
infringes the group’ s freedom of expressive
association" if it harms the group’s
ability to advocate its viewpoint. His opinion
was joined by Justices Sandra Day
O’ Connor, Antonin Scalia, Anthony M.
Kennedy and Clarence Thomas. Dissenting
wereJustices John Paul Stevens, David
H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and
Stephen G. Breyer.
Writing for the four, Stevens said the
New Jersey law does notforce the Scouts
"to communicate any message that it does
not wish to endorse. New Jersey’s law,
therefore, abridges no constitutional right
of the Boy Scouts." Wolfson, Dale’ s lawyer,
had cited Supreme Court decisions
during the 1980s that let states force the
Jaycees and Rotary International to admit
women as full members.
But Rehnquist said requiring such
groups to accept women members would
not interfere with the message they seek
to express. Instead, the chief justice likened
Dale’ s case to a 1995 Supreme Court
ruling in which thejustices let the private
sponsor of the Boston St. Patrick’s Day
Parade exclude a group ofGays andlesbi7
a~.s, s,,aying parades are a"form0fexpres~
slon.
The American Center for Law and Jus~
tice, a conservative advocacy group that
supported the Scouts’ appeal, said the
ruling "will have a dramatic impact on all
private organizations - including religious
groups - to define their own mission and
set their Own criteria for leadership."
The. Human Rights Campaign, of the
largest Lesbian and Gay civil rights organizatious,
called the Supreme Court decision
to allow the Boy Scouts of America
(BSA) to continue its ban on Gay scouts a
travesty of justice that may allow large,
open membership groups to be above the
law and evade .state and local nondiscrimination
laws.
"We are gravely disappointed with a
ruling thatgives theBoy Scouts ofAmerica
the ability to discriminate withimpunity,"
said HRC Legal Director Tony Varona.
"TMs is a hollow victory for the Boy
Scouts of America - considering the
wasted time, energy and money it has
spent on maintaining its ability to .discriminateand
attack young menwhohave
served its organization with distinction. Is
this any way to teach youth aboutfairness,
honesty and justiceT’
Dale was 19 and an assistant scoutmaster
of a Matawan, N.J., troop when in
1990 he was identified in a newspaper
article as co-president of a campus Lesbian
and Gay student group at Rutgers
University. The Scouts’ MonmouthCouncil
revoked Dale’ s registration as an adult
leader, andhe sued, citing the New Jersey
anti-discrimination law. The New Jersey
court ruled that the BSA is not a private
club, but a public accommodation given
its size, open membership and extensive
entanglement with government agencies.
In its appeal to the Supreme Court, the
Boy Scouts argued that New Jersey’ s antidiscrimination
law infringed on its First
Amendment right to association.
)’In accepting the BSA’s arguments
concerning expressive association, the
Court inexplicably ignored the fact that
theBSA’ s purposeandmessagehas never
had anything to do with sexual orientation,"
added HRC’ s Varona. "To the contrary,
the Boy ScOuts’ oath stresses public
serviceandhonesty, andits Congressional
charter and bylaws make clear that membership
is open to ’any boy’."
Dale now lives inNew York City and is
advertising director for a magazine for
people who are HIV-positive.
On the Net: Supreme Court decision in
Boy Scouts of America v. Dale: http://
supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99-
699.ZS.html
and one of the world’s best known celebrations
of Gay pride. Numerous celebrities,
including comedienne Margaret
Cho, made appearances. Police said the
parade had proceeded peacefully, and
knew of no counter-demonstrations.
Parades took place also in S~atfle. New
York, Chicago and Atlanta.
by Lamont Linds~rom. Ph.D. skins for very long. Early medical science
Is it the unkixxdest cut? That’s what a ¯ of the late 19th century seized on the
foreskin-challenged writer to Dear Abby " operation as a cure for excessive masturrecently
claimed. He bitterly reproached ¯ bation and also to treat an odd collection
his morn for letti~ag himbe
circumcised - a condition
he blamed for bis regrettable
shortcomin~,~ inbed.
Circtmacision is a body
modificationritua~ ",hathas
fascinated antLropologists.
People everywhere
redesign-their ~odies.
Modification may be as
simple as a haircut and a
shave, or more invasive
foot-binding, ear-piercing,
- head-molding, ~attoomg,
or scarification. Modifying
the body carries social
and personal meaning. Individuals
may remake
themselves -andhow they
think about themselves -
by altering their bodies.
These alterations have social
implications as well.
We ustmlly know what to
think when we see someone
dieting, or sporting a
new tattoo, or a tongue
pierce, or a shaven head.
Humans modify lots of
body parts - elbows, fingers,
chins, bellies - but
it’ s no surprise that many
societies have fixatedupon
Cireumelslon is a
body modlfleatlon
ritual that has
faselnated
anthropologists.
People everywhere
redesign
their bodies.
Modifieatlon may be
as simple as a halreut
and a shave, or
naore invaslve footblndln~,
ear-piereln~,
h d-mo!dln ,
tattooln~,
or searlfleatlon.
l~lbdlfyln~ the body
earrles sodal and
personal rneanlnff
the foreskin. Like earlobes, foreskins are
easily pierced, sliced, or cut away without
much endangering human functiomng.
Unilke earlobes, however, foreskins attach
to the dhief organ of male pleasure
and reproduction. Many cultures have
elaborated the powerful symbolic uses of
snipping off a piece of men’ s genitals.
Circumcision is often the key component
of male initiation rituals, as it is on
Tanna, anislandin the SouthPacificwhere
1livedfor some years. TheTarmese gather
up their sons between the ages of six and
twelve and lead them away to a secret
house in the forest to be snipped. Traditionally,
boys were cutwithbambooknives
- their foreskins sliced down the top - an
superincision rather than a circumcision.
Nowadays, island fathers anduncles might
take the boys down to a local clinic for a
full-blown Western circumcision.
The loss of foreskin marks the boy’s
journey into manlaood. Tannese kids tease
boys who are yet to be circumcised. They
call them a name that means something
like "pulls back skin." A Presbyterian
missionary from New Zealand lived on
Tanna, in th~ 1980S wi,th his triple~ sons.
My island friends were scandalized that
these boys remained uncircumcised as
they approached their teen years. Every
time the boys wandered by, you knew
localmenwere ponderingbambooknives.
New Zealanders, like most people in the
world, leave their foreskins alone. Circumcigion
is uncommon in Europe, Asia,
and Latin America and is disappearing in
AustraJia and Canada. We Americans
share the ritual mostly with sundry Pacific
Islanders and Australian Aborigines,
peoples of the Middle East (notably Jews
and Arabs), and various northern and central
African societies.
Artistic depictions of circumcision in
Egypt dated to 4500 years ago suggest
that the ritual has a long history. But
Americans haven’t been snipping foreof
other conditions. Once
circumcision became part
of the modern medical
toolkit, doctors were loath
to giveitup. They invented
a series of spurious rationales
for the operation. The
newes t defense of circumcision
argues that uncut
menare three to eight limes
morelikely (different studies
give differentnumbers)
to.catch HIV. The vires -
so says this hypothesis -
attaches itselfmorereadily
to cells thathave been kept
tender underneath a foreskin.
Whether or not this latest
medical rationale for
circumcision holds up,
cutting has powerful social
meanings that go far
beyond the merely hygienic.
Just why do we
mess withforeskins? Is this
a male attempt to appropriate
natural female fertility:
Menbleed their genitals
to mimic menstruation?
Or are men coneemed
to drain away dangerous
female blood from
their sons, as do the Tannese, in order that
these boys can fully mature? Or do men
cut their sons - and in so doing potentially
endanger the reproductive future of their
family line - as a mark of loyalty to their
tribe? Or do boys undergo symbolic castration
as a-price they pay fatherg to join
the men? Anthropologists have proposed
all these explanations.
It’s pretty clear that in 20th century
America circumcision became a marker
of class and status. Only people with
money could afford doctors and genital
surgery. And only trendy parents who
supported mainstream beliefs about public
hygiene would accept new scientific
rationalizations for the operation. Circumcision
rates were far higher among the
urban and the wealthy than they were
among poorer, rural, immigrant, or minority-
group families. Middle-class white
boys carried on their bodies the mark of
their family’ s status claims.
By the 1940’ s, the medical industry had
captured control of childbirth. A majority
of women went into hospital to give birth.
And for the first time amajofity of Ameri-
:canb0ys wer~eircumcised. Circumcision
rates peaked at around 85% in the 1970’ s.
Since that decade, these numbers have
dropped - as an anthropologist would
predict - down to 60% in the mid 1990’ s.
When everyoneshares the same practice,
that practice no longer serves to create
distinctions of class and status among us.
Thefact thatmanyHMOs nowadays force
parents to.pay for the.operation also has
spared many sons’ foreskins~
Still, being cut continues to symbolize
"clear," "healthy," and "modem" across
much of America. Until these meanings
erode, it’ s likely that many of us will yet
be able to hold our heads up high, should
we happen to mninto any teasing Pacific
island boys.
Lamont Lindstrom teaches anthropology
at the University of TUlsa.
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1400 Gilcrease Museum Road
5 9 6 2 7 0 0
by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor
Sam Harris returns to Tulsa as Josephin
Theatre Arts’ productionofAndrew Lloyd
Webber’s "Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat"
heading up a cast of thousands
of locals - well, ok,
maybe not quite thousands,
but it’ s aprettylong
cast list.
The cast includes John
Orsulak and Patrick
Hobbs, members of the
Council Oak Men’s
Chorale’ s (we really need
agoodacronymhere!) and
formerly Finales, along
with David Hubbard,
Kathy LaFortlme, Bradd
Gillespie, Larry Gray, and
Eric Cornell (an actor and singer to watch,
as he’s got a lotta talent, and he’s dedicated
to performing enough to go far).
Directed by New York’s Jon Grodeski,
the musical is a.,lively rethinking of the
biblical tale of Joseph and his jealous
brothers.
Sam Harris, a Sand Springs native, left
home at 15 to pursue the dream of performing
on Broadway. Everyone knows
about Star Search, and the recording career
that followed. His latest endeavors
have included the critically acclaimed "In
the Life," a Broadway musical; Grease on
Broadway; and his latest CD, "Revival",
a return tohis pop and soul roots.. He also
wrote the TBS sitcom "Down to Earth."
He’s been a busy boy! And he still manages
to look fabulous!
. He recently completed work on the
feature film "In the Weeds", with Eric
Bogosian, Molly Ringwald, and Joshua
Leonard. He recently premiered his new
oneman show, "Revival", and is planning
to tour the show after a New York Run.
He’ 11 bemaking his Tulsa concert debut
July 28 in "An Intimate
Evening with SamHarris."
There’s a joke in that, but
I’m trying to maintain a
more staid image. Actually,
there’s about three
jokes I could make. It’s
kindalike resisting chocolate
- you know it’s the
right thing to do, but it’s
just so tempting.., but no,
I have eschewed that behavior.
Performances run July
14th- 23rd, and the
evening shows start atT:30
rather than the usual 8pm, so plan accordingly.
Matinees are at 2pm. The venue is
Tulsa Community College’s PACE theatre
at their southeast campus at 81st and
169, so don’ t go downtown to thePACfor
this one. For more info., call 595-7777.
July 15th is "Sand Springs Night" in
honor of Mr. Harris’ hometown roots.
July 19th is "Youth Night" - if you don’t
qualify for that one, you can at least pretend
to be from Sand Springs.
And I would like to welcome a couple
of new writers to Tulsa Family News.
Hughston Walkinshaw will be covering
film and local theatre for us here. He’ll
make his debut in our August issue. And
while -I’m at it, some of you have read
about my best friend Karin. Wall, who
wouldhave thunkitbut she’ s finally’’come
out" and this month, we will feature her
thoughts, in a new column entitled"Raging
Lesbian."
Sam Harris
More importantly, the woman with her
arms around me was the woman I wanted
to be with. My heart was telling me this
was right, tree and just. Then the song
ended, and that insidious thing called my
brain took over. Years of living in the
Bible Belt made me once again think too
much, and I acted straight again. Which is
fnnny since I obviously don’t know from
straight. Too many missed opportunities
later, and my unrequited love affair with
Marolyn (I didn’t DARE think about this
at the time!) endedwhen shemovedaway.
V. Random Musings
Don’t get me wrong. Three girls does
not a Lesbian make. There have been
many more I’ve felt "that way" about,
including Ms. Black Hair, DeepBlueEyes
with whom I worked; Ms. Nude Model
whom I LOVED to draw in art class; the
two English teachers at school where I
taught; and the young P.E. teacher at the
same school. Comeon, there’ sALWAYS
a P.E. teacher! And when I was 25, there
was the <ahem!> 16 year old I worked
with! Hey, I can’t be arrested for my
thoughts, not even in Tulsa!
VI. Acceptance.
I know acceptance doesn’ t come in six
easy steps, but time and space being what
they are, I’ ve cut to the chase. What made
me finally accept myself as a Lesbian?
Not any one thing. I guess years of chipping
away at my libido, and the fact that
everytime I had sex with a man, it coincided
with some girl I had a crush on.
Then there’ s the entertainment world. A
friend got me interested in’qRte X-Files"
years ago, but for the past few seasons my
heart has skipped a few beats more and
I’ ve thought,"Was DavidDuchovny even
in that episode tonight?" If you listen
exclusively to Melissa Etheridge for a
year, it’ s not just her music you identify
with. And even when you do identify with
it- need I say more?- you’ re Gay! When
you tape the ENTIRE Gay Rights Rally
on CSPAN it’ s a pretty sure bet that, yes,
you’ re Gay!When you seriously consider
moving to the state capital (what do you
call a city FULL of Lesbians? Austin!),
then, you guessed it - you’ re Gay! When
your best friend calls you long distance
from Tulsa to tell you the new issue of
Curve is out - with Gillian Anderson on
thecover- and youhaul ass to the nearest
Gay neighborhood to buy it within the
hour, well, you’ vejust taken a ride on the
Dyke Express! When you own copies of
"Desert Hearts", "Bound", "Everything
Relative", "Claire of the Moon", etc., and
display them prominently on your shelf,
then grrlfriend, you have swung those
closet doors open for the last time.
And it feels good, clean, and honest.
|
Want to get involved?
Need to get tested for HIV or
a Coming Out Support Group?
Call 743-GAYS (4297)
Tulsa Gay
Community
Services Center
1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor
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Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, July 2000; Volume 7, Issue 7
Subject
The topic of the resource
Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
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Tulsa Family News
Source
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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July 2000
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
Rights
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, June 2000; Volume 7, Issue 6
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Language
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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
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/602
2000
AIDS
aMUSEments
arts and entertainment
Bars
Boy Scouts
businesses
churches
civil unions
Diversity celebration
Gay Studies
health
HIV
Jim Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
performing arts
Pride
Raging Lesbian
Read All About It
restaurants
sodomy laws
Tom Neal
Tulsa Family News
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/712578396993d523934aa25341e075bc.jpg
c1b27a5396a4f0156c29c13e55faeb94
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/0e437c62fbb7e50af3b715f849e29a6d.pdf
63ebf7074a306816b93e5aae614b7fb0
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
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Methodist "community council" which did adopt the goal.
Neal suggested to council co-ordinator Marly Newman that "
TULSA-Inaneffortbothnerve-wrackingandtedious ." McDonald be asked to lead the effort because of the World’ s ¯
several Tulsans, SueKnanse, KentDoss,I~arenWeldon ." seeming preference to deal with representatives of non-Gay ¯
(and another who need to remain unnamed), were ¯ groups which advocate on behalf of Gay people rather than Gay
arrested in Cleveland with the Reverend Mel White and : people themselves. ".
191 others in acts of peaceful civil disobedience at the " In a widely distributed June 1st e-mail about the change,
recent United Methodist Church. Conference: ¯ McDonald wrote"how you will also remember that PFLAG had
The acts of civil disobedience, blocking a car park " to be very creative in the design of our signature ad for the paper "
exitfolloweddaysofnegotiationswithMethodistchnrch : as part of the PROJECT OPEN MIND Campaign"- areference ¯
leaders about the anti-Gay policies of the United Meth- " to how PFLAG under the former World policy could not use its ¯
odistChurch (UMC). The conference held in Cleveland ¯ own legal name because it included the banned words. ~.
was attended by hundreds of UMC delegates. ¯ McDonald added, "... PFLAG submitted an ad and with
The Methodist church like some other "mainline" ~ several revisions, it has been approved... The cost of the ad is "
Christian denominations has adopted policies which " approximately $500 and [it is] to run on Sunday, June 4th, in the ¯
limit participation of Lesbian and Gay persons in that ¯ Living Section. It has Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians ¯ Will Allen, Emily Sizeraore &
group. White stated, "the United Methodist Chruch has " and Gays, as well as some other statements, ’Is someone you care " Matthew Holloway are winners
ahistory of social concern [butthey haye] anti-homo- " for gay orlesbian? Issomeoneyoulovegayorlesbian?Ifso, call ¯ ofCoraraunity Hero awards.
sexual policies in place that lead to discrimination ¯ Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays’ and then it ¯
suffering, and even death." _. lists our Helpline number."
The Tulsans joined other notable civil fights leaders. ¯ McDonald also wrote, "I have no idea what the response will "
YolandaKing, theRey.Dr.JamesLawson, friendofDr. " be? I suspect some positive and some negative so theHELPLINE ¯
King, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia and others. " has been notified. If anyone is so moved to help thelocal Chapter ¯
see Arrest, p. 10 : with the cost of the ad, see World, p. 2 "
Gays Better Educated,. ForJustices+Couples, Unions. Missouri Backwoods:A
Lower Paid Than Straights " Require Creative Language ° Hotbed of Hate Groups
WASHINGTON (AP) - Men who consider themselves
"unmarried partners" of another man are better educated
on average, but make less money than heterosexual
men of the same age, according to a study that°
claims to take the most comprehensive look ever into
the lives of homosexuals in America.
Women who have female "unmarried parmers" also
tend to be more educated, but earn salaries comparable
to those ofheterosexual womenin the same age bracket,
according to the study in this month’s issue of
"Demography," the journal of the Population Association
of Americ&
"An important point that is clearly articulated is that
it illustrates the impact of anti-Gay discrimination .on
income levels," said David Smith, spokesman for the
organization Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy
group for Gays and Lesbians.
Advocates applauded what they said was the first
comprehensive study of homosexuals but cautioned
against drawing any t-nan conclusions until more research
is done.
"Demographically, this is a hard population to target
and analyze. Data on sexual orientation is not as easily
avai[dible as information on race~ gender and age," said
Seth Sanders, a study author and .an economist at the
University of Maryland.
The study looked at statistics from the 1990 Census.
~the first,count to allow people to check offthatthey lived
with:an .unmarried partner of the same sex.
see Pay, p. 11
DIRECTORY P. 2
EDITORIAL P. 3
US & WORLD NEWS P. 4
HEALTH NEWS P. 6
ENTERTAINMENT P. 8
GAY STUDIES P. 10
by Ross Sneyd, Associated Press Writer
MONTPELIER, Vt. -"And now, by the powers vested in me by
the state of Vermont, I pronounce you.. ?’ What? Partners?
Together as one? Joined as family?
Unlike marriage, there’ s no common syntax for the new world
of same-sex civil unions. Because the couples are twomen or two
women, the old fried-and-true "man and woman" or "husband
and wife" phrases don’ t quite make it.
With no rulebook and few traditions-as wall as no other state
sanctioning what willbe the equivalent of same-sex marriage and
thereby offering some guideposts - Vermont’s justices of the
peace and .couples entering civil unions are crafting their own
conventions and rituals.
There has been a lot of discussion, both lighthearted and
serious, about how to conduct a ceremony. ’q’here’ s so much
creativity in our community among Gay and Lesbian couples in
how to create outward signs of their commitment," said Mary
Hurlie, ajustice of the peace in Hinesburg who has been with her
female partner for 13 years. "But we haven’ t gotten to that level
of detail, yet."
As marriages must be "solemnized" by judges, justices of the
peace or members of the clergy, so, too, will civil unions have to
be "certified." But there aren’t any rules. The civil unions law
says only that they must be certified. There’ s no script ~,State
statute that must be followed for a marriage, either.
"Just like marriages, there aren’t any magic words," said
Secretary of State Deb Markowitz. " ’We pronounce you man
and wife, husband and wife,’ they’ rejustmade up. Youdon’ t find
them in statute."
Training sessions have been held for justices by the secretary
of state’ s office in recentweeks becauseit is almost unquestioned
that it will be to them that the primary responsibility for performing
civil umons ceremonies falls. That’ s because there are few
religious faiths that bless same-sex unions and so there won’ t be
many clergy members willing or able to certify civil tmions on
behalf of the state.
Justices of the peace have a handful of responsibilities under
state law. Most have to do with taxes and elections. A town’ s
iusdces - there are as few as fiveinsmall towns see Unions,p.ll
Humanity Unites For Human Rights
Diversity Celebration 2000t
"Diversity Celebration 2000!" is an eight-day
celebration of the human rights movement with the
goal ofuniting northeastern Oklahoma’ s Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT) and
¯ GLBT-friendly communities. Tulsa Oklahotnans
for Human Rights, Inc., Oklahoma’s oldestr~rnreligious
Gay community organization released it
final schedule
which follows:
Friday,June 2nd
Diversity Celebration
2000!
will kick off at 7
pm with an Interfaith
Service led
by Rev. Mel
White at the Williams
Theatre in
the Performing
Arts Center
(PAC). Special
musical guests include
Council
Oak Men’s Chorale,
Ernestine
Holloway is notpictured. Dillard, Jessie
Scott, and the
Fourth Quarter gospel quartet. Participation by
persons with a variety of faith traditions will be
included in the program. Admission is free. An
offering will be taken, see Pride, p. 7
by Doug Johnson, Associated Press Writer
¯ GAINESVILLE, Mo. - The remote and rugged
¯ Ozark hills blanketed with dogwoods and oaks are
¯ treasured by hunters, hikers and others wanting to
¯ get away from the bustle of urban life.
." The pastoral hills are also a haven for hate
¯ groups, authorities say. Southern Missouri has
¯ drawn more than its share of religious sects and
¯
white supremacists looking for a place to hide.
¯ Last week, police arrested the Rev. Gordon
: Winrod- the leader of an anti-Semitic church ~ for
: allegedly kidnapping six of his grandchildren and
: concealing them for years at his farmhouse in the
¯ hills. The only explanation authorities offer for ¯
why the kids werekidnappedis thatWinrod thought
: theirtwo fathers wereJewish. Sheriff SteveBartlett
¯ said the youngsters had been taught by their grand-
-¯ father to distrust authorities. At one point, the
sheriff said, the children shouted at deputies, "Get
: your Jew hands off me."
: Winrod, 73, and his followers gained a reputa-
¯ tioninOzark Countyformass mailings ofliterature
: calling law enforcement officers and prosecutors
¯ "Jewdicials" - a play on the word judicial - and
¯ claiming-they cover up murders of whites. ¯
It’ s not uncommon to find that kind of sentiment
~ in some areas of the Ozarks, which straddles the
: state line between Missouri and Arkansas. Experts
¯ say the region draws hate groups and people con-
: nected to the white supremacist "Christian Iden- ¯ tity" movement.
¯. "We are richin these types of groups down in this
¯ part of the country for some reason," Highway
: Patrol Sgt. Marty Elmore said. Southwest Missouri
: is often characterized by a lack of adequate law
¯ enforcement in rural areas and lacks a tradition of
: heavy-handed local government and gun control, ¯
said Robert Flanders, former director of the Center
¯ for Ozark Studies see Hate, p. 7
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW" s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine
*Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
*Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’ s, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd
*The Yellow Brick. Road Pub, 2630- E: 1-5th.....:-
712-2324
610-5323
583-2119
835-2376
749-4511
744-4280
745-9998
834-4234
585-3405
660-0856
584-1308
--749- 1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Advanced Wireless & PCS, Digital Cellular 74% 1508
*Assoc. in Med, & Mental Health, 2325 S. HarYard 743-1000
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41 665-4580
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15 712-1122
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21 712-9955
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale 494-2665
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria 743-5272
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria 746-0313
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth 295-5868
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial 369-8555
*Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 592-0460
*Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. P~eoria 744-9595
Four Stai: Imi~ort Automotive, 9906 E. 551h PI. 610-0880
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. 628-3709
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026
*Gloria Jean’ s Gourme( Coffee, 1758 E. 21 st 742-1460
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning 459-9349
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly 745-1111
*International Tours 341-6866
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750
*Jared’ s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering 747-0236
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening 582-8460
*Kerfs Flowers, 1635 E. 15 599-8070
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 747-5466
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha 585-1234
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd 584-3112
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 663-5934
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664-2951
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo 838-7626
*The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor 743-4297
Rainbowz on the River B+B, PUB 696, 74101 747-5932
Richard’ s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921,747-4746
Scribner’ s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square 749-6301
Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-78-29
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counsding 743- !733
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, PUB 4337, 74101 579-9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black& g~hite, l,nc,~,POB 1400!,Tulsa,7~4~5.9... 58%7314
Bless The Lord at All Tsmes Chnstian C~"nter, 2207 E. 6 J583-78’15
*B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. ofTulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*C~hapman Student Ctr.,:University of Tulsa, 5th PI. & Florence
Chureti oVth_~Rest~or~tionUU,1314N.~reeawt~od : 587-:13,14
*C~~°.U~’~’ari2UniVexsalist Congregafirn 749-0595 748 3888
,Delilw~e~i~yilotise¢:iSilS "Dela~vare .- 712-15.11
*DemOcratiC Headquarters, 3930 E: 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, PUB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free Spirit Women’ s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, PUB 52344, 74152 747-6827
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
PUB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159
e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Neal
Writers + contributors:
James Christjohn, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche,
Lamont Lindstrom, Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers
Member of The Associated Press
Issued on or before the 1 st of each month, the entire contents
of thig publication are protected by US copyright 1998 b)
T~ /:~,~v.~ and may not be reprodu~.d (~th~r~i~a:
whole orinpart W~th0utwrittenpermission from thepublish~.
Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’ s
sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for
publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes
the sole property ofT~ ~.’. N~- Eachreader
is entitled to 4 copies of each editmn at distribution
points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248. "
Friends in Unity Social Org., PUB 8542, 74101 582-0438
HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583-6611
*Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
Holland Hall School, 5666 E. 81st 481-1111
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
*House of the Holy Spirit Minstries, 3210e So. Norwood
Interfaith AIDS Ministries 438-2437, 800-284-2437
*MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral PI. 748-3111
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, PUB 14068;’74159 365-5658
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), PUB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tulsa
PFLAG, PUB 52800, 74152 749-4901
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
O’ RYAN, support group for 18-24 LGBT young adults
O’ RYAN, Jr. support group for 14-17 LGBT youth
St. Aidan’ s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882
St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
*St. Jerome’ s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
*TNAAPP (Native American men). Indian Health Care 582-7225
Tulsa County Health Department, 46 16 E. 15 595-4105
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniforn~’Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*Tulsa Gay Community Center, 1307 E. 38, 74105
Unity Church of Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown
BARTLESVILLE
Thanks be to you for that wonderful article,
"Our Governor Foot-in-Mouth
Keating"... wentto TulsaLibrary, picked
up first copy of Tulsa Family News and
began reading... Laughed out loud, and a
long overdue laugh it was, over the comments
of Mr. Keating and your"right-on
analogies." The very ideathat there should
have to be a public consensus to treat all
people fairly! What hideous stereotyping
by our governor...
[I] regret that there is no place close to
¯ ,my ho,me, w,he,r,e !,.c,gn.get your. w.onderful
", i~per. The’littl~ ~egment ,~0 ~epoi’i hate
,, ~ sigee~h 0i: virleh~e~ Call i.he Gay communit~
cent~ris so r~assuring... Loved the
~ Quilt article, unfortunately got my paper
." too lateiio go. Extended thanks.
¯ - Gay-friendly in Depew.
*Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN
Borders Books & Music, 3209NW Expressway 405-848-2667
Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
TAHLEQUAH
Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
*Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456=7900
Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360
NSU School of Optometry, 1001 N. Grand
HIVtesting every other Tues. 5:30-8:30, call for dates
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Autuinn’Bre~ze Restaurant, Hwy. 23
*Jim & Brent’ s Bistro, 173 S. Main
DeVito’ s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
Emerald.R_ainbo~,4~ &l/2_Spfing,St. ~ .....
MCC of the Living Spring
Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, PUB~ 429
OldJailhouse_ Lodging, 15 Montgomery
Positive Idea Marketing Plans
Sparky’ s~ Hwy. 62 :East
White Light, 1 Center St.
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
*Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134
¯ Announcements Policy
¯ Tulsa Family News will provide space
¯ for holy union ceremony, marriage
-" ceremony, birth, adoption and death
~ announcements ona space availableb~sis.
Photos are welcome, though we cannot
promise placement or return them, so
¯ please send copies to Tulsa Family NewS,
; PUB 4140, Tulsa 74159.
¯ Letters Policy
¯ Tulsa-~amily News welcomes letters
¯ on issues which we’ve covered or
¯ issues you.think need to be consider~ed,
¯ You may request that your name be with-
: held but letters must be signed & have
¯ phone numbers, or be hand ddivered. 200
¯ word letters are preferred. Letters to o~¢r.
publicat.ions will be re-printed as ks~
appropriate. ~.~
501-253-7734
501-253,7457
: any donation wouldbe appreciated. Please
send to PFLAG, PO Box 52800, Tulsa,
¯ OK 74152. I truly believe this will ope~
the door for PFLAG as well as o~
organizations to submit ads to theT~
World. Our thanks to Joe Worley
¯ assisting us with this policy change. He
~ was very, very helpful.’"
: The World’ s anti-Gay policy is doen-
¯ mented back to the middle’80’ s when a
: Lesbian owned card, gift and book store,.
743-4297 ¯ Two’s Company, located near 31st &
749-8833 ¯ Harvard was told the World would not
¯ accept advertising for the store because ¯
the owners wanted to let readers know the
¯ target audience, i.e. Lesbians and Gay
¯ men. The owners conducted a one day
¯ picket of the World but the policy re-
. mained unchanged.
¯"
In 1993, when Tulsa Family News pub¯
lisher Tom Neal, opened a gift and card
¯ shop "tomfoolery !" at the Silver Star, the
World also refused to accept advertising,
even though the store did not trade in
eroti~ Or any other possible objectionable,~
fials, citing the same policy, .
A~,~arslaterl PFLAG, TulSa Cliap5~
ter ran afrul of the same anti-Gay po|i~¢y
501-253-6807 ¯ when it tried to run a pro-Gay civi! .rights _t
501-25_3-~5 :.. signature ad. !ntetesgngly, the
501:253:9337 : la~editsbw~ipoli’cy~’~WW~eks]~e~r,-’~te.~’~a
501-253-27"/6~. : runninffthe censrr~’FLAGa~.~a...i~)
501-253-5332, : accept~l’~ an anti-G~i~,iid from a"~Jali~0I¢~U
501-624~’6~~ ¯ of weS~side Tulsa &i~ches
501-253-600I": one of:~banned~c~ds. .
501-253-4074 : Editor’s note: for a related editorial,
¯ see page 3. The editorial was written the
417-623-4696 " earlier in the day before the news broke
¯ about the World’ s newpolicy. Hats offto
¯ Nancy McDonaldfor her work in negoti*
is where you can findTFN. Not all areGay-owned but all are Gay-friendly. ating this new policy.
by Tom Neal, editor &publisher
For being the proverbial 900 lb. gorilla of our local
media, those folks over at The Tulsa Worm sure seem to
be thin-skinned about criticism. One editor, whom I
respect greatly, took particular umbrage atmy calling our
daily, "a country-club newspaper."
I suspect ,that a good part of his irritation is that he
knows there s still truth in the charge. The Tulsa World
has made great progress in providing better coverage of
all of Tulsa, including our minority communities, - even
Gay people. But like the town it serves, it carries with it.
its parochial,.elitist and raciSt/anfi-minority phst~. And f6r
every .step forward, there s~ems tb t~ffve tO be a least one
step back. " :-
Consider this charming carto0h"0y Simpson, reproduced
here, with its somewhat sophisticated bigotry and
stereotyping. The comment of "real girls only," implying
that Gay men are somehow like women but yet are less
than women, is full ofunexaminedmisogynism. It comes
out of a hierarchy where straight men (and traditionally
straight, white men) are superior, women are lesser
creatures, and Gay men are even lower because we’re
men "who want to be women." Lesbians, of course, exist
only to populate the sexual fantasies of straight men.
To put this cartoon in the proper historical context, we
need only think back to early 20th century racist political
cartoons in which Black Americans were represented
ape-ishly and made to speak in "step’ n’ fetch it" dialogue
- or other cartoons where orthodox Jews or Japanese-
Americans were misrepresented as evil foreigners.
Ironically, Simpsonjust gets it wrong. The GirlScouts
of America are clearly on record as saying, they, unlike
the Boy Scouts, do not discriminate on tile.,.basis of sexual
orientation. The organization does use adult men as well
as women in its programs in leadership and in training
roles,: Therefore, not only would young women who are
Lesbian be welcome, adult Lesbians and Gay men could
also participate and no doubt have.
And guess what, the Girl Scouts are doing just fine.
But The Worm is not doing so well. For at least 15
years, our daily has maintained an anti-Gay .advertising
policy which bans the words: Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual.
Theyjustify this saying that they are a"family" newspaper.
Note that this ban does not apply to content of news
articles, editorials or, obviously, cartoons!
In fact, The World literally could notdo the basic work
of a newspaper, merely reporting the stories of our city,
country and world, if they censored these words.
¯ How can anyone with a shred of reasoning think that
these words ifplaced in an advertisement somehow have
an adverse impact on any family, if dearly the same
words placed in a news story right next to an ad are
acceptable.
What really is going on here is epitome of institutionalized
prejudice. The policy doesn’ t make any sense, it is
bigoted and discriminatory but no. one at The World has
the courage to say that what they’re doing is just wrong.
And in being silent, they, the reporters, editors, other
: staff, both straight and Gay, become collaborators in
¯ societal oppression. In a society which seems to have to
¯ have an "other" againstwhich to define itself,Gay people
currently occupy the place Blacks, Jews, Indians, Irish
¯ and others have had.
¯ Contrast this with an advertorial section in a recent
"Out" magazine in which The New York Times bragged
¯ about its excellent coverage of Lesbian and Gay issues,
: and its commitment to its Lesbian and Gay readers and
¯ staff. Can you seeThe World doing that? I hope to seejust
that someday. Who knows maybe next year The World
¯ which is certainly profligate with its sponsorship of ¯
public events will even join Oklahoma’ s Gay press in
¯ being a sponsor of June’ s traditional Pride events.
¯ Don’tlaugh-itjustmighthappen.Andwhynot, thead
¯ policy’s now changed, why not even more progress?
by Joe Andrew and Edward G. Rendell
After theoverwhelming turnout at the MilleniumMarch
and record participation in the recent presidential primaries,
Gays and Lesbians across the country are more
united than ever in their fight for equality and inclusion.
The Democratic Party is proud to stand with them - to
fight with them - as we all celebrate Gay and Lesbian
Pride this month.
Democrats have forged lasting relationships with the
Gay and Lesbian community by supporting common
sense issues related to basic fairness and non-discrimination
for all Americans. Unlike discriminatory and divisive
Republican figures like Pat Robertson, Gary Bauer,
and presidential candidate George W. Bush, Democrats
believe that our diversity is a source of great strength.
While getting Bush to meet with Gays and Lesbians in
his own party is like pulling teeth, A1 Gore has worked
side-by-side with openly Gay and Lesbian advisors
throughout his life. On specific policies that improve the
lives of Gay Americans like hate crimes legislation,
funding: ~or HIV/_AIDS¯ research, atii5~- :!he Empl9yment
Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA~;~.tli~re is no comparisonb~
tween the candidates. Gorehas supportedGays and
Lesbians~time and time again.
BUSHII~PPOSES HATE CRIMES BILLS ~ ~ ~ .t~, ,’~ ,. ¯ .. ~" . -
A.c~,r,~ng to the.Le’~fJ~an/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas
(L(~."~R~.~)~,~.m.~re than 2,~ hate crimes were reported to
th~’Fe~Departmen~6fPublic safetybetween 1992 and
19971 ~i~(eefi percem~ere hate cfim~s motivated by the
victim’s sexual orien~ation~ making Gays ’and Lesbians
the second most-targeted group of hate crime victims in
Texas.
Given this fact, George W. Bush still opposed provisions
in the James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Act that would
have included protections for Gays.and Lesbians from
hate crimes. The bill would have mandated stiffer penalties
for cases in which victims of violence are targeted
because of their race, gender, or sexual orientation. His
spokesman said that Bush "does not support special
¯ rights based on sexual orientation."
¯ Special rights? Where is the leadership? Bush wants ¯
the world to believe that he is a compassionate, but
." apparently his compassion does not extend to all the
citizens of Texas.
¯ "... We need leaders llke AI Gore
: who will speak out against
¯ homophobla and prejudlee in a fight
: to maintain elvll justice and equality.
¯ Through his aetlons and
i
the aetlons of hls party, it is clear that
¯ George W. Bush is not that leader...
As we celebrate Gay and Lesbian Pride,
: Democrats pledge our support and
¯ eontlnued work to promote
¯" requal opp~rtufilty and ndn-dlserimlnatlon
¯ for a strong and united America.
As a Party, we embrace these ideals
because we believe that
no American should be left behind..."
Democrats, on the other hand, have begun to wage an
all-out campaign against hate crimes in America. We
have also endorsed and fought for civil rights legislation
that would protect Gay and Lesbian Americans from
¯ discrimination.
A1 Gore has been a tireless advocate for passage of the
: Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA), calling on Con-
." gress to come together in one voice on this issue. HCPA
¯ would expand the definition of hate crimes to include
: those based on sexual orientation, gender or disability
¯ and allow for the prosecution of those crimes under
federal law.
¯ Democratic leaders have walked the walk in the fight
¯ ; against hate in America. We are the party of inclusion
¯ because wehavejudgedandwill continue tojudgepeople
~ based on the content of their character.
: BUSH: SILENT ON HIV/AIDS
: Bush’s silence on HIV/AIDS as governor is simply
¯ deafening. Despite the fact that almost 10,000 Texans
: have died ofAIDS under his watch, Bush has never taken
¯ a publicpolicy position on the epidemic. In fact, he never
¯ even publicly used the word"AIDS" in office.When the ¯
Children Uniting Nations Chairperson Daphna Ziman
¯ asked US governors for assistance regarding the AIDS
¯ epidemic in Africa, forty-nine governors responded to
¯ her urgent personal letter and only one governor ignored ¯ the plea: George W. Bush. In December 1999, Bush also
: received a failing grade on Lambda Legal Defense and
¯ Education Fund’s (LLDEF) World AIDS Day Report
¯ Card.
:. ,Since the beginning of the Adminislxaf!on, President
Clinton and Vice President Gore have proven their com-
-¯ mitment to fight for AIDS research again and again.
During the last seven years, the Ryan White CARE Act
¯ ha~ seen funding ,increases of more than 292 percent in
° funds fo~ medicationsfserving low-inb.6_’me in~lividuals.
¯ Overall fundingforAIDS~relatedprograms has increased
by more than 122 percent during thisAdministration.
¯ A1 Gore has been on the front lines of fighting the
¯ epidemic. Recently, he announced an Administration
¯ initiative to commit more than $100 million to fight the
worldwide AIDS crisis and increased funding for re-
" search, care andprevention. Weneed a leader that has put
: a great deal of thought on this vital issue.
: BUSH: AGAINST ENDA
." As governor, Bush opposed employment protection
¯ for Gays and Lesbians. He refused to adopt an Adminis-
: tration non-discrimination policy that includes sexual
¯ orientation. see Demos, p. 7
Candian Supreme Co,,urt
Holds for Pro-Gay Ruling
OTTAWA (AP) -The Supreme Courthas rejected an
Ontario government request to re’clew a landmark
decision on Gay civil rights. The Attorney General
for Ontario had asked for a rehearing of theM and H
case, referring to a Lesbian couple whose breakeup
almost a decade ago triggered a dispute over assets.
The case began when one of the women in the case,
known only as M, found she couldn’t sue her ex’-
partnerHwhen their relationship ended. Mthen went
to court to have the spouse law struck down.
The high court ruled in an 8-1 decision that the
definition of spouse in Ontario’s family law was
unconstitutional because it discriminated on the basis
of sexual orientation. Theruling last yearwas specific
to Ontario, but legal experts said other provincial
governments and Ottawa had few options but to
amend their lawsor face having them struck down in
similar battles. The House ofCommons passed legislation
to bring federal legislationinto lineandOntario
grudgingly amended its laws but still launched a bid
for a rehearing before the Supreme Court.
The two Toronto women, who had bought a home
and started an ad agency together, settled the money
dispute out of court long before their case wound its
way to the country’ s highest court.
Presbyterian Court
Rulings Are Gay-friendly
!AP)-The Presbyterian Church’ s highest court ruled
~n May that local congregations have the right to
conduct religious ceremonies celebrating Gay unions
that stop short of marriage. The d~ision by the 16-
member court is binding unless the General Assembly
of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) overrides it.
The case, one of three on Gay issues argued before
the tribunal, stemmed from a same-sex ceremony
performed in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. The Northeast regional
church court ruled that ceremonies of "holy
union" for same-sex couples may be conducted ifit is
made clear they are not marriages. The high conrt
agreed, though it instructed regional church bodies to
make a clearer distinction between marriages and
"blessing services."
A second case before the high court involved a
homosexual candidate for the ministry who said he
did not intend to remain celibate, even though church
rules require clergy to observe either "fidelity in
marriage" or"chastity in singleness." In that case~ the
Northeast regional court decided that he could continue
as a candidate, and that his "manner of life"
could be evaluated prior to ordination. Again, the
high church concurred. It said the denomination’s
standards of fidelity and chastity are to be applied at
the point that a person is azonsidered.for ordination,
not during, candidacy~
Freda ~ar~dn,~r~ and Clifton Kirkpatrick, the two
national leaders Of the 2.6 million-member denomination:~
headquartered in :Louisvil!,e, Ky., said in a
~ecent i~astoral letter that the 0aurt s decisions real-
:firm. churchpolicy of disallowing Gay-marriages and
the.ordinatiOn Of’s(xua~ly active Gays., Theseissues
will Surface again when.the General Assembly.meets
in Long Beach,:Calif., fromJune 24 to July 1. Among
legislation to be considered: a proposal to ban samesex
marriage.
Utah High School Club
For Gay Issues Meets
SALT LAKECITY (AP) - Five years after the debate
over Gay school clubs began in Utah, East High
School students on Wednesday held the state’ s first
school-sanctioned club meeting to discuss current
events from a Gay and Lesbian perspective.
The PRISM Club - People Respecting Important
Social Movements - meeting featured Laura Gray, a
Salt Lake City attorney involved in Gay-rights issues.
.About45 students attended. Students said they talked
about the historical, legal and religious significance
of marriage and the current restrictions barring Gays
and Lesbians from forming such unions.
The district barred news media from the. meeting,
claiming it was for students only. However, district
personnel attended, along with an attorney for the
Utah chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
The ACLU is representing East High juniors Jessi
Cohen and Margaret Hinckley, who in April filed a
federal-court suit claiming the district violated their
First Amendment rights to free speech by rejecting
PRISM as an academic club. The district banned all
nonacademic clubs in 1996, a year after East High
students tried to form a Gay and Lesbian support
group. U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell issued a
temporary restraining order against the district last
month, forcing it to temporarily acknowledgePRISM
as a legitimate club pending the outcome of the
students’ lawsuit.
The meeting was "definitely a win," said East High
senior Ivy Fox, whounsuccessfully sued the districtin
1998 over the ban. "It’ s such a good feding to see all
your hard work pay off." Sophomore Evan Done
attended the club meeting, but didn’ t think the discussion
was appropriate. "It is an important step for the
Gay community that needed to be taken," he said, but
"I don’ t really think it has a place in school."
PRISM advertised the meeting with fliers and during
regular school announcements over the school
intercom. Some of the fliers were destroyed and some
students posted "straight pride" fliers, which showed
two connecting male symbols and two connecting
female symbols that were crossed out.
Three Receive First
Shepard Scholarships
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Three Gay and Lesbian
high school students were awardedfull tuition to Iowa
state universities under a new scholarship named for
slain Gay student Matthew Shepard.
The scholarships, worth approximately $25,000
each over four years, were presented Tuesday to
Galen W. Newton, Jessica M. Brackett and Paul N
Wharmel. The scholarships include tuition, books and
fees at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University
or University of Northern Iowa.
The scholarship program was announced in March
by Gov. Tom Vilsack and the mother of Matthew
Shepard. theWyoming college student who was beaten
to death by two men. Police said the attack was
motivated in part because Shepard was Gay.
The scholarships are awarded to Gay students based
on academic achievement, financial need and community
service, Vilsack said. Brackettcredited Vilsack
for trying to provide greater civil rights to Gay Iowans.
"He’ s really pushing for rights for everybody
andI thinkhewill be ourmain strength during thenext
four to six years," Brackett said. "I think he’s going to
push for progress."
Newton said he.plans to remain.active inGay rights
.’. issues whilein college. He said the Scholarship is abig
encouragement. "People are beingawarded for being
courageou_s,".he s-aid. ¯ -
Funding for the scholarships.~omes from a chari-
.tablefoundation establishedbyprominentDes Moines
businessman Rich F...y~.~haner..An’rpe~l.y Gay RepubS
lican, Eychanermad~ an unsuccessi~ui bid for the U.S~.
.House in 1984, but’lost :in the~.
Vatican Increases
Attack on World Pride
ROME (AP) - A top Italian cardinal weighed in
against a major Gay gathering scheduledin Rome in
July, stepping up a campaignto move the event
elsewhere. "What we are asking is not at this time and
not in Rome," said Cardinal Camillo Ruini, president
of the Italian Conference ofRoman Catholic Bishops.
World Gay Pride Roma 2000 is expected to draw
hundreds of thousands of Gay and Lesbian participants
for a week starting July I. The Vatican has
opposed the city’ s plans to host the gathering, saying
it is out of keeping with the church’ s Holy Year that
has been drawing millions of pilgrims to Rome.
Some opponents fear the event will turn into a
demonstration against Pope John Paul II, who has
defended the Vatican’ s condemnation of homosexual
acts. "I don’ t believe it is by chance that they selected
Rome this year," Ruilfi said.
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In another development, the Gay civil-lights group
ArciGay called for the resignation ofPremier Giuliano
Amatoforhi s remarks before parlianlent earlier in the
week.. Amato said that "unfoftnnately" the Gay Pride
week week must be allowed to be held because of
constitutional protection for public gatherings.
Gays Losing Supporter
ST. PAUL (AP) - State Sen. Allan Spear, who is
retiring after 28 years, will probably be remembered
for work that took "probably less than 10% of my
time" - his advocacy of rights and protections for
Gays and Lesbians. "Nobody can get elected and
adequatelyserve a constituency on Gay,~ssues alone,:
Spear said..",But it’s important to have people for
whom Gay i~su~s are a~hi.gh priority." . "
Spear became the first openly Gay legislator in
Mimlesota- and one of only two in the nation - when
he acknowledged his homosexuality in 1974. His
retirement at the end of this year will likely leave just
one openly Gay legislator: Rep. Karen Clark, DFLMinneapolis.
Scott Dibble, who is running for a
House seat in Minneapolis, is also Gay, but there
would be no openly Gay senators.
Spear believes ~t is important for Gay people to
have legislative representation. "It helps a lot to have
someone come from the Gay community who can
speak from the inside," said Spear, DFL-Minneapolis.
"You need someone who can talk about what it’ s
like growing up Gay, or coming out, or what it’ s like
to deal with a partner who you feel is your spouse, but
society won’ t recognize as your spouse. Other people
can sp,,eak out on those issues, but it isn’ t quite the
sanle,
Ann DeGroot, executive director of the Gay political
action group OutFront Minnesota, said part of
Spear’s legacy will be other legislators who can.
advocate for Gay rights, whether they’re Gay or not.
"Of course we’ re going to miss Allan," she said. "We
haven’t had a session without him yet. "But we’ve
worked with other people so much, other leaders who
are supporters, we know we can count on them.?’
Gay.& Lesbian Parents
TroUbled by State Law
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Chris and Mike Croghan-
Miller are like other parents, caring and proud. They
videotaped their son’ s birth, took time off from work
when he was born, and in the weeks before, had an
announcement party, a baby shower, painted the
"baby room" and spent days with a ~erious case of
"the butterflies." But there is one difference some say
makes them unfit parents - they’re Gay.
Advocates argue that the bottom line is a good
home for the child that meets the requirements set by
the state. "We don’t care whether they’ re married,
single or Gay," said Carolyn Amett, contract attorney
"for Adoptions ofKentucky. "We don’ t discriminate."
Kentucky Youth Advocates’ director Debra Miller
said the concern should be "that any child is adopted
by parents who have the emotional and social support
necessary to be good parents. We don’t think that
there’s anything constitutional that makes a Gay or
Lesbian parent unable to do that. Noris there anything
that guarantees that heterosexual folk can be good
parents."
The Croghan-Mil!er.family is part ofaboom~~t~e
numbe~ Of Gays ~d Les~iafls ~fi~osin~’to’becSth~e
parents, according to the San Diego-based Family
Pride Coalition. Though state officials and private
adoption agencies in Kentucky don’ t keep any estimates
on how many Gay men or Lesbian~ have
adopted here, the San Diego group claims 15,000
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered families
as members, including dozens in Louisville. ¯
And across the nation, cases of adoption and custody
issues involving Gays and Lesbians have become
increasingly visible. Mostrecently, Mississippi
joined Florida and Utah in banning adoptions by
Gays, despite arguments that it is an unconstitutional
violation of due process and privacy rights.
The Cabinet for Families and Children has recently
proposed changes that would "make our systemmore
accepting to a broad variety of families," said Mike
Jennings, a cabinet spokesman. But the change is not
being made specifically out of consideration for Gay
and Lesbian couples.
Gay Teens Face
Harassment & Isolation
MILLERSVILLE, Pa. (AP) - During her junior and
senior years in high school Lilith visited the hospital
seven times for severe depression, self-mutilation
and thoughts of suicide. She was trying to destroy
hersdf, she said. Destroy the thing within her that was
making her different from her classmates.
Lilith is Gay and, during her early teen years, the
thought of being a Lesbian "practically .disguste0,".
her. ~he denied it, ran from it, ti-ied to erie it’f~om.!,i~ ~
soul!, but her affeeti0n for bilker ffomenw~ beCrn{i~
impossible to ignor~ Lilith ~ Who, f0( pi-i~acy #~aI- i
sons, chose a fictitious name for this story - is now 20,
a full-time college student and a self-assured Lesbian
woman. But, she says, her high school years were
rough.
Like many Gay youth, Lilith suffered through
harassment and lack of acceptance, feelings of isolation,
and self-imposed silence. Gay teens are twice as
likely as heterosexual youth to seriously consider
suicide because they feel adrift in an unsupportive
world.
Overall, the nonheterosexual population (Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgendered) is 5-10%, said
Brad Becker, executive director of the Gay &Lesbian
National Hotline. High school percentages are likely
the same, but surveys are skewed because most teens
are not comfortable answering gender-preference
questions. In addition, many have yet to figure out
their sexuality, he said. "They may not be identified
as Gay,, said Becker. "They know something is
different but have yet to pinpoint their sexuality.".
"Teens begin feeling their sexuality around the age
of 13," said Linnea Bailey, a Lancaster psychologist
who specializes in Gay and Lesbian issues. "So much
of being a teen is exploring sexuality. If they realize
they are not part of the norm, it can be frightening.
They know that those who are different get picked
on." Gay and Lesbian youth commonly struggle with
self-esteem issues and may withdraw from family
and friends. They often skip school and may eventually
drop out in search of an accepting peer group. If
they do come out and continue in school, they risk
being harassed or beaten by those with differing
bdiefs.
In an average school day, says the Gay, Lesbian and
Straight Education Network, the typical Gay teen will
hear 26 anti-Gay remarks. And, one in six Gay youths
are beaten so badly they seek medical attention. "The
last acceptable form of overt prejudice is against
Gays," Bailey said. "It’s still extremely bad in the
public school systems."
Most Gay teens wait to come out until they are in
college or the work world. There tends to be greater
diversity and less peer pressure. "Often it’ s the first
time they are away from home and family," said
Anthony Lascoskie Jr., coordinator of the Lesbian
Gay Bisexual Allies at Franklin & Marshall Colleg_e
and .treasurer of the Pink Triangle Coalition. "They
can be Gay at school and straight at home." Boys
typically come out at age 18; gifts, 23.
Julian, a 19-year-old Millersville student, came out
the summer before his junior year of high school by
writing a letter to a trusted faculty member. During
his junior year he began telling his friends. J~ian.said
most of his friends were OK with his sexuality, but
some faded away. And although there were no physical
attacks, there were plenty of verbal attacks.
- Bailey said~lack of- peer suPport is.the, one of the
worst koadblbcks for ~ay teer~sl During a time When
support is most important, there is typically very
little. "Imagine dating as a Gay teen-ager," she said.
"If you break up with a same-sex partner, there’ s no
support. Who do you go to to talk about it? There is so
much loneliness and isolation."
Black Church To
Fight AIDS Harder
TUSKEGEE, Ala. (AP) - Black ~hurch
leaders, trying to overcome policy differences
in their efforts to combat AIDS~
have gathered in Tuskegee to try to put
together a plan of action. More than 300
bishops, pastors, priests and laymen from
across the nation and as far away as Africa
tookpart the lastweek inMay in theAIDS
Conference for Black Churches at
Tuskegee University.
Black churches have been Slow to take
onAIDS because of the stigma associated
with frank discussion of sex, drugs and
homosexuality in church, church leaders
said. There is also disagreement over issues
such as the distribution of condoms
and needle-exchange programs. "This
hesitationis killing our people," U.S. Surgeon
General David Satcher told the conference
in a videotaped statement.
Blacks accounted for 45% of all AIDS
cases reported in the United States in
1998, according to federal data. Africa is
home to 23.3 million of the world’ s 33.6
million infected people, said Dr. Helene
Gayle, head of the AIDS center at the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Within a decade, she said, there will
be 40 million orphans in Africa because
of the disease.
Church leaders and AIDS experts said
their efforts likely will focus ottxeaching
teens and young adults. The Rev. Calvin
Butts III, president of the Council of
Churches of the City of New York, said
churches must teach sex education. "Un~
less we learn to talk about it, we’re not
going to solve the problem of AIDS," he
said. "You can’t be hypocritical about
this, because it’ s killing us." Other leaders
said churches should boost outreach efforts
in jails and prisons. Nearly one-fifth
of people who are HIV-positive will be
incarcerated at some point in their lives,
according to CDC data.
Pernessa Seele, founder ofThe Balm in
Gilead Inc., the organization that sponsored
the conference, said church leaders
must provide better counseling and care
to people with AIDS. "Church folk are
Gay folk, they are.., straight folk. We’re
all family," she said. "But some people
justdon’ tgetit. We’ ve got to tear down all
these barriers."
AIDS Vaccine to
Be Tested in Haiti
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Vanderbilt
University Medical Center will work with
the nation of Haiti to test a vaccine for
AIDS. The research hospital is seeking
150 local volunteers for testing in Nashville
this summer. Tests begin in Haiti in
the fall.
.’,~It’~s:important-for,the.science of vaccine
development to embrace the developing
world, where most of the AIDS
burden is now," said Dr. Barney S. GrahamofVanderbilt~
s AIDS Vaccine Evaluation’Unit.
"We’re veery excited about
workilig with Haiti."
Vanderbiltis 0neof five medical centerg
in °be:United States testing a vaccine
based on a virus which ca°mot reproduce
in mammals - the canary pox virus. Scientist
splice genes for inactive HIV proteins
into the canary pox virus, and inject
it into the volunteers. If it works, the
vaccine will stimulate the body’ s immune
defenses into action, including the production
of a white Mood cell that can
dispose of HIV-infected cells to prevent it
from spreading inthe body.
"It’ s not a perfect vaccine, but it is the
best candidate we have now," said Dr.
Peter F. Wright, also of Vanderbilt. Side
affects of the vaccine can include mild
fever and mnsde soreness. There is no
chance of getting infected with HIV, Graham
said. "We’ re not at all worried about
safety," Graham said.
Vanderbilt’ s research is supported by
an annllal grant of $2 million from the
.federal govemmentwhichis goodthrough
2005. If this year’s tests are successful,
large-scale trials will be done in 2001.
:Russia Too Poor to
Fight AIDS CriSis
MOSCOW (AP)- Registered HIV cases
in Russia are snowballing and the cashstrapped
government is too poor to confront
the health crisis, a senior health
official said in May. "That means people
will simply die without treatment," said
VadimPokrovsky, thehead ofthe Federal
AIDS Prevention Center.
Last year, 18,140 new cases of infection
with HIV - the virus that causes
¯ MDS - were registered; that’s dose to
half of all the HIV cases registered in
Russia since 1987. Pokrovsky told anews
conference that at least a two-fold increase
is expected this year, and that the
registered number of cases are likely only
one-fifth to one-tenth of the real number.
’q’hat means that the real number of HIV
cases may reach 300,000-400,000 by the
~.nd of this year. By 2005 we may have
about 1 million cases, under an optimistic
scenario," he said.
Intravenous drug users aecountformost
of the new HIV cases, but the virus is
rapidly spreading through sexual contacts,
Pokrovsky said. "In some regions around
Moscow up to 5% of all young people
have AIDS," he said. "According to other
estimates, up to 15% of Moscow prostitutes
are infected with HIV."
The relatively small number of officially
registered HIV cases has prompted
a negligent attitude in the government,
which has been slow to earmark funds for
combatting the disease. Officials have
sometimes hampered privately funded
AIDS prevention efforts. TV ads and billboards
promoting the use of condoms
have disappeared after authorities complained
they were harming public morals,
¯ Pokrovsky said.
Currently, only therelatively rich Mos-
¯ cow city governmentcan fully pay the bill
¯ for treating AIDS patients, while other
¯ regions provide only a fracdon of funds
¯ needed to pay for expensive treatment.
According to Pokrovsky, a modern
¯ course of treatment for AIDS comes only
¯ a fraction cheaper than in the West, be-
¯ causemostdrugs areimported. Suchtreat-
¯ ment costs about $10,000 per patient, he
’ ~aid,~ a hefty sum a’or ~the.economicalIy
¯ struggling nation. "The nmnber of pa-
¯ dents will be so high, that only few of
¯ them will get treatment," he said. "No
¯ more than 10% of the patients may count
¯ on receiving treatment." ¯
OK AIDS Network
ADAP, the AIDS Drug Assistance Pro-
. gram is working but is severely
¯ underfunded. OKAIDS Netis asking that
¯ the following legislators be asked to sup-
, port more funding in the next session.
Write: Senators Stratton Tayltr, Ben
¯ Robinson, Angela Monson, Cal Hobson,
¯ Enoch Kelly Haney and Representatives
¯ Loyd Benson, and Bob Weaver at State
Capitol, 2300 No. Lincoln,OKC730105.
Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for
justice & equality for
Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury,
Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
Weekend and evening appoinlmenls are available.
Tulsa City County Library System
is proud to support
Humanity Unites for
Human Ri£!hts
Diversity Celebration 2000
and presents
Not All Fruits are Oranges:
the Roots, Branches & Produce of
the Gay & Lesbian Literary Grove
by
Dr. T. Alan Culpepper, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor.ofEnglish~ Rogers State University
Tuesday, June 13, 7pm,
Aaronson Auditorium, Central Library
Look for the Library Booth at the Millenium Festival
and check with Central Library for books and videos of
interest to Gay & Lesbian readers, families and friends.
when i dare
to be powerful -
to use my strength
in the service
of my vision,
then itbe Qm
tmpo ant
whether i am
afraid.
¯..audre Iorde
please oin
)Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
in welcoming
/
/
Dr. Margarethe Cammermeyer
and
Mr. Greg Louganis
as guest speakers
,--of.the
"Humanity Unites for Human Rights"
0 "DIVERSITY CELEBRATION 20001"
black-tie (optional)
benefit dinner and silent auction
Friday, June 9, 2000
The Summit Club
6th & Boulder
Tulsa, Oklahoma
(free parking in Bank of America tower)
VIP Reception; 7:00 PM / $50 per person
Reception: 7:00 PM
Silent Auction: 7:00 -- 9:00 PM
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for ticket information,
please see enclosure
I
at Southwest Missouri State University in
Sptingfield.
"When I think of Ozark County, I always
think ofhow the sheriff did not have
a car until 1937," he said. "The rivers
weren’t bridged and there was no real
road system developed." Outlaws looking
for cover in the backwoods - including
such notorious villains as Bonnie and
Clyde and Jesse James - were drawn to
the area for those reasons, Flanders said.
Religious~based groups, typically those
who shun the doctrines of mainstream
churches, appreciate the quietandreserved
nature of fellow Ozarkers. ’’There is a
long tradition in the hills that you live and
let live, no matterhow weird the beliefs of
your neighbors might be," Flanders said.
Both Springfield and Bransonhave seen
national and regional supremacy conventions
in the last year. In February, some
225 people gathered in Branson for the
third annual convention of the Identity
group Songs for His People.
"You’ re tight in the middle of the Bible
Belt, which plays an important role in the
culture there," said Devin Burghart of the
Chicag0-based Identity watchdog group,
Center for New Commlmity.
’‘These guys come strolling along singing
songs andholding Bibles, which allows
them a certain degree of legitimacy
in the area. But behind it all is still the
same message of hate and intolerance,"
he said. Christian Identity espouses white
Anglo-Saxon virtues and calls Jews, racial
minorities and Gays enemies of God.
S6memembers believe in death sentences
for those who violate "’God’ s law."
In August, Identity follower Buford
Furrow Jr. allegedly killed a Filipino-
American postal worker and wounded
five others after opemng fire on a Jewish
day-care center in Los Angeles. A month
earlier, two brothers-also Identity adherents
- allegedly killed a Gay couple in
California and set fire to several synagogues.
Through the 1980s, the Identity movement
became associated with other extremist
groups, including The Order, the
Ku Klux Klan and The Covenant, the
Sword, and the Arm of the Lord, or CSA.
Many residents here say they have felt
intimidated by supremacist groups like
CSA and Winrod’ s church. Most define
to be interviewed or ask not to be identified
for fear of retaliation.
"These guys would wear fatigues and
walkinto thepostoffice withguns swapped
to their waists," said Tim Morgan, owner
of a marina in Pontiac, a town of fewer
than 300 not far from Gainesville. "They
were intimidating because they were so
military-looking."
Winrod’ s church, called Our Savior’ s,
consisted-mostly~ ofhi~ adult ehilO*en,
their families and a few other followers.
The sheriff said he began distributing his
racist mailings to every county resident.
"People Wouldcall and Complainabout
it, but there is nothing we could do- he
hadFirstAmendmenttights ," Bartlett said.
"We could only keep an eye on him."
Now, Winrod is accused along with
two ofhis childrenofabducting his grandchildren
from their North Dakota hometowns
in 1994 and 1995. Their mothers
are M.ready serving ptison terms for kidnapping.
At ~ pretrial court, appearance Thursday,
Wiurod said he did not have an attorney
The court has givenhim until June 13
to either retain counsel or waive his tight
to representation. A preliminary hearing
on the case was set for June 21.
Authorities fear the Wiurod case will
attract attention from other affiliated
groups. ’‘There are groups like this all
over the country, peoplewhomaybearen’ t.
closely affiliated with one another but
who share similar beliefs, and they decide
they want to come and get involved in
these situations," Said Elmore, the highway
patrol sergeant. "We don’ t want that
to happen this time."
On the Net:
Southern Poverty Law Center:
http://www.splcenter.org ~
Center for New Community:
http://www.newcomm.org
Yet again, he dismissed these basic protecdons
as "special tights ." In addition, he
has sided with the extreme wing of his
Party and refused to endorse the Fmployment
Non-Discrimination Act (F_aNDA).
ENDA wouldput an end to discrimination
against Gay men and Lesbians in the
workplace - discrimination that is currenfly
legal in 39 states. AI Gore and the
Democratic Party have fought vigorously
for ENDA because we believe in the tight
of every American to bejudged on his or
her merits and abilities, and to be allowed
to contribute to society without facing
discrimination on the basis of sexual ori_-_
entation.
As President, AI Gore also would continue
President Clinton’ s Executive Order
prohibiting discrimination based on.
sexual orientation in the federal civilian
workforce. Facing aRepublican challenge
to the Executive Order, Clinton and Gore
worked with Representative Barney Frank
and other fair-minded Members of Congress
to defeat the Republicans’ and-Gay
amendment with the support of over 90
percent of Congressional Democratsl
We need leaders likeAl Gore who will
speak out against homophobia and prejudice
in afight to maintain civil justice and
equality. Through his actions and the actions
ofhis party,it is clear thatGeorgeW.
Bush is not that leader. There is every
indication that he would make no room
forGays and Lesbians inhis WhiteHouse.
As we celebrate Gay and Lesbian Pride,
Democrats pledge our support and continued
work to promote equal~opportunity
and non-discrimination for a strong and
umted America. As a Party, we embrace
these ideals because we believe that no
.aanetican should be left behind.
An interpreter for the deaf will be provided.
- The Rev. Mel.White heads, Soulforce,
Inc., anon-profitorganization thatruns an
ecumenical network of volunteers committed
to the teachings and applying the
principles of nonviolent civil .disobedience
on behalf of sexual minorities. Rev.
White has relendessly devoted his life to
heal the wounds caused by: the anti-Gay
rhetoric and to enter into dialogue with
the faith organizations that perpetuate
hatred and violence toward sexual minotifies.
In the past year, Rev. White has
led "direct actions" with Rev. Jerry
Falwell, the trial of Rev. Jimmy Creech,
and most recently, the General Assembly
of the United Methodist Church.
Shortly after visiting Tulsa, Rev. White
will lead a delegation see Pride,p. 8~
Pr
by Jim Christjohn, mac guru & more
Brachetti is coming! No, it’ s not apiece
of toast with herbs and tomatoes on it, it’ s
Arturo Brachetti, the quick-change artist.
Think "Greater Tuna" meets Robin Williams
while doing David Copperfield’s
act.
GreaterTuna had two guys doing quick
changes to create ,the ,22 characters of,a
small mythi.cal town; Artur9 is one man
crearii~g 88characters during the course
of an evening ~-grom cowboys to geishas
and barmaids to
Royal Mounties,
he is a very charmlng
man - and
handsome as well.
He speaks at least
three languages
fluently, and has a
mischievous sense
of humor rivaling
yours truly.
Described as
Versace on hyper
speed, Brachetti
changes costumes
at lightning fast
speed, transforming
into more than
80 characters and
giving life to le-
"... Deserlbed as Versaee on
hyper speed, Braehettl changes
costumes at lightning fast speed,
transforming into more than 80
characters and giving llfe to
legions of personalities.
His show is a multl-medla
~xtravaganza, eomblnlng
comedy, tousle, magle, and video
in a unique collage of aetlng,
storytelling, stunts
and earleature . . ."
gions of personalities. His show is a multimedia
extravaganza, combining comedy,
music, magic, and video in a unique collage
of acting, storytelling, stunts and
caricature. He is the winner of the 2000
Moliere Award (the French "Tony"
award), and a delightfully impish fellow.
Add a little Cirque De Soleil t~ that
mixture above, too.
I had the chance to speak with him
before one of his sold out shows in Paris,
France. A U.S. tour is planned for 2001,
buthis first stop for a very limited engagement,
is here in Tulsa. Whenasked, "Why
Tulsa?" he responded, "Well, you have to
start somewhere!" He spoke of it being
the "center of the United States" and as
such, a good place to begin.
tie spoke of the Italian art of"transformation"
as not having been seen in thirty
years. It had its origins in the 17th century
as an offshoot of the commedia del’ artr.
According to Brachetti, Giovanni
Gabrielli was the originator of "transformarion,"
performing all the characters of
the commedia del’ arte single-handedly,
changing masks and characters all byhimself.
I asked him what prompted him to create
such a show-, and his response was that
he was doing some add-on acts for a
production of "Midsummer Night’s
Dream" (French pr~oductions often thro,w_
extra scenes ifffor fun), which led to him
creating a one man show in which he
played all the parts, an embryonic version
of his current two hour plus show, for an
arts festival.
A later version of the show, largely
autobiographical, opened in June ’99 in
Montreal. Selling outevery night, he eventually
took the show to Paris. There was
no advertising budget, and the first week,
they had to find people just to sit in the
audience. After that first week, however,
word of mouth started and the show exploded.
Brachetti would like audiences to leave
the show different from when they entered.
He said that the show speaks to the
eight year old child witltin all of us. In the
dip of the show, s beginning, shown at the
press conference, it begins with a mysterious
masked man removing his mask to
reveal yet another mask underneath, continuing
for some time.
Just that brief dip spoke to me of the
fact that we all wear so many masks from
day to day, ,to the point where the real
personbecomes buried over ume. It s.eems
to me, that his show is about removing the
masks of adulthood so that We can free the
child trapped within, (but then agaifi, I’ m0
a psychology major,
and can read
deep insight into
anything).
I will say that
sequence is very
powerful, and can
only imagine what
therest ofthe show
must be like.
Brachetti hopes to
restore the wonder
of the world as
seen from the eyes
of kids. He alternated
as he spoke,
from well-educated
adult to impish
child.
He’ll eventually
play S_an Francisco (the costumes will
go over big there) and New York, as well
as Chicago. Brachetti arrives in Tulsa at
thePAC courtesy ofCelebrity Attractions
August 6-13 and to OKCat the Rose State
Performing Arts Theater august 15-21.
Tickets can be had by calling 596-7111.
I don. t know if he’ s Gay, but I will tell
you now, the costumes that Brachetti designed
and created rival any elaborate
Bette Midler/Cher/Drag Queen extravaganza.
Did I mention he’ s cute, designs a
meanfrock, inhis mid thirties (he’ s cagey
about his age) and single? Me first, guys !
For’those Goddess worshipers out there,
I am pleased to announce Goddess: Tulsa
Artists’ Coalition Women’ s Show 2000,
sponsored by TAC and The University of
Tulsa School of Art. It features Goddessthemed
artwork, and the exhibit goes up
June 8 and runs through July 7th. The
opening is from 5-8pm June 8, and the
regular gallery .hours are 9am-4:30pm
Mon. - Thurs. and 9am-noon Friday. The
gallery is in TU’ s Alexander Hogue Gallery
at 5th Street and College Avenue.
Andfor those wondering, Stevie Nicks,
new album "Trouble In Shangri-La" is on
permanent delay, as usual Apparently,
there are troublein the Shangri-La recording
studio in which she’ s been working
with a revolving doorful of producers
.since ,!997. Have fun at the Diversity.
Celebrations, ~_nd be safe! ’ ¯
We’ ve seen it before. The horror of the
ship’ s sinking never quitemadeit onstage.
You’ re more bothered by the horror of
having paid to see this show. The songs,
for the most part, are mawkishly written,
stealing from everyone imaginable - Gilbert
and Sullivan, Lloyd Webber,
Sondheim. Few original ideas are in the
music, which is a pity. This is portrayed as
homage, but basically, it seems Yeston
just couldn’t come up with anything on
his own. Want something better? Wait for
Rent later this summer.
Are You Gay or Bisexual?
Are You Native American?
Tulsa’s Two-Spirited Indian Men s ~/k~
Support Group is here for you! ,-~/~.~/
¯ Evening support group meetings
¯ Relationship workshops
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HIV testing
For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
Call JOHN RAGAN, the friendly, caring real estate agent who understands
your special needs! 918-583-2125 800-559-1558 wrvw.NewNest.com
of Soulforce members on a direct action
to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church U.S.A. as they debate the
inclusion of Gays and Lesbians in that
denomination.
Organizational sponsors include:
Soulforce in Oklahoma (presenting sponsor)
TulsaOklahomans forHumanRights
(presenting sponsor) Community ofHope
Church,CommimityUnitarian/UniversalistCongregationDignity/
IntegrityofTulsa
FellowshipCongregational Church, Green
Country Society of Friends (Quakers),
Metropolitan Community Church United
(MCC), Parents, Families and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays in Tulsa (PFLAGTulsa),
Parish Church of St. Jerome, Regional
AIDS Interfaith Network of Oklahoma
(RAIN-OK), and Volunteers in
Action Committee of All Soul’s Unitarian
Church as wall as others.
Soulforce Workshop
Saturday, June 3rd
A SoulforceWorkshop led by Rev. Md
White will be held at the Charles Norman
Studio at the Performing Arts Center at 2
pro. Rev. White and his partner, Gary
Nixon, will provide training in the principles
of M.K. Gandhi and Martin Luther
King, Jr. as part of the non-violence justice
movement. The workshop will last
until 5 p.m. Admissionis free.
TOHR Follies 2000
Saturday, June 3rd
¯he bawdy humor and sentimental
songs of theTOHRFollies returns at 8 pm
at the Doenges Theatre, PAC. Join a host
of performers and singers celebrate your
favorite show tunes from a "100 years of
Broadway." Elaborate productions from
the timeless works of Rodgers &
Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome
Kern, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Charlie
Smalls will entertain you. A Reception
will follow in the Charles Norman Studio
with catering provided by Curt & Marj’ s.
Admission is $15 each. Tickets will be
sold through the Performing Arts Center
Ticket Office beginning around May 3rd.
Call the PAC for ticket information at
596.7111 .or 800.364.7111 or buy your
tickets online at www.tulsapac.com.
Entertainers: Sedackeiry Taylor
Alexander, Johnny Cronin, Domoniqne
Daniels, Veronica De,core, Vivian
MINI-MOVIE FESTIVAL
Thursday, June 8th
AMini-Movie Festival will run throughout
the day on a 60" screen at the Tulsa
Gay Community Services Center. The
Community Center is located on the corner
of 38th and Peoria (above Boulevards).
Popcorn and refreshments will be
available. Admission is free. Schedule:
1:00 pro, Lilies
3:00 pm, Beautiful Thing
5:00 pm, It’ s In The Water
7:00 pro, Broadway Damage
9:00 pm, Everything Relative
Black Tie Benefit
Friday, June 9th
TOHR offers the opportunity to meet
Margarethe Cammermeyer and Greg
Louganis at a VIP Reception at7pmin the
Grille Room at The Summit Club on the
31 st floor. The Summi t Club is located in
the Bank of America Building at 15 West
6th Street. Free parking available in the
building. Admission is $50. An Open
Reception and Silent Auction will begin
at 7 pm at The Summit Club on the 31st
floor. All proceeds will benefit TOHR’ s
fight for GLBT equality in this region.
The Benefit Dinner begins at 8 pm at
The Summit Club on the 30th floor. Guest
speakers are Margarethe Cammermeyer
and Greg Louganis. Please joinTOHR in
presenting its wall-deserved "Community
Hero" awards to three high school
students who have shown extraordinary
courage in dealing with their sexuality:
Will Allen, Emily Sisemore, and Matthew
Holloway. An interpreter for the
deaf will be provided.
Tickets are available for the VIP Reception
and the Benefit Dinner by "calling
743.4297, or by mailing ticket requests to
TOHR, P.O. Box 2687, Tulsa, OK74101,
or by dropping by the Center on the corner
of38th and Peoria between 6 pm and 9 pm
Sundays through Friday and Noon to 9
pm on Saturday.
Millennium Pride Parade
Saturday, June 10th
The Millennium Pride Parade will beffin
at 11 am at the Tulsa Gay Community
Services Center at 38th and Peoria. Grethe
Cammermeyer and Greg Louganis will
serve as Co-Grand Marshals. Organizers
claim it will be bigger and more colorful
than before. The Parade will follow the
same route as last year from the Center to
Veteran’ S Park at 18tk and Main.
Deveroe ::.Fontaine, Green ~Country Drop-offpoints are set along the Parade
~Oogg,e.rs, DanHale, Miitthew Holloway, Routethis year. Buses!shuttles will begin
~H~’l.~a’..~s Horribles, KriS Kohl~.CeCe.. ~ ~mn’mg at 8!30 a;m, Please park your
¯~roi,x,~taRichards,Tabith9Tayl0r,--: veliid~ at Veteran s Park and catch ~e
T~aT Neill, ’Victoria Turelie,:R~becea . bu~ofShtittleonthenorthsideofVeteran s
U.ngermah,.ahd Komona Wannaliiya, -.’Park. --’There is no charge to ride the bus/
All events tke!d at the Performing Arts
Center are fundedin part b~r a grant-from
the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trnst.
uNIi"ED - An Art Exhibit
Tuesday, June 6th
An Art Exhibit entitled "United" will
have an opening reception at the Recep-
!ion Hall of All Soul’ s Unitarian Church
beginning at 6 pm. Wine and soft drinks
~vill be available. Hors d’ oeurves will be
fPrereO.VAideldl bSyouTlsWUCnaittaerriinang.CAhdumrcihssiios nloiscated
at 2952 South Peoria.
Artists: Otto Decker, John Duvall, Jody
Ellison, Dana Gilpin, P.S. Gordon David
Halpern, Isaac Harper, Ken Johnston,
Elizabeth Joyner, Kraig Kallenberger, C.
LynnMallett, KathleenPendergrass, Mary
Schepers; Kelley Vandiver, David
Vamecky & others.
shu..tt!e.
FESTIVAL
Saturday, June 10th
The Millennium Pride Festival (formerly
the Picnic) will begin at 11 am at
Veteran’s Park. There will be dose to
fifty booths, as well as food vendors, beer
and soft drinks, and lots of activities.
Margarethe Cammermeyer and Greg
Louganis will give the opening remarks.
TOHR’ s "Community Hero" awards will
be given to three courageous local teenagers:
Will Alien, Matthew Holloway, and
Emily Sisemore. Entertainment go on all
afternoon and into the evening. A sixteenteam
volleyball tournament will run
throughout the day on three volleyball
courts. There is also a Celebrity Dunk
Tank with Audra Sommers, Dyke Divine
and David from gay.tulsa.org, Tom Neal
ofTulsa Family News, Marty Newmanof
the Human Rights Campaign, and more.
by James Christjohn ~ ¯
I’m not sure which is the greater trag- "
edy: the sinking of the ship and its aftermath
- or the creation and execution of "
this musical. Don’t get me wrong, the "
performances were OK, for the most part,
some were excellent, and there were afew
songs thatmade the show somewhatworth
the time it took to watch it. But it was a
remarkable example of how easy it is to
get Tony Awards these days.
At the time this disaster (the musical)
struck, it was the only original American
musical offering on Broadway. Everything
else was Lloyd Webber (i.e., English)
or French. So, to get a Tony, you
need to: 1. merely be American; 2. write a
musical: 3. base it on something historical,
but only superficially. Take known
names and make up cartoonish characters
to go with them; 5. even if what you write
is unfocused and mediocre, if there are no
other Americans writing musicals, you’ll
get a Tony.
If you’ re wanting a mildly entertaining
evening with some really bad staging,
scenery, and costumes that dwarf the set,
and NO historical accuracy (other than
the fact_the ship sank), by all means waste
your money.
The show itself is historically inaccurate
to the point of sheer ridiculousness.
That wouldn’ t be such a peeve with me if
the marketing weren’ t hyping it as being
historically accurate, claiming the "story
is told truthfully" and that "historical accuracy
of Titanic (the musical) makes it
an ideal show for parents to share with
school age children." Only if the parents
wish to point out how inaccurate the marketing
can be and musicals hyped as historically
accurate aren’ t. And it wouldn’ t
be so bad if the actual stories - as told in
the transcripts of the inquiries, easily come
by in paperback form - were as dramatic
as you can get. The), didn’ t need to ~nake
up half of what the,’,’ did.
Thorn Sesma, who portrays Thomas
Andrews, the Titanic’s Designer, sang
like he had a mouthful of marbles. He
seemed to have a speech impediment,
making it hard to understand what he was
saying. And youknow, if you’ re on stage,
evenifyouaremic’ d,DON’TMUMBLE.
This was.,rampant during the evening....
One man, whose Iin~s throdghout
song ~ere "Not a ibit not .a aide
¯ repeated ad.~auseum, s~,t~a,.d..ed~!jke"Noti!’:
: bitch, not a,iittl~ bitch. ~ I ldd.you noti..
Marcus ~:Ch.a,it, who" played, stoker ."
Fredefiek.~.~tt,. ~d"a ,:bi~athless fali
setto q0altty-that .s~ded:lik¢ .an
ment ~betw.’.,e~n MiChael ~Ct~w.ford,aniti.~
Andy Gibb. Even though he Was nile d tO
the hilt (as all were), y.oo, coul~l understand
him at times, due to his breathless
"Phantom of the Opera/Michael
Crawford’~ style of singing. His vibrato
was annoying as well, distracting from
one of the most powerful songs in the
show. When he whispers, you can’ t hear
him, when he belts, he reveals a glorious
voice, a wonderful tenor.
Timothy A. Fitzgerald, as Fleet, the
lookout spotting the iceberg, has the most
wonderful voice, perfect for the song "No
Moon", arguably the best song in the
show, and the most haunting. Lyrically,
it’s one of the better moments, and
Fitzgeraldhandles it withgrace andbeauty,
which he has plenty of in terms of stage
presence. Pity the authors did away with
the other lookout (one of those little inaccuracies);
"No Moon" would have been
awesome as a duet.
The standout performances were the
three Kates, immigrants in steerage revealing
their dreams of a new life
America. Meiissa Bell, Kristi Barber,
Kate Jetmore were excellent in the"
gest roles in the play. They had the
successful song in the show in term
revealing character and furtheriv
story, revealing the hopes and dre:
the immigrants of the time.
TomGamblin, in my opinion the su c,
gest male actor, was an excdlent foil and
future husband as Jim Farrell, who Kate
Murphy decides will be her husband. It is
their story which is the most effective in a
show that tries to tell the story from too
many perspectives. It was their characters
I actually cared for, and it was their moments
that worked in an otherwise dismal
script.
Theragtime song,"Autumn," and afew
other songs were memorable for their
melodies. That’ s about all that can be said
for them. The book, well, I say keep a
couple of lines that were humorous, and
start over. I was disappointed. It seemed
like an inventive premise, and one which
could havemade history entertaining. The
staging was weak, particularl y when the
iceberg was sighted by the one lookout.
The set did tilt at the end (like we’ ve never
seen that before), but the set was mosdy
made up of very inaccurately drawn and
painted drops that looked like something
out of a high school production. After
Jekyll and Hyde’s detailed lab, Beauty
and the Beast’s castles and villages,
Titanic’ s drop-heavy scenery was a bit of
a letdown.
On Broadway, the show had a three
levd set, making several of the numbers
quite different. Here we were treated to
awkwardly stage numbers, wlfich basically
left the cast walking in circles representing
different levels and areas of the
ship, which ended up quite muddled ~n
terms of telling who was where on the
ship. At one point, as characters were
stepping in and out and around, it became
quite ridiculous. The tableau, which was
originally to have shown the ship striking
the iceberg, was nothing more than a very
small model of the ship, withlights, pulled
across the stage - no ice in sight. The
model boat, lit up :with Chxistmas lights,
being pulled across the stage was quite
humorous. And the promisedcollision
tableau, hyped beforetheshow opened on
Broadway, is still missing. . .
I really liked the cheesy and totally
hilarious flame effect of the boiler room
furnaces. This little .bit of very Obvious
whitedothbeing blownupwards by afan,
not even dose to the scale of what the
flames in those boilers must have been
like. Now I’m quite willing to suspend
disbelief, but this went far beyond what
could be expected. It looked like these big
burly men were shoveling coal onto bic
lighters. Iwas rolling withlaughter. Yeston
also says "themusic is the scenery." Well,
ithas to be, since apparently they couldn’ t
afford paint or artists from the look of it.
The drops seemed to come in at the wrong
scenes, particularly in the opening. I understand
theatre is representational by
nature, but here we’ re dealing with a very
famous boat.
The problem with the show is that it
tries to tell too many stories, and because
of that, it’ s hard to really care about any of
the characters, who are portrayed as caricatures
anyway. At the end, youjust don’ t
care. OK, the set rises at one end on
hydraulics, see Titanic, p. 8
by Lamont ]~indstrom, Ph.D.
Vexillology. There’s an arcane word "
for you. It means the "study of flags." :
Thousands of rainbow flags are soon to ¯
wave as we enter the season
of Gay Pride celebration.
Gay flags, like Gay
Pride, are fairly recent inventions.
Gilbert Baker
sewed up the first rainbow
flag for the 1978 Gay Freedom
Celebration in San
Francisco.
Over the past two decades,
Freedom has made_
way for Pride and the rainbow
flag has lost some
stripes. Baker’s original
creationboasted~eight colors,
each of which represented
a fine ideal: orange
is healing; yellow the sun;
green is nature and blue
art: indigomeansharmony
while violet stands for
spirit: redis life and, last
butnotleast,pink symbol-
.1zes sex.
Pink went first. A company
Baker approached to
produce his flag commerdally
couldn’t locate any
pink nylon.
And the next year, when the San Francisco
parade committee adopted the flag
as a symbol, symmetry required yet another
reduction. The parade decorator demanded
that the route feature three colors
on the left and another three colors on the
right. Indigo disappeared. In its short lifetime,
the rainbow flag has lost both sex
and harmon.y. Something of a .parable,
perhaps, of modem Gay life.
Archaeologists have dug up flag-like
symbols from civilizations in both Old
World and New. Humans, from our beginmngs,
have imagined a variety of symbolic
objects to represent social groups.
Anthropologists call a symbol that stands
for a group a "totem."
Today’ s flag clearly derives from these
original totems..In many societies, animals
are the preeminent totemic figure,
andanimal totems surviveinto thepresent.
Small town businesspersons divide up
into coteries of Elks, Lions, and Moose.
Andthink ofthe Britishlion, orthe American
eagle, or the Canadian loon, or the
California bear. And don’ t forget the Gay
bear. These totems decorate our flags and
our money.
A variety of things besides animals
symbolize groups. The rainbow is an archetypal
totem that we share with Austra=
lianAboriginal bands amongvarious other
peoples around the world..Rainbows are
syi~b01ic~dl~ p~tentl~0~ in nature and in
a number of religious traditions. Some
folks complain about aGay appropriation
of the_rainbow., tote.m~ just ~as some old
ftohgeieW~?ogrdri.p~ea~ythtohtmthee~y :’~mnerroy io6rfilgiveerluys,.,’e
othdS,~i~, hav~ ebbed rainbows ineluding
Jesse Jackson’s coalition, the
Uuivei~ity 6f Hawai~i’s football team,
and the US Army’ s 42nd Division. I acquired
one of my rainbow flags from an
innocent straight friend who bought it
planning to display his.concerns for the
environment.
~/tere is no end of social and psycho-
- logical theory that attempts to explain
why we dream up totems to represent our
groups. A century ago, the pioneer soci-
Because flags stand
for group, Gays had
no need for a flag
until we conceived of
ourselves ~1~ ~t
eolleetlve --or a
¯ eommumty as
some of us llke to say.
Baker’s needlework
in 1978 signified
the transformation
of homosexuality
from a psyckologleal
condition to a
political identity.
ologist Emile Durkheim remarked that
totems are sacred just because they stand
for the group. Our human societies exist
before any one of us is born, and they will
continue after we die. Society,
thus, is "supernatural."
We make into a god
what has shaped us and
what sustains us as individuals.
But it’s hard to
grasp concepts so abstract.
Instead, wefocus our feelings
and .affiliations upon
the totem - the sacred being
whosematerial formis
the flag.
We are good at creating
solidarities - only human
groups_ often define
themselves largely by opposing
themselves to some
other. We pledge allegiance
tO ourown totem as
a symbol ofourselves. And
we express distaste for our
enemies by despoiling
their flags, as Palestiuians,
Israelis, and members of
various high school bands
are wont to do.
It is pretty clear
Durkheim was right about
that sacredness. We have
¯ fervent Congressmen in Washington each
¯ year in a frenzy to outlaw sinful desecra-
¯ tions of the American flag.
¯ Perversely, some South Caroliniansjus-
¯ tifyofficial display oftherebel Confeder- ¯
ate flag as mere historical commemora-
¯ tion. But everyone knows that echoes of
¯ their antebellum religion are also at work ¯
here.
Because flags stand for group, Gays
¯ had no need for a flag until we conceiv~l ¯
of ourselves as a collective - or a "com-
" mlmity" as some of us like to say. Baker’ s
; needlework in 1978 signified the trans-
. formation of homosexuality from a psychological
condition to a political iden-
Since this time, we have put into play
various other symbols, including pink and
black triangles borrowedfrom Nazi prison
wear, theLambdacharacterfrom the Greek
alphabet, and the red ribbon.
Of these, the rainbow stretches the farthest.
I have seen rainbow flags unfurled
in Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Den-.
mark, andbeyond. Theflag’ s global spread
testifies to the rise of a transnational gay
community. Think of this as flags parade
b~this summer. Long may the rainbows
wave on our totem poles.
Lament Lindstrom teaches anthropology
at the University oJ Tulsa.
The protesters wre joined by the Rev.
Bishop C. Joseph Sprague from No. Illinois.
Local architect and activist Sue
Knause noted that the police were "fabulous"
with some officers stopping to have
their photos taken with some of the more
famous arrestees. And their jddge, she
adds, said, "keep up the good work -I
stand with you today."
While the protests did not change the
policies, organizers have promised that
1,000 arrestees at the next conference. A
principal orgamzer of this action was
Tulsan Karen Weldon. Info. contact
Soulforce at the Gay Community Center.
to benefit Saint Joseph Residence +
Regional AIDS Interfaith Network
Saturday, June 3rd, 10-5, +_ Sunday, June 4th, 1-5
$10 donation at the door or in advance.
David Daniel, 1603 S. Carson
Wiley Parsons, 1601 S. Carson
Monty + Jane Butts, 240 E. Woodward Blvd.
Brett + Maricarolyn Swab, 2112 So Norfolk Ave..
Dr. Robert & Dena Hudson, 2707 S. Rockford Rd.
Tickets for this tour may be obtained at each home.
For more information; call Charles Faudree, Inc: at 747-9706.
METROPOLITAN TULSA
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
salutes
Humanity Unites for
Human Ri$lhts
Millennium Pride 2000
and
honors Tulsa’s
Lesbian and Gay .’.,.
Chamber of Commerce members
for their leadership on
business, civil rights and health issues
in the Tulsa community.,
To join MTCC, call 585-1201.
IGTA member
Call 341.6866
]. X,otuerSr onrmaot ,i,no. on maol ,on.
Massage Therapy Services
Edgar O. Cruz, L.M.T.
Pager: 918-889-5255
Voice Mail: 918-697-9282
Lic. #C4133
CountryClub Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E, 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm
Tulsa’s only
body-piercing
Poweful
Images:
portrayals of
Native America
GilcreaseMuseum
1400 Gilcrease Museum Road
5 9 6 2 7 0 0
and as many as 15 in larger communities
- sit as the board of civil authority to
certify yoter checklists or to hear tax appeals.
They also have the option of officiating
atweddingceremonies. Beginning July 1,
they’ll also have the authority to officiate
at civil unions. The one catch is if they do
one, they’ 11 have to doboth. That’ s enough
to prompt some justices to quit the marriage
business because they oppose the
civil unions law.
Experts, such as lawyer and former
Deputy Secretary of State Paul Gillies,
who have been guiding justices through
thenew responsibilities, say that’ s fine, so
long as they don’t discriminate. Under
Vermont’s non-discrimination laws, if
justices perform weddings for heterosexual
couples, they may not refuse to
perform civil unions ceremonies just because
those couples are homosexuals.
Some justices have put out the word
that they’re happy to officiate at civil
unions ceremonies. "I feel they deserve
it," said Huntington justice Don Dresser,
who has officiated at two weddings. "It’ s
thelaw and I’mcomfortable with it. I have
a lot of Gay friends... I’m going to treat
everyone the same."
Some Gays and Lesbians who happen
to be justices say they’re excited that
they’ll be able to officiate at civil unions
ceremonies. ’Tmexcited. I’mso thrilled,"
Hurlie said. "This is really an honor to
certify civil unions for folks."
So, now, what’ s left is to determinejust
what ceremonies should be. The short
answer is that whatever is done for a
Wedding would work for a civil union.
"’The big question was, "What do .you sa.y
at the end?’ ’I hereby .. what?’ "" Gillies
said. "We suggested:’ I hereby certify this
civil union.’"
Markowitz said her office did not want
to dictate the words, but she recognized
they would carry emotional weight. "The
justice has to say sonaething that shows
the imprimatur of the state is making the
union official, whether it’ s a marriage or
a civil union," Markowitz said. "The most
straightforward, kind of sticking to the
law pronouncement would be: ’I now
certify your civil union.’ Really, that’s
what a person is doing."
There are some traditions to follow,
though. There have beena few religious
faiths, for example, who bless same-sex
relationships. The Unitarian Universalist
Society is one. The Rev. Brendan Hadash
of the St. Johnsbury Unitarian church, for
example, estimates he’ s performed probably
20 opposite-sex marriages and about
an equal number of same-sex commitment
ceremonies over the years.
He’ s developed a series of phrases and
uses the one that the couple finds most
comfortable. "I usually pronounce that
use: "I recognizeyouas spirituallyunited,"
or "You are now joined as wife and wife,
which I find a little odd. Others are "You
arejoined as spouses, partuers, iovers~" or
"I declare that you are now.united inlove,
that you are duly wed."
With the civil unions law, though, he’ 11
be adding one phrase to his blessings. "At
the end of the service I used to always
make a point of saying, ’By the power
vested in me by my denomination, I declare
you...’ "Hadash said. "Now I can
say ’by.the power vested in me by the
church - and the state.’ "
It also culled data from two other academic
studies that studied the Gay and
Lesbian population: the National Health
and Social Life Survey and the General
Social Survey.
Starting with the 1990 C~nsus, respondents
living with a person of the same sex
had the option ofchecking off "unmarried
partner" in the section that asks for the
relationship between people. Other options
included "husband/wife," "roomer/
boarder," "housemate/roommate" or
"other nonrelative."
The study said that among men aged
25-34 living with amale parmer, 29% had
at least a college degree, and 13% a graduate
degree, compared with 13% and 4%
for men with female parmers.
However, within the same age group,
men with a college degree and a female
partner had mean earnings of $29,162 a
year, compared with $28,618 for samesex
unmarried partnered men with a college
degree. For those with graduate de-
~4ees, the discrepancy grew to nearly
,000 - $36,072 to $32,465.
Of men aged 35-44 with unmarried
partners of the same sex, 32% graduated
from college, and 24% had a graduate
degree, compared with 13% and 7% for
males with a female partner.
Within the same age bracket, males
with college degrees and same-sex partners
had mean earnings of $36,054 per
year, compared with $38,629 for those
with female partners.
The same discrepancies were not found
among Lesbians, Sanders said. For instance,
women aged 35-44 with college
degrees and with a same-sex partner had
mean earmngs of $28,387, while those
with a male partner had mean earnings of
$28,734; of those with graduate degrees
in the same age range, the figures were
$34,427 for women with same-sex partners,
and $34,295 for those with male
partners.
Sanders shied away from saying it was
definitive proof of discrimination against
Gays. He instead suggested one reason
may be that Gays tend to enter more fields
that offer lower salaries. The study also
found that 22% of Lesbian couples living
together have children, compared to 5%
of Gay couples living together. Sanders
said that may show that Gay couples have
less pressure to get higher-paying jobs.
"This is the tip of the iceberg in terms of
finding out who the Gay and Lesbian
community is," said PaulaEttelbrick, family
policy director ofthe National Gay and
LesbianTaskForce. "Whatthey also point
out it is the clear problem ofhow to define
what it is to be Gay or Lesbian."
OK Spoke Club
TheOK Spoke Club is beginning its rides
again. A long ride (20 miles plus) will
begin, atZiegler Park at 7:30am’on June
3rd & 24th. Length and destination to be
determined at the ride. Water and helmet
". are required.
¯ A short ride(5 miles) along the Katy
’: Bicydep~in Saii.d)SiJfings will beginat
. 6:30pmonJuneT~atid21s’t. Wateriand
¯ helmet~ate ~tr0ngly r~mmelided...: ¯ :
Af6:30plh, a short fide will begin at the
Pride Cent~L 3749 S. Peoria, rea~ parking
¯
lotonJune24th. Waterandhelmetstrongly
¯ recommended.
¯ Info: POB 9165, Tulsa, Ok 74157,
¯ email: Okiebicycle@prodigy.net
] www.geocities.com/westhollywood/pa-
¯ rade/3301
Humanity Unites
for Human R lhts
Diversit Celebration 2000
Grand Marshalls for the Millennium Pride Parade
Dr. Grethe Cammermever
Oistin~luished Veteran of the United States Armed Forces
Gre~! Lou~lanis
US O!~mpie Champion
Pride Week Events
Interfaith Worship Service
Performing Arts Center, Williams Theatre
Speaker: the Reverend Dr. Mel White
Friday, June 2, from 7pro (free)
Interfaith Soulforce Workshop
Performing Arts Center, Norman Studio
Led by the Reverend Dr. Mel White
Saturday, June 8, 2 - 5pro (free)
Humanity Unites For Human Rights
Black Tie Optional Dinner
Speakers:
Greg Louganis and Grethe Cammermeyer
Summit Club, 7pro reception, Bpm dinner
Friday, June 9th, $75 person
Benefiting Tulsa Oklahomans for Human
Rights, the parent organization of the
Gay Community Center
TOHR Follies: 1OO Years of Broadway
Performing Arts Center, Ooenges Theatre
Saturday, June 8, 8pm, $15
United Art Exhibit, Opening Reception
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 So. Peoria
Tuesday, June 6, 6 - 8pro
Millennium Parade 2000
Saturday, JunelQ, llam
From the Gay Community Center to
Veterans Park at 18th and Boulder
Pride Festival, Veterans Park, llam - 8pro
Free shuttle from Veterans Park to Parade.
Mini-Film Festival
Tulsa Gay Community Services Center
Thursday, June 8, z~ - till it’s over...
For more information about these events,
call 7~8-~297 (Gays).
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, June 2000; Volume 7, Issue 6
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
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Tulsa Family News
Source
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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June 2000
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James Christjohn
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
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Tom Neal/Tulsa family News
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Tulsa Family News, May 2000; Volume 7, Issue 5
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English
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/601
2000
African Americans
AIDS
AIDS drugs
AIDS vaccine
aMUSEments
arts and entertainment
Bars
Boy Scouts
bullying
businesses
churches
civil unions
Democratic party
Diversity celebration
Gay marriage
gay parents
Gay Studies
hate groups
HIV
homophobia
inequality
Jim Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
marriage equality
Native Americans
OK Spoke Club
performing arts
PFLAG
Pride
Raging Lesbian
Read All About It
restaurants
Tom Neal
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa World
Two-Spirited Indian Men's Support Group
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/5c20e910de7ca592dd63588152eca356.jpg
5039f94c9a494f334604c83bb2e762fa
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/913cc5281b957402396a10de0ebc77ca.pdf
402d385ff5bf2220bca8bdfefc9b523c
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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Brief for Dale v. BOy Scouts
by Tim Talley, Associated Press ~rite~ -
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Some state lawmakers
demanded in mid-April that Oklahoma Attorney General
Drew Edmondson withdraw from participating in a
U:S. Supreme Court case on whether to allow Gay boys
and men in the Boy Scouts of America. Resolutions
were f’ded in the state House and~ Senate opposing a
friend-of-the-court briefEdmondson filed supporting a
New Jersey court decision that ordered the Boy Scouts
to reinstate a homosexual scout leader.
"I think it is a dark day for Oklahoma that we have
taken this stand, by and through our attorney general, in
favor of Gay rights and against the Boy Scouts," said
Rep. Frank Davis, R-Guthrie, a former scout master
whoseresolutionhas70co-authors.Aresolutionpassed
by the Senate says Edmondson’s position "is in dramarie
opposition to the moral ideals of.our state and is
inappropriate in this case of first impression before the
United State Supreme Court."
In a statement, Edmondson saidhe respects the views
of lawmakers who oppose his action. But the attorney
general said the state’ s position see Attorney; p. 2
Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
: ,~. Tulsa’s Largest Circulation Community PaperAvailable In More Than 75 City Locations
¯ Co!legeHill Presbyterian
::Church Welcomes Gays
TULSA - This last Palm Sunday, the Session (the board of
directors) of College Hill Presbyterian Church, one of Tulsa’ s
older"mainline" congregations, voted 13 yes, zero no’ s with one
abstention to become officially a member of"More Light Presbyterians."
College Hill, located a block west of the University of
Tulsa is the first Presbyterian congregation in Eastern Oklahoma
(o. take the position of welcoming
all to attend and serve
the church regardless of
sexual orientation.
More Light Presbyterians
is a national network of
churches and individuals
working for justice, love and
the full embrace and inclusion
of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
and Transgendered
persons and their families.
The name is taken from the
words of the Rev. John
Robinson (c. 1620),"we limit
not the truth of God to our
poor reach of mind - by notions
of our day and sect - crude, partial and confined. No, let a
new and better hope within our hearts be stirred, for Godhath yet
more light and truth to break forth from the Word."
The decision for College Hill came after more than 14 months
ofprayer, study and discussion. Acongregational voteon several
statements and positions, one affirming open inclusion, another
reaffirming the mission statement of More Light Presbyterians,
and for becoming a More Light congregation passed, 87%, 90%
and 80% respectively. .
Pastor Radford Rader noted, "College Hill has long been a
congregation which has stood for jnstice issues and with groups
of people who others ignore or exclude.., we cannot remain in
the closet, but want to rejoice in who we are as a family of faith.
¯ .we are blessed by our Gay and Lesbian members."
College Hill’ s history is one of s0cialjttstice, seeChurch,p.11
College Hill Presbyterian
GI,s Mom Suing Arm i- Supreme Court Hears Gay Civil
WASHINGTON(AP)-Them°ther°fas°ldiermur- " R|ghts Case: Dale vs. BSA dered in his barracks believes the Army’s attitude ,
toward Gays created the atmosphere that led to the
killing. Patricia Kutteles of Kansas City, Mo., said she
would file a claim with the Army, seeking roughly $1.8
million in damages for the death of her son, Pfc. Barry
Wincbell,21. Shesaidfellow soldiers believed Winchell
was Gay and harassed him for months before he was
beaten to death while sleeping in his cot last July at Fort
Campbell, Ky. The Army knew about the harassment
but did nothing to stop it, she said. "We want theArmy
to be held accountable," Kutteles said.
Pvt. Calvin Glover, 19, of Sulphur, Okla., was convicted
of premeditated murder and sentenced to life in
prison for the attack. Another soldier was givena 12.5-
year sentence for lying to investigators and obstructing
justice. Thekillingprompted criticism ofthePentagon’ s
policy onhomosexuals in the military. Under the policy
known as "don’t ask, don’t teli.;’:~,Gay-members of the
military can continue to serve.as Ibng as they keep their
sexual orientation to themselves.
Kutteles’ attorney,Adam Pachter, saidheplans to file
under a federal law that allows people to seek reimbursement
from the military for injury or death. The
claim will be sent toMaj. Gen. Robert T. Clark, the
commander of Fort Campbell, but Army Secretary
Louis CaldemprobAbly’will make thef’mal decision on
whether to pay, Pachter said. Kutteles’ claim also alleges
Fort Campbell officials ignored underage drinking
on the base and did not provide a way for soldiers to
call 911 from the barracks.:Glover has said he had been
drinking prior to theattack~ Maj. Pamela Hart, an Army
spokeswoman, declined to comment on the claim but
said soldiers cannow reach 911 from their barracks. She
also said soldiers hadreceived additional training about
the military’ s policy on Gays.
Kutteles said her goal is to get the Army to admit
wrongdoing and take corrective action. "I don’t think
you~put aprice on your child’ s life,’.’ she said. "Your
world is changed if you lose a child. Nothing caa ever
rip3at it."
¯ WASHINGTON, D.C. - Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is not
¯ entitled to expel an exemplary member who is openly Gay from
¯ its ranks, the National Gay and LesbianTask Force said at the end
¯ ofApril as theU.S. SupremeCourtwas hearingargumentsinBoy
Scouts of America v. Dale. The ruling on the case will likely be
: issued before the term ends in early summer.
: ’q’he Boy Scouts’ mission is to promote model citizenship and
¯ integrity," said Panla Ettdbrick, NGLTFFamily Policy Director.
: "It is ridiculous and wrong to exclude a man whose outstanding
¯ personal character fulfills this mission simPlY because he is
¯ Gay."
-" "The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case on appeal by the
¯ BSA after the August 1999 unanimous decision of the New
¯¯ Jersey,Supreme Court. The court found that the BSA falls under
New Jersey’ s anti-discrimination law and cannot deny any per-
" son "accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges"
: because of sexual orientation.
¯ Because the Scouts do not organize for a specific anti-Gay
¯ message; the New Jersey Supreme Court also found that the
¯ inclusion of openly Gay assistant scoutmasterJames Dale would
¯ not violate the BSA’ s First Amendment rights offree association
¯ and free speech.
." ~I’llis case represents a classic struggle in our country?s ever-
" evolving democracy," said Ettelbrick, a veteran attorney and
: national expertLon legal-issues facing.the Ga~y~ lesbian~ bisexual
¯ and transgender community. "It is the stragglebetween agroup’ s ¯
right to establish its own values and the government’ s obligation
¯ to ensure that the law does not give effect to those private biases
when they are used to inhibit equality." .. . ~
: Ettelbrick praised the Lambda Legal Defense and Education
¯
Fund, which has served as lead counsel for James Dale and has
¯ assembled a broad collection of groups to sign friend-of-the-
. court briefs. Those groups range from NGLTF and the National
¯ Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
: to the attorneys-general of 10 states, including Oklahoma Attor-
: ney General Drew Edmondson (see related story this page).
¯ NGLTF’ S brief can be found online via I..ambda’ s website at
: http:/Iwww.lldef.org/sectionslseetionsldalepresskit/
: amicusaclu.html.
i
Vermont Governor
Signs Gay Union Bill
by Ross Sneyd, Associated Press Writer
¯ MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Gov. Howard Dean ¯
signed into law on Wednesday, April 26, 2000, a
¯ bill making Vermont the first state to give Gay and
’ Lesbian couples all the rights and benefits of mar-
¯ riage - without legally declaring it a marriage. ¯
"I think the powerful message is that in Vermont,
¯ we tend to value people for who they are, not what
¯ they are," the Democratic governor said after the
House gave the measure final approval Tuesday.
° The bill, which House members supported 79-68,
¯ arrived at the governor’ s deskjust before lunch and
¯ was signed quietly prior to a2pmnews confe~e,nce, ¯
Vermont lawmakers didn’t use the term mar-
" riage to describe the official state sanction. Instead
¯ they set up aparallel track of"civil tmions," which
¯ would give Gay and Lesbian partners the property
and other legal fights of spouses. Such unions
¯ would become legal July 1. No state has ever gone
¯ so far in recognizing the relationships that Gay and
"- Lesbian couples form.
." Three couples and the lawyers who sued in 1997
¯ when they were denied marriage licenses watched
in the crowded Housechamber as the final roll was
¯ called and House representatives agreed to minor
." changes made by their colleagues in the Senate.
¯ Stacy Jolles and Nina Beck stood cradling their 5-
¯ month-old son, Seth. PeterHarrigan stood embracing
Stan Baker, who held a small necklace from
¯ which his parents’ wedding rings dangled. And
¯ Holly Puterbaugh held hands as Lois Famham
¯ wiped tears fromher eyes. "This isn’ tmarriage, but
it’ s ahuge and powerful bundle ofrights that we’ ve
¯ finally gotten," Baker said moments after the vote.
¯ After the vote, Rosana Vestuti, 41, of Montpelier,
sat on a window seat as legislators, Gay and
." Lesbian couples and thepress milled about. "It’ s so
¯ nice. I have all this in my eyes," see Vermont, p. 7
¯ OKC Gay Group Meets
With Daily Oklahoman
OKLAHOMACITY -Leaders in OklahomaCity’ s
are hailing an early April meeting with Sue Hale,
: the new executive editor of the Daily Oklahoman.
¯ The Daily Oklahoman which was characterized in ¯
the Columbia Journalism Review as "the worst
: newspaper in America" has been known for its
¯ unfair treatment of Lesbian and Gay issues, not ¯
only on the editorial pages but in regular, "objec-
¯ five" newscoverage.
¯ Those who met with Hale are participants in a
¯ new speakers bureau. "Speakers for Gay and Les-
¯ bian Issues" was organized with the goal of reach-
¯ ing out to the straight commtmity to facilitate ¯
¯ understanding of the realities of.being Gay and
Lesbian. Karen Pars0ns,Nathaniel Batchelder, Paul
¯ Thompson, and Rob Abiera attended the meeting
¯ with Hale, a thirty-year veteran of the Daily Okla-
" homan.
¯
Hale was chosen to be the successor to Stan
¯ Tiner, who left the Daily Oklahoman after several
¯ months of working to remold the paper into a more
¯ progressive, contemporary medium which would
¯ more accurately reflect the diversity of Oklahoma
." City.
¯ Halewas approached after reports.began to surface
of her interest in "social justice" issues. And
¯ though homophobic diatribes continue to grace the
editorial page - still under the firm control of
¯ Patrick McGuigan - the rest of the paper was ¯
showing signs of neutrality, if not being outright
; Gay-friendly.
¯ One place where the paper was showing signs of
¯ openness has been in the movie reviews. Kathryn
; Jenson White had come from the Oklahoma Ga-
: zette (OKC’ s alternative weekly) and had always
¯ been of decidedly liberal persuasion. It did not take
¯" long after Tiner’ s departure to see that she would
: continue to be so, and when two GLBT-themed
: Oscar coatenders see Daily, p. 11
_;
!
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW’ s, 1737 S. Memorial
Full Moon Care, 1525 E. 15th
*Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Sqtmre
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*The Storm, 2182 S. Sheridan
*Renegades/Rainb0w Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’s, 2114’S: Memorial
*Tool Box, 1338 E: 3rd
712-2324
610-5323
583-6666
749-4511
744-4280
745-9998
834-4234
835-2376
585-3405
660-0856
584-1308
*The Yellow-Bri~k-Road.Pub,~-2630,E...1$th, ........ ;749~1563
Tal~a~BtlstPiesse~Set~ices, &: Pcofe~s~o~als~.~.; :
Advanced Wireleg~&::P~,S~ Di~ithl Cellulhi ~ ~ ~ i.tJ ~ q47:q508’
*Assdd ih~19I~d!&:M~fi¢~l ~da]ttl)2325 8’: H~ii~c~a~ 74g-’~i000’,
Kent Balch &Assr(~htes, Health & Life Insurance 747-9506
*Barnes & N~bl~’ B66ksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034
*Barnes &N0bl~Broksellers, 5231 E. 41
Body Piefdfigby Nicole, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Books & MUsic, 2740 E. 21
*Borders BOoks’ &MUsic, 8015 S. Yale
Brooksid~ J~w~lfy,4649 S. Peoria
*CD War~hogs~,’3807c S. Peoria
*Cheap Thrills~ 2640 E. 1 lth
Cherry Stl Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis
665-4580
712-q 122
712-’9955
494-2665
743~5272
746_0313~
295-5868
581-0902, 743-4H7
Community Cleani~ag, Kerby Baker
Tim Daniel, Attorney
*Deco to Dfsco, 3212 E. 15th
DoghouSe oti:Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria
*Elite Books &Videos, 821 S. Sheridan
*Ross Edward Salon ~"58420337,
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main ,., " ’-.
*Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th PI:
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med: Ctr.
.Gay & Lesbian-Affordable Daycare
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st
Learme M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney
*Sandra’ J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly
*International Tours
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th
*Jared’ s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening
*Kerfs Flowers, 1635 E. 15
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo
*The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696,74101
Richard’ s Carpet Cleaning
Teri Schutt Rex Realtors 834-7921,
Scribner’ s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square
Paul Tay, Car Salesman
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
622-~0700-
352:9504, 800-742-9468
74%3620
744~55~6
83828~03
712-9379
59"2-0460
744-9595
6t0-0880-
628-3709.
808-8026
742~1460
459-9349
744-7440
745-1111
341-6866
7.12-2750
582-3018
747-0236
582-8460
599-8070
747-5466
585-1234
584-3112
663-5934
664-2951
838-7626
743 -4297
747-5932
834-0617
747-4746
749-6301"
260-7829
481-0558
835-5563
743-1733
665-2222
592-0767
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579-9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black & White, Inc.POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 -587-7314o
Bless Ttl~ LO~d at~All Tirn~ -Chflstian Ce-n’tdr/2207 E. 6 58327815-
*B/LiG/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Florence
*Churchof:the RestorafionUU., t3t:4N:Greenwood 587-1314"
*CommtmityofHopeUnitedMethodist,2545 S. Yale 747-6300
*Comrmmity Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595
Council Oak Men’ s Chorale 748-3888
*DelawarePlayhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free SpiritWomen’ s Center, call for location&info: 587-4669
Friend ForA Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159
e-mail: TulsaNews@ earthlinlc net
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Neal
Writers + contributors:
James Christjohn, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche,
Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers
Member of The Associated Press
Issued on or before the 1 st of each month, the enttre contents
hi" this ubli t~on e protecte~l bv US copyright 1998 8y
~/~ ~ :ahd~may~hd~,be~ep~oduoed e~tlaer m
~ w,hol¢ort~p.a~_ ~’~l~OUt w~atte~a p~.r0~SSlQ~~ro~ ~publisheir. ~
Publication of a name or photo does not.indicate a person’ s
sexual orientation. Corr~spbndeii~ i~assumed to be for.
publication" unlessootherwis~noted,, must be signed & becomes.
the ao_l¢ property ofr~ ~’~.’. Nt,w4 Eachreader
is entitled to 4 copiesof each editt0n at distribution
pointsJ Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
: Interfaith AIDS Ministries
: Dear friends,
¯ The present realities of HIV/AIDS and
: decreased focus on and interest in HIV-
: related issues have made providing HIV/
: AIDS servicesadifficnltifnotimpossible
r task. This is true on a national as well as
: local level, Late last fall Interfaith AIDS
: Ministries (IAM) received a letter from
: AIDS National InterfaithNetwork (ANIN)
that itwas closing its doors," as a result of
: financial difficulties which cumulatively
¯ .v". und" e,.r~l",nc.d ~I ’ ~ Vl"l~b,"l i "
: reaht~l~s ~a~e~t ~n~pq~s~ble,. ~o ttmcgqq
¯ :..is With deep r~gret that I must announce
: that the boardof Interfaith AIDS Minis-
¯" ’tries has’made the decision to discontinue
: client services.
: I have for srme time continued as the
¯ directorona.volunteerbasis at the board"g ¯ reques ; L’.am no longer able to d.o
¯ Work-~.~,~.~ and personal responslbl,~i,7
582-0~38 ties maKeit impossible forme to continue
¯ Holland Hall School, 5666 E. 81st. 481-1111 ¯
HOPEI HiV-.Outredch,Pi?~vefifibn:,Edt~cafion 834-8378
: .*H0us.e. O~ the Holy Spitff ~_~nstri¢s,.32!0~ s~~. ’Nb~wood .......
:::-iii~e~ ~iDS MJnislii~s/~ ...... 4381~437, 800-284-2437 ."
:."¥~C~~ United~-i623 :N. Mapi~w00d~: " ~ 838-i715
¯ NAMESPr0ject,.3507 E. Admiral- PlY . 748-3111 . ¯
NO.W, Nat’l Or.g for Womeri;"POBlZ!0.68174159 365-5658
¯ OK Spokes Club (bic~clifig), POB 916~,-.74157 " .
¯ *OSU-TUiSa ’ " ’ ¯
¯ ..PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901 :
¯
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674 "
¯ Prime-Timer~P.O. Box 52118, 74152 "
¯ R.A.I:N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network~ ........ 749-4195 ¯
¯Red Ro~k Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 ..... 584~2325 ¯
; O’ RYAN, support group for 18-24 LGBT young adults
O’RYAN, Jr. support group for 14-17 LGBT youth "
St. Aidan’ s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882 ¯
¯
St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
¯
*St. Jerome’ s Parish Church, 205 W. King .582-3088 "
¯" *Tulsa,~ea United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171 ¯
¯TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225 ¯ ¯
Tulsa County HealthDepartment, 4616 E. 15 595-4105 :
¯
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only "
¯ TulsaOkla. for HumanRights, c/o The PrideCenter 743:4297
¯ T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform!Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule ¯
: *Tulsa Community College Campuses "
¯ *TulsaGay Community Center, 1307 E. 38, 74105 743-4297 ¯ ¯
Unity Church of Christianity,3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833 ¯
Friead~,..in ~nity Social Org., i~i3 8~2~ 7..4 !.0. !
HIV~.~ente~2~i’38Chas’. Page Blvd. " -- 583-6611 : to do thejob rrsponsibly. It requires more ........
*Tulsa C.A.R:E.S., 3507 E. Admiral- 834-4i94~. time and energy than I am now able to
BARTLESVILLE
*Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
¯ OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN
Borders Books & Music, 3209 NW Expressway 405-848-2667
Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
¯¯ TAHLEQUAH
Stonewall League, call for information: 918~456-7900
¯ *Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
¯ Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360
¯ NSU School of Optometry, 1001 N. Grand
HIVtesting every other Tues. 5:30-8:30, call for dates
: EUREKASI~;RINGS, ARKANSAS.
"~ Auttmm’ Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23
¯
*Jim & Brent’ s Bistro, 173 S. Main
DeVito’ s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St,
: MCC:0f the Living Spring
: Geek to Go!,TC Specialist, POB 429
¯ Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery
¯ Positive Idea Marketing Plans
Sparky’ s, Hwy. 62 East
: White Light, 1 Center St.
: JOPLIN, MISSOURI
*Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696
501-253-7734 "
501-253-7457 :
501-253-6807 "
501-253-5445 ¯
501-253-9337 :
501-253-2776 "
501-253-5332 .
501-624-6646 "
501-253-6001 "
501-253-4074
¯
* is where you can find TFN. Not allare Gay-owned but allare Gay-friendly.
commiLAnd there is no one wilting and
able to take my place.
The bisard has made the decision t~
continue IAM’s existence, at this time.
IAM’s board will continue to meet periodicallyand
monitor the changing reali:°
ties of HIV/AIDS, its effect on our community
and any future role IAM may play
inmeeting needs. It is the ministry’ s hope,
of course, that the future will bring a cure.’.
that some day gatherings will be in remembrance
only.
The board and I wish to express our
deepest appreciation for you support of
the work of this ministry over the many
years of its existence. Without that support
IAM would not have been able to
serve the hundreds of individuals which it
has assisted withpractical, emotional, and
spiritual support. Thank you on behalf of
thosewehave served for themany gifts of
your time, your talents, and your support.
I appreciate the opporttmity the ministry
has provided me to serve those affected
by HIV/AIDS and to get to know
and work with all of you. It has been very
hard for me to step away from this work
knowing there is so much more to be
done. However, I know I have reached
that place where, even though there is alot
more I would have liked to have done, I
have done all I can do for now. I would ask
that you continue your prayers of those
living:~ith and affected by HIV/A~DS
and fofthOse who minister to them, for a
cure for this,devastating disease, and frr
those who have served Interfaith AIDS
Ministries. Thank you and God bless you.
Faithfully,
- Chaplain Diane Zike, Director
"focused on the issue of state’s rights"
and that the high court’, s ruling in the case.
"will have no direct effect in Oklahoma."
"Oklahoma does not have the same antidiscrimination
law as New Jersey,"
Edmondson said. "For me and my office,
this matter was soldy decided on the
advancement of states’ rights."
Theissue ofstates’ rights involves powers
reserved to the states under the 10th
Amendment and immunity from lawsuits
under the 1 lth Amendment.
Edmondson, a former Boy Scout and
see Attorney, p.7
by Christopher Graft, Associated Press Writer
On the day Unilever bought Slim-Fast for $2.3 billion
and Ben & Jerry’s for $326 million, it was the smaller
purchase that captured the headlines and attentionnationwide.
TheNew York Times, The Washington Postand The
Associated Press were among the major news organizations
that focused on the purchase of the tiny ice cream
company, mentioning the acquisition of the much-larger
Slim-Fast only to savor the unusual pairing of the fatten,
ing and dieting duo.
ceutical industry or whoever is his enemy of the moment.
It is remarkable, actually, that Vermont gets as much
attention as it does - through Ben, Jerry, and Bernie, and
through U.S. Sens. Pat Leahy and Jim Jeffords and Gov.
Howard Dean, all of whom have images of straight
talkers in a business full of bluster. I suspect the nation’ s
high interest in things Vermont has something to do with
"... More and more in recent years Vetmont
has been out front in tackling tough Why? Why does a $326 million purchase gain more
attcntionthatva$2.3~billionone?Qu~fle-simplybecauseno ¯ probl.ems. There is something about the
one ldab~s 6r~ cares ~h6 !o~vns Shn~-Fast." ~ . , ~ ¯ . ¯
Butdle k~d~Be~duidflie ’ldid,& J " ~’" ""~ ~ ,.small ~s~ze of the state that allows exper~-
¯ ! y ,, ! , y.:,. . ’. erry. mlamey care . .... ¯ ¯ : ¯
who owns th~s’c0mpa@.~ h~;ce ~dffay~ b~fi ~ttnazed’l~ ~. :nlentat~i0ii. Aiad ther is something a~ well
the wide interest in Ben & Jerry’ s. By the news media.
And by peo_p,te in general. Because, to be blunt about it,
Ben & Jerry s is a tiny company, with an insignificant
share of the ice cream market. The appeal, though, stems
from the fact there are two real guys at the heart of this
company; two guys who want t6~do good.
No faceless multinational ctlialj._"~,y with layers of
bureau...cracy. This xs Ben and Je~’.~,~-stlll doing a little
scooping here and there, and always keeping their eyes on
social concerns. And that strikes a nerve with the publicl
Twoguys who want to do good. Helping out the little guy
by earmarking 7.5% of the pretax p.r.ofits for charity and
running campaigns to help children and savethe family
farm. Two guYS. Doing good.
Bernie Sanders strikes that same nerve. This past week
found him gushingly profiled in the New York Times and
prominently featured in the Boston Globe, the National
Journal.and on Nagonal Public Radio. H~ is just one of
435 members of the U.S. House - and ye’~ he reaps far
more than his share of publicity - just like Ben and Jerry
do. Why? Because he, too, strikes a nerve. Bernie is the
fighter for the little guy, taking on the powerful pharma-
" about the attitude of its polltieal leaders
¯ and people, an attitude that champions eivll
i
r~ghts and foeuse~ on the little guy.
: As difficult as it seems for some people,
the debate this year over extending
i
benefits to Gay and Le~hian couples
is part of that tradition..."
: theseindi~iduals, but it als0 has s0me~ng to do with the
state, its people and its heritage.
¯ In a time when many people feel disconnected from
~ their communities, when they feel overwhelmed by the
¯ stresses and strains of everyday life, Vermont seems to
¯ offer an anchor and a hope. Vermont is small enough.to
retain the seBs¢ of community lost elsewhere, and is
¯ unafraid to try the unconventional - to stand up for the
¯ litde guy. ¯
Ben, Jerry, Bernie and the others are not creating a new
image for Vermont: They are simply building on what
Editor’s note: the following are remarks made by new
NGLTF Executive Director Elizabeth Toledo at the National
Press Club at apress conference held on April.25.
"Good morning. I am here this morning to discuss the
state of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender
movement (GLBT) for equality in the United States.
As many state legislatures across the land wrap tip their
work and adjourn, we are seeing a frenzied pace of
legislative activity surrounding GLBT issues. For only
the second year in our movement’ s history, we have seen
bills favorable to our community outnumber unfavorable
bills - and the ratio is rapidly increasing.
So far this year, the National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force has tracked 466 bills, of which 288 are favorable
and 178 are unfavorable. By comparison, last year, we
tracked 269 favorable bills and 205 unfavorable bills.
A trend has emerged which shows that although the
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender population remains
under fierce attack, the movement toward civil
rights for all is steadily gaining strength.
Today the Vermont House of Representatives is poised
to give final approval to a bill that would allow same-sex
couples the right to enter into official civil unions sanctioned
by the state. If approved and signed into law, the
Vermont bill will do what no state has ever done before
- it will pr0~ide same~s,¢x couples wi~ al! of the fights,
benefits iitid ~i~0fi-iilsNties Of niarfiag~ thai a state can
offer.
Vermont has garnered a lot of attention, and rightfully
so. But did_you know_ about Georgia? Indiana? Mai_ne?
Alabama?’GeOrgia this Tear foi~ ,the firs:t!time ever: has
passed and enacted a hate crimes law. Indiana has passed
and enacted a hate crimes data collection law. While not
a full-blown hate crimes law, it represents the first rime
hidianalegislators have everreacted favorably to aGLBT
issue. Maine has passed and forwarded to the voters a
full-scale civil rights law that includes sexual orientation.
In Alabama, the House has passed an historic bill adding
.sexual orientation to the existing hate crimes law. Thebill
is scheduled to come up for a heating in the Senate
tomorrow.
Five states - Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire,
New Mexico, Wisconsin - have defeated attempts to
either pass or strengthen anti-same-sex marriage laws.
¯
The pace of activity this year continues a trend we first
¯ noticed in 1999, a breakthrough year for the GLBT
; .- movement. Last year’ s legislative victories included his-
" toric advances in such disparate states as California,
: Kentucky, New Hampshire and Nevada. In California,
legislators passed and the governor signed a trio of bills
: "...Vermont has garnered a lot of
: attention, and ghtf lly But did
you know about Georgla.9
Indlana.~ Maine.9 Alabama?
Georgia this year for the first time ever
has passed and enacted a hate erlmes
law. Indiana has passed and enacted a
hate cr~mes data collection law..."
that established a statewide registry for same-sex couples,
added sexual orientation to thenondiscrimination clauses
under the state Fair Employment and Housing Act and
offered public school students some protection against
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
In Kentucky, tWO cities..and two_ 9oun.ties ad~pted, pro-
GLBT civil rights measures. In New Hampshire, a law ¯
preventing same-sex couples from adopting children was
repealed. And Nevada became the 1 lth state to ban job
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
~While we hav~ l~geiy ~picked-ul~iii flJ~ ~e’a~’2000 -
where we left off, the news is not all good. Two states -
Utah and Mississippi -have passed bills preventing "
same-sex couples from adopting children. Two state "
legislatures - Colorado and West Virginia- passed laws
preventing same-sex couples from marrying, and Call- "
fornia voters approved a measure banning the state from "
recognizing same-sex marriages in other states. The "
number of states that have explicitly passed laws banning
same-sexmamagewill reach 33 ifthe Colorado governor ,’.
signs that statefs legislation. :
Such activity reflects the unfortunate reality of our ,"
movement. There is a checkerboard quality to the legal ¯
and cultural victories for the LGBT movement, and too "
¯ was there. This state has always been seen as a bastion of
¯ common sense and a breeder of courageous people.
Yes, Vermont’ s pastoral image is of a bygone era of
¯ village squares and hillside farms. But its political image,
its heritage, in fact, is of courage, of caring, of going
¯ where others fear to tread.
Ralph Flanders was about as conservative as they
~ come. But he had the courage to stand up in the U.S.
¯ Senate and call for an end to Joe McCarthy’ s red-baiting,
¯ taking a stand that for Flanders was steeled in the values ¯
in the Bill of Rights. And so it was for George Aiken,
¯ fighting against :the banks, the rai!roadS, and~ flae marble
¯ and:~~ani,t.~i,n~t.u.stries in the ’3Os~ and spegaki~g up yche,It
¯¯ - others,would not .about the~ ,folly’,.of,Vietnam. :, . . . ..
More and mpre in. recent ~ears V,e.rmont:has been out
¯ front in tackling tough problems. There is something
: about the small size of the state that allows experimenta-
¯ tion. And there is something as well about the attitude of
¯ its political leaders and people, an attitude that champions
¯ civil rights and focuses on the little guy.
¯ As difficult as it seems for somepeople, the debate this
¯ year over extending benefits to Gay and Lesbian couples
¯ .is part of that tradition. Again the eyes of the nation are on
~ the state. Certainly there is apprehension and even oppo-
¯ sition, but it is reassuring and pleasing to see how much
: applause thereis. A South Carolinanewspaper writes that
¯ "Vermont has offered a sensible model for secular civil
¯ unions;" theArizonaDaily Star says "this is probably the ¯
¯ best solution possible to an emotional, important debate
that strains the bounds of Americans’ tolerance and
¯ respect for each other," and the Concord (N.H.) Monitor
; says Vermont has "passed what was a test of conscience."
¯ A tourist promotion campaigns a few decades back
¯ proclaimed that Vermont is what America was. It is more
¯ accurate today to say that Vermont is what America
¯ wants to be.
often the difference between legitimacy and illegitimacy
in the eyes of society may rest on something as arbitrary
as a state boundary. Many residents of thiS country
assume that the great strides of the civil rights movement
have afforded broad protection against discrimination for "
all. In fact the legal reality is that those of us in same sex
relationships have notbeen fully protectedfrom discrimination
in housing,jobs, family law, education - virtually
every aspect of our lives is subject to discrimination and
sadl y, hate violence or harassment remains a reality in
every state in the nation.
Too often the cultural strides that are made in the
media, in places or worship, in schools and universities
and in the workplace are misinterpreted as a sign that
equality has been won.
I’ll give you an example. The National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force frequently receives phone calls from
same-sex couples asking for alist of states in which they
can legally marry. These individuals see shows like Will
and Grace or Dawson’ s Creek. They worship in churches
or synagogues that welcome them. They are out in the
workplace or at school. They just assume, like many
heterosexual Americans, that the barriers of discrimination
have been eradicated.
The reality, of course, is quite different¯ Not a single
state allows same.sex mamage. 39 states allow Gay,
"Lesbian, Bisexual:and Transgender employees.to be fired
from ourjobs. 28 states lack hate crimes law s that include
sexual orientation. 18 states criminalize loving, same-sex
relationships.
.~ " T~day the GLBT movement i~ at a crossroads We.are
under open assault by those who would deny us basic
.human rights., and at the same time the nation.is witnessing
a surge in support for our cause. Ourtives, our
liberty, our pursuit of happiness depend upon our ability
to build strong political infrastructure and organize on the
state and local level.
Local orgamzing has always been the trademark of the
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Fortunately, we
are not alone. Today, the state and local political infrastructure
of the GLBT movement in the United States is
stronger than it has ever been before.
In 1996, NGLTFhelped found the Federation of Statewide
LGBT Political Organizations. see NGLTF, p. 11
College Course to Focus
On Net Hate Groups
BOSTON (AP) - One shows an image of a slain Gay
man burning in hell Another claims the FBI has
declared war on white Christians. A third pretends to
pay homage to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., then
suggests the civil rights leader was a sex fiend, a
communist and a "plastic god." They ~e radical,
hate-driven Internet sites and they are increasing
rapidly. This fall, they also will be the basis for a
communications class at Emerson College called
Hate.com. Robert Hilliard, an Emerson communications
prof~e,ssor, vlans to use ,the sites to examine how
radical gxpups use fi!e Internet to recrmt new members.
" "
Hilliard became interested in extremists~ when.he’
stumbled across a far-right talk radio show, and later
wrote abookonthe topic withBoston College professor
Michael Keith. "We began to listen and we said,
’Here we were, communications professionals and
we didn" t know about these people,’" Hilliard said.
"People have got to know what these people are
saying." Their book, "Waves of Rancor: Tuning in
the Radical RighC’ was well-received and ended up
onPresident Clinton’ s summerreading list. Hilliard’ s
says his class will .examine how the groups target
xmpressionable youth, how they multiply and how
they foment rage¯
More than 300 extremistWeb sites are on the
Internet today, ranging from neo-Nazi alliances to
Gay and Lesbian haters to Holocaust denials sites,
according to the watchdog Southern Poverty Law
Center¯ In 1998, the group counted 254 such Web
sites, up from 163 in 1997.
Experts say extremists are careful’not to urea away
viewers with upfront, inflammatory statements or
epithets. Instead, rock music and games draw in new
members gradually. OneNeo-Nazi site features bands
like RaHoWar, which stands for Racial Holy War.
"Others attract viewers with seemingly mainstream
articles, but the articles can lead to racist and conspiratorial
theories bolstered with passages from the
Bible and alternative historians.
Hilliard plans toinvite some hate site creators to the
class, giving them a chance to defend their work. One
rote creator satdhe s open to such challenges. I thi
the media is extremely biased against my point of
view and I want to provide an alternative to their
news," said Don Black, creator of Stormfront, one of
o.. the Web’ s oldest white nationalist sites.
Hilliard and others emphasize that extremist sites
are fully protectedby the First Amendment and stress
they are not calling for their removal. However,
Hilliardmakes no bones abouthis hopes that students
work to combat them. ’q?hese are people saying’We
must arm ourselves for a holy war to rid the world of
those who are not white, Aryan Christians or those
who disagree with our points of view,’" he said.
Idaho Public TV Faces
Program Challenges
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho. (AP) :-Adding adisclaimer to
.controversial programming on Idaho Public Television
may pacify prograrnm~ug restrictions from the
.Legislature while allowing the stationto keep federal
funding.
Idaho Board Of Education member Curtis ’Eaton
¯ proposed.Friday the board require PublieTelevision
tO air a disclaimer stating the station does not sanction
acts or events depicted in programming. In a letter
dated,April 13, Eaton asked.the ¯board to consider the
option-as a way torectncile what he describes aft
contradictory statements in recent.legislation that
require theboard to regulateprogramming deemed to
promote acts illegal in Idaho.
The controversy over programming began last.
spring, when Idaho Public Television General Manager
Peter Morrill decided to air"It’ s Elementary," an
hour-long documentary abouthow five public school
districts across the country dealt with teaching kids
about homosexuality. Christian conservatives lobbied
the board to veto the program, but in June 1999
the board voted unanimously not to interfere with
Morrill’ s programming decision.
But the Legislature got involved this spring by
including restrictions in a funding package for the
network that reouire the board to monitor and reject
programming that "promotes, supports or encourages
the violation of Idaho criminal statutes." Because
sodomy is illegal in Idaho, the bill could be interpreted
tomeanprograms like"It’ s Elementary" should
be cut. Or, because robbery is an Idaho felony, documentaries
about legendary thieves Bonme and Clyde
mightbebarred. ButboardmemberHarold Davis said
he agreed with the restrictions and felt "It’ s Elementary’
crossed the line iiito promoting "the Gay
lifestyle." Heopposed Eaton’ s proposal, saying itwas
not sufficient to meet Legislative demands for new
policy.
Methodists Callings,For:+
Investigation of Bishop
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Some parishioners want
religious leaders to investigate the United Methodist
Church bishop who decided not to charge 68 ministers
who attended and endorsed a Lesbian wedding.
The western region of the United Methodist Church’ s
College of ~3ishops received two letters from parishioners,
asking for aninvestigationinto whether Bishop
Melvin Talbert disregarded church laws, including
one banning same-sex unions. Bishop Elias Galvan of
Seattle, a member of the religious body, said the o
letters would be reviewed to see if they merit complaint
status.
John Stumbo, a Fort Valley, Ga., lawyer and member
of the Coalition for United Methbdist Accountability,
said the complaints centered around comments
Talbert made when he announced that there
was no basis f01~ a trial. At the time, Talbert said it was
more important for the church to be all-inclusive than
to puuish someone for blessing a union not officially
sanctioned by the churcJa; But Stumbo said Talbert
and the church’ s investigative committee disregarded
a church law against homosexual, marriage in reaching
their decision,
If the-College of Bishops finds grounds for complaint,
a separate committee wouldinvestigate whether
Talbert should be tried in a church court, which would
have the power to impose a number of penalties,
including expulsion. Talbert’ s secretary said thebishop
was travding and could not be reached for comment.
The Rev. Don Fado of St..Mark’ s United Methodist
Church in Sacramento performed the January 1999
ceremony for churchmembers Ellie Charlton, 64,and.
Jeanne BametL 69. He and 67 other ministers offiCiated
en masse at the ceremony.
University Denial of
Benefits Ruled Legal
P1TTSBU-RGH (AP) - The University of Pittsburgh
has-legally denied health benefits to same-sex partners
of employees, an AlleghenyCounty judge ruled.
Judge Robert Gallo said that Pitt’ s policy is neutral
because health benefits are offered to all employees
regardless of sexual orientation, and Pitt also denies
benefits to unmarried partners of heterosexual employees.
"This ruling dearly iupholds what has been
the university’ s .position, thr0~ghout these proem,dings
- namely that the universityhealth benefits plan
is legal and nondiscriminatory," Pitt spokesman Ken
Service said.
But. Deborah Henso~, ia’former Pittinstn~ctorWho-’
sued when the university denied benefits to her Le~.-
bian partner, said she’would appeal to Common~
wealth Court. ’~Fhis is.important in terms of fairness.,,
and equality," Hens,on s~d.."pitt has .l~e~¯ ~gh~ng
tooih and nail, inmy opiuion,tojus,tff,y~ disenmina~tton
against Gay and Lesbi~in persons. Henson and six
others were plaintiffs in a lawsuit alleging that Pitt
violated a city ordinance banning discrimination
against Gay~ and Lesbians. I-Ienson’ s attorneys had
wanted the case to be heard by the Pittsburgh CommissiononHumanRelations,
whichhears complaints
about violations of the city ordinance.
Ga!lo said the commission has nojurisdiction over
Pitt. In November, Gov. Tom Ridge signed a law
exempting state universities and colleges from being
forced by city anti-discrimination laws to provide
same-sex benefits. Pitt is a state-affiliated institution.
United in
God’s Love
¯ MCC-Un=ted
Sunday WOrship
11:00 am
1623 N. Maplewood
Reverend Cathy Elliot
Pastor
918/838-1715
Community
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
at Community ofHope
2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595
.... A Welcoming Congregation
HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm
3210b S. Norwood, Info: 224-4754, Chris or Sharon
- Sandra Hill
Licensed Professional & National Certified
Counselor, Certified Hypnotherapist
Psychotherapy & Clinical Consultation
After Hours Appointments Available
2865 E: Skelly Drive, Suite 215,745-1111
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Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
918-58.4=2325
Mingo Valley Flowers
~9413 E. 31St St., Tulsa 74145
918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-444-5934
Family Owned & Operated
Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW
Ghild, Family, Individual & Gouplo Psychothorapy
(918) 743-9559
2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518
The Pride Store
1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor
Tulsa Gay Community Services Center
743-GAYS (743-4297) .. i .
6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday
’12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the cOnter
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"Recognizing that Pitt’ s health care contract on its
face prohibits Pitt from providing benefits to both
same sex and heterosexual unmarried couples, making
n~ distinction between the two, it is dear that the
commi ssion would be precluded from finding that an
unlawful practice hadbeen committedbyPitt," Gallo’ s
written ruling said.
Other universities in Pennsylvania that offer samesex
benefit~ include the University of Pennsylvania,
Swarthmore College and DickinsfnCollege. C.amegie
MdlonUniversity.faculty earlier this monthaccepted
a recommendation-that the:,.university ,provide samesex
benefits as wall..CMU’ s board of trustees must
approve the recommendation as well before samesex
benefits will be extended, according to university
spokesman Don Hale.
BOSh
on Vermont Civil Unions
¯ Clark delivered opening and dosing arguments ¯
while Richard Van Wagoner, another Salt Lake City
¯ lawyer, grilled Seidel on her decision to disqualify
¯ PRISM but sanction the Polynesian Club and the
¯ Odyssey of the Mind Club. ’Seidel also nixed a
¯ women’ s literature club, saying she had suggested a
¯ genderless literature club instead. Campbell seemed
¯ particularly interested in that decision a~d asked for
¯ district records on it. ~ "....
." The judge frequently turned oia Dan: Larsen, an
¯ assistant Utah state attorney general d~fending the
¯ school district, attacking his argiamentsand declaring
school administrators were not hb~v~:the law. Dis-
- trict Superintendent Darlene Roblds: who was in the
¯ courtroom but did not testify, S~iid tti~ school board
¯ "wasla:t tr~_’0g to violate studen[s" ~F,ifst Amendment
¯ ~nghk~ and welcomed any ~]anfi~ohC ~ ll~ear~
"bring on, the m~tte~r~ ,
TEMPLE,Texas (AP)-Republican presidential candidate
George W. Bush refused to be drawn into
comment on Vermont’s civil unions, which would
grant to same~sex couples some 300 state benefits of
marriage, including medical decision-making, tax
breaks and inheritance. Bush has opposed recognizing
same-sex unions in Texas. "They have a right to
pass a law," Bush said. "It’ s the right of the state to
.make that decision just like it’s the right of the state
of South Carolina to make the decision on the flag."
Bush also met with a group ofGay Republicans last
week in Austin and said he was "a better person" for
heating their stories but still disagreed with them on
Gay marriage. The Texas governor answered questions
after making an elementary school appearance
to_~,r.omote "character education" on the anni .v.ersary
of the Columbine shootings.
School District InC0urt
Fi0r Rejecting Gay Club
SALT Li~KE CITY (AP) - A fede~r,al judge recently
shai~ly questioned a’s~hoor distiict s refuSai.to’sanctibia’
"d" ’ ~~d:¢rff ~ dub ’ that would-focus:,on:Gay "~-:
IJYe:sbjan~ssu¢si"’~ust (~ecaus~ yo~gof6"safi’6ol’d~i
m~y~.~0!~ -th~ii,~’~iis~ Aiii~iidifiefi{iights; U..S,"
Di~ft Jildg~ Teiah’ chmp~~tttold’.a lawyer for’the
S~,t-~ .city’s~tiool ~’~&:Campbell made.no
d~Li~ionlasr m’or~,...B.~t.~:.i.s e.x_pected’t0 nile ~60n
o..n~a’reqye~ by stud~,nt org~:z~r~’i6b~c~ia~lVadnfiil:
is~t6r~ find .~_~ "PRrSM~’Peoi~l~ R~spectingIm~
pdrt~t s~iAl Mov-&ia~nt~= ter@o:rary school privileges.
Campbell will then’decide the crux of the case:
w3aether schoql 9ffici~s violated the First Amendmeat
or their own-policy in sh~bb~ag., PRISM:Tot-?
merly the Gay-Straight Alliaiice and_now, reconsti-.
ttitM M’ii~i" aii ac~id’6G~i~ ib~ar to satisfy new district:
c[abrules, -
_ .Cynthia ~¢i_.dd i. the_Oi,S_tri’~? s._as~istani,~upe~nten-:
¯ dent, struggled on the stand Tliurs~y.~0¢xplaii~ why.,
PRISM didn’ t.qualify as, an academic_club;.contend:
ing,it represents a~ narrow..viewpoi~ o.n ~.~.erican
hist6ry and sociology In 1996, the school districi
el.i_nu,’na,ted all nonacademicdubs’i:aiher.than idlow
Qay .dubat East RighS&ooL ambve.that ,was
in~federat court..... .....",.. ~ .... ~, , ,.
,,7i?ne,G~y,~cltlb ~, 0n!y .n~et ~t’e~ ,h~ ~s
qo~.l~.u~:~.g,rpup. thin, must ~efi( siJa~e aiii£.~hy
insurance~ Th~~i~a’l~ ;sn ’t~16~l t6 liand ~tU~t t’l,y..¢~ oL
c~uh ~ha~e.t0~ay.fQr~ :,es si Coh~:saia’.’C6iien ~’d:
i~qrpos; ,oLtll.e .cfii~ is tbi~i~ss history"f~bifi:the
pcrsp.e.,,~tive~ of’G~y~ a~a)’?!;~in~."Seida ti~Z them
~O~i~ :Uec~U~ ~e’d0ii~t t~ch c,,urri~ulum from the
viewpini:dfGays and Legblans. ’. .
Stephen.Clark, l¢.gal director for the American
Civil ,Liberties, U,ni"on of Utah, argued that the denial
was a straighff0.r~v)ffd First Amendment v,iolation.
Clark also contends the district manipulated its own
club policy and sealed its decision against PRISM
with a new, still unwritten rule disqualifying clubs
advocating an "exclusive viewpoint" of subjects.
Lesbian Housing Rights
NEW YORK (AP) - A lawyer for a Lesbian medical
student asked a state appeals court to order Yeshiva
University to let the woman and her domestic partner
live together in school-subsidized housing.
James Esseks told a five-judge panel of the New
York State Supreme Court’ s Appellate Division that
Yeshiva’ s policy discriminates on the basis of marital
status and sexual orientation in violation of city and
state law. Esseks said the university pern-ts married
students to live in school housing only with spouses
and children. Because Gay couples cannot legally
marry, the policy has a disparate, discriminatory
impact on them, he said. Esseks represents Sara
Levin, 28, of San Francisco, a fourth-year student at
Yeshiva’ s Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Yeshiva
University is the oldest andlargest institution of
higher education under Jewish auspices in the United
States.
University Members
Protest Anti-GaY Slurs
GORHAM, "{~/Iaine (AP) - Abou(.125.~t_udent~, staff
and administrators attended ameeting following three
incidents o£ anti-Gay bias at the University of Southern
Maine. One student and two others were arrested
_ by GorhamandUSMpolicein connection with one of
" the three_’in.cidents, all of which took place during a
¯ one-week period earlier this spring. President Rich-
- : ard Pattenande assured participants.at Wednesday’ s
:Tmeeting that anti-Gay acts will not be tolerated.
:’ "USM stands unflinchingly for equality~. -. homophobid
has.no place at USM," Pattenande said..
The incidents began on the weekend of April 8-9
when anti.Gay graffiti was foundin Woodward Hall.
The graffiti referred to a resideatadvisor. The next
incidenthappened on April 13 when the same
Woodward resident advisor and anotheradvisor intervenedin
an out-of-control party. Both were taunted
~ with violent, anti-Gay threats. Last Saturday, another
¯ dormitory.staff workerfoundawritten-anti-Gay death
threat had been slipped under her’dtbr~" .......
’ Alhb:ama Hate:i::Cii :i:mes
Law Revision In:Trouble
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - At:i~n-danc~..at. a Senate
comfifittee meeting could determine the fate Of
lcgist~tif~;to ~;po,laxkA!.~b._a~a,~’.A~h~.qrim,es !~w to
indud~NXnald~r~e~a~:.ti...on.!.7~.e.t)i:!$ pa~red~R~
49-39:on.April 6..George, Olssom Mbntgomery .area
coordinator for-the Gay and Le~ian,Al!iartc,e .of
Alabama~,s~d ’.~e ,J~c!~ci_ary _Co~t.t~~: sharply
which commi.B~me,_~a~bcrs shoN,upat tlag~tiil~eting.
Committee, cL~irman.:Rodger,:,Smi,ih~ianan, a
supporter Of the bill, agreed thdco~tteeii spfit 50-
50 and,attendance,could determine t!~.outcome.
Alabama law already mandates, mini.mm:n prison
terms that felons must serve for crimes motiyated by
race, color, religion, national origin, :ethnicity or
physical or mental disability. For instance,, if a person
committed a crime that is normally punishable by one
to 10 years in prison, the hate crimes law mandates the
person must serve at least two years in prison.
TB Spreading In
Transgender Group
ATLANTA (AP) - A tuberculosis outbreak
in the Transgender commtulities of
Baltimore and New York City may be
spreading to 0ther:cities, the government
said recently. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention confirmed 26 active
cases and 37 dormant cases of tuberculosis,
most of them connected to members
of the transgender community inthe
two cities.
The’ CD~,, ~s~ th~t~m~ig~asgender to:
encbn~Ss~"cro~-~dr~ss~dr~,~ those who
haveig~.,derg0~eI
and indi~id~Jai~ ~tio ~re’plafining to un~
dergo sex-change operations. All of the
cases in Baltimore were men except for
fourwomenwho w’ere eitherfamilymembers
of the men or health care workers
who treated them. Many had a strain of
TB treated with common antibiotics. The
government said 62% of the tuberculosis
patients tested positive for HIV, the virus
that causes AIDS. People with HIV are
susceptible to tuberculosis and could die
if not treated.
Transgenders often travd to many cities
frequenting social clubs and participaring
in fashion and dance competitions.
"Frequent travel and social network links
identified among the Baltimore andNYC
cases have raised concern that thi~ strain
¯ . may be circulating in other’~ities
among young, mobile transgender persons
withHIV infection," theCDCsaid in
a report¯
The CDC is checking for additional
cases linked to the same strain in Atlanta,
"Baltimore, Boston,NewYorkCity, Philadelphia
and Washington, D.C.
Actor Bruce Willis
Donating to Charity
LOS ANGELES (AP) - There’ s more to
theBruceWillis appearances on"Friends"
than a potential ratings boost. The actor,
who agreed to be a guest star on NBC’ s
"Friends" for three episodes during the
May ratings "sweeps," is donating earnings
from the show to five charities. The
amount of money wasn’ t disclosed.
The American Foundation for AIDS
Research, AIDS Project Los Angeles, the
Elizabeth Glaser PediatricAIDS Foundation,
the Rape Treatment Center and
UCLAUnicamp for underprivileged children
will share the money, Willis publicist
Paul Bloch said.
On "Friends," Willis plays the widowedfather
ofRoss’ new girlfriend. Willis
became friendly with "Friends" actor
Matthew Perry when they both starred in
the movie "The Whole Nine Yards."
Study on Prison
Sex in Kentucky
MOREHEAD, Ky. (AP) - A Morehead
State University professor is conducting a
study on prison sexuality, a topic he says
has been shrouded in silence but must be
dealt with. The information could be used
to combat the spread of AIDS and improve
prison safety. Christopher Hensley,
a sociology professor who directs
Morehead’s Institute for Correctional
Research and Training, said the survey is
the first of its kind in Kentucky.
Hensley studied prison sex in Oklahoma
and found that nearly one in four
male prisoners had engaged in sexual
activities with fellow inmates. Overall.
13.8% of all prisoners said they had been
: "threatened sextmlly" by other inmates
: and 1.1% said they had been raped.
". If they have AIDS or another sex~mlly
¯ transmitted disease, they’ll be spreading
: it to their partners, he said. "These people
: are g,oing to be getting out of prison and
¯¯ they re going to be having sex with their
wives or husbands," Hemley said.
: The sweeping 46-question survey .,asks
¯ about jailhouse consensual sex,
: autoeroticism and rape. About 3,600 of
: Kentucky’ s 15.300 prisoners have been
¯ asked to participate. The survey is volun-
!, ~tary and_anonymouL Funded in part b~ a
.: ~$1,600 ~ant from ’Morehe~id~State,! the ":~i ~ques~i~res have~n ~ent to i.m~tes
¯ ’. dt three Of the state’ s .12 male prisons and
: toinmatesatthestate’sonlyfemaleprison.
¯ Results will be released this fall.
Hensley’ s research has "extraordinary
value," said Cindy Stmckman-Johuson, a
professor of psychology at the University
of South Dakota. But~topic is so taboo
that few scholars focus on it, she said.
"We should have hundreds of people
studying it," Struckman-Johnson said.
"Sex inprisonis amajor cause ofviolence
... of upset and turmoil, a major cause of
disease."
Prisoners’ rights advocates also say the
sexuality data could be useful. "Prison is
a very violent place and ff (officials) can
get a better idea about the reality ofprison
rape and what’ s going on, hopefully they
caTu be more prepared to deal with that
issue," said Kara Gotsch, a public policy
coordinator with the Washington, D.C.-
based National Prison Project of the
American Civil Liberties Union.
Struckman-Jotmson said some prison
administrators try to quash these kinds of
studies out of concern about negativepublicity.
But Morehead State administrators
and Kentucky prison officials approved
Hensley’ s study.
Hensley also has co-written an article
on conjugal visitation in Mississippi, and
his study on consensual homosexual activity
in male prisons in Oklahoma is
scheduled for publication in December in
a prison-related academic journal.
Russian Prison
For HIV+ Inmates
MOSCOW (AP) - Authorities in a Siberian
region plan to open a separate prison
for inmates infected with HIV, the virus
that causes AIDS, a news report said last
month.
About 600 HIV-positive convicts are
serving time in prisons of the Irkutsk
region, and another 300 infected people
are held in pre-trial detention, said Boris
Gronik, chief of the regional Justice Ministry
branch in charge of prison administration.
Gronik said afflicted inmates
present a danger to other prisoners, and
need to be removed; the ITAR=Tass news
agency reported. "Unless they are all gathered
in one place, the situationmayget out
of control," Gronik was quoted as saying.
Russia already has one special prison
for HIV-positive convicts, ITAR-Tass
said. The jail is located in the Baltic Sea
enclave of Kaliningrad, which has one of
the highest concentrations of AIDS cases
in Russia.
In a separate development, authorities
in the southern Siberian republic of
Buryafia, next door to lrkutsk, said 101
HIV cases have been registered in the
republic, up from 24 at the start of the
year, ITAR-Tass reported.
HIV has been spreading fast in Russia
and more than 30,000 registered cases
March.
Timothy W. Daniel
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1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
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Weekend and evening appointments are available.
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Are You Gay or Bisexual?
Are You Native American?
Tulsa’s Two-Spirited Indian Men’s
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¯ E~ening support group meetings
¯ Relationship workshops
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HIV testing
For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
Call JOHN RAGAN, the friend!y, caring real estate agent who understands
your special needs! 918-583-2125 800-559-1558 ~.NewNest.com
reviewed by Barry Hensley . In the mid 1960’ s, Garlandstarted re-
Tulsa City-County Library ¯ cording her memories and feelings on a
Judy Garland’ s fascinating and tumul- " reel to reel tape recorder. Theoretically, it
tuous.life has become the subject of yet ¯ was to be a verbal, and hopefully moneyanothercontroversialbiography,
thistime " making autobiography, butinreality,forby
Gerald Clarke, author tifiedbyherfavoritewine,
of "Capote." Goddess of "Extraordinarily Blue Nun, it became a ti-
Gay men of a certain age, . oor, at~ ehoosln , . ~ade.ag~in~t~pe°p!eand
Judy died inlJun~iof. 196~,~ ¯-P. .... ~,~ :- ¯ ~ .; cbmpafli~s~ "who"~ had a week. before’thei tone.-" .... hn,s t~ d.s",,,:the ""~ ’.wronged her. C~arlde
wall rio.t in York,
her 77 ..... "s. ems especially proud
which started the modem that he had access to these
Gay rights, movement.
From Dorothy in "The
Wizard of Oz," through a
series of film successes, to
someembarrassing television
performances, and, fin.
ally., to aging songstress
staging substandard tunes
written by her lover, Judy
Garland’s career was a
rollercoaster ride unparalleled
in showbiz history.
. .Through thenewspapers, radio and television,
the public eagerly watched her
career rise and fall many times over a
thirty year period. Each triumphant performance
was soon followedby some sort
of disaster. Extraordinarily poor at choosing
husbands, the public followed her
volatile personal life as well, although
they were probably unaware of a few
Lesbian encounters that are mentioned in
Get Happy. Cycling down to an untimely
an-d-litigation filled end, Judy’s stormy
life finally exhausted and frustrated her
friends, fans and family. Her story is one
of the greatest indictments against the
excessive use of drugs and alcohol that
American popular culture has produced.
After ten years of interviews and meticulous
investigation, Clarke has written
ahuge tome, second only to GeroldFrank’ s
700 page biography, "Judy," in 1975.
Clarke had access to the personal diary of
Dottle Ponedel, Judy’ s longfime makeup
woman, who apparently found that Judy
was the most interesting thing in her life.
Clarke also interviewed many of Judy’ s
costars, friends, directors and conductors,
including Arfie Shaw, Lena Home, and
Judy’ s mostinfluential husband, SidLuft.
she said, wiping the tears and gesturing at
the joyous chaos on the House floor.
Their jubilahon was matched by anger
among opponents, who have complained
that lawmakers weren’ t listening to their
concerns. "The people of the state of Vermont
will be back in November and this
legislation will be repealed," said John
Nelson, a 70-year-old retired salesman.
The state Supreme Court unammously
ruled in December that the couples were
being unconstitutionally denied therights
and benefits of mamage. The legislature
decided to establish a parallel system for
Gays rather than broaden marriage statues
to include Gays and Lesbians.
The civil unions essentially duplicate
marriage, but are not recognized under
federal law denying Gay couples benefits
such as Social Security andirmnigrafion.
Under the law, Gay ~ouples will be
able to go to their town clerks and have
their unions certified by a judge or by a
member of the clergy. Breakups will be
handled in Family Court.
volatile personal life
as wall, although
they were probably
naware d a few
Lesbian encounters
that are mentioned in
~et Happy’..."
tapes, although at leastone
other Garland biography
has utilized them. Thecontent
of the tapes is very
interesting, although painfully
sad, as she lashes out
at the people who .made
millions off of her name
but left her penniless.
With the exception of
some films and her celebrated
Carnegie Hall concert,
Clarkelargely ignores Garland’ s professional
life, preferring to give us lurid
gossip and personal problems instead of
analyzing her varied career. In fact, of the
almost 500 pages in this book, only four
are dedicated to’q’heJudy GarlandShow,"
the 1963 CBS series that was the last,
sustained effort of her career (and which
is currently available on DVD.)
Reviewers and fans seem intensely polarized
about their opinions of this book.
(Check out the Amazon.corn reviews!)
While listing over 50 pages of notes and
acknowledgements, Clarke often relies
on unverifiable comments, some of them
quite ugly. He also seems obsessed with
Judy’s sex life, a topic well covered in
Judy Garland: The SecretLife ofanAmerican
Legend, by David Shipman. However,
his decade ofresearch pays off occasionally,
with someinteresting stories and
comments, although we must be aware
that what we are reading is quite probably
as much a juicy novel as it is a serious
biography. Either way, it’ s an intriguing
read.
Check out Get Happy, as well as many
of Garland’ s films or music at any branch
Library, or call Central at 596-7977.
the parent of a former Boy Scout, said
there have been 255 requests for the state
to join friend-of-the-court briefs since he
became attorney general in 1995. The
state has signed on to 111 of them, 68
dealing with states’ rights. "In making
those decisions, we have always tried to
focus on the legal issues rather than the
political ones," he said.
But lawmakers said Edmondson’s action
makes ~*. appear the state opposes the
right of the Boy Scouts to choose their
own leaders.
"’Drew Edmondson has put Oklahoma
on record in the highest court in the land
as being in favor ofthe homosexual movement
against the Boy Scouts," said Rep.
Bill Graves, R-OKC,-an outspoken opponent
of civil rights for Gay people. "I
thought the decision by the New Jersey
Supreme Court was an outrage," Graves
said.
Editor’s note: the switchboardfor the
Oklahoma House of Representatives is
800-522-8502.
Editor’s lugte: due to gremh’nesqueglitches
tn the e-mail, our regular "Amusements"
column byJim Christjohn never got to the
editorial desk. Unfortunately this came to
light at first::lighr’the mormng before
going to’.press, andbeing brave, but northat
brave, :I dtdt no:t invoke the wrath of
the dembn~ by Waking him at 5:30am.
Future issues.~willfeature interviews by
Christjohn: with members of the cast of
cal, will be at the
Tulsa Performing
Arts Centerbeginning
May 30 thro’
June 4th. As the
promoters, the
Tnlsa-based Celebrity
Attractions,
note interest
in the ill-fated
ship has been _ ~om Sesma
great, resulting in
televisionprograms, a"major motion picture,"
novels and "even a cookbook."
Indeed.
The show was written by Peter StOne,
known for other shows: 1776, T~e Will
Rogers Follies, My One & Orii~, and
music and lyrics are by Maury Yeston ..
(Nine, Grand Hotel).
Titanic wonmultiple’q’ony" awards~in
1997 and New York Observer critic, Rex
Reed claims, " you will never see anyder
of wonders, to TULSA! This Pulitzer
and Tony award winning work by the late
Jonathan Larson-was introduced to Tulsa
theatre and media, folk at a.recent PAC
reception.
Coordinated by the ever gracious and
lovely Tracey Norvell, fed a grea~ llmch
by the Polo GrilF s Tal.madge Powell, and
wowed by perfomances by two .current
Broadway casrmembers flown into Tulsa
forithe; ~vent.,~’sa~_~ hear,~d.: the veff~ .era
ergetie,(~md:cute-)-p~.~l~!ce~, Jeffre~ ~!1~
deseribethe off-off
Broadway .and
shaky origins of
Rent, as well as the
tragic death of an
aeortic aneurysm
of composer/
writer Jonathan
Larson on the very
eve of the show’s
successful opening.
Larson drew
inspiration for
Rent from Puccini’s La Boheme but set
his work in New York’ s East Village and
with people living with HIV (rather than
TB), Lesbian lawyers, drag queens instead
of Parisian poets and painters.
The music draws on!the traditions of
American gospel and in the words of.the
Houston Chronicle~ "Rent .is that rare.
musical whose content and style areo£the
present rather than the past..
words of pro.d.ucer Jeffr,y Sellers~ tradithing
this impressive anywhere elser on’ tional :upt wn . t_h_eatre;,t.e..Broadway,
Broadway." Certainly,Titanic seems cer~ .... was not-:~’our.characters ;,our stories, our
tain t0 pl~hse the target audience ofCelebi; "" music, i. 2;.S~1~8 addecL that ,The.New
rity Attractions and to bring in any nlmi: "~ York Ti~oa~.s,:q,a~:.,ed ;~e~t~Ya, shimm~
ber ofcharter buses full of traditional ~ea~ ¯ choonpceufrowr-i~ffei h~iAm.mmeri~_d.c’w~n.-ith th~Pe~q~ng
theatr~igoers. ~ ....
Theatre Tulsa Goes Gay!?!_,-. ~ Arts Center’s..director~-.33lm~e~i~ iii~t
.......for T~s.a.;:R.¢.n.tj~!O~ag0~erdue!
Tulsa Family News is delighted to re.:., Rent 9Li.t.lbe ip:Tulsa, f,om Augusi 29Rt
ceive notice that
TheatreZul~a’ S final
seasonproductionis
theTerrence
McNallyhit,Lips
Together, Teeih
Apart."
It Will run April
28, 29, and May3-
6 at8,l~.~,; ~e~e_w.ill
be a:~ma~lee
all
PAC Jolm~H.
............Io tP+~9..Pt., 3rd :~ith
-I ev.~i~n.g and marl:
nee,performances.
Tickets, range, be:..
$25 to.$55
,a~..dgQ:on ~.ale on
June 12. Call 596-
7111,800-364-
~731I. or go to
Willidins :Tkeatre.’ ..... :
Veto S~fanic~directs this "adult sitmi:"
tion" drama:~dae elegant beach house "
on Fi~I~taii~i:~;brother and sister and
their i(d~tig~e~pouses attempt to cel-:
ebrat~i=tll~-~t~6~li:0f July. Surrounded 6if:
bo.th s[d~Tb,~]~e~ii~ve h~ses~Ga~.~i~ieff:~ "
me" two sfi~:~i~t ~codpqeg’exi~Xa*
own!ives ~[li~it;sorrow, and agnawmgup.,,~
t~my~!~es their‘ affluen! hab’-’
it~ hfid]SeR~ pi~jii~li~s ~i~zle~n the:sum:~
,"~l)~:" ~" ?’Q *~ "~ .... - ;....
~’;" ~i’¢ " ~ "
Tl~eT~fl:aa 1§’one~,~(e!,ty-~Ndest
arts ,0.~g. a~!..~a,tlons ..and -ael~owle~t~mg
Gay~i~ ,th~"th~iff~ is ’a big step, n~ot t6 ¯
me~tidff~cNali~ is one Of
temporary pla~fights so check this production
out, W~:don’t get that many ¯
chances trsee theatre in Tulsa which
acknowledges-the eXistence ofGaypeople: "
525,600 Minutes :
Having said that, the extraordinary new
Ameficanmusical, Rent, is coming, won- "
;~ Do, you got:Hope? ~
Fran~_.~,C.~thy Kc~ting’, sfavodte~ulsa
designer_ ,~gd..H!.V/AtDS .. fund.raise-~,~
Charles-Faudree,-once again has, o~ga;
nized theHopeCafid~eli.~ht~0urforea~!y,
June. TI~.,"~,eve~t not,rnly,heips i~aise f~d~i
groups;p~c~yide~car~, toW-opl,e liv~:ii~
see some6fTulsa s mostbeau~i~f~@~,
rated, homes.- ......... -,.:~....
The pub!ic:tour on SituMay, i~; 3rd
and Sunday~ Jun¢.4th i%~tures fiv~ l~0mes
for a donation ofonly $10. Ticke,ts fi3r tliis
tour may be obtainld a~ each..home ¯
There is also a donor tourfeaturing four
more homes on Iune 1 for those who
donate $125. And patrons (donations of
more than $450) will gather at Doug &
Susan Pielsticker on June 10th.
For more information, call Charles
Faudree, Inc. at 747-9706.
I
to benefit Saint Joseph Residence +
Regional AIDS Interfaith.Network
Saturday, June 3rd, 10-5, + Sunday, June 4th, 1-5
$10 donation at the door or in advance.
David Daniel, 1603 S. Carson
Wiley Parsons, 1601 S. Carson
Monty + Jane Butts, 240 E. Woodward Blvd.
Brett + Maricarolyn Swab, 2112 S. Norfolk Ave.
Dr. Robert & Dena Hudson, 2707 S. Rockford Rd.
Tickets for this~,t~Jr may be obtaL"gd at each home.
For more intormation, call Charles Faudree, Inc, at 747-9706.
THE MUSEUM SHOP
AT PHILBROOK
748.5304
April 29, May 5 & 7, 2000
Prices Start. at Just $15!
Act Now!
Call 587-4811
December
MonthlyElectric Bills.
At PS0, we kn0w ihat,changing .... "same each month, because ifs basedweather
condi~qp~:throughout~e
year can cause~m0nthlye~
bills to rise and fall dramatically.
Which can make it hard to plan your
householdlmdget~That’s,why~
our Average Monflxly Payment plan,
could be your budgeting solution.
With~youpay about the
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information, we’re available 24 hours
adag Or S’tgn up for AMP on our
website at vccc,v.csw.corm
PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY. OF OKLAHOMA
A Central and South West Company
by Busaba Sivasoboom
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - They
giggled like girls and limp-wristed their
high-fives, but when these players spiked
a volleyball, opponents knew they were
facing some of the meanest men on a Thai
Bacldin 1996, a transvestite volleyball
team with a woman coach overcame an
anti-homosexual campaign to keep them
out and competed!ha meffs national club
volleyball championship They wonboth
the tournamentandthehearts.of the crowd.
Now; their tale has been turned into a
movie titled "Satree-lek," or "Iron Ladies,"
and it’ s quickly turning into one of
the biggest box office hits in Thai history
- while spotlighting the country’s ambiguous
feelings about transvestites and
homosexuality.
DirectorYongyootThongkongtoon said
that on the surface, Thai society is open
and tolerant of transvestites and homosexuality.
The two are often equated in the
popular mind, though not all transvestites
are homosexuals, or vice versa.
Transvestite cabarets are popular with
tourists and several television shows feature
transvestites-prompting an edict last
year by the government to broadcasters to
tone it down. The order, however, has
widely been ignored.
ButYongyoottoldTheAssociatedPress
that transvestism was a lifestyle far removed
from that led by most Thais, and
his debut film takes a look at how other
people : react to having transvestites as
neighbors, rivals and colleagues.
In the movie, the team was insulted by
words and gestures at the beginning of the
tournament. However, when they showed
they could play as well, and better- than
their rivals, they gradually gained respect
from fans and other players.
"I chose to present it as a comedy,
because I thought a drama might be boring,"
said Yongyoot, who formerly directed
TV commercials. "An audience is
more easily attracted by a comedy film."
When the movie began showing nationwide
in March, it became an instant
hit and pulled in more thaii 100 million
baht ($2.7 million) in thefirst month, 10
times what it cost to make.
That already makes it second Thai film
in all-rime box office receipts behind the
A walk-through butterfly exhibit at the
Tulsa Zoo and Living Mus~umwil! open
onMay 6 and will continue through October
8. The exhibit is open from 10am -
5pmand visitors canexperiencehundreds
ofnative butterflies up-el0seand in flight.
Nearly 30 species of North American
butt.efflies.and ~ few s,p~..’es ofmoths will
be represented itl an enel6~&l garden setring,
near the Animal Kingdom Building
and features a variety offlowering plants.
This exlfibit is free wi~ the ~regular Zoo
admission.
Wings ofWonderis set withina30x 96’
greenhouse covered with a light mesh to
contain the animals. The exhibit features
a "chrysalis house" where visitors can
watch as each butterfly emerges from its
chrysalis or pupa and prepares for flight.
Winding stone pathways, a water feature,
benches, andeducational exhibits enhance
the exhibit area.
Wings of Wonder is dedicated to increasing
visitor knowledge and appreciation
of butterflies which are signature
150 million baht (dlrs 4 million) earned
by "Nang Nak," last year’ s arty retelling
of an old ghost legend that is credited with
giving a new breath of life to the moribund
Thai film industry.
Pakorn Pimton, a transvestite and coordinator
of the Gays Against AIDS group,
said he was unsurprised by the success of
the movie and he hoped it would open
useful debate. Gays are accepted as entertainers,
Pakom said, because Thais d(,
see movie stars and television program
hosts as serious. ,~ -
"Howe~,ifthey go beyond’that line to
be a doct~,~polifiCi~, banker Or top~nfili,~
tary official - I guess the answer is no,
Pakorn said. "We still use a two-tier measure
for members of our society." Violence
against homosexuals is rare in Thailand,
Pakorn said, but many barriers remain
against open homosexuals. The Gay
rights movement is weak. His group regularly
receives calls fromhomosexuals who
-fear coming out of the closet because they
risk their jobs or status.
Kitikorn Meesapya, senior psychologist
at the Department of Mental Health’ s,
said that Thais can accept homosexuals
that keep a low profile. Homosexuals in
Parliament and the military are well treated
until their lifestyles are publicly exposed
- a fairly rare occurence. "But then they
will fac~ harsh criticism from society,"
Kitikorn said, expressing hope that
"Satree-lek" might encourage more tolerance
and help some people to express
themselves as homosexuals.
For Kongrith Singnukote, one of the
1996 champion players, the film’ s strongest
pointis that it’*talks about peacefully
living together in society by accepting the
differences of each person." Kongrith
works as a bank teller. He goes to work in
men’s clothes, but wears makeup and
¯" speaks in a girlie voice. All his colleagues
¯ know he is a transvestite. Kongrith says
: he gets teased a bit, but no one has ever
¯ shown violence toward him. He says he is
: grateful that his family accepts him as he
: is.
: Being the subject of a hit movie hash~ t
¯ raised.his celebrity ambitions,however,
and he doesn’t see a career for himself
: beyondretail service. "I know that thereis
¯¯ a barrier for us," he says. "For now, I’m
satisfied at being what I am."
¯ species for conservation. By fostering a
greaterunderstanding of theneeds and the
¯ life,cycle of butterflies we can hdp con-
" serve these delicate creatures.
-" In addition tothe butterfly enclosure,
: knownas"Butterfly Landing," the grounds
¯ aroundtheexhibithavebeen planted with
: butterfly-attracting plants to encourage
:
v~s~tataon by someof our natt,~e butterfly
residents. Thebutterflies exhibited inside
¯ Butterfly Landing have not been taken
~ from:the wild but are procured through
¯ certified butterfly suppliers. ¯
¯ Exhibits describing the lifecycle of the
butterfly, the differences between moths
¯ and butterflies, common butterflies of
¯ Oklahoma, chrysalis and butterfly !dent!-
: fication, and about attracting butterflies
¯
to yards will be included in the exhibit.
¯ Also planned for this summer is a vision
¯ exhibit that will enable visitors to see like
: a butterfly. The Animal Kingdom Build-
. ing will also house agift cart specializing
¯ in butterfly-related books, souvenirs, and
gifts. Info: 669-6600 orwww.tulsazoo.org
r
by Lament.. Lindstrom, Ph.D.
What do you call a dead Blond in a
closet?
- a 1964 hide and seek champion!
The recent flush of
Blendjokes is an interesting
cultural phenomenon.
Jokes are more than just
funny. They are also dangerous
because they are
polilical. Overthepastfew
decad~s~: change~ iri
Amefi’~t"~ ~olitib~[ arena
have affectedboth the content
and practice Ofjoking.
Itis alittleless easy than
it used to be to joke about
ethnic and religious
groups, handicap, gender,
or gender-orientation.
Blonds have emerged as a
safe target in politically
conscious, if not always politically correct,
America. Andmanyjokes that previously
featured Jews- or Blacks or Gays
have been reworked into Blond jokes.
This is not to say that offensive joking
has disappeared. Rather, it is just a little
less public. American politeness conventions
demand that I should not tell a joke
whose "butt" is in my audience, unless I,
too, am in the targeted category, or unless
I already have a close relationship’~vith
those I potentially offend. But I can joke
all I want as long as the butt can’ t hear me,
or if I do indeed intend to offend.
Thewebsite, www.whitepride.com, for
example, offers along list of by now very
stale Jewish, Black, and "faggot" jokes.
Here’ s a sample groaner from the"white
pride" boys:
Why was the faggot fired from his
job at the sperm back?
- for drinking on the job!
Jokesters sometimes complain about
the "political correctness" that has narrowed
the contexts in which they can
safely perform. "Come on, it’s only a
joke!" But of course jokes aren’t just
jokes. They are also assertions about the
world, or at least one particular view of
the world. The lines that jokes ckaw between
the funny and the unfunny reflect
local understandings of normality. Jokes
are potent oral texts that, retold over and
over again, maintain certain ways ofthinking
about people and behavior.
Why do brides wear white?
- so they will match the other
domestic appliances!
.Even ironic jokes, such as this, refresh
established ways of thinking about men,
women, and the gendered division of labor.
In particular, the swarm of jrke~
flying constantly around a community
protects existing systems of inequality.
People joke "downwards" more than
they do upwards.~ :People joke far more
often about the powerless than they
about the powerful. There are far more
jokes about women than there are about
men. "More jokes about ethnic and religious
minorities thanthe white-bread Protestant
mainstream. More jokes about the
handicapped than about the able. More
jokes about the old than the young. More
jokes about Oklahoma than about California.
Do you know what an Oklahoma
divorce and a Texas tornado have
in common? - in both cases
¯ somebody is gonna
¯ lose a trailer house!
And there are many more jokes about
being Gay than about being
Straight. We usually
"~V’hy is it so hard abide by the politeness
constraints ofjoke-telli~,
for women to find in fact, because we realize
that jokes (even "just-amen
that are jok~sT’) have this political
" weight. ,Th..o~sewhofeel tSe
sensitive, earing,, ~ ’ Sfing~hidd~n ’within the
.a.n..d ’geed-look"m
- because those guys
already have
ho rlends!?’
laughter sometimes protest
when etiquette breaks
down.
GLAAD, the Gay &
Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation, for example,
has attempted to police the
telling ofcertainGayjokes
in the m~ss media, notably
on a number of morning radio shows
whose sleazy hosts are keen to boost their
market share. Such policing, of course, if
successful merely shrinks the arenas in
which Faggot jokes are safely told. They
still circulate freely in less public Spaces.
Each time I teach Cultural Anthropology,
I have my students as a group collect
jokes from their friends. I figure that these
joke archives provide good evidence about
which of the joints of American society
currently ache the most.
Last week, the students broughtin about
150 jokes. For the first time in years, none
ofthese was a"faggot"joke. And the only
ethnic joke was turned in by a clueless
Japanese woman, happily ignorant of the
American politics of public joking. Instead,
nearly half the collection consisted
of Blond jokes. Blonds, poor things, are
nowadays the butt of choice when American
jokesters are nervous and unsure of
our audience.
What do Blonds put behind their
ears to attract boyfriends?
- their ankles!
Our collection also included several
"counter-jokes" whose butt is strategically
reversed. There are, for example,
Brunette jokes - the futile ripostes of oppressed
Blonds. There are also "stupid
men jokes" - invented jokes that attempt
to counteract the dominant targeting of
women within the’universe of American
jokes.
Why did God create man?
- because a vibrator can’t
mow the lawn!
While these attempts to resist inequality
by shifting a joke’s target upwards
may have only limitie~." politigal,fimpact, it
sfillfecls"goodtolaflgh.: ~:: ~ -~’~
Why is it so hard for women to
find men that are sensitive,
caring, and go~dqo~king? -~
because those guys _~
already have boyfriends!
LamontLindstrom teaches anthopology
at the University of Tulsa.
Romantic W ekend Package.--
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keepsake millennium corkscrew ¯ Souvenir etched glasses ¯ Specialq chocolate
tklights ¯ Deluxe continental breakfast ¯ Late checkout ¯ Specialq rooms $I80
¯ Deluxe rooms $160 ¯ Valid weekends in February. Does not include taxes
Tulsa’s Premier Boutique Hotel
14t~ & Main ¯ Tulsa ¯ 587.8200
Member: Historic Howls ofAmerica
Featuring The Chalkboard Restauram, a dining landmark
IGTA
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International
ToUrsformore information.
Massage Therapy Services
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Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pro
"All About MyMother" and"Boys Don’ t
Meet Local
Guys for
Hot Ti
@Odgi
Cry" - actually showed up in OKC, she
madeit abundantly clear that shehad been
completely won overby them and was not
about to be shy about saying so in print.
Sympathy towards GLBT issues might
be expected from someone like White,
but it was definitely a surprise to see the
much nibre conservative reviewer, Jerry
Shottefi~irk, being taken in by the Ma-
.donna:Rupert Everett"Next BgstThing."
¯ election - and what could be the most
¯ importantelectionofourgeneration. The
: GLBT voting bloc has proven to be one of
¯¯ the most powerful constituencies in the
country in recent election cycles. If our
¯ voters are motivated to the polls and elect
¯ supportive leaders, we could have the ¯
opportunity to shape groundbrealdng le-
: gal protection. If the nation elects leaders
¯ who are hostile to all that NGLTF stands ¯
for, we could witness a serious backlash
¯ to our h~rd-won gains.
¯ Dr. Martin Luther King. once said the ¯
moral arc of the universeis long but bends
Surprises were cropping up in the rest .: toward justice. Dr. King was right - but
!~f th~ p,gper ~. W~I!, indu~g the busi- ¯ with our continued o!;gahi~gg g~ad motif
~es .,~..; o ~ .w~i~ g~ ~)le on .~_~o ~,~ ~jzatmn, we~make ~at,ii~.~;0’~,.~
:~est~c p~mership~ p,6ilc~es..a~.ong OkI’fi- ¯ much more qmckly
fioma compames- mcludiffg qu,otes from: $~,,-.~oundectir~1973, ttie
~Lucent’s I~aren Par~ons w~o is involved : Lesbian Tbsk Force W~’l?s to~iiniinate
inLuqent~sLesbianandGayemployees’ ¯ prejudice, uiolence andiwustice against
;brgani’zafion, EQUAL!. :- Gay, Lesbian, Bisexualgtn~l T~ransgen-
: Striking, 5wey r, was.a group of :. &red people at the local, state dnd naarticles;
oii 1~hate crimes in the Sun- ¯ tional level. As part ofdbrOaddr ~Ocial
iday, March 20 issue. Mostof these ar- : justicemovementforfreOdom;]usticeand
titles appeared in ~ Community see- : equality, NGLTF is creattYg d Worm that
fion, Milch w’as’d~_i’ilh~lPdedia.the late : ~respects and celebrates_ ttie’diversity of
~F,dition ’on Stmday’. The~e, in b!a~k and .’. ’human expression and identity where all
White, was the opeii as~ertidii.’.tiia~ Okla- i .people mayfully participate in society.
h°ma City"s Human Rights CASmmlssi°n i
I ] .Was abolished by(the City Council bemuse
they iesent&!havingt.6 deal with
the issue. 0fiG@’Ri~h?s, cbml~iete, with
~uote by c.ottt~,¢ilmenqbi~r~Je@ Fo~hee: " During WWII, the church Sheltered.Japa-
.-.; "The councilis tiredof.th6is~ue’hlways ; nese-American students who were given
being b~ought forward, and flae vehicle the opportunity to study atTU ratherth~a,n,,,
that is alWays brin~g.i’.t forward is the " beincarceratedinAmerican"internment
human rights comm, ss~on...~ If the vehicle
is bringing you dompany that you
don’ t want ... then you do away with the
vehicle."
In meeting with Hale, Speakers for Gay
and Lesbian Issues hoped that they would
open a dialog between the Daily Oklahoman
and the Gay and Lesbian community
of Oklahoma City. According to Speakers,
Hale provided them with many opportunities
by asking many questions
about Gay and Lesbian issues. Speakers
for Gay and Lesbian Issues noted the
positive trend in the paper’ s coverage of
Gay issues.
Hale revealed that those changes had
come at a price: while the articles on hate
crimes had generated both positive and
negative responses fromreaders, some of
the negative responses had been vicious
and involved actual threats. But, Hale also
said she was not going to let that stop her
from continuing to cover controversial
issues. She said that when a story generates
strong reactions on both sides, she
knows she’ s doing her job right.
This federation consists ofpolitical groups
that fight for equality. In just four years’
time, the Federation has grown to represent
members in every state in the union,
gro,wthinsuch ashort
period of time.
With the Federation’s help, last year
NGLTF was able to produce the largest
:~ grassroots mob~fion:inputmoyem~ntfs
history. We helped organize some 350
rallies and other events in all 50 state
capitols, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico, during
a one-week period. Our campaign -
called Equality Begins at Home- and the
work of the Federation paved the way for
the wonderful successes we have seen in
the past year.
Now many state legislatures are wrapping
up their business and adjourning.
Attention will soon shift to the November
camps. Later the church was involved in
the "Sanctuary" movement which offered
relocation of Central American political
refugees, both documented and-undocumented.
Aletter issued tomembers ofthe church,
signed by Rader and Clerk of the Session,
Kathy Evanson, notes, "None of these
actions changes who we are as a congregation;
but, they declare who we area and
what we want to be in our relationships
with one another. We are still a loyal,
supporting congregation of the Presbyterian
Church,U.S.A. We have done nothing
improper according to our
denomination’ s constitution. We are not
changing any signage, letterhead, preaching
or program. We are declaring inclusion
and affirmation of all our members
and our openness to a group of people
long rejected and stigmatized by society,
and within the Christian commtmity...
College Hill is a majority "straight"
church but with visible and welcome Lesbian
and Gay families.
Editor’s note: Tulsa Family Newspublisher
and editor, Tom Neal is a member
of College Hill Presbyterian Church.
An Evening With
The Quilt
On Thursday evening, May 25, the
NAMES Project Tulsa Area Chapter of
the AIDS Memorial Quilt will sponsor an
evening of meditation and remembrance
at Fellowship Congregational Church,
2900 So. Harvard in Tulsa, from 7-9 pm.
You. are invited to drop in anytime
during this time period to meditate, pray,
or simply view the Quilt. Feel free to stay
just afew minutes, or as long as you wish.
The NAMES Project Tulsa Area Chapter
invites everyonewhohas been touchedby
the AIDS pandemic to take a moment
from their evening to remember and reflect.
For more information, please contact
the NAMES Project Tulsa at (918)
748-3111 or TulsaQnilt@usa.net
Humanity Unites
f’or Hu’man Rights
Diversity .Celebration 2000
Grand Marshalls for the Millennium Parade
Dr. Grethe Cammermeyer
Distinguished Veteran of the United States Armed Forces
Gre£! Lou~lanis
US Olympic Champion
Pride Week Events,
.Interfaith Worship Service
The Tulsa Performin£l Arts Center
Speaker: the Reverend Dr. Mel
W.hite, author and activist
Friday, June 2, from 7pro (free)
TOHR Folbes.
1OO Years of Broadway
Saturday, June 8, 8pm, $15
PAC Doenges Theatre
Black Tie Optional Dinner
~i:Featuri~ 6re~q Louganis
The Summit Club
Friday, June 9th, $75 person
VIP reception at $50 person.
Benefitin~l Tulsa Oklahomans for
Human Ri/thts, the parent
or~Ianization of the
Gay Community Center
Millennium Pa~de 2000
Saturday, June IO, llam
Beginning at the Gay Community
Center at 87th and Peoria and
endin~i at Veterans Park
at 18th and BouIder
The Pride Festival
Veterans Park, llam 8pro
For more information about these
events, caIl 748-4297 (gays).
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, May 2000; Volume 7, Issue 5
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
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Tulsa Family News
Source
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
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Tom Neal
Date
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May 2000
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James Christjohn
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, April 2000; Volume 7, Issue 4
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English
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newspaper
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/600
2000
AIDS
AIDS Quilt
aMUSEments
arts and entertainment
Barry Hensley
Bars
Boy Scouts
businesses
churches
civil unions
Daily Oklahoman
Diversity celebration
Elizabeth Toledo
Gay marriage
Gay Studies
George W. Bush
harassment
hate groups
HIV
HIV prevention
homophobia
housing
Idaho Public Television
Jim Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
marriage equality
military inclusion
Murder
NAMES Project
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
NGLTF
Partner Benefits
performing arts
Pride
prison
Raging Lesbian
Read All About It
restaurants
slurs
Supreme Court
Tom Neal
tuberculosis
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Zoo
United Methodist Church
universities
University of Pitsburgh
-
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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Berlin Exhibit Looks at
Gay Victims of Nazis
by Paul Geitner, Associated Press Writer
BERLIN (AP) - Focusing attention on along-neglected
group of Nazi victims, a two-part exhibition about Gays
persecuted under the Nazis opened Sunday at museums
m Berlin and in a former concentration camp where
many of the victims were killed.
The exhibits of documents, photos, drawings and
other objects collected during 10 years ofresearchis the
largest on the subject ever mountedinGermany, project
organizers said. It documents the fate of700individuals
who suffered under the Nazis’ draconian anti-Gay laws
and tells 60 personal stories.
"We want to return to the Gay victims of the Nazis
theirnames and to show their lives, as far as possible, so
as to.at, least symbolically liberate them.from the dehumamzmg
barbarity of the Nazis,’" said Andreas
Stemweiler, project director at the Gay Museum in
Berlin, where part of the exhibit is being shown.
The other half opened at the Sachsenhausen concentration
camp, where many Gay men - labded with a
.pink triangle- ended up because of the camp’s proxim-
,ty to the capital, see Nazis, p.3
Be Counted: Effort to
Include Gays in Census
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - A national campaign to
include Gays and Lesbians in Census 2000 is urging
same-sex couples to check offtheboxindicating they’re
unmarried partners.
Using e-mail, ads in Gay publications and word-ofmouth,
thecampaign is an un0fficial way to get a partial
indication of the nation’s Gay and Lesbian population,
the San Jose Mercury News reported recently. "We
want to make the point that there is such a thing as a Gay
or Lesbianfamily,’" said PaulaEttelbrick, family policy
director for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
The federal government added the unmarried partners
category to the census in 1990, to recognize heterosexual
couples who live together without being married.
That year, 150,000 same-sex households were
identified. "It was a vast undercount,’" said Ann
Northrop, board member for the Institute for Gay and
Lesbian Strategic Studies.
Those involved in the so-called "Out the Census’"
campaign say that even though individual Gays and
Lesbians won’t be counted, the number of couples will
provide a partial account. And additional information
included on U.S. Census forms could provide a valuable
snapshot of the community, including income levels,
ethnicity and the number of same-sex couples raising
children.
While the campaign is getting nationwide attention,
some Gays and Lesbians are wary ofrevealing toomuch
information. Rikki Westerschulte, who is raising a
daughterwith herparmer, says sheknows many couples
who are nervous about declaring their sexual orientation
on an official government form.
The recent passage of Proposition 22, which recognizes
only marriage between a man and a woman in
California, adds to the suspicion. "You walk down the
hall at work and wonder, ’Who is it I think I can trust,
who really feels I’m immoral?’ "Westerschnlte asked.
Other couples are angry they cannot declare themselves
as married, see Census, p. 11
Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
Tulsa’s Largest Circulation Community PaperAvailable In More Than 75 City Locations
Camme,rmeyer .To Join
Lougan s at Pr de 2000
TULSA - Last month, the organizers of Diversity Festival 2000
announced that US Olympic champion, Greg Louganis, would
serve as Grand Marshall for the° Millennium Pride Parade this
June. This month, organizers confirmed that Dr. Grethe
Cammermeyer, distiguished veteran of the United States Armed
Forces, will join Louganis as grand marshall.
Cammermeyer challenged
US anti-Gay/Lesbian policies
which forced her out of her
nursing positionin the United
States Reserve forces. Her
lifestory was madeinto a television
film produced by
Barbra Streisand, starring
Glenn Close.
Cammermeyerhas come to
Tulsa before. She spoke at
the Universi ty of Tulsa in the
spring of 1995 to an audience
of about 300 Tulsa Family
New~ writer Lauri Cooper
shown in the photo at right
interviewed Cammermeyer.
The week of Pride events begins with an interfaith worship
service to be held at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The
Reverend Dr. Mel White, author and civil rights activist, will be
the principle speaker at this event. White will lead a workshop
also to be held at the PAC on Saturday, June 3, from 2-5pm (free)
on the principles of non-violent social change.
Lougams will speak at a black tie optional dinner to be held at
the prestigious Summi t Club on Friday, June 9th. Tickets for the
event are $75/person and there will be a VIP reception at $50/
person. These events will benefit Tulsa Oklahomans for Human
Rights, the parent organization of the Gay Community Center
and Oklahoma’ s oldest Lesbian and Gay non-religious organization.
Organizers anticipate that the parade will follow the sameroute
as last year,
Cooper & Cammermeyer
SoulForee in Oklahoma
Members of Soulforce in Oklahoma Marched at
the Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade in January.
TULSA- Oklahoma’s oldest Gay and Lesbian organizataon is a
religious one, the congregation now know as MCC United, the
Metropolitan Community Church United. So perhaps it is fitting
that one of Oklahoma’s newest community organizations also
has religious roots. "Soulforce in Oklahoma" is part of an effort
begun by the Rev. Mel White and his spouse Gary Nixon.
Soulforce is an ecumenical network of volunteers committed
to teaching and applying the principles ofnon-violence on behalf
ofsexnal minorities. Thename derives from the workofMohandas
Karamchand Gandhi, a leader of India’s independence movement.
Soulforce or truth force is a translation of "satyagraha" a
concept Gandhi began developing as a young lawyer fighting for
racial justice in South Africa. Gandhi’s thinking greatly influenced
the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his work for civil
rights for Black Americans.
The goals of Soulforce are to end the suffering ofLesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgendered persons, to change the minds and
hearts of religious leaders whose anti-Gay campaigns lead directly
and indirectly to that suffering, to be guided by the
principles of "relentless non-violent resistance, and through this,
try to bring hope and healing to society.
In Tulsa, Soulforce was organized by individuals involved in
MCC United and the group has been holding regular meetings at
the Gay Community Services Center. see Soul, p. 7
¯
Tulsan Chosen
For HRC Board
¯ Fundraiser Audra Sommers
: To Join Marty Newman in DC
¯ TULSA - Audra Sommers, who is planning an
¯¯ AIDS benefit in Tulsa next month, has gained
national recognition
¯ forher humanrights
- efforts. Sommers
¯ has been named to
the Board of Gover-
¯ nors of the Human
¯ Rights Campaign, a
¯ 300,000-member
national organlza-
¯ tion that batdes dis-
-¯ crimination against
sexual minorities.
¯
As a board mere-
¯ ber, Audra will be
¯ responsible for re-
. cmiting, promoting
¯ awareness ofhuman rights issues in Oklahoma and
¯ serving as a liaison between Oklahoma and the
¯ national organization in Washington, DC, where ¯
she will be heading for orientation this month. "I’m
¯ really, really happy that I was appointed, to the
: Board of Governors," she said.
¯ Sommers joins Tulsan Marty Newman on the ¯
Board of Governors. Newman expressed delight
: with Sommers selection. "Audra has a ~roven
.. history of work on behalf of the commumty, and
¯ she has an enormous number of people wholook to ¯
her leadership," noted Newman. He added that
." HRC is concentrating its effolas on Tulsa at this
¯ time and he feels Sommers will add immeasurably ¯
to HRC’s strengths.
see Audra, p.3
Audra Sommers
Pentagon Admits Hate
Speech is Widespread
by Robert Burns, AP Military Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Anti-Gay speech and harassment
is commonplace in the U.S. military,
especially among young enlisted troops, according
to a Pentagon inspector general’s survey. 85% of
those surveyed said they believed that anti-Gay
comments are tolerated on their base or aboard
their ship, and 37% said they had personally witnessed
or been the target of harassment - such as
hostile gestures, graffiti or physical assault- based
on perceived homosexuality.
The survey released last month also found a
widespread belief among troops that the Clinton
administration’s so-called "don’t ask, don’t tell’"
policy on Gays in the military - which Vice President
A1 Gore says he would eliminate if he were
elected president-is not working. President Clinton
himself has said the policy, forged in 1993, is now
"’out of whack.’"
Defense Secretary William Cohen, responding
to theinspector general’ s survey results, announced
he was creating a committee of military and civilian
officials to draft a plan for measures to improve
the policy’s implementation. Cohen put the onus
on military chiefs to fix the problem. "The report
shows that military leaders must do more to make
it clear that harassment based on sexual orientation
violates military values,’" Cohen said in a memo to
the military chiefs and service secretaries.
The administration’s policy, set in law by Congress
in 1993 after a heated political battle, says
Gays and Lesbians may serve in the military so
long as they keep their sexual orientation to themselves.
Dubbed "don’t ask, don’t tell,’" the policy
still bars openly homosexual people from serving
in uniform. Although the policy was designed to
make it easier for Gays to serve, an increasing
number have been discharged in recent years.
see Pentagon, p..10
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33 712-2324
*CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial 610-5323
Full Moon Cafe, 1525 E. 15th 583-6666
*Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria 749-4511
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square 744-4280
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st 745-9998
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan 834-4234
*The Storm, 2182:S. Sheridan 835-2376
*Renegi~des/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main 585-3405
*TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial 660-0856
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd 584-1308
*The Yellow ~rick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th , 749-15.63
Ailyanced:Wi~el~Ss 8~:PCS; Digital Cellular ~: ’~ 74%1~08)
*Assoc.. in- Med. &M~ntal Health, 2325 S I Harvard 743- t000
Kent Balch & Associates, Health & Life Insurance 747-9506
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 4I 665-4580 ¯
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15 712-1122 -"
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21 712-9955 :
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale 494-2665 ,"
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria 743-5272 ¯
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria 746-0313 :
581-0902,743-4117 ;
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700 ¯
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 ¯
¯Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620 "
¯Devena’s Gallery, 13Brady 587-2611 "
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556 :
¯Elite Books & Videos, 821 S Sheridan 838-8503 ¯
¯Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379 "
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 592-0460 "
¯Floral Design Studio, 3404 S,~eoria 744-9595 ¯
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th P1. 610-0880 ¯
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. 628-3709 ¯
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026 ¯
¯Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st 742-1460 ¯
Learme M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning 459-9349 "
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440 "
¯Sandra J. Hi~.’.ll, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly 745-1111 "_
¯International Touts ~ 341-6866
Jacox AnimaiClinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750 ]
¯Jared’~ Antiques,~]602 E. 15th ~ " ~582-30i8 :
David Kauskey,. Country Club Barbering 747-0236 :
The Keepers, Housekeeping &Gardening 582-8460 ¯
¯Ken’s Flowers; 1635 E. 15 599-8070 ,"
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 :S. Harvard, #210 747:5466 ",
¯Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha 585-1234 ¯
¯Midtown Theater, 319E. 3rd 584-3112 ¯
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 663-5934 "
¯Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664-2951 ¯
Puppy Pause II, t060 S. Mingo 838-7626 ¯
¯Thh Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor 743-4297 ",
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101 747-5932 "
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617 "
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921, 747-4746
Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square 749-6301 ¯
Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-7829 ¯
¯Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling " 743-1733 "
¯Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222 "
¯Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767 "
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities "
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579,9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times ~tiristian Cdn’t~r, 2207 E~ ~5 ....583-78"15
¯B/IAG/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
¯Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
¯Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. &Florence
¯Churchof the RestorationUU~ !3 l~N.Greenwood 587-1314
¯Comm’~ty ofHope United Methotttst, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300
¯Communi~ Uniti{rian-Universalist~ongregati0n 749-0595
,Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888
¯Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511
¯Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tnlsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
.... Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
¯Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
¯Free Spirit Women’s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
POB 41413, Tulsa, OK 74159
e-mail: TulsaNews@ ear~hlinlc net
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Neal
Writers + contributors:
James Chfistjohn, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche,
Lamont Lindstrom, Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers
Member of The Associated Press
Issued on or before the 1st of each month, the entire contents
of.-.thi’s publ~cati6n are protected byUS copyright 1~98 by
i~r~ ~4~ /~1~u4 and may not be reprodu~.d either in
whole orin pm:twithout written permission from the publisher.
Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s
sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for
publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes
the sole property of T~,~t F¢~.’. N~÷ Each reader
is entitled to 4 copies of each editaon at distribution
points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583-6611
*Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
Holland Hall School, 5666 E. 81 st 481.1111
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
*House of the Holy Spirit Minstries, 3210e So. Norwood
Interfaith AIDS Ministries 438~2437, 800-284-2437
*MCt~ United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral P1. 748-3111
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tulsa
PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box52118, 74152
R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
O’RYAN, support group:[<~r t8-24 LGBT young adults
O’RYAN, Jr. support.group for 14-17 LGBT youth
S.t.Aidan. s Eptseop Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425~7882
St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492:7140
*St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
*TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
Tulsa County Health Deparunent, 4616 E. 15 5954105
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on.Thursdays only
743-4297
298-0827
Tulsa Okla. for HumanRights, c/o The Pride Center
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc.
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*Tulsa Gay Community Center, 1307 E. 38, 74105
Unity Church ofChristianity, 3355 S. Jamestown
BARTLESVILLE
743-4297
749-8833
*Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN
Bdtders Books & Music, 3209 NWExpressway 405-848-2667
Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
TAHLEQUAH
Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
*Tatdequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360
NSU School of Optometry, 1001 N. Grand
HIVtesting every other Tues. 5:30-8:30, call for dates
: EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
":- 32utunui Bi~ceze- ~dstaurant, Hwy. 23
¯ *1ira & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main
DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
¯ Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St.
; MCC of the Living Spnng
¯ Geek to Go!, PC. Specialist, POB 429
Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery
; Positive Idea Marketing Plans
; Sparky’s,Hwy. 62 East
¯ White Light, 1 Center St.
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
¯ *Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134
501-253-7734
501-253-7457
501-253-6807
501-253-5445
501-253-9337
501-253-2776
501-253-5332
501-624-6646
501-253-6001
501-253-4074
417-623-4696
* is where you can f’md TFN. Not all are Gay-owned but all are Gay"friendly.
Some 600 homosexuals were killed there
between 1939 and mid-1943 alone, according
to the researchers.
The Nazi anti-Gay law,knownas "Paragraph
175,’" was directly solely against
Gay men, since the Nazis were mainly
concerned with perceived threats to their
ideal of Aryan manhood. Lesbians were
generally ignored, although some were
arrested as "asocials’" or "prostitutes.’"
Few surviving victims ever came forward
after World War II because of continning
stigmaassociated withhomosexualkty,
whicl~remained illegal in West Germfiny
~mder the sam~ Nazi law until 1969:
Tens of thousands of men were prosecuted
in those postwar years.
Historians also generally ignored the
Nazi per.s..e~..u;~n of homosexuals until
the 1980s, meaning many survivors had’
already passedaway, organizers said. Only
a handful are known to still be alive; their
stories are told in a U.S.-made documentary,"
Paragraph 175,’" whichwon awards
at film festivals in Berlin and at Sundance
this year.
Germany’s center-left government introduced
a bill last week - 55 years after
the end of the war - that would require
parliament to officially recognize and
apologize to Gay victims. It also calls on
the government to study whether a blanket
annulment should be issued for convictions
under the Nazi anti-Gay law,
under which even a glance between men
could be cause for prosecution. -
Guenter Morsch, director of tli’~
Sachsenhansen memorial, noted that protests
erupted after the first plaque dedicated
to Gay victims of the Nazis was
hung at the Dachau concentration camp
outside Munich in the 1980s. Last year,
Germany’s national Holocaust memorial
day commemorated Gay victims for the
first time with .a ceremony at
S~lchsenhansen. Events like that and the
¯ new exhibit are important, he said, be-
; cause all groups - not just those that are
¯ "politically correct’" - must be remem-
-"- bered if tolerance is to be promoted.
: About 200,000 people were interred at
Sachsenhausen between 1936 and 1945;
: including Jews, Roma, communists ",rod
¯ other political prisoners. More than 1,400
Jews were killed there, thousands more
sent off to be killed in Auschwitz. Others
were forced to work in adjacent factories.
You mayfind the Gay Museum at
www.schwulesmuseum.de
Audra, who is also a volunteer fund-
¯ raiser, is currently producing her largest
¯ event to date, a three-hourAIDS benefit at
Tulsa’s Performing Arts Center that wi’ll
~ feature Thrifty president Don Himelfarb
: as keynote speaker.
¯ ThePAC show,"Connecting the Hearts
¯ ofTulsa,"is scheduledforApri120 atTpm
¯ and will benefit Tulsa C.A.R.E.S. Fea-
¯ tured performers include Debbie ¯
Campbell, Rebecca Ungerman and
¯ children’s musical groups from All Souls
¯ Unitarian Church.
¯ The John H. Williams Theater seats
429, andAudrahopes to sellit0ut. Tickets
¯ are $10 general admission, $20 VIP seat.-
," ing, and $5 students.
¯ For more information or tickets, call
~ 832-7919. see Audra, p. 3
by Lamont Lindstrom, Ph.D. :
"Unmarried Partner." That’s the U.S. ¯
Census 2000 official term for boyfriends ;
and girlfriends. It’s either that or else you "
check Husband/Wife, Roomer/Boarder, ¯
Housemate/Roommate, or Other "
Nonrelative. ¯
How should I label my live-in? I can’t ¯
call him Husband or Wife. He’s not a :
Boarder. He’s much more than a RoOm- "
mate. (TheCen~uginfbmas us tha~ Room- ¯
mates "share living quarters primarily to :
share expenses.") AndOther Nonrelative; :
although correct, is hopelessly inadequate.
So, for lack of better alternative, the boyfriend
must be an Unmarried Partner.
I am pleased to see the Census Bureau
demands, rather romantically, that the
Unmarried Partnerhave"aclose personal
relationship with Person 1" (that is, with
me). I know some Unmarried Partners °
whose onetime close personal relations :
have aged into an icy and tight-lipped co- ¯
erastence. "
The Census, as a condensed.form of "
Ameri~anculturalpresumption, thinks that :
people really ought tO be related to their -
roommates either by blood or by marriage.
Anthropologists call such presumptions
"residencerules"- expectation about
who should live with whom. There are
patrilocal and matrilocal societies where
children live with either father’s or
mother’~ people. In avunculocal situations
-the tropical Trobriand Islands -
hildren move an with mother s brothers.
Where virilocal rules arefollowed, women
reside with their new husbands. Or there
is theuxorilocal opposite: traditional Hopi
Indian grooms, for example, move’ their
belongings into their bride’g house. And
there isthe "neolocal" U.S. where all
couples should establish new, independent
households.
All these patterns describe the co-residency
of kin, and the American situation
is no different. Most of us live with relafives
as we grow up: "mothers, fathers,
sis{~s, and brothers. And most of us live
with even more relatives after we marry:
husbands, wives, sons, and daughters.
There are just two anomalous periods in
mostAmericanlife cycles when wemight
find ourselves living with non-kin (with
"Other Nonrelatives," according to Census
language). The first consists of the
few years between leaving morn and dad
behind and marriage.
This typically is the time of higher
educalionwhen young twenty-somethings
pile up in dormitories, fraternities, sororities,
and shared apartments. The second
comes with old age. We agomze over the
mor~ity of farming mom out to some
nursing home ward full of strangers.
The experience of life with non-kin and
strangers is fraught with aggravations and
difficulties. The common bathrooms,
those dirty dishes, the housemate’s woeful
taste in music. Life with mere friends
or roommates is rocky and unstable. My
nervous students busy themselves with
inventing "fictive kinship" labels for one
another. They pretend that the co-residents
in their sororities or fraternities are
"just like" their sisters and brothers. And
they watch a lot of "Friends," relying on
Hollywood to romanticize and make fun
of the peculiar experience of sharing their
toilet seats with the "Other Nonrelated."
Weare broughtup to live with relatives.
Sbared residence withkin is easier for two
reasons. We are morally obliged to forgive
the exasperations of our revolting
brothers that we would never stand from
a friend. And we ablemore easily to take
our revenge on our irksome siblings,
spouses, orchildren, unconstrainedby the
politeness conventions that govern our
relations with non-kin. Wash those dishes
or you are grounded! Pick up your filthy
socks, slob!
Gays and Lesbians are in something of
a residential quandary: many of us never
mo~e beyondthis stageof life with nonkin.
Straights leave behind theirfew years
of shared apartments and dormitories to
¯ return to new households composed of
:. kin. But since Gays and Lesbians cannot
¯ marry, officially at least, we live out our
lives with roommates, other nonrelatives,
¯ and unmarried partners.
¯ This perhaps explains some of the fra- ¯
gility ofGay households. "It’sMyWay or
the Highway!" is easier to demand when
you aren’t shouting at relatives. Many of
us havemetguys whowereperfectcouples
before they made the fatal mistake of
moving m together. And we have other
friends who are resigned to living solo.
No spare toothbrushes in theirbathrooms.
They’ve relied too often on the unkind=
hess of strangers.
Soyou snoopingFedenumerators, come
along and count me. I’m checking the
Unmarried Partner box. At the moment at
least, I’m happily living with the UP. I
realize, given American cultural patterns,
that the non-kin structure of our household
is anomalous. It will require extra
effort and forgiveness to keep it going.
Forget or forgive those badly squeezed
.toothpaste tubes. TheUPis neitherbrother
nor spouse but t still want him arodttfl"to
be counted in 2010: ,-:~:
LamontLindstrorn teaches anttfOl~lbgy
at the University of Tulsa.
Among the. survey’s key findings:
- 80% of the 71,500 members of the
Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps
surveyed said they had heard offensive
speech or jokes or derogatory names or
remarks about Gays in the past year. The
service members were not asked if they
had. participated in such behavior.
-33% said they heard it often. It was
reported most frequently in the Marine
Corps and least in the Air Force. Such
behavior was reported to be most common
among junior enlisted troops.
--Of the offensive behaviors or actions
reported as directed against Gays, offensive
speech was the most common. It was
mentioned by 89% of those who reported
witnessing or experiencing some form of
harassment. Hostile gestures were reported
by 35%; threats or intimidation by 20%;
graffiti by 15%, vandalism of personal
property by 7% and physical assault by
9%.
The survey was done on 38 U.S. military
bases and aboard 10 Navy ships and
one submarine from Jan. 24 to Feb. 11.
The spark that caused the Pentagon to
take a closer look at how the Gay policy is
being implemented - and the extent of
anti-Gay behavior in the field - was the
bludgeoning death lastJuly ofaGay Army
private, Barry Winchell, at FortCampbell,
Kentucky. His killer, a fellow Army private,
was convicted and sentenced to life
in prison.
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Mississippi House Bans
Adoptions by Gays
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi may become
the second state with a law banning homosexual
couples from adopting children, althoughlawmakers
embracing the idea say they are unaware of any cases
ofGay adoptive parents. The House approved theban
with no debate late in March, nearly a week after a
similar proposal died for lack of action. The adoption
ban was revived after an orchestrated phone call
campaign by supporters.
Only Florida has a law forbidding Gay adoptions,
but other stateshave policies that keep homosexuals
from seeking adoptions. Bill opponents and supporters
said they were unaware of adoptions in Mississippi
involving Gay couples or any couples hoping to
adopt.
Mississippi Baptists and the Tupelo-based American
Family Association had lined up in support of the
proposal. On the other side were the American Civil
Liberties Union, which has threatened alawsuit, and
homosexual groups.
"It’s ridiculous,’" said Eddie Sandifer of Jackson,
director of the Mississippi Gay and Lesbian Alliance.
"This is going to be in court. It’s just a waste of
taxpayers’ money. They know there’s going to be a
lawsuit and they’ll lose eventually.’"
House Public Health Commi ttee Chairman Bobby
Moody, D-Louisville, said, "ff it’s the right thing to
do, it doesn’t matter to me if it leads to a lawsuit or
not.’" "What constitutes a family is not a homosexual
couple,’" s~iid Moody.
The bill was approved 107-8. There could be an
attempt for a second vote. "That bill is of the assumption
that anybody who’s Gay wilt,abuse children.
That’ s not a good ~rgument. I can’tjudge one’ s moral
turpitude. I’m not qualified to do that,’" said Rep.
David Green, D-Gloster.
This is the second time in three years that Mississippi
lawmakers have gotten involved in Gay issues.
In 1997, they banned homosexual marriages. The
adoption ban was added to a bill dealing with nurse
practitioners. That proposal lets the practitioners prepare
paperwork about the physical or mental condi- -
tion of a child being put up for adoption. Now doctors
must do the paperwork.
Moody said the House vote came in response to a
public outcry. "There’s been a lot of publicity created
around the state. It gave the false impression to some
religious groups that it was happening or there was a
possibility it could happen,’" he said of adoptions by
Gay couples.
Rep. Mary Coleman, D-Jackson, said lawmakers
"’were infringing on people’s private lives.’" David
Ingebretsen, director of theACLU in Mississippi, has
said his group may sue on behalf of aGay couple if the
bill becomes law. Other states have been sued over
their adoption policies. The bill does not ban a Gay
individiml from trying to adopt a child. It goes back to
the Senate for more consideration.
PlanetOut Website and
Advocate/Out to Merge
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - PlanetOut, which caters
to Gays and Lesbians, has announced plans to acquire
Liberation Publications, the largest publisher of Gay
and Lesbian periodicals and books in the country.
Liberatiofi Publications Inc. produces the Advocate
newsmagazine and will soon own Out magazine.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The companies
describe the deal as a merger, but the Interact
company will be the dominant partner; allowing the
magazines "tO continue publishing under their own
brand names.
"You can characterize it as the AOL-Time Warner
in the Gay space,’" said Megan J. Smith,.chief executive
of PlanetOut. Her five-year-old company operates
the Web site
www.planetout.com, along with an online radio and
film service and PlanetOut TV, which airs on the site
and on Canadian television.
In 1996, the San Francisco-based site became the
first Gay-oriented enterprise to secure venture capital
funding. The company has since established parmerships
with AOL, Netscape, Yahoo! and other major
Web companies as well as made advertising agreements
with Arista Records, Virgin Adantic Airways
and Johnson & Johnson.
Liberation Publications is based in Los Angeles. It
announced Feb. 21 that it. would acquire New Yorkbased
Out Publishing Inc., the publisher of Out and
HIV+ magazines.
The Advocate, a 33-year-old bi-weekly with a
circulation of about 88,000, concentrates on news,
politics, business and medical information. Out~ a
monthly launchedin 1992, has a circulation of 115,000
and focuses on culture, entertainment, fitness and
other topics. The Gay marketis considered a prime for
Intemet players because a high percentage of Gays
and Lesbians use the Internet and because the Intemet
)rovides.a level Of anonymity.
Dr. Schlessinger’s TV
Show Draws Protesters
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Paramount Television says it
is committed to putting tough-talking Dr. Laura
Schlessinger on TV, the tough-talking protests of
hundreds of angry Dr. Laura demonstrators notwithstanding.
"Shame, shame, shame,’" more than 200
Gay civil rights protesters shouted outside Paramount
Pictures, where they demanded the studio drop plans
to put the controversial radio host on television this
fall.
Schlessinger, known to her listeners as Dr. Laura,
dispenses relationship advice onher enormously popular
radio show. She has called homosexuality a"biological
error’" and "deviant.’"
"When Paramount bought Laura Schlessinger’s
show, they bought abattle withtheGay community,’"
said Joan Garry, executive director of the Gay and
Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "We’re going
to do whatever it takes’" to get the ParamOunt Television
Group to abandon the syndicated show, Garry
said.
So far Paramount has stood firm. and none of the
stations signed on to air Schlessinger’s show have
backed out. In arecent statement, the studio §aidit was
committed to presenting moral and ethi’~fl issues
without "creating or contributing to an en~cfroimaent
of hurt, hate or intolerance.’"
One of the signs carried by the demonstrators read
"No More Matthew Shepards.’" a reference to the
Gay student killed in Wyoming in 1998. Also fueling
the protest is anger over the passage last month of
Proposition 22, which bans same-sex marriage in
California.
"We will do whatever it takes to keep the pressure
on. The strategies will be about advertisers and the
affiliates,’" Garry said, declining to specify whether
that meant station or sponsor boycotts.
Countering the demonstrators were about 75
Schlessinger supporters organized by Campaign for
California Families, a conservauve, nonprofit organization.
"We’re the majority Of people who pay to see
Paramount films and who tune in to Paramount television
shows. We are in support of Dr. Laura being on
the air,’" Said Cherri Gardner, a spokeswoman for the
group.
Conservatives Sue City
Over Partners Benefits
BOSTON (AP) -A conservativelaw firm is suing the
city of Cambridge, claiming that the ordinance that
allows homosexual couples to register as domestic
partners is illegal and unconstitutionhl.
"The ordinance isboth legally and morally wrong.
.. This legal action is necessary to defend marriage
and the family,’" Vincent P. McCarthy, Northeast
counsel for the Virginia-based American Center for
Law and Justice, said Tuesday in a statement.
In July, the state Suprem,e Judicial Court struck
down an executive order issued by Boston Mayor
Thomas Menino that was intended to give health
insurance coverage to Gay partners of Boston city
workers.
The ACLJ assisted the Catholic Action League in
that case and predicted another legal victory against
Cambridge. It also said it planned to file a suit against
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the city of Springfield. The Catholic Action Leagueis
also involved in the Cambridge case.
Under the Cambridge ordinance passed in 1992,
Gay couples go to City Hall and register as domestic
partners. Once registered, partners of a city or school
worker are entitled to the same health benefits as
spouses of city and school workers.
Michael Gardner, Cambridge’s personnel director,
who administers the be~lefits, said he felt the ordinance
was both legal and constitutional.
"It was our view that we should continue to follow
the ordinance passed by our legislative body,’" he
said.
The law firm, which brought the suit onbehalfof 12
Cambridge residents, attacked the ordinance on a
number of legal fronts, but one argument was the one
that succeeded in the Supreme Judicial Conrt last
year.
The SJC had rifled that the" Boston executive order
was "inconsistent’" with a decades-old state law that
granted cities the authority to provide health insurance
to workers, their spouses and dependents.
Gary Buseck, executive director of Gay and Lesbian
Advocates and Defenders, said he would be
happy if Cambridge fought the case vigorously.
But he also called on the Legislature to pass a bill
designed to grant cities and towns the power to extend
the benefits if they chose. The bill has passed the
Senate but is pending in the House, he said.
"The Legislature can put an end to all of this and
~make sure cities and towns have an option of extending
health insurance to all their employees,’" Buseck
said.
Georgia Hate Crimes
Bill Gets Final Passage
ATLA~’qTA (AP) - The Georgia Senate gave final
passage to a bill allowing stiffer penalties for hate
crimes. Gov. Roy Barnes will have to sign off on it
before it can become law. ~
The. origii~ Version of the bill specified which
types ofbigo.try warranted a hate crime, but the House
amended the: measure to be more vague. It now
mentions only.crimes motivated by "bias or preju-
Sen. Vincent D. Fort, D-Atlanta, said he would
have preferred the.originalianguage but was willing
to accept the ctian~e~.
.A jury would, declare defendants guilty of a hate
crime after they were convicted ofanother crime such
as vandalism, arson, assault or murder. The initial bill
would have allowed the judge to make that decision.
That changeprompted Sen. Clay Land, R-Columbus,
to reverse his original vote and support the measure.
~At that time,.I felt the legislation was unconstitutional
because it did not provide the accused with a
¯ jury trial,’" he said.
Under the bill, sentences and fines for misdemeanors
would be increased by half, up to the maximum
allowed, for hate crimes. Felony prison sentences
¯ would be increased byfive years up to the maximum
sentence. Defendants convicted ofhate crimes would
have to serve at least 90 percent of their sentences.
Women Lawmakers Key
To Civil Unions Win
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - A greater percentage of
women than menin the Vermont House of Representatives
voted in favor of the civil unions bill that
passed in the House last week.
Female representatives approved by a wide margin
granting same-sex couples tile benefits of marriage
through civil unions while their male counterparts
turned it down. The women voted for the bill 35-9
while the men voted against it 60-41.
All but one of 32 female Democrats voted in favor
of the bill, while four of 12 Republican women voted
for it.
Although women make up relatively smaller proportions
of each caucus, more than half of the Democrats
voting yes were women, and more than a quarter
of the Republicans voting yes were women.
Rep. Anne Pugh, D-South Burlington, said female
constituents in general asked her to support the bill,
while men asked her [o oppose it.
"It may have m do with the fact that women
traditionally focus on family, and nurturing and relationships
- that women’s identity comes from connecting,’"
Pugh said.
Rep. Michael Vinton, D-C01chester, a retired state
trooper who has been outspoken in his criticisms of
anti-Gay arguments, said he bdieved women felt less
threatened by homosexuality. "For whatever reason,
I feel there’s more fear among the male gender,’"
Vinton said. "Men seem to be more crfical of people
-it’s just our species, probably.""
The trend reflects women’s greater receptiveness
to homosexuals across the country, according to national
policy experts.
"Women overwhelnfingly support Gay aud Lesbian
civil rights more than ~nen, generally speaking,’"
said Paula Ettelbrick, director ofthe National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute.
"’Women identify more because, like Gays and
Lesbians, they have not been part of the system as a
group, and theymaderstand the need and desire to be
a full citizen,’" she said. However, she said the fact
that the Vermont House had passed a civil unions bill
at all "shows that mendike everybody else have the
capacity to change on issues involving their own
communities.’"
The bill passed on a final margin of76 to 69. Voting
yes were 57 Democrats, 14 Republicans, four
Progressives mad one Independent. Voting no were 50
Republicans, 18 Democrats, and one Independent.
N.M. Christian Coalition
Files Phone Co. Benefits
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - The New Mexico branch
of the Christian Coalition is accusing U S West of
abusing public trust by providing employee benefits
to homosexuals and other umnarried workers. In a
document filed with the state Public RegulationCommission,
theNew Mexico Christian Coalition says the
policy is "offensive to decent, moral subscribers who
want phone service.’"
Edward Lopez Jr., U S West’s vice president in
New Mexico, said he is disgusted to "see-this kind of
hate and intolerance’" in a state as diverse as New
Mexico. Lopez says. the policy is good business. "We
believe our work force mirrors that of our. custom-
: ers,’" he said. "We’ve better able to understand .our.
customers needs and respond to.them.’"
¯ In its one-page filing, theChristian group contends
U S West’s benefits policy promotes the spread of
¯ AIDS and other sexually transmitteddiseases. "We’re
¯ saying there’s a moral issue of unmarried people that
¯ donot deserve benefits. If there is any way to prevent
¯ that from happening, we’ll do that,’" said Mark Bur-
" ton, executive director of the Albuquerque-based
¯ group. The group, affiliated with Pat Robertson’s
Christian Coalition of America, also contends in the
¯ filing that homosexuals are prone to violence and
¯ child molestation.
¯ Linda Siegle, alobbyist for theCoalition forEquality,
called the group’s statements "ludicrous and
¯ absurd, based on every lie and stereotype perpetrated
¯ on people who are Gay.’"
About 2,500 private corporations, universities and
other organizations across the nation provide domes-
" tic partnership benefits, she said.
¯ In its Mar~h i0 filing,’ the New Mexico Christian
¯ Coalition requested the PRC investigate "the social
¯ implications of this heinous U S West policy.’" "The
partners of homosexuals .shouldn’t have the right to
¯ get benefits fromamonopoly when I have no other
choice (for servic£),’" Burton said. " "
The Public Regulation Commission currently as
investigating U S West’s customer rates. Commission
chairman Bill Pope said he couldn’t comment on
anything contained in the filing because the panel has
yet to hear the rate case.
South African Gays
May Give Blood
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -
Gay men have a constitutional right to
donate blood, the South African Human
Rights Commission has ruled. The commission
said it was no longer Gays who
were most at risk for HIV in South Africa,
but people in their early 20s.
The commi ssiondemandedthat ablood
bank in Western Cape change its practice
of not accepting blood from homosexual
men. Western Cape Blood Transfusion
Service director Arthur Bird on Friday
said he disagreed with the decision and
was seeking legal advice.
The case came about after Andrew
Barnes, a public relations manager, responded
to an urgent plea for new donors
in the midst of a severe blood shortage last
year. A nurse at Western Cape Blood
Transfusion Service declined Barnes’
blood afterhemarked "yes’" ontheform’ s
question of whether he had had sex with a
man. Barnes had been in a r~lationship
with anothermanformore than two years.
The commission said the decision to
reject Barnes’ blood was ’~discrimination
in terms of the Constitution." It said it
would take the blood bank to court unless
it explains what changes it will make to
avoid breaching people’s constitutional
right to equality before April 3.
Teacher With AIDS
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) - HIV/AIDS activist
Cathy Robinson was a teacher in
1991, living a storybook life with her
husband, pregnant with their second child.
She and her husband, Dan, went to the
doctor for what was supposed to be a
routine physical for life insurance and
learned theunimaginable: They both Were
infected with the virus that causes AIDS.
Three years later, she developed AIDS.
"My first instinct was, ’I know where
I’ve been. Where have you been?’ "
Robinson said. Then headlines flashed
through her head declaring Belle Glade -
where she had worked with children- the
AIDS capital of the state. She wondered if
she had contracted the deadly virus there.
Buttwomonths later, Robinson, 34, found
out she had contracted HIV from a man
who died from AIDS complications in
prison while doing time for raping her
July 4, 1984, at a Tallalaassee convenience
store where she worked. Privacy
laws prohibited the prison from disclosing
to Robinson that he had AIDS.
She went seven years without finding
out she had HIV. She gave it to her husband
during that time, but her children,
Garrett and Lyndsy, are HIV-free. There
is only about a 20% chance a pregnant
mother will pass onHIV to her baby. With
medicine, the chances drop to 4%.
Robinson, who also wasdiagnosed with
breast cancer two year~s ago, is coping
with her own mortality by spending the
time she has left to promote safe sex and
persuade people to get tested. Her efforts
includ~lhe NAMES Project AIDS Memoria~:
Quilt display, which is being displayed
this month in the Hollis Wellness
Center at Florida Southern College.
Robinson. travels throughout Florida
talking with students, sheriffs’ deputies
and commumty groups about HIV and
AIDS, defying stereotypes of the "typical’"
AIDS victim, as a mamed, white,
middle-class mother of two.
Laws about HIV status disclosure vary
by state. In Florida, it takes a court order
to have someone convicted of sexual assault
tested. "We don’t as a state mandate
testing, and emergency rooms don’t have
time to doit,’" Robinson said. "They (tell)
victims of sexual as sault, ’In afew weeks,
you should get tested.’ "
Assistant State Attorney Sherri
Scarborough, who handles many of the
criminal sexual assault cases in Polk
County, said state statutes allow the court
to order HIV tests of anyone accused of a
crime where bodily fluids are exchanged.
But the victim has to request the tests and
ask that the health department notify them
of the results. Scarborough said she only
remembered two cases in the past six
years when a victim wanted to have his or
her attacker tested. One whs aT0-year-old
woman. The other was a college student.
Robinson was a student at Florida State
University when she was raped. Two of
her attackers were convicted, but a third
man never was arrested. She testified in
the two trials but did not ask that her
attacker be tested because there was no
HIV test at the time. "In 1985, there was
a test. I called right away, but they said,
~Cathy, you don’t need to worry. The only
people who get HIV are Gays and drug
users,’ " she said. Meanwhile, her attacker
was being treated for AIDS in
prison.
WhenRobinson foundout she was HIVpositive,
she said she didn’t tell anyone
for amonth. Thev. two months passed, and
she was about to give bir~ to her son,
Garrett, now 8. "Three nurses refused to
give us care. One, not knowing anything
about me, assumed we decided to have
children even though we had AIDS. She
called (the Department of Children and
Families) to try to get them to take our
kids away,’" Robinson said.
ThenRobinsonmadea choice she could
never take back. She decided to talk about
her story in schools and churches to raise
public awareness. "By going public, there
was no way I could ever teach again,
which was fine,’" she said. "Then they
wiped my husband’s job out of his company.
We paid tbr groceries with credit
cards for a while... Thenwerealized they
were going to turn our lights out. We
moved in with my parents in Clewiston."
Cathy and Dan since have moved to
Fort Myers with her best friend, a nurse.
But they decided five years ago to have
Garrett and Lyndsy, 9, continue to live
with her parents, to ease the transition on
the day the~ know will come. The
Robinsons see their childrenon weekends
and holidays. They write in journals and
make tapes to record memories they want
the kids to remember.
"We knew ultimately we were going to
die,’" Cathy said. "We thought it was
importantfor them to transilion. Wenever
thought we’d still be transitioning five
years later. Our biggest fear was dying
before Lyndsy and Garr’ett were old
enough to remember us.’"
Bill Gregory, an advertising professor
at Florida Southern, fellow AIDS activist
and friend, said Cathy hves to spread the
message. But radiation therapy has made
it more difficult in recent months. Cathy
travels to Miami for radiation treatments
because she can get them free in exchange
for leading educational programs. She
puts about 1,500 miles a week on her
leased Ford Explorer traveling throughout
the state for AIDS education, stressing
safer sex and HIV testing.
"You have to be tested,’" she said. "No.
1, you don’t want others to get infected.
No. 2, they can treat you. If you are
negative, you have a chance to rethink
your activities that got you there.’"
Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for
justice & equality for
Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury,
Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
Weekend and evening appointments are available.
January April July October December
Even Out Your
Monthly Electric Bills.
At WoO, we know that changing
weather conditions throughout the
year can cause your monthly electric
bills to rise and fall dramatically.
Which can make it tmrd to plan your
household budget. That’s why~
our Average Monthly Payment plan,
could be your budgeting solution.
With~you pay about the
same each month, because ifs based
on your previous 12 months usage.
That makes budgeting a breeze.
And best of all, ifs free. AMPis}ust
one of several flemq~le payment
options PSO offers you. For more
information, we’re available 24 hours
a da~. Or s’tgn up forAMP on our
website at www.csw.corm
PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF OKLAHOMA
A Central and South Weat Company
Kelly Kirby,. CPA, PC
Certified Public Accountant
a professional corporation
Lesbians and Gay men face many special
tax situations whether single or as couples.
Electronic filing is’available for faster refunds.
747-5466
4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135
Are You Gay or Bisexual?
Are You Native American?../,=
Tulsa’s Two-Spirited Indian Men s
Support Group is here for you~.
¯ E~ening support group meetings
¯ Relationship workshops
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HIV testing
For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
beginning at the Gay Community Center
¯ at 37th and Peoria and ending at Veterans
Park at 18th and Boulder. The parade will
begin at llam The Pride Festival will
also begin at Veterans Park at 1 lain and
will continue till about7 or8pm, finishing
off the week’s events.
TOHR organizers include Kerry Lewis
as chairperson of the overall effort. "Humanity
United for Haman Rights -Diversity
Celebration 2000," Greg
Gatewood, TOI-IR president and festival
chair,Audra Sommers,parade chair, Lynn
Moesteller, sponsor chair, Mitchell Savage,
media chair, Ktis Kohl, festival entertainmentchair
andNedBruha, incharge
of festival booths and beverages.
On June 3, Saturday, That evening also
at the PAC Doenges Theatre, the TOHR
Follies, not seen for a namber of years,
will reprise, 100 Years of Broadway with
tickets available through the PAC. Tuesday,
June 6th, an art exhibit, "United" will
open and on Thursday, June 8th, there
will be a film night. Locations and times
will be announced later.
For more information about these
events, call the Gay Community Services
Center at 743-4297 (Gays).
And while the organization has not been
in Tulsa for long, already it’s become
active and visible. Soulforce members
along withTOHR, Tul sa Oklahomans for
Haman Rights, marched in the M.L.King,
Jr. Day parade, marking the first time
openly Gay people and groups have partidipated.
And for the kick-off for this year’s Gay
Pride events, Diversity Celebration 2000,
Soulforceis bringing Mel WhiteandGary
Nixonback to Tulsafor aninterfaith workshop
and to lead a Soulforce workshop.
White and Nixon were in Tulsa several
years ago for a regional conference of
i~FLAG, Parents, Families and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays, held at All Souls
Unitarian Church.
Also on May 6-12, in Cleveland, Ohio,
at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Soulforce
will hold Soulforce University (SFU) SFU
is arare, one-week opportunity for people
offaith to learn and apply the principles of
nonviolence. SFU is being held in conjunction
with the world congress of the
United Methodist denomination of Chris-.
tianity, General Conference 2000 which
will also be in Cleveland, on May 2-12.
Historically, Methodists have cared
about the poor, the homeless, and the
outcast. Soulforce organizers state, "sadly,
decisions made by their [United Methodist]
General Conferences over the past
three decades have ended that tradition of
caring and made outcasts of God’s Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered
children. We hope to help end those unjust
and discriminatory policies.
For thirty-t~vo years United Methodist
leaders have debated the issue of homosexuality.
Too many of" their delegates
have ignored the historic, scientific, psychological,
pastoral and even biblical evidence
thathomosexuality is neither a sickness
nor a sin. As a result, with almost
every General Conference the U.M.C. has
hardened its anti-homosexual position.
That position leads to discrimination, snffeting,
and death.’"
Several Tulsans involved in Soulforce
will participate in the Cleveland events.
HEAR the Quilt
The NAMES Project Tulsa Area Chapter
is proud to announce the return of the
Quilt to Tulsa for a major display at the
Maxwell Convention Center December1
through 3, 2000.
The success of a major Quilt display is
dependent on volunteers from our community.
To develop interest and support
for this major World AIDS Day event, the
Tulsa Area Chapter will host a reception
on Thursday evening, April 27 at 7: 00pm
at Fellowship Congregational Church,
2900 South Harvard, Tulsa.
Please join us as we bring together the
community in preparation for "HEAR the
Quilt." We’ll have sections of the Quilt on
display and lots of information about upcoming
events Refreshments will be
served and it will be a great opportunity to
renew old friendships andmake new ones.
For more information you can contact
us at (918) 748-.~1 ll or at
TulsaQuilt@go.com
OK Spoke Club
The OK Spoke Club is begimfing its tides
again. A long ride (20 miles plus) will
begin at Ziegler Park at 7:30am on April
8th & 15th. Water and helmet are required.
A short tide (5 miles) along the Katy
Bicycle path in Sand Springs will begin at
6:30 pm on April 19th. Water and helmet
are strongly reconnnended.
At 9am, a long ride will begin at the
Pride Center, 3749 S. Peoria, rear parking
lot on April 22th. Water and helmet are
required. A short ride will leave from
there at 6:30 pm on April 26th. Water and
helmet are strongly recommended.
For more information, contact the club
at POB 9165, Tulsa, Ok 74157, or emaii
to: Okiebicycle@prodigy.net
Texas Lesbian
Conference
For 13 years now, Texas Lesbians have
presented one of the best conferences in
the US. This year’ s event, to be held at the
Renaissance Hotel, Greenway Plaza on
May 19-21 in Houston.
The conference will feature Urvashi
Vaid, former executive director of the
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force,
cartoonist/cormnentator, Alison Bechdal,
creator of"Dykes to WatchOut For," poet
and author Ntozake Shange and Lesbian
comic Marga Gomez.
Andifthese were not enough of a draw,
TLC offers a variety of workshops on
legal, financial, spiritual and other issues.
TLC is awoman only event for which you
must be 18 to attend. For more information,
write POB 66012, Houston 77266.
Or "call 713-460-3435 for a registration
form. .
Living ArtSpace
New Show
Tul’sa’s contemporary art gall~ery~: Living
Ai~tSpace, now located at 308 South
Kenosha will present exhibition opening
& gallery talk by artist, John Hitchcoek,
on Thursday, April 6, 5:30-8pm.
Hitchcock invites the viewer tobecome
a participant in his installation by encouraging
them to "play games" and receive a
silk screened pnnt or an object. Using
games derived from Native American traditions,
the artist challenges the participant
to make the comparison between
traditional culture and the artwork.
Once upon a time, there was a teenager
named, for lack of a better moniker, Jim.
He was teased most of his school life for
being gay, name calling and threats of
physical violencebeing the
chief tactics deployed by
most of the other kids -the
mainstays of which were
the dreaded "jocks."
He had few friends, but
one of the few he considered
a friend happened to
be Shaun. Shatm was in
choir and on the football
team, and Jim had known
him for a few years, since
Jr High. What Jim repressed
and suppressed
was his physical and emotional
attraction for Shann.
Shaun wasn’t classically
handsome, but something
about him was incredibly
attractive to Jim. Maybe it
was just that, unlike the
other jocks, who singled
Jim out for particular torment,
Shaun always had
treated him with kindness
" ~roadway Damage’
is another little sleeper,
low budget movie that
is actually quite
wonderful...
The film is a ~ood
old-fashloned romantle
eornedy, kind of llke
the old screwballs
eomedles of the 30’s...
It’s a well-wrltten,
well-fihned, well-acted
" story that is sure to
brin~ a smile to
anyone’s face..."
and yes, even friendline,ss. This was !lJghly
unusual. Jim and Shaun s friendship~ew,
and they hung out a bit together. Jim
continued suppressing, and just enjoyed
Shaun’s company, basking in the glow of
their friendship.
At one point, they went to a film together.
Shaun sat with legs spread wide,
his leg touching Jim’ s. Wall, all Jim could
focus on throughout the film was the
sensfition of Shaun s leg against his; the
bea~from the other boy’s body flowing
in~d~s, the fact that he was really uncomfortable
due to the fact that certain feelingSwere
rising., feelings he’d been hiding
from everyone, including himself.
0~things w~re rising too, and he had
no!~deahow tohandle this. He wasn’t sure
ifShaun was doing this deliberately or by
accident. In ~_ospect, it had to be on
purpose. Shfiuns leg never left contact
wi~Jim’s tmtil the film was over. Jim
wasi:terrified.~Did he dare move, and cut
off~ie contact which he really so desperatdy
Wanted?Or should he re~pond?Was
thi~ ~test? Surely Shaun was aware of the
comments and teasing; he’d seen it happen,
To this day, Jim has no memory of
that film or what it was. Just the sensation
of Shaun’s leg and the accompanying
delight/fear.
Jim’s fervent yet deeply hidden desire
was for Shaun and he to bein love. Yet, of
course this could never be. Shaun was
straight-Jim thought. Andhe was ever so
aware of the fragility of friendship- he’d
~aot had many, ai~d would do nothing to
jeopardize this one.
One time, Shaun asked Jim to join he
and some friends for a swim. When Jim
got to Shaun’s house, he discovere~...that
the friends.~were other members of the
football team - the ones who so delighted
inmakinglife aliving hell for Jim. "Well",
he thought,"This should be ablast. NOT!"
To his surprise, they all got along. Jim did
feel incredibly out of place and utterly
self-conscious the whole time they were
around. Had to be careful not to slip up
and steal a glance at the wrong moment,
not that he could see anything without his
coke-bottle glasses anyway.
During the swim day, Shann told an
interesting story: He had entered a bar on
a certain street in. Arlington, Texas, and
thought it was a real cool place - until he
began to notice all the other patrons were
men - and looking at him. Then he left in
a hurry. You can imagine
thecomments this brought
on from the jocksters. It
was all Jim could do not to
ask WHERE. In fact,
Jim did devote a considerable
amount of time to
thoughts onhow to get the
desired information without
giving myself away,
but never could figure out
a foolproofmethod. Some
years later, Jim did go in
search of the aforementioned
place - and discovered
it was in a shopping
center with no sign age or
indications of any sort that
there was anything in the
shopping center. You had
to know where and what it
was to get there and find
the place. Interesting...
Later that day, Shaun
and I found ourselves
alone in his parent’s house. He excused
himself to take a shower, and was in there
along time. A really long time. Jim began
to wonder if he should just go home,
Shaun was in there so long. Then, out he
popped, completely nude - and Jim with
no glasses on! (He was near blind without
them.) It took a lot of control not to look
down, whichhe recalls doing anyway, for
a split second. Shaun probably caught it.
He paused, saying, "Sorry, forgot to take
my clothes i.n with me." Then went into
his room. Jim was nonplused. Here Shaun
is, withakidheknew was teased for being
Gay, exposing himself.
He spent along time inhis room, too,by
the way Jimwas certain this was all atest,
and the slightest wrong move would end
the friendship - after all, Shaun was a
good Southern Baptist boy, going to a
church that literally preached coercion to
get new members.
Yes, Jim knows better now. There were
signals being sent, Jimjust misinterpreted
them. Jim wished he hadn’t, even though
that would have ted to heartbreak. Jim
really was in love with Shaun. Last Jim
heard, Shaun was married, with kids. Sad
thing is, that all Jim had to go on were
negative images of Gayness. That’s all
that was out there in the world then. There
was no "Will and Grace", no positive
movie role models. And All he knew was
that one wrong step could end a friendship,
Or even get him beaten - or, in one
case he read about, killed.
Whichleads me to aDVD review:_"Get
Real". The story is pretty much the same
as above, withnerdy schoNboyfallingfor
upperclassmanjock. Except in the case of
"Get Real", the relationship is consummated
when schoolboy finds out that the
jockster is indeed, homoerotically inclined.
Of course, Mr. Jock is severely
suppressing, and holding on to his straight
identity with every’ fiber of his being. The
film played Tulsa for about a week in ’96
or ’97. I’m sure not everyone got to see it,
so I won’t spoil the ending. Let’s just say
schoolboy .comes out publicly and discovers
his inner strength. He’s accompanied
by a female friend, who remindedme
ofmyfriend Karin, who is now a Lesbian!
More on that later, see Amuse, p. 9
GILCREASE MUSEUM
April 29, May 5 & 7, 2000
Call 587-4811
Church of the Restoration
Unitarian Universalist
11 am, Sunday, 1314 North Greenwood, 587-1314
EUREKASPRINGS DIVERSITYCELEBRATION
-Friday, April 7
- 8:30pm to 12:30am,Dancing in the Ozark Room at the Basin Park Hotel (12 Spring
Street) with DJ Jon Caswell. Sponsored by theMCC of the Living Spring. Cover: $5 per
person. Cash Bar. Must be 21.
- 9pm to 12:30am, Karaoke at Shaw’s Tavern (37 Spring Street)
- 10pm to 2am, Breakfast at thenew Eureka House of Blues (in the basement of the x’~ :w
Orleans hotel at 63 Spring Street) or,
- 1 lpm to 2am, Breakfast at the Eureka Food Court (37 Spring Street)
Saturday, April 8
10am to Noon, Canoe float on the White River. $25 per canoe. Singles welcome- r
reservations and info, call theBeaver Dam Store at 501-253-6154.
10:30am. to Noon, Learn a littl6 of Eureka S prings’ history on a guided walking to,
the Historic District. Meet at Sweet Spnngs next to Rogue’s Manor on upper !:
Street. For further information, call 501-253-0070 or e-mail walking@nwaft.com.
- Noon to 3:30pm "Go Fly a Kite!" Weather permitting, bring your kites and your
cameras.at the beautiful Pond Mountain Lodge and Resort (two miles south on HighWay
23). For more information, contact Judy Jones at 800-583-8043.
- lpm to 2:30pro Head out to Lake Leatherwood Park (off Highway 62 West) for an
informative, guided trail hike. Get there a few minutes early and bring some water; some
walking sticks will be provided. You can also hike on your own on one of
the various trails in Eureka Springs’ "City Park". To obtain a trail map or
for further information about the park, please e-mail lthrwood@ipa.net. For
further information about the hike, call Steve at 501-253-9380 or 9384 or
e-mail gands@ipa.net.
- Please visit the unique shops and restaurants in the Eureka Springs
Diversity Cooperative. Let them know you’re here for Diversity Weekend!
- 3:30pm to 9pm,Check outThe Holein the Wall (191/2 Spring Street) forKaraokewith
Lita! Lunch and dinner will also be served. For further information, call
501-253-8361.
- 9pm to lain; Dance to the high,energy club ttmes of DJ Jon Caswdl at Center Stage
(37 Spring Street). Must be 21. Cover: $5 per person. Sponsored by The Emerald
Rainbow, Mark E. Cook Properties and Center Street Bar & Grill.
- 9pmto 12:30am, Belt out your favorite tunes as Shaw’s Tavern (37 Spring Street) once
again hosts a Karaoke night for "family" and friends.
- 10pm to 2am, Brealffast at thenew Eureka House of Blues (in the basement of the New
Orleans hotel at 63 Spring Street) or,
- 1 lpm to 2am, Breakfast at the Eureka Food Court (37 Spring Street)
Sunday, April 9
- 2pm to 6pm, Join us again at Center Stage (37 Spring Street) for a tea dance and drag
show, with performances by the "girls from Tulsa" and music by DJ Jon
Caswell. Must be 21. Cover: $5 per person. Sponsored by The Emerald
Rainbow, Ermilio’s Restaurant and Center Street Bar & Grill.
- 7pm, MCC of the Living Spring (17 Elk Street) will hold a service. Call
501-253-9337 for information. All are welcome!
For a listing of businesses supporting this and similar events, check out
the Eureka Springs Diversity Cooperative website at www.shimaka.coln/eureka/diversity
or drop by The Emerald Rainbow at 45 1/2 Spring Street for a printed copy.
Oklahoma Repertory Theatre Opens
TULS A-Theatreleaders from twoTulsa : and the Boys" by So. African playwright
organizations, Tulsa Repertory Theatre
and Wayward Theatre Co. have joined
together to create the Oklahoma Repertory
Theatre (also known as OK REP).
Catherine Adkins, Skip suraci. Christopher
Ferguson-Long and Nathan Huntley
will serve as executive artistic director,
advisor, associate founding artistic director
and associate artistic director, respectively.
OKREP,like the companies out of
which it grows is committed to "unique,
professional theatre, children’s theatre,
arts in education and community outreach."
OK REP will open its season with the
Pulitzer Prize winning, "Master Harold
The film translates well to DVD, maintaining
the widescreen image, and with
excellent rarity. Sadly, there’s no extra
features so prevalent now in DVD releases,
such as director’s commentary,
behind the scenes documentaries, etc. It
would have been .nice to have the actor’s
recollections of the making of the film
and the affect it had on them. However,
that does not detract from the fact it’s a
well-written film with an excellent.cast
and beautiful cinematography. The only
thing that bothered one of my friends at
the .initial showing was that jock boy
Athol Fugard. The production will mn
May 11-14 and May 18-20 at Tulsa’s
Performing Arts Center Liddy Doenges
~[]aeatre at 8pm and Sundays at 2pro, and
is supported in part by grants from the
Oklahoma Arts Council and the Tulsa
Performing Arts Center Tn~st.
The play, directed by Nathan Huntley,
is that of a young man growing up and
growxng aware in 1950’s South Africa
apartheid. Tulsa actors Greg Herman, Bill
Thomas and Christopher Ferguson-Long
perform the roles. Tickets are available at
the PAC box office, 596-7111, for $12/
adults and $9/students/seniors. For more
information, call OK REP at 592-6310.
seems to come from a well-heeled family,
yet has a working class accent. I noticed
after he pointed it out, but that did not
detract from the otherwise excellent performanees
given by Ben Silverstone as
the cuteschoolboy Steven Carter, Charlotte
Britain as his friend who faints on
command, and the hunky Brad Gorton as
thejock upon anyone Wouldbe daft not to
develop a crush. Available from Wolfe
Video (www.wolfevideo.com).
Along the same lines, sort of... well,
not really, but there’s a well-done scene
that exemplifies the kind of dynamic I
wrote of regarding seeing that tmnamed
film with Shaun, is "Billy’s Hollywood
Screen Kiss." see Amuse, p. 11
by Tom Neal, editor & publisher
Some Oklahomapolitical observers have noted that the
one good thing for this state about a win by Republican
presidential candidate, George W. Bush, is that we’d get
to send the Honorable Frank Keating, Governor of Oklahoma
packing back off to DC, though others have said
Oklahoma’.s gain might be to the nation’s detriment.
"... ff it were not enough to invoke
this bigoted image ofGay people
-preying on the young, he
foflowed it with a comment about
how Gay people are among the
wealthiest Amerleans. I had
to wonder if next he’d betalklng
about how ’all Black people
have rhythm’ or ’the international
Jewish banking eonsplraey.’..."
This February, t took my’father to lunch at the Press
Club to see Keating do his song and dance. I imagine that
Keating expected a rather friendly reception- these days
the Press Club membership hardly includesany reporters
but rather mostly public relations types - good enough
people but hardly known for hard hitting .journalism.
They’re there to put a nice spin on tttings, not to get at the
truth, typically. Andyou can count on The Tulsa Worldto
report only selectively on comments made there.
Then there was Dad and me sitting right up front. And
dear Mr. "I am not descended from a Baboon" Keating*
likely did not know what he was in for. Mr. Keating
waxed eloquently about how ifwe only re-made government
to be like"’business," and not just coincidentally
turned it all over to the Republiczins, all would be great
with our state. I could nothave a~kedfor a better setup for
my question to the Governor since in Oklahoma, it’s
business leading the way in treating Lesbian and Gay
citizens, well, like equal citizens.
The question put to the Gov. was this: Oklahoma’s
leading businesses,American Airlines, the state’ s largest
private employer, K.imberly-Clark, Dollar-Thrifty Auto
Group whose CEO, Joseph Cappy was just appointed to
the State Board of Regents for Higher Education, all of
these corporations promise not to discriminate on sexual
orientation. Since "business" shows us the way, Keating
* ina recent controversy about teaching evolution in
public schools, Keating claimed he was not descended
from a baboon. The Tulsa World contested that claim.
Operat=on Montreal,. To ¯
was asked why state government was not following their
lead.
Frank’s answer was an embarrassment to the state of
Oklahoma. He said there was not a public consensus to
support treating all people fairly and had he stopped at
this, I could hardly have argued withhim.
But he went on to invoke the most shameful of stereotypes,
saying that the state government of Oklahoma
could not promise to treat Gay and Lesbian Oklahomans
fairly because "a homosexual schoolteacher might try to
’promote’ his ’lifestyle’ to elementary school students
and then the state could not discipline the teacher..."
Andif it were not enough to invoke this bigoted image
of Gay people preying on the young, he followed it with
acomment abouthow Gay people are among the wealthiest
Americans. I had to wonder if next he’d be talking
about how "all Black people have rhythm" and "the
international Jewish banking conspiracy."
I did have the opportunity to say.his allegation about
Gay "wealth" was false but not to question his premises
about promising to treat public employees fairly.
And this, of course, ignores the fact that it is almost
unimaginable that any Gay teacher would engage in
inappropriate discussions - they’re all too scared because
: they know they’ll be harassed or fired in any school
district in the state. Any inappropriate conversation by a
¯ teacher with students, whether heterosexual or homo-
" sexual, already has avenues for remedy.
I agree with Keating, Oklahoma can learn from the
: example of "business." First and foremost, Frank needs
¯ to figure out that discrimination is bad for business and
¯ badforOklahoma. "Business" has figured this out. Ameri-
" can and Dollar-Thrifty don’t go beyond the minimum
¯ federallaw r.eqmresjust because they regreatfolks. Th y
¯¯ do it because they can’t afford to lose good workers and
¯ some of those good workers ar’-e Gay.
It really shouldn’t be that hardfor Frank Keating. All
¯ he needs to do is to reframe the questionin terms to which
¯ he can relate: shall we not include Catholics in our non-
- discnmmattonlawsbecausewecouldn tfiretbemlfthey
mdocmnated our children with the Cathohclifestyle m
schools? Keating shouldknow that itwash’ t thatlong ago
: that precisely those stereotypes were common in thisstate.
After all, Keating claims to be a Christian. And as
: such, he is commanded to "treat others as he would be
¯ treated." That?s pretty straightforward. I’d bet even a
¯ "lower" primate, maybe even a baboonmight be able to ¯
figure that out. The question is can our governor?
by Dave Fleischer
Senior Fellow, Policy Institute
National Gay andLesbian Task Force
Have you ever met ahomophobe? Of course you have,
which is why you might not immediately be eager to
campaign door-to-door using the "G" word when we
need to win an election.
You might be thinking: Holy Roller, don’t a lot of
people go into rant mode the minute we say the Word
"Gay?’"
Actually, they don’t. Everywhere I’ve gone door-todoor
with teams of volunteers,-
once we explain in
plalnlanguage the issue voters
will be facing, the overwhelming
majority are on
.our side. Most of the rest are
undecided. This has been
true in Anchorage, Houston,
and Fayetteville, Arkansas;
in San Francisco, suburban
Westchester County,.in Miami
(nope, not just in South
Beach) and in both Democratic
and Republican parts
of Spokane, Washington. And that’s just the places in
1998-and 1999 that we’ve gone door-to-door in.
Sure, we start in neighborhoods wherewe believe we’ll
find many supporters. But even when we broaden to a
- diverse set of neighborhoods, 60 to 90% of the time,
voters are surprised to learn that the basic rights, of Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT) people
are under attack.
"... I don’t want to tell you about
my%exllfe - but ff I’m doing
a job at my job,
should my boss be able to fire me
just because I’m Gay?"
[long pause, she says uncertainly]
"I’ve never thought about that..."
"Well, I’m Gay, and this may surprise youbut it wasn’t
a choice for me. And if I’m doing a goodjob at work, do
you think my boss should be. able to fire mejust because
I’m Gay?"
"I don’t want to hear about your sex life."
"I don’t want to tell you about my sex life--but if I’m ~
doing a goodjob atmyjob, shouldmy boss be able to fire
me just because I’m Gay?"
. [Long pause]
[She says uncertainly] "I’ve never thought about that."
"Well, that’s what you’ll, be voting on. Here’s the wording
that will be on the ballot.
Takealookatit. [Pausewhile
she reads] What do you
think?"
I didn’t make this voter a
supporter. But I did move
her from leaning against us
to someone who might be
undecided. Theconversation
took abouttwominutes. Then
I was on to the next door.
If we’ve trained our-volunteer
team well, we communicate
our key message
within the limits of the voter’s attention span. Then we
ask what they think. And they tell us.
Soinetimes their answer isn’t easy to hear (I didn’t love
Ms. Informed’s ?Gays can change"). Butifwe listen with
genuine interest, and offer a clear, honest exchange, they
return the favor. We usually-leave the door either knowing
we’ve found someone leaning toward us, or someone
who is now open to hearing more.
A...J--~"~’~A~.~,~’A,,’~ (;.... ~Vhenthe~ydo, they say somethinglike. OfcourseI Benefit uur= i i i i i i~i~..,,..; :=~-agai~i’s’t--d~sc~aination, against anybody. I like/don’t care
Localentrepreneurandmouth-about-townactivistNed about/dort’flike Gay people, but discriminationis always
Bruha will present "Operation Montreal" at The Silver
Star, 1565 So. Sheridan, at 10pm on Friday May 5th.
Brnha notes, "’this night of rare comedy and mad-cap
entertainment will aid Audra MarieSommers, an individual
among us who has selflessly impleme.nted her
.talents to l~tter the Tulsa areafor the past decade,,She has
raised money for the poor and the sick." ,
Themoney raised the evening of thi~ event wiR,be ~used
to help Payfor medications, travel and down-time trom
both of lie) jobs for the transgendered Sommers as she
recoups from surgery which will bring her physiology
into correspondence with her gender identity.
This event is called Operation Montreal because after
many years of research, Sommers has chosen worldrenowned
surgeons in Montreal. Any funds raised will
not be used for the surgery. Sommers has underwrittem
the surgery by taking a mortgage on her home.
For more information about this event, call 585-1644,
or write, "Operation Montreal" c/o Ned Bruha, P.O. Box
471282, Tulsa, OK. 74147-1282, or send e-mail to
partygram@webzone.net
wrong."
So the experience of going door-to-door is enormously
encouraging. It’s both productive for the campaign, and
also personally affirming.
This doesn’t mean that every voter is immediately
happy to see us. But as a reality check, here’s the toughest
door I’ve had so far.
Scene: a sweaty August ’98 morning in Fayetteville,
Arkansas; a white senior answers the door
..’...’.Hi, Ms. Informed?" Yes
"Hi, Ms..Informed, my name is Dave Fleischer, and
I’m with the Campaign for Human Dignity. A human
rights resolution is on the ballot - it says that here in
Fayetteville we won’t tolerate discrimination on thejob,
whether you’re a man or women, black or white, Gay or
non-Gay. What do you think about that?"
"Well, I think that if Gay people would just go to
church, they would realize it’s a choice, they don’t have
to be that way". [She went on in this vein for a minute. I
listened.]
Nobody says this work is easy. But, contrary to our
worst fears, it isn’t confrontational. It’s more like the
ordinary experience of one tiuman being talking to another
human being.
And there’s an unexpected personal benefit. If we reopen
our hearts, we are liberatedfrom a piece of internalized
self-hate and our own stereotypical thinking about
the public. It turns out that most of them are human, too
- and more open than we give them credit for being.
Most importantly, voteridentification works. SAVE
Dade in Miami has built a list of.more than 15,000 Gay -
and pro-Gay voters by having dbnversations just like
these, by going door~to-door and by talking to voters
when.they go to vote. Basic Rights Oregon beat back their
last two state-wide anti-Gay ballot measures by doing
voter idenlification on a large scale, and has a list of
125,000 voters statewide.
Sure there are closed-minded homophobes out there.
But they are far fewer and less grumpy than you’d guess
-a mere needle in a Gaystack. If we’re going to win
elections, we need to talk with everyone to find our
supporters. Factis, voters are ready tolistentous,ifwe’re
willing to listen to them. Are we?
Meet Local
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The number of Gays and Lesbians in
the United States is not known because of
largely unreliable studies. Advocacy
groups often claim 10% of the population
is homosexual, basedon surveys ofsexual
behavior conducted by researcher Alfred
Kinsey taken in the 1940s. Other surveys
put the number between 4% and 6%.
Amore direct census question concerning
sexual orientation isn’t likely by the
lime the2010 census roils around. Itwould
take afederal legislation to require collection
of the data. And, advocates say, it’s a
tricky ’question. "Is sexual orientation
defined by feelings of attraction, exclusivity
or praetors?’" Norfllrop asked.
Best known for launching the career of
"Willand Grace’ s" "Jack", Sean P. Hayes,
that’s about the best thing about this film.
It’s got some good moments, but never
quite congeals into a satisfying film. Brad
Rowe, Meredith Scott Lynn, and Hayes
mmin good performances, but the rest of
the cast falls flat, as do many of the jokes.
Hayes stars as Billy, a starving artist photographer
who is the other man in an
unsatisfying relationship he settles for
because (as he. tells everyone repeatedly
in this film until youjust wantto slap him)
he CAN’T FIND A MAN.
He stumbles upon Gabriel (the immensely
appealing Brad Rowe), and instantdysfunctional
crushdevelops, in spite
of the fact (?) that Gabriel is straight.
Hilarity ensues (yawn). There’s the prerequisite
drag queen comicrelief trio, that
should never have .entered this film, because
they are rather pointless to.the plot,
content, and are really so bad they detract
from the film..Obvibusly, theyare ~aeant
to be bad, but all the ~vay t~ough the
opening.sequence~ and at se{~eral points
~(way too many) through the film, they
-..seem to just be inserted for no reason. If
they were doing something that was
plot~orthyand actually funny, itmight be
a good thing. They’re not, and basically
just fill time when the director can’t pull
his head out long enoughto actually make
a film.
This DVD comes with a commentary,
and even that - usually a high point and
asset - is utterly boring. Yes, Sean’s a
wonderful actor -now. OK, Brad was
uncomfortable with thefilm and part starting
out. (Why is never detailed, and that
was what might have been actually interesting.)
OK yes, there are lots ofhomages
to old films, most of which are obvious,
especially with the dream/musical sequences.
Overall, Billy’s a fine addition
to an avid collector ofGay film, for archival
purposes. It’s amusing once through.
But it’s a definite rental, not a keeper.
Also available from Wolfe Video.
An excellent film to have on DVD for
repeated viewings and the extras, is"Gods
and Monsters." It is a most moving and
affecting film, and the disc has lots of
goodies, along with a commentary that
actually IS interesting, adocumentary with
Clive Barker as host, interviews with the
actors, and lots oflovely details. The film,
based on Christopher Brain’s book, is a
look .at what might have happened in the
days leading to James Whale’s mysterious
death.
Whale, the director best known for the
films "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein"
in the ’30’s, was found floating
¯ in his pool fully clothed. No answers ever
¯ came out of the investigation. Sir Inn
¯
McKellan, in abravuraperformance, plays
~ Whale, the absolutely dynamic Lynn
¯¯ Redgrave plays his housekeeper and
caregiver Hannah, and the absolutely brilliantandbreathtakingly
gorgeous Br~ndan
Fraser plays a yard man that Whale be-
" friends.
: This didplay the major theatres,butjust
¯ in case, I won’t give away any more of the
." ending than I have. The performances
¯ were all top notch, with nary a misstep.
¯ The cinematography is beautiful, and the ¯
detail in sets, costumes, and styleis dead-
" on.~(No pun intended.) As an. actor, it’s
~ ~really hard.f,0rme to see a film that makes
¯¯ ~m~fo~etI m~watehing~a film. This one
did. I was surprised, as the end credits
¯ were rolling, to find I had tears runmng
: down my face. The film so engrossed me
¯ that Iwasn’t even aware when that began. ¯
It’s an interesting film on many levels,
¯ the most superficial being Whale as dirty
." old man spying on the yard man; and~the
¯ deepest being the comments on aging, ¯
and the families we surround ourselves
¯ with as that happens. The interplay of
¯ straight andGay, andfear. The betrayal of ¯
¯ the body.and time, the interplay between
youth and age, the reasons we make the
¯ choices in life that we do make., all are
." explored on many levels.
¯ It’s definitely worth viewing several
¯
times, if for nothing more than seeing the
¯ details you missed first time around. The
¯ commentary, as opposed to the useless ¯
blathering on Billy’s HSK, is insightful,
¯
informative, and frequentlylamusing.
." There’s enough mix in details of how the
¯ film was made, how attention to details
: was as important as performance, behind
¯ the scenes stories of what went on during
¯ filming, what it was like to deal with this
¯ or that to keep one quite amused.
." ~ And after watching the film go by wlth
" the commentary, especially re~ardihg the
." director’s intentions, it’s kind of a fun
¯ game to play to seehowmuch youpieked
’’up on. ~klso, some historica~ facts_ are
." thrown in, not in a dry, witless manner,
¯ but which augment the viewing Of the
: film. So, for me, it gets a definite. BUY
¯ THIS! Even if you only get the video
~ version (which may or may not have the
documentary), it’s worth it. Available at
; Wolfe Video.
"Broadway Damage" is another little
sleeper, low budget movie that is actually
quite wonderful. A romantic comedy that
actually is, as~ opposed to Billy, it stars
some very talented unknowns in a film
that is well written and leaves you feeling
good. "Nerdy Guy’~ and "Beautiful Boy"
in New York looking for"Mr. RightY BB
is always finding people bad for him, and
pursues one that is really bad news. NB is
seeking Mr Right and has a crush on BB
Enter BB’s roommate Quirk~y~rl. QG is
trying to make it inNYCon hiSrtwn, even
though daddy’s rich. He wants her to get
a job, something she’s never had to do.
She and the boys form a fun trio, and have
merry adventures in NYC.
The film is a good old-’fashioned romantic
comedy, kind oflike the old screwballs
comedies of the 30’s upon which it is
patterned. The ending’s predictable, but
the g~tting there is fun, as with most
journeys. Even if you know where you’re
going,, the trip is never the same twice,
right? It’s a well-written, well-filmed,
well-acted story that is sure to bring a
smile to anyone’s face. It should have
received wider release w~h,en it played the
film houses, but is a gem I m sharing with
you. Yep, available at Wolfe Video on
VHS and DVD.
presents
.... an eclectic mix of choral literature ranging from Baroque to Broadway,
from pop classics of the ’50s and ’60s to a bawdy sea chantey
an~J.an American Folk song featuring the Green Country Cloggers.
,Friday and Saturday, April 7 & 8, 2000 at 8pm
Williams Theatre, Tulsa Performing Arts Center
(reception following)
Tickets: PAC box office, 596-7111 in Tulsa,
1-800-364-7111 or online at www.tulsapac.com
COUNCIL oak a fellowship of gay men dedicated to musical excellence in
the performance of choral literature, providing a source of
pride, unity, and support, while presenting a positive image
for ourselves, our community, and society as a whole.
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the COUNCIL oak meN~S c~or~aLe and its parent organization,
the non-profit Vocal Pride Foundation, visit our award-winning website at www.eouneiloak.org.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, April 2000; Volume 7, Issue 4
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
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Tulsa Family News
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
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Tom Neal
Date
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April 2000
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James Christjohn
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legranbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, March 2000; Volume 7, Issue 3
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English
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/599
"Operation Montreal"
2000
adoption
AIDS
AIDS Quilt
aMUSEments
arts and entertainment
Audra Sommers
Bars
Blood Donation
businesses
Census
Christian Coalition
churches
civil unions
Council Oak Men's Chorale
Diversity celebration
Dr. Grethe Cammermeyer
Dr. Laura
Gay marriage
Gay Studies
Greg Louganis
Harmonic Diversity
hate crime bill
HIV
holocaust
homophobia
Human Rights Campaign
Jim Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
Liberation Publications
Living ArtSpace
marriage equality
military inclusion
NAMES Project
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
OK Spoke Club
Partner Benefits
performing arts
PlanetOut Inc
Pride
Raging Lesbian
Read All About It
restaurants
Soulforce
Texas Lesbian Conference
Tom Neal
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Repertory Theatre
-
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cf15973a5275e8195487a21b5d7d7507
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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Bomber of London
Gay Pub Pleads Guilty
LONDON (AP) - A man accused of setting off~in~bs
i Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulaans, Our Families + Friends
: Tulsa’s Largest Circulation CommunityPaperAvailable In More Than 75 City Locations
Louganis to Lead Pride 2000
¯ Olympic Champion Will Be Parade Grand
¯ Marsha|l and Black Tie Dinner Speaker
The Rev. Mel Whiteto Begin Week’s Events
TULSA - Some Gay community observers might have thought Rights, the parent
apparently targetedatracial minorities andGays pleaded "
guilty to three counts of manslaughter late in February "
and admitted causing three explosions thatinjuredmore
than a hundred people. David Copeland, 23, admitted "
planting the bomb that killed three people on April 30,- "
at the Admiral Duncan, a Gay pub in central London. "
Prosecutors did not immediately accept the ¯
manslaughter pleas, and a further hearing was set for "
sometime in March. Copeland also admitted ¯
responsibility for explosions .on April 17 in Brixton, a :
south London neighborhood with a large black ¯
population; and April 24in Brick Lane, an east London "
neighborhood with a large Banglades.~ population. "
NY State’s 1st Gay Mayor "
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (AP)-. Dan Stewart, New
York’s first openly Gay mayor, is intimately acquainted ."
with Gay-bashing bigots..AYter all he used to beone.."
"When I was in high school, two boys went to court over .
the right to go to the prom together," Stewart said. "I ¯
spoke out loudly against them on TV, on the steps of the
RhodeIsland Supreme Court. Imade amockery ofthem
- because I knew who I was, and I was scared ~to. death
people would find me out." ¯
Two decades later, Stewart has no such fears. He was "
open about his homosexuality when he ran for mayor of ¯
this lakeside city near the Canadian border last fall. "I
told the people,’Iam what ! am- Takeme or leaveme,"’ :
Stewart said."Itold them, ’Ifyouchooseto takeme, I’m "
going to do one hell of ajob for you. But if you choose ¯
not tO take me because I’m Gay, I understand. I used to :
be prejudiced too." :
Asittumedout, his sexualitywasn’tanissue. Perhaps ¯
it would have been, had hebronght a male partner to a :
political event during his,six years on the City Council. ¯
But Stewart keeps his personal life out of the public eye :
~- mostly 60 miles away in Montreal, where his partner ¯
lives. It also helped that his opponent, the five-term "
Democratieincumbent, was knOWn for supporting Gay ."
and Lesbian issues such as nondiscrimination statutes, ¯
and had long enjoyed the endorsement of Gay lobby ."
groups. "The.race was on community issues," Stewart "
said. "My opponent never used the words ’sexual ¯
orientation. ’" ¯
Buoyed by endorsements from Republican Gov. ¯
George Pataki and the city police union, the former Air °
Force sergeant and long-haul trucker won by a narrow ¯
margin, becoming one of five openly Gay city mayors ¯
in the country. "
In some ways, Stewart has taken more heat for being "
GOP than for being Gay. The Empire State Pride :
Agenda didn’t endorse him until the llth hour - and
then, he insisted that part of the Gay lobby group’s "
$1,000 campaign donation go to the Republican Party. :
"I always get thesame thing (from Gays) wherever I
go: How canyon be Gay and be a Repubhcan. What as
wrong with you?Are you insane?,’"- said Stewart, a tall, "
dapper man with an enthusiastic manner and a dimpled :
grin. "But there’s a change going on. In exit polls over ¯
the past 10 years, consistently ~a third of people who ¯
identified themselves as Gay have said they voted "
Republican." :
In a recent interview in his second-floor City Hall ¯
office, see Mayor, p. 7 "
that the annual pride festival organizers would be hard pressed to
top their accomplishments of 1999 withUS Congressman Barney
Frank, Democrat from Massachnsetts, serving as grand marshall
of Tulsa’s first Gay Pride Parade.
However, event organizers fromTulsa Oklahomans for Human
Rights, have, at the very least, matched the stature of last year’s
speaker with US Olympic champion, Greg Louganis, to se’ive as
Grand Mhrshall for the Millennium Pride Parade this June.
Louganis’ appearance will cap a week of Pride events which
will begin with aninterfaithworship service featuring the Reverend
Dr. MelWhite. White is known as an author, forhis autobiography,
"’Stranger at the Gate," and formerly as a ghostwriter for right
wing religious leaders like Jerry Falwell. White more recently
has been leading a social change organization, Soul Force,
modeled on the ideas of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mohatmas
Ghandi.
Like White, Louganis is also an anthor and an actor as wall as
an athlete. His autobiography, "Breaking the Surface" topped the
New York Times bestseller list, and as a lecturer, he has spoken
about his chall~nges with a difficult childhood, his struggles in
coming out and with dyslexia, his experience with domestic
violence and with being HIV positive.
Louganis wonhis first Olympicmedal, a silver, at age 16 in the
1976 Games. In 1984, at age 24, he won two gold medals, one for
the platform and one for the springboard - the first man in 56
years to accomplish this feat. In 1986, he again won awards the
same events in the World Championships, and then in 1988, won
double gold medals for diving in two consecutive Olympics.
Louganis will speak at a black fie optional dinner to be held at
the prestigious Summit Club on Friday, June 9th. Tickets for th,e,
event are $75/person and there will be a VIP reception at $50~
person. These events will benefit Tulsa Oklahomans for Human
: Vermont:Married or Partners?
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Lawmakers debated last ~nonth
whether to limit aproposed domesticpartnership system to stonesex
couples or to allow opposite-sex and blood-relative couples
to qualify, also. There are some in the Legislature who believe
that broadening the proposal might make it more politically
palatable to a greaternumber ofpeople, improving its d~ances of
passing. But others argue that such a revision would diminish the
central aimofthelegislation beingdraftedby theHouse Judiciary
Committee: providing therights andprotections ofeivil marriage
to Gay and Lesbian couples.
As the Judiciary Committee prepares to finish its work on the
bill,that debate is coming into sharper relief. Members of the
committee faced the issue, along with the potential political
implications. "Iunderstand that there are people who see expanding
this ... enhances the attractiveness of the legislation," said
Committee Chairman Thomas Little, R-Shelburue. "’But I’m not
sure we have the time to expl.ore all that stuff." "I support that in
prineiple, but it’s a significant diversion from what we’ve been
working on," said Rep. Steve Hintgen, P-Burlington. "q hope it
doesn’t drive this to a halt." "ff you don’t do it you might drive
it to a halt," said Rep. Michael Vinton, D-Colchester.
In sum, that’s what the comunttee faces. In recognition of that,
Little has been trying to develop a companion to the domestic
partnership systemknown as reciprocal benefits, that falls short
of the marriage-like benefits that would be provided to Gay and
Lesbiancouples. Thereciprocal benefits,.however, might include
workers’ compensation benefits that could flow to a reciprocal
benefits partner, certain inheritance and real estate and other
property benefits.
Althouglino votes have been taken,noconsensus has developed
in the Judiciary Committee that opposite-sex couple should be
included in the domestic partnership system, which the panel has
taken to calling "civil domestic unions." There also has not been
a lot of discussion in the committee about permitting blood
relatives- such as two brothers, two sisters, a brother and a sister,
or a daughter and her elderly mother - to become domestic
partnerships.
¯ But such expansions have been discussed down th~hall in the
Ways and Means Committee, the tax-writing panel that will have
to review the tax implications of the bill Rep. Albert Perry, DRichford,
see Vermont, p. 5
orgamzation of the
Gay Community
Center and
Oklahoma’s oldest
Lesbian and Gay
non-religious
organization.
Organizers
anticipate that the Greg Lougams
parade will follow
the stone route as last year, beginning at the Ga~’
Community Center.at 37th and Peoria and ending.
at Veterans Park at 18th and Boulder. The parade
will begin at llam. The Pride Festival will also
begin at Veterans Park at 1 lain and will continue
till about 7 or 8pro, finishing off the week’s events.
TOI-IR organizers include Kerry Lewis as
chairperson of the overall effort, "Htunanity United
for Human Rights - Diversity Celebration 2000,"
Greg Gatewood,TOHR presidentandfestival chair.
Audra Sommers, parade chair, Lynn Moesteller,
sponsor chair, Mitchell Savage, media chair, Kris
Kohl, festival entertainment chair and Ned Bruha,
in charge of festival booths and beverages.
Other Pride events include a Soul Force workshop,
led by the Rev. Mel White, to be held in the
Performing Arts Center (PAC) LowerLevelTheatre
onJune3, Saturday,from 2-5pro (free). That evening
also at thePACDoenges Theatre,theTOHRFollies,
not seen for a number of years, will reprise, 100
Years of Broadway with tickets available through
the PAC. see Pride, p. 11
:
Gordmans recently invited diva Audra Sommers
to try shopping with them again after shefirst
receivedpoor treatment atthe Yale Ave. store.
Sommers praised the Corporate and store
managementfor their.responsiveness,
Gay Men’s Chorale to
¯ Hold Spring Concert
¯ TULSA- Council Oak Men’s Chorale will present
¯ two concerts on Friday and Saturday, April 7 & 8
¯¯ at 8pm in the John Williams Theatre of Tulsa’s
¯ Performing Arts Center. The concerts, entitled
"’Harmonic Diversity" will feature music from
~ Broadway tunes, 5O’s & 60’s pop songs, "sea
¯ chanteys," a Welsh lullaby, and a baroque piece.
-" The Green Country Cloggers will perform a cameo
¯ number.
: The Council Oak Men’s Chorale is a fellowship
of Gay men dedicated to musical excellence who
: seek to provide a source ofpride, unity and support
," and to present a positive image for themselves, the
¯ Gay community and to society, as a whole. The
¯ group is a chapter of the Tulsa-baSed Vocal Pride
Foundation, and a member of GALA: the Gay and
" Lesbian Association of Choruses.
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Full Moon Cafe, 1525 E. 15th
*Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria
*The Mix, 2630 E. 15th
*Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*Silver Star Saloon, 1565 Sheridan
*The Storm, 2182 S. Sheridan
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’s, 21145. Memorial
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd
712-2324
610-5323
583~6666
749-4511
749-1563
744-4280
745-9998
83~ ~234
835-2376
585-3405
660-0856
584-1308
Tulsa,Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Advanced Wireless & PCS, Digital Cellular
*Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard
Kent Balch & Associates, Health & Life Insurance
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 523 1 E. 41
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21
*.Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria
*CD Warehouse, 3807e S. Peoria
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
74%1508
743-1000
747-9506
250-5034
665-4580
712-1122
712-9955
494-2665
743-5272
746-0313
581-0902, 743-4117
622-0700
749-3620
58%2611
744-5556
838-8503
712-9379
592-0460
744-9595
610-0880
628-3709
808-8026
742-1460
459-9349
744-7440
745-1111
341-6866
712-2750
582-3018
747-0236
582-8460
599-8070
747-5466
585-1234
584-3112
663-5934
664-2951
838-7626
743-4297
747-5932
834-0617
,747-4746
’749-6301
260-7829
481-0558
835-5563
743- 1733
665-2222
592-0767
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th
*Devena’s Gallery, 13 Brady
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan
*Ross Edward Salon 584-0337,
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main ""-
*Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E 55th H.
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr.
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance &financial planning
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly
*International Tours
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210
*Living ArtSpace, 19 E. Brady
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd
Mingo Valley Howers, 9720c E. 31
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo
*The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2rid floor
Rainbowzon the River B+B, PUB 696, 74101
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921
*Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square
Paul Fay, Car Salesman
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counsding
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, PUB 4337, 74101 579-9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black & White, Inc. PUB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center. 2207 E. 6 583-7815
*B/L!G/T Alliance, Univ. ofTulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th PI. & Florence
*ChurchoftheRestorationUU, 1314N.Greenwood 587-1314
*CommunityofHope United Methodist, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595
Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888
*Ddaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, PUB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free Spirit Women’s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, PUB 52344, 74152 747-6827
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
PUB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159
o-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Neal
Writers + contributors: ~-
James Christjohn, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche,
Lamont Lindstrom, Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers
Member of The Associated Press
Issued on or before the 1st of each month, the entire contents
of this publication are protected by US copyright 1998 by
Td~ /:~.,,.z~ N~, and may not be reproduced either in
wholeorin partwithout writtenpermissionfromthepublisher.
Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s
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publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes
the sole property of T~~ ~:~ Ntau¢, Each reader
is entitled to 4 copies of each edition at distribution
points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
Friends in Unity Social Org., PUB 8542, 74101 582-0438
*HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583-6611
*Tulsa C.A:R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
*Holland Hall _School, 5666 E. 81st 481-1111
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
*House of the H01y Spirit Minstries, 3210e So. Norwood
Interfaith AIDS Ministries 438-2437, 800-284-2437
*MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral H.. 748-3111
NOW, Nat’l Org. forWomen, PUB 14068,74159 365-5658
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), PUB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tulsa
PFLAG, PUB 52800, 74152 749-4901
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
*R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
O’RYAN, support group for 18-24 LGBT young adults
O’RYAN, Jr. support group for 14-17 LGBT youth
St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882
St. Dtmstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
*St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
*TNAAPP (Native American men). Indian Health Care 582-7225
Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. forHuman Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297
T.U.LS.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*Tulsa Gay Community Center, 1307 E. 38,74105 743-4297
UnityChurch ofChristianity,3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
BARTLESVILLE
*Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN
*Borders Books&Music, 3209NWExpressway 405-848-2667
*Borders Books & Music. 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
TAHLEQUAH
*Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
*Tablequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
*Green Country AIDS Coalition, PUB 1570 918-453-9360
NSU School of Optometry, 1001 N. Grand
HIVtesting every other Tues. 5:30-8:30, call for dates
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23
*Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main
DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
Emerald Rainbow, 45 &1/2 Spring St.
MCC of the Living Spring
Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429
Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery
Positive Idea Marketing Plans
Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East
White Light, 1 Center St.
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
*Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U 134
501-253-7734
501-253-7457
501-253-6807
501-253-5445
501-253-9337
501-253-2776
501-253-5332
501-624-6646
501-253-6001
501-253-4074
417-623-4696
* is where you can lind TFN. Notall areGay-owned but all are Gay-friendly.
by Michael Kuchwara
DENVER (AP) -The audience is greeted
by a bare, black brick wall, a single light
and a row of wooden chairs and desks.
Later, a few video screens and film clips
are added.
¯ Still, nothing else is reallyneeded to tell
¯ the story of Matthew Shepard and the
effect his-murder had on the town-of
¯ Laramie, Wyo. It is a spartan, yet
¯ appropn,’,ate setting for "The Laramie
Project, astirring, emotional tale, almost
¯ epicinscaleas itswirls through thedetails
of this young gay man’s brutal death and
¯ how the residents ofLaramiedealtwithit.
The-play, which had its world premiere
¯ in February at the DenverTheater Center,
¯ presents a cavalcade of characters
¯ portrayedby eightactors from theTectonic
TheaterProject, aNewYork-based troupe.
¯ They even play themselves.
"TheLaramie Project," writtenby these
¯ actors as well as otherTectonicmembers
including founder Moises Kaufman, was
drawn from their interviews with more
than 200 people. Yet it is more than just
,docudrama. It is a story of feeling as well
¯
as fact. Each gets its fair share of stage
¯ time, grounding the evening in reality
¯ without sacrificing the emotional intensity
of people trying to deal with their hopes,
¯ fears and prejudices.
¯ What makes "The Laramie Project" so
¯ intriguing are its shades of gray. Nothing
is simple. There are no easy answers in
coming to terms with Shepard’s death.
¯ Kaufmanandctmpanypresenta variety
¯ of memorable portraits culled from their
taped interviews. There’s Reggie Fluty,
¯ thepolicewomanwhountied Shepardfrom
¯ the fence post. As vividly portrayed by
¯ Mercedes Herrero, Fluty is a vibrant
¯ woman, confronted with something so
¯ horrific that she says, at one point, "They
¯ show showed me a picture.., days later
I saw a picture of Matthew... I would
¯ have never recognized him."
¯ Equally unnerving are comments from
Rulon Stacey, spokesman at the hospital
where Shepard died. In Greg Pierotti’s
intense performance, Stacey breaks down,
¯ watclfingthecourageofShepard’sparents
¯ as they confront their son’s death. Pierotti
also gives weightandan emotional honesty
: to the commonsense statements from a
¯ priest, Father Roger, who decides to get
¯ involved in leading a vigil for Shepard.
What ties the townspeople together are
¯ their efforts to understand. As the doctor
¯ who first treated Shepard when he was
¯ broughtintoaLaramiehospital emergency
¯ room says,"This is something thatoffends
us. I used that word a little earlier and I
¯ think that’s a good word. It offends us!"
Stephen Belber excels at two of the
¯ showier roles in the play - particularly a
¯ tough-talking taxicab driver who
¯ epitomizes the "live and let live"
¯ .philosophy that threads its way through
." the speeches of many of the many of
¯ people interviewed.
¯ Right now, "The Laramie Project" is
¯ still undergoing changes. Thirty minutes
; were cut from the play after the .first
¯ preview. Even now at two hours and 45
minutes, it could use more of a trim.
: Shepard himself is not a character in
¯ "The Laramie Project," but his presence
¯ haunts the play. It hovers sweetly yet
sadly over the entire proceedings, as well
¯
as the town he loved so much.
That is only appropriate. As one of the
residents says at the end of the evening,
’¢I’he last thing Matthew Shepard saw on
¯ this Earth were the sparkling lights of
Laramie, Wyo."
Lesbian Survey Results
In the past two years, you may have seen an
amlouncement about a study on how "Lesbians and thei?
sisters are similar or different." This mmouncement
appeared in 200 Lesbian mad Gay/Lesbian periodicals
(including Tulsa Family News). It was also sent to 614
Lesbian/Gay religious orgamzations; 105 Lesbian bars:
54 women’s bookstores; 346 cmnpus Lesbian/Gay
Bisexual/Transgender groups; and 83 groups listed as
"’etlltlicimttlticul tural."
Tiffs research was conducted by Esther Rothblum, a
liprofessor
of psychology
at the University
of Ver-mont, who
studies Lesbi~m igsue~.
She was interested~in
how Lesbians mid their
heterosexual sisters
differ on demographic
factors.
For exanlple, manv
studies about Lesbimas
have found them to be
highly educated, not
very religi,ous, and
livi~’lg in l:u’ge cities.
Obviou_’~ly, this does
not describe all
Lcsbia~, but there
mav be reasons why
Lesbimls are differeut
flom women iu the
general U.S.
population.
.... eontrlbutes
to [Lesbian]
demoSraphle
factors?
¯ .. }-][ere are some
speeulatlons:
- Hi her
education
may result in
beeomln
Lesbian . . Y
For example, Lesbians may move to large cities to find
other Lesbians, to moveaw@froth their parents and their
politically conservative home town, or to be more
anonwnous. Similarly, Lesbians nmy have high levels of
education bccanse they didn’t get married innnediately
after lugh school, or didn’t have clfildren at a you age.
In this study, Rothblunt conipared Lesbians’~vith thei?~
sisters. Unlike members of other minority groups (e.g.,
African-Americans, Jews, inunigrants), Lesbians (mad
Gay men) differ m one importm~ respect in that their
sibhngs me generally members ofthe domimmt gr0tq~
(hctcrosexnalsL In the case of biological sisters, thex
would share the stone race m~d etlmicitv, and have had th~
s~une parents. The\ mav also bc close in age. So tiffs
method would allo~, vou’to exmnine the lives of Lesbimls
side by side with sistel.s who m-e not Lesbian.
A total of 1,2(~- questiotmmres were requested bx
email, telephouc, or mail. mad 762 of these were retullmd.
Ilcrc are the results of the 184 sister pairs iu which one
was Lesbim] mid the other \vas heterosexual:
- Lvsbians arc older thm] their heterosexual sisters.
- Lesbiaus are also more likely to be first-bores when
looking at ages of all l)rother’s mad sisters. (This is
interesting, because research on Gay men has sho~vn
thcnt to be younger sons.)
- Lesbians have higher levels of education th,’m do diet r
heterog~’,~Ual sisters.
- Heterosexual women are more likely to be
homemakers than their Lesbian sisters. There ,are no
differences in other types of employment status, or on
occupational level.
- Because Lesbians have higher educationM levels,
they would be expected to have a higher individual
income. Still, Lesbians mad dleir heterosexual sisters had
similar individual mid fanlily incomes.
- Heterosexual women were part of formal religions iu
adulthood, whd’~as L~lSfan~ Were mtte likely to endorse
altenmtive spiritual beliefs.
- Lesbians were more likely to be living with a female
partner or living alone. Heterosexual sisters were more
likely to be married, li vh~g with:a,~ale p.,?r,mer, m~d living
with children
- For those wonlen . in a relationslfip
with a partner (121 Lesbians ,and 149 heterosexual
women), heterosexual women have been in this
relationsltip for a longer time period ( 11.4 years) than
Lesbians (6.87 years).
- Lesbians were more likely to be"]iving in a large city
than their heterosexual sisters.
- There is no sig~fificant difference in how many years
sister pairs have been living in their current location.
- But Lesbians live further from their previous location
than do heterosexual sisters.
¯ by Dave Fleischer
: Senior Fellow, Policy Institute
¯ National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
¯ As ourcommunity faces anew wave of Millennial anti-
" Gay ballot measures, it would be easy to be fearful about
¯ our prospects. After all, eight out of twelve votes on
¯ homophobic referenda went against us in 1998 and 1999
¯ alone. Yet the shocking thing about our cotmnumty
¯
losing so many elections is that we actually "know how to
¯ win them.
What effective strategy
¯ persuades voters to stand
:-, with-us? After six years
¯ training Gay, lesbian,
¯ bisexual and transgender
¯ (GLBT) leaders around the
¯ country to run for office and
¯ manage campaigns, I know
¯ it’ s when we "come out mad ¯
talk" - engage voters one-
¯
on-one and ask them what
¯ they think.
¯ Vehen we do, the fuzz)’,
unflattering image of us as
¯ oddities from an X-Files episode dissolvcs._ Voters
¯ reconsider who we are and are much less likely m fall
¯ for propaganda that makes us out to be something we’re
¯ not.
Just as importantly, what proven strategy identifies
¯ voters who are already supportive? The very stone
¯ conversation. Because when we do "voter I.D.’" -askiug
¯ each voter "Can we count on your vote’?" - we build a
¯ reliable list of Gay and pro-Gay voters to whom ~ve can
¯ return, to turn out our vote, election after election. Since
¯ many of our strongest supporters often miss clectious, ~vc
_. lose without this kind of follow-up.
Making a voter I.D. list isn’ t glamorous, but it makes or
¯" breaks our campaigns across the country. Maine offers a
useful case study. In February 1998, fineGLBTconmlunit3
¯ lost Maine’s state-wide law bmnung discrinlination ou
the basis Of sexual onentation. It had taken Maine leaders
ten years to pass the law: die Christian.C.oalition erased it
ten months after it passed, despite a vali-anl battle bv our
How did we lose? The New York Times post-electiou
analysis was ~ shockingly clear. It quoted a Bowdoin
.: College professor with 25 years, of Maine polling
¯ experience, who said, "Maine is no more mtolcrmn than
¯
other states, and given a well-lq_ln "gay;-rights- c&mpatgn,
would likely split into tw.o canlps, with 55%. supporting
’Gay rights’ mad 45% against." A well-rim cmnpaign is
built on turmng out its base. The low turnont of pro-Gay
voters cost us the election.
How did the Christian Coalition tuna out ~ ts supporters.
¯ when we couldn’t? They prepared for the election by
starting tQ identify their voters well m ad\m~ce. Eigl~t
months before electiol~ day, the Cln’istian Coalitiou
gathered 58,000 petition si~latures to call the February
1998 election. They began the cmnpaign With the name,
address and phone number of 58.000 voters who they
could turn out to vote.
Pro-Gay activists started withno sitnilar list. We cotfld
have- m November 1995. voters across Maine defeated
ml m~ti-Gay measttre. But the "95 cmnpaign didn’t talk
with voters oue-on-ouc to idenlify our supporter,s. Of the
221.562 people who voted with us, our comnmnity eudcd
"... eight out of twelve votes on
homophoble re~erencla went-a.~M~nst
us in 1998 and 1999 alone.
Yet the shoekin$ thln$ about our
eommunlty losln$ so many eleetlons
is that we actually
hnow how to win them . . 7’
the canlpaign -l~aowing the
nmnc. address and phone
number of fewer than 3000
Gav.and pro.Gay,voters. - -.
X\~ began the" 98 cmnpmgn
with 30(~) on our list..versus
58,000 on theirs. Whc~
e]ectiou day ’98 crone, wc
lost by 7.299 votes, bccansc
83,409 who voted wiOa us in
"95 didn’t ttma out to vote
again in "98. We lost Ihal
election, but we shouldnt
lose [le~’l - so long as
lcmn from theexpencucc.
For cxmnple, wc will likely fnce an anti-’Gay repeal
vote just like Maine’s m *’liami-Dade Couutx The
upconm~g cmnpmgl~ is hatmtcd bx the one wc losl [111977
It Anita Brvaut"s "’Save timChildren" cauapai~n
Fortunatel y, key leaders in SA VI ~ Dade, the local lmlnan
rights group, Jorge Murstfli. Shcila O’Fmlell, Gcore
Kctclholm. mid Griscl R~xlrigncz, have begun to bnihl
their list. By lcachiug lcssous flom other canq)aigus, thcx
have motivated their vohmtccrs to talk face-to-face
VOleI’S.
On July 29. SAVI~ l)adc had its biggest voter I
success v~t. In twelve hours. 300 volunteers had facc-tofacc
couversations with 4.909 voters. SAVE Dadc has
~dreadv built its list to iududc 15.000 Gay and pro-(~a
vol~rs.
Ofcourse. 15.0(~) i s not cu~)n~ h. ’l’bc Chfis finn ( ~o~ d i u
will begiu their cmnpmgn with a lisl of 33,000 SUpl)ortcr~
of their own. Ihe number ol l)ClH~on ~igllaturc~ Ihc~
to put lhc issue on lhc ballot
Butdm SAVE l)adc strategy to invite our fi’icnds to Ihi
election ~s a winning one. On July 29, as they realized
what they had done and bcguu, Shcila O’ Farrell c-nmilcd
me: "’Well. Dave. you szfid 6.000 and I laughed. You ~aid
30 phonc bm~k~ with 10+ vohmtccrs m~d I rolled m~ c~
And tomght we exceeded any expectations I ever had
do you kuow what? 1 guess that trap we teach rcall’
woi:ks~ I think 1 had quit bclicvmg thal Thanks
cliallenging mc "
In tough elections, there is uo SmUt Claus. XVc have
~lOW who our friends ;u’c if we xv~uit to win:’]’o klloXv xx
they ~u-c, wc have lo ask. onc-oll-OllC. Then wc C~l~
thai List mid check il twice - and win the Iougla election.
that lic almad
- Lesbimls live flirther from their lnother :rod from thcilfather
than do their heterosexual sisters
- l~sbim~s have moved to fl]cir CUlTent locatiou because
of their oxvn cducatiou. I [ctm’oscxtud women have movcd
to their cu~ent location because of their partuer’s job.
- Lesbians have higher self-esteem titan do their
beterosexuM sisters
-There are at differences bet~veen sister pmrs ou any
measure of mentM health (such as depression, m~xietv.
etc,)
z Lesbians and their hEterosexnalsigters ~e 6x~ctlx the
san~e average height (5 feet 5 inches) but Lesbians w~igh
more (161 lbs on average) than do hctcroscxn~d sisters
(143 lbs). -Lcsbimis are more likel~ to have been in
l)sychotherapy than their heterosextu~ sisters.
- Both sisters tend to have heMth insurance, but
heterosexual sisters are more likely to have health
insurance through their parmer, and to have dental
lnstlr~lce,
hnplications:
HeterosexuM women ~e more like census data of U.S
women than are Lesbians on: m~age, living wifl~ rome
pm’tner Ctfildren Religion ~ucation Population density
Convelfience smnples of~sbim~ flint fiud that I ~sbim~s
live in l~ge cities, ~e lfighly educated, have a lo~v
income relative to education, and may not be religious,
may~morerepresentative ofthe ~sbians who p~ficipate
m Lesbian communily organizatious ~md c\cnt.s
What is it about being a Lesbian that contributes to
dcmoglaphic factors? llcrc arc some speculations:
13cing older and firsl boru may result in Increased
education.
- Not bciug mmTied or havi~ tg children at a yotmg age,
living Mone and/or not beiug in a long-term rclationslfip
umv. result iu highcr education and geographic mobility.
tli~hcr education may result iu becoming I.csbimi
- Liging in l~ge cities nmy expose women to l.esbian
" d0nmlfinifies. ............
Wlmt is it abont being a Lesbian that contribntcs
mental health and other factors’? Ilelc arc some
specu.lati ous:
- Do l.esbians reln~fin<~m~l:byedin order to mmff}ain
hcMth insurance whereas liet:~ro~eXnM lnm’ried
can become homenmkers due to their husbands’ 6cncfits?
- Are Lesbiaus less focused ou weight and appearance?
Or do heavier young women become ~sbians m~d!or
increase edncadon becanse of fewer dating or relatiouship
options?
- Does Lesbians" greater use of psychotherapy account
for dmlack ofmentM hemth differences between ~sbians
(a stiglnatized group) and their heterosexnM sisters?
- Does belonging to a supportive conmm~fity account
for Lesbians’ higher self-esteem
A
Newspapers Refuse to
Print PFLAG .Listing
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A family of weekly
newspapers distributed free to 126,000 Central Coast
households and businesses has created an outcry over
its refusal to publish news deemed favorable to Gay
orpro-choice viewpoints. More than adozeneditorial
employees of tWO of ~he papers have quit since the
policy came to ,light last week.
The papers, which circulate in San Luis Obispo,
Paso Robles andAtascadero, have beenhit with about
400 cancellation-requests. Earlier this week, about
100 people protested outside the County courthouse
in San Luis Obispo, some carrying signs that read,
"No Bigotry. in My ~owa,’:
: The c~rttro~er~y:ste:r0s from:a ¢:ommuuity calendar
listing; for~ Parents, Friends and ~Eamily~0f Lesbians
ahd ~ays~ Bisexuals .and Transgendered Persons,
which ran in the’Atascadero Gazette from Nov. 25
until Feb..17.~’=That’ s whe,n the paper’s editor, Ron
Bast, wa~ ioid tlie chain S owner had 6rdered the
listing pulled.Bast-said he was told there were to be
no storie~ tli~ ~lit~ed Gays or abortioninafavorable
light. He has since quit, saying he believes the paper
has failed in its mission to provide unbiased coverage
of the community.
Civil rights acavists, meanwhile, said theywere
appalled at the action ofcompany owners Mary and
DavidWeyrich."Hehas th~ fight todothi~ofcourse,
¯ incorporating as a nonprofit organization, outlining
: possible programs and figuring outhow to pay for the
¯ gathering place.
: Travis Blackwell, 33, co-chairman of the planning
~ committee, said he hoped the center would be a place
¯¯ for anyone to getin touch with the Gay community.
"And I hope it will raise asvareness, understanding
: and tolerance for the lesbian, Gay, bisexual and
transgender community," Blackwell said. "That’s.
one aspect. Theotheris actually having a central place.
where we cau all be safe and meet and take part in
programming and workshops and things that better
each of us as well as our community as a whole.’"
Gay centers across the country offer everything
from soccer leagnes to medical services, counseling
-and day.care. Although cities nationwide of about the
same size as-Charlotte have had. them.for years, no
other North Carolina city has a center, qocai ;Gay
leaders ,said.
In 1996, Mecklenburg County commissioners cut
arts funding after a local production of the Pulitzer
prize-winning play "Angels in America," because of
its homosexual content. And last year, Samantha
Gellar won a contest for young playwrights in 1999
with her story of two women who meet on a bus, fall
in love and share a kiss. The contest sponsors would
not allow it to be performed, saying its subject matter
was not appropriate for the festival’ s middle and high
school audience. .
United in
God’s Love
MCC-United
Sunday Worship Reverend Cathy Elliot
11=00 am Pastor
623 N. Maplewood 9181838-1715
" ~ i" f"~ .........
Community Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
at Community ofHope
2~Lg South Yale, Sundays at llam, "/49-0595
A Welcoming Congregation
hnttheparttliatupsetmepers°nallyisthathehadaI MiSSiSsippi Lawmakers
representing this as atmecommuuity .newspap~," Move to Bar Adopbons said Robyn Murphy, past president ~of.the central, i
Coast Gay and.L~bian Alliance. . .... i , , . . ; JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi lawmakers
The vtfeytichs m-owned billlioard giant Martin.i moved, to bar Gay couples from adbpting children
Mediabefoxe thecompany wassold fo~$610 mi’llion, with a Tuesday debate about morality and the fea~ of
great deal of support starting out because he was
HOUSE OFTHE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
t... ,~,~,~ ~,,. :rt..,~..,, u~,~. ~ \Ve~,~,~ : e~ag homosexuality. The executive director Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm
Wim,~v Tlu~_v mtMi~ho~l a ~lat~mt~.nt ~,i Ihe~r ° Of~Misst$$1[~!. ~list Cofl¥1~aUon Boald teld a
p.mt.os.op.n.~.tn..re.ce.nt.e.m.uoUS.. .t.n..c. issu~c ~nas ¯. ~Hou.s~e su.b..c-m.n.:m.m.ee..th.at.e.h¯iidr©n rinsed
~,:~z,’~n~’~’~ ~1~ U~ith ;nt,~orilW mtt4 ~ih0 tnd~ Wifl~ - ¯ Ilomosexuals 0~i10,1~ more mt~v to ue troy.
.... ~:~..~.~ .... ............. ¯....-, ..... ~ ...... Opponentssmdtheyfeareddieadoptionbanwould ’ ~ " [
....=~,, v~v,,-- " ¯ ’ ** * " ..... " ...... v....................... Licensed Professional & National Certified
~ ~ .... ° " ....¯ "- -;: = ;’d -~ ; onentauon =s irrele ant m adopttons; .... ......
uast ann omer mrmer stm;ers Sma mey m not , ¯ ,~,~-~; t,^^,,_:,,= ~:=,~:.....
editorial content of the publicattons when theylbegan ¯ . _~ :_ ,t.~. r... u..... ~. a:.~. -
m.~t.rj.ous, xnep,a~e,rs,ue~g~o:p~p~nexntgmt~t~.um ~r,: Barber said he eame to the Capitol on behalf of a Aft~l"Hours AppointmerltsAvailabl~
wire iwo more scneameo . . . , , .
................. s saidthe : Gaycoupletrymgtoadoptachild ‘They re upstanding 2865 E. Skelly Drive, Suite 21.5, 745-1111
Wevrichs ar~ notdictatino content. iuSt our ¯. etuzens~ ~neynappentouenomosexna~ -notrelevant.
philosophy, which has ~. d~ from day one."
"The staff onboard has a dear understanding of the
Weyrichfamilyandtheirvalues," he said. "Inpublisher
meetings throughout the pastmonths,wehave covered
these topics in depth."
He said-the Gazette papers, which promote
themselves with the slogan "Hometown Journalism
at its Best" on the bottom of each front page, also
refuse advertisin,g from nightclubs and tobacco
companies. ~’We ve picked.up 13 new advertisers
because of this," Hansen said. "We’ve received 400
e-mails this week that arejustpo,sitive mid supportive.
Pemple resiXct,,us for’what ~ve ve Said ~and that we
stand up for it.
One observer says the debaie has at least one upside
- forcing residents to discuss the meaning of the First
Amendment. ’YI’he idea that free speech and a free
press is being discussed is extremely healthy,!’ said
Randall Murray,a California Polytechnic,,U,niversity,.
San Luis Obispo, journalism professor¯ While not
embracing~Weydchor..his,views, ~ereali~.Lhat he is
peffecdy secure to set editorial policy. Rather than
impose on him ,o,ur editorial policing, the remedy is
coUnter-speech. " i ’ ~: "
Charlotte Gays Plan
Community Center
CHARLOTTE (AP) - Charlotte, the city that has
drawn national attention in recent years for its anti-
Gay atmbsphere, could have its first-ever community
center for Gays as early as 2002.
The Community Center Planning Committee will
spend the next six months scouting for a location,
¯ They would make good parents," Barber said.
" The Rev. Jim Futral, the Baptist leader, said by
~ allowing Gays to adop,t., the state would encourage
¯ homosexual lifestyles. These kids will be influenced
¯" in a way wedon’ t want them tO beinfluenced," he said
: during the hour-long meeting. Rep. John Reeves, RJac.
kson, the subcommittee chairman, said the bill
was not meant to punish Gay people but was "trying
to do what’s right by the children." Rep.. Gary
Chism, R-Columbus, said legislators should be
concerned about children and "we shouldn’t place
them. in a lifestyle that’s unnatural." "It gives an
indication to thatchild that this is aproperrelationship,"
Chism said.
Mississippi is among five states this year debating
legislation over adoptions, by Gays, according to
Hector Vargas,’a lawyer for the Washington-based
National Gay and Lesbian TaskForce~o,The others.are
. Hawaii, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah: vargas
said judges’ rtmin consideration "should be whether
or not the parents are a loving couple and can provide
for the child." "
The bill also says that the state will not recognize
¯ adoptions by Gay couples in other states. That
: provision could be unconstitutional, Vargas ~id.
"_ Several states have been sued over policies banning
¯ Gays from adopting.. Only Horida statutorily bars
" Gay couples from adopting.
~ Robin Lemer, staff attorney for the American Civil
¯ Liberties Union in Mississippi, said state lawmakers
: shouldbe worried about crime committed by children
¯ who grow up without families. ’‘The greater issue is
" how can we best raise children to be good adults," she
said.
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Georgia Hate Crimes Bill
ATLANTA (AP)- Several hours after Palm Sunday
seryices ended at Red Oak United Methodist Church,
parishioners found themsdves watching from the
cemetery outside as the ehnrch was Consumed by fire
set by monists. "I stood there in the graveyard with
mymembers, singing while it burned down," saidthe
.Rev. John W: Pace, pastor of the black church in
Stoekbridge. ’ It was hopeless. We could not stop the
fire."
Pace says his congregation was victimized by a
hate crime. And he wasn’t alone in asking the Hons~
~ J~.di~ary C0mmitte,elo appr~ove stiffer penalties.for
cn.mes .~lotivated by race, religion, gender or sexnal
onentataon.
Committeemembers also hear~~rom arabbi whose
-synagogue was vandalized and a Gay mm~ who was
assaulted with a knife at his throat. "Terrorism has an
impact both on the victims and an .impact on the
community at !arge," said Sen. Vincent Fort, DAtlanta,
~e bill s author. "Hate crimds are terrorism
because of that fear."
Barron Segar,.a professional fund-raiser, told the
committeehow he was~surrounded by eight menafter
-leaving aGay nightclub in Atlanta:in 1992. One ofthe
men grabbed Segar from behind and helda knife to
¯ But Rep. Dan Grossman, D-Denver, and other
: oppo.nents said the Vermont Legislature appears to be
¯¯ moving towardrecognitionof ’~domesticparmerships’’ rather,than same-sex marriages. The final vote came
¯ after opponents argued it was a simple attack on ¯
homosexuals. "Thebillis nothingmore than something
: based on fear and I think it is an irrational fear,’"
: Grossman said. "What horrible thing would happen
: to us. It s gratmtous and mearisspirited:’" ~, - :
¯ Supporters denied that. "It’s based oh the
¯ accumulated wisdom and experience of cultures for
¯ 7,000 years," said Rep. Shawn Mitchell, RBroomfield.
"We alwayshave i:ecognfized as-self-
!eviklent that marriage i~s~joinih~dfopt~site m~mbers
:~ .,o~ the human species." Pas~hail !said ~h~ Offered the
measnre as a reiriforcement OP’gootl publicpolicy."
Gay Teens Ask.
,Peers For Tolerance
MIDDLETON, Wis. (AP) - Cal!ing.for an end to
harassment and narrow-mindedeess, a group of Gay
and Lesbian teen-agers and their friends,is trying to
¯ persuade a majority of teachersand students to sign a
p edge ..calling for tolerance_ 9.f ~students of all
hi.s .thro.at. "This is what we do to (Gays)," the man i b~k.:grounds and persuasions..! .... : - . . .
,:v, s;xtut.d~,:~uxs~i;n~g:;.a~n.~,=e.~.p,i.,t.~h.e=t..f~o.r~~=h2o~~.a,:,;o,_s~.e:.x-~u..a.l.s....~~:.e.~a.~l’,t.~~k.e.r...¯ , ~ndse,y.Clough., one of t.he s.~,d.e.nts o~g.amzang the - ~.,.~.~.~;mto ~g~uuuu mau-m¢ men scattere~; u o pma- ge0~,o~ nve.~ stud _s_he. ~dent.do.;~~ es-w...i.m... the GaY
hves-w~th;’me~erV day: tstilt~liaTe=iti!~h~es,’’ ¯ coun~.l!mty m. part tw.eause a ~e friend of her
;Sdgari~"dt~B~ifhly~~ttaek~dis d0h; ( Tli~se~’~r~ed tw~ : family lost a partner to AIDS.. 8hedeS..eti’bed, her
" W~eks mtail ...... ..... " ,, ~. childhood as extremely difficiilt~ .r and said she has
:: :;~ Rabbi;,TS.= ¯Robert Iehay of ~-Coni~te~ati~ix:,or: found. ,Goys and.lesbians to be’,~’0_~e.~0f the most
: VeShalrmre~lled:h0w ~e synagog~e.~ ~D~I~alb. ¯ und..d.~smnd.ingpe°ple I’ve met in.~y~|ifei:r .
"- C0tmtv ~ag vandalizex~1~4,e~;ffi-th~ag~iV",~ai~t’~ " ] ne stug~nt ~oup says its goalis to get most of the ¯d .. - , .r..’~ ¯ M ~1-~ ¯ " ,-~ " ¯ ::Nl~ri:sw~ligas~dthewords~bloodsuek~r~~ ot~b~t~ " : school s 1,600 students and 200. teachers.to s~gn a
,~Sihee’thetL~I~l~ysaid,:the c0n~i~galion ~~-had:a ."-pled~e’.~f!~lerance andinthe.p~to~e~at the
police.om~atev~’serv~ce~unetion=indMing_ i s¢.h~l a~qepts a!l students.....
weddings .iWe~sleepat¯ni~ht;’;hesaid::"Bat~livavs ~. :rng~schoolisoftenaprimepla~efor~a.ystudents
" t~i.tll;an.e~ie :6~,, .in case~°omea,~,;; k~,,,~a,,~ ,,,-: -~ : ¯ to be dbused, accordimz to a reoort last. Year bv the
" Fort~s bill ¯passed -the Senate,bv~jttst’two~rtes ~ Gay,...L~,~fib!an and Strmght Educatto.n Network. The
-. ~arlier thi’s m~nth, Thebi!t~,a!lr~S.~n~es to ii~se -. gr°up~,~9_Yed teens in32 states imd f~un~ that 91
percent of Gay and lesbian teens reported
up to five years in cases Where.~ey determine the : "homo.phobic" remarks at school and 69perccnt said
victims were chosen because of race, color, religion,
national origin, ancestry, ei’hnicity, gendei, disiibility
or s~xiial 0dentationl ...... .
COlorado -Ban-on
Gay Marriage Advances
DENVER, (AP) - A marriage.between, one man and
one woman would be the 0uly uniOn r~cogni2ed as
.legally validby the state under a’bill approved by
House lawmakers. The House,-which approved the
.measureon a 36-29 vote; sent it to-the-Senate, where
-it- probabl.y wDuld :pass,.,according to Sen. Mark
Hillman, R-Burliugton. Senators approved a shnilar
proposal earlier this inonth. Gov. Bill Owens has said
he.would sign the bill if approved by the I eegislature.
In its original version, House Bill 1249 would have
authorized courts to enforcenbnee0n0~nic provigions
of prenuptial ¯contracts Spousoring Rep; "Mark
Paschall, R-Arvada, succeeded Monday in.stfippi.ng
all language from the bill-and substituting it with
provisions to ban same-sex.marriages and to ensiire
the state, would not recognize S,’une-sex marriages
,pefformedJoutside~tsbordet~: :=:~ ,:, ~,,
As it did Moilday, the Hbuse on :ruesda) .rejected
a motiOn ,to~ send the bill to- the:House~:Jddiciary
Committeeforapublic hearing. Moderate~Republieans
_. on.. that, com~ttee.lastl v~ab joined.~t~b~rats in
kiliing a-’.similar;bill2 Coni~nitteemeinb~sargued~hat
they should be allowed.to, giv~ ~the-bill a(public~
hearing; but Paschall and other supporte,,r.s~ said¯ the~
-concept l~as :had extensive public input.
obvious, transparent attempt to kill the bill, said
House Majority Leader Doug Dean; R-Colorado
Springs.
He and other supporters said the measure is
necess.ary to avoid forcing Colorado to officially
re¢ogmze same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.
Supporters said a recent ruling by the Vermont
Supreme.Court called for legislative action on samesex
mamages, and that action could mean official
recognition of such unions.
¯ theyexperieneedsomeformofharassmentorviolence.
" Patrick Kelly, an openly Gay freshman, said that
while Middleton tends to be more accepting of Gay
: students,thanmany otherhigh schools, there is always
¯ room forJmprovement.
¯ "’ LisaAarli, a teacher who advises the student group,
says she has seen great enthnsiasm over the pledge
¯ event. "It’ s given a lot of kids someflfiug to Nab onto
for a lot of different reasons," she,said. :’The kids on
¯ the margins ,are being pulled into something big m~d
¯ prayerful in tke school." . ....
¯
said he beieved the l~gislature sliotfld be.as.inclusive
¯ as possible in the bill nmv, rather th,-m have to face
~ such questio~m agMn some other, time. "My persom~
¯ opimon is I don?t wm~t to have to.go t~ough ins for
" another reason. I don’ t want another ~gislature to go
" tl~ough ~s," he said.
Little wo~d prefer to keep tfie_~co~.e:.’of the bill
focused on the Gay and ~sbi~conples who sued for
" the fight tomTy in the fi~st place..~at’s ~vhy the
qivii d0m~l[¢.u~on bill~so~eloselyznfi~ors~age
¯ statutes. ?We haven’t seen ~y, eviOence that people
¯ that ~e.bro~ers and sisters, bro~ers ~d ’bro~ers,
" sisters: ~d sisters seek to eslablishthe:s~e,.Nnd of
" : inti~m~ -~i!~~:ha~e~felt~th~
discfi~fio~~their efforts toestablis~$~ly
: u~," ~tfle sMd. ’~e desi~ of the ~iIl, we hope, is
" to ereate~ a NNo~on" ~vherN~e~ ~ n6-~:~ateriM
¯ ~ ~, 7 " -~ ~’ ¯ ~:,..~ =~ .: ~:.~;,~ ~,,,~ : ~. ~:~.~ . ¯ff~en~ between ~fir~age-~fl domeshc"umons)
~d t-herefore no consti~utionM differe-n~’~between
" ~ tWO."
. However at a r~ent Repub]i~ S~te Co--tree
: meet~g, Ve~ont Republic.s rejected, at least
¯ tempos]y, a push by the p~ty’s state chM~,
" Pa~ck G~, for a ConsdmdonM ~en~ent
" supporting opposite-gender m~fiage o~y, The
¯ pro~sM stated ~atbemuse ~e state Supreme Court’ s
: derision in B~er v. State open~ ~e door for s~e-
. gender m~age, ~e OenerM Assembly shoedbe~
¯e pro~ss of ~en~ng ~e constitution.
’4,
JeSSeJackson
Get H!Y Test
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Rev. Jesse :
Jackson stuck a cotton swab between his ."
cheek and gums Thursday to demonstrate :
how easy it is to take an oral test for the ¯
virus that causes AIDS and to encourage ."
other black Americans to be tested. "
’q’he crisis has not left. It is no longer "
fron.t-page. It’s not gunfire. It’s not ."
cocame, crack or heroine. It:s not gang ¯
warfare," said the civil rights leader, "
speaking at the Max Robinson Center of "
the Whitman-Walker Clinic, in one of the ¯
capital’s poorest neighborhoods. "But
nobody is safe," Jackson said. "I want to "
send amessage to everyAfrican-American :
that does not know his or her HIV/AIDS ¯
status to get tested." ."
Jackson, who said he had taken a blood "
test for the virus years ago, took the newe~ ]
oral test to draw attention to the issue as ¯
hundreds of people gathered in ¯
Washington for the Johns Hopkins "
University 2000 National Conference on
African-Americans and AIDS¯ ¯
Theresults ofJackson’s testate expected "
to be ready Saturday but, as is common :
practice, they will remain confidential. It ¯
was-not immediately clear if Jackson "
would release results of his test. "
Blacks make up 13% of the U.S. ;
population, but they account for 57% of ¯
all new HIV infections detected and nearly’,.:
half of all cases of full-blown AIDS, "
according to the Centers for Disease ;
Control and Prevention. Additionally, ¯
more treatments have become available, ¯
but AIDS deaths among blacks increased ¯
45% between 1991 and 1996, even as ¯
mortalityamongwhites decreasedby24%, "
statistics show. "
Jackson .called on the president, first :~
lady and leading presidential candidates
to set an example by submitting to testing,
noting, "The first issue is to remove the
taboo and reststance to testing."
Patent Could Block
AIDS Research
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A feud between
two groups of researchers over who owns
the rights to a gene helpful inAIDS therapy
threatens to slow the development ofnew
drugs and treatment, The Los Angeles
Times has reported. Maryland-based
HumanGenomeSciences securedapatent
earlier in February ~hat gives it a 17-year
claim on a gene that apparently controls
how AIDS begins infecting its victims.
However, thebiotechfirm only isolated
and decoded the gene. Company officials
acknowledge they had no knowledge of
its use when they applied.for a patent in
June 1995. Agroup ofacademic scientists
say they were the ones who proved the
gene could be used tO explain why. some
people repeatedly exposed t6 HIV never
develop the disease.
Meantime, the patent, gives Human
Genome Sciences control over who can
use the gene in commercial,devel’0p~ient
of new AIDS drugs, potentially limiting
the practical use ofthe academic research.
The ownership decisionby the U.S. Patent
andTrademark Office outraged the group
ofacademic scientists whosay thebiotech
firm co-opted their discovery.
"If the patent office awards a patent to
someone who clones a gene, even though
they have no notion of its function and no
real idea of its use, that would be like
saying, ’I found a fungus, therefore I
should get credit for penicillin,"’ said the
University of Maryland’s Dr. Robert
:Gallo, Whoheaded the group,of academic
researeher~ studying HIV infection.
That group and several other
independent researchers learned in late
1995 that the gene is a so-called "viral
receptor" that the HtV virus attaches to.
They also discovered that defective
versions of the gene generate a protein
that suppresses infection by preventing
HIV from attaching to cells. "The
likelihood is that this is the molecule that
needs to be used for the virus to go from
one person to another," said New York
University’s Dr. Dan Littman, who also
contributed to the academic study.
William Haseltine, chairman and CEO
of Human Genome Sciences, maintains
companyresearchers did extensive work
isolatingthe gene that justifies the firm’s
ownership of the patent. Haseltine said
thepatentwill notimpede outsid~ research,
adding that the company is making the
gene available to academic researchers at
no cost. He said the patent will only stem
the unauthorized use of the gene for
commercial purposes.
AIDSactivists havereacted withvenom
toward the company, which they accused
of capitalizing on the suffering of others.
"’These guys are the robber barons of the
geneticage," saidGreggGonsalves, policy
director of the Treatment Action Group, a
New York-based AIDS lobbying
organization. ’q’his is not about making
progress on AIDS; its about making
money.’"
Meantime, the U.S. patent office plans
to enforce new guidelines in March that
would require applicants to better
demonstrate the function and usefulness
of discoveries. Officials at the National
Institutes of Health, however, complain
that the new regulations fail to go far
enough.
i Clinton Plan May
¯ Benefit HIV Postive
¯¯ WASHINGTON (AP)- In an experiment
that could significantly, expand federal
¯
benefits to patients with the AIDS virus,
~ the Clinton administration is allowing
.. Maine to provide Medicaid payments to
¯ people are HIV-positive but do not yet
¯ have AIDS. Previously, patients could
; notqualifyuntil theyhadfull-blownAIDS.
¯ Health Secretary Donna Shalala said ¯
Thursday that Maine would be the first
¯ state to offer such a plaff,"whichcan give
." more people living with HIV access to
¯ promising therapies.’" Several other states
: are looking at offering a similar plan,
¯ officials said. "Betterresearch, prevention
¯ and treatment is helping people with this ¯
¯ disease livelonger, healthier lives, even
as.we continue our search fora cure," said
~ Shalala at a conference on black people
¯ with AIDS.
¯: Recentstudies have showfl that the early
use of.AIDS-fighting drugs can slow the
." disease and increase life expectancy.
However, many people with HIV
¯ _generally do not qualify for Medicaid,
¯ which provides health insurance to low-
" income Americans, until they have
¯ symptoms and are considered disabled." ¯
Without the plan, "the Medicaid
¯ program was in the untenable position of
¯ having to wait until someone grew so sick
¯ with AIDS that they became disabled" ¯
before treatment and drugs conld be made
¯ available, said Francis Finnegan, Maine’s
¯ Medicaid director. ¯
¯ The state’s five-year demonstration
projectbeginsinSeptember.Tobeeligible,
¯ a participant must be HIV-positive and
¯ haveanincomeofless thanabout $25,000,
¯Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
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Are You Gay or .Bisexual?
Are You Native American?
Tulsa s Two-Spirited Indian Men’s
Support Group is here-for you! ~_~’/,~
’ Evening sup~ group meetings ¯ , ¯ Sho~ trips, outings and retreats
¯ [ Free HIV testing
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~’:~whlch is three times the federal poverty ,:
level. Before the plan, only children, .:
pregnant women and the elderly or
disabled with incomes below the poverty ! the 37-year-old mayor mused:about
level were eligible for assistance. The surprising twists and turns in his life. "It’s
benefitpackage will indudedrugtherapy,
office visits, lab services, case
management, hospitalizations, mental
health and substance abuse services.
About 1,300 Maine residents are
infected with HIV and 350 have AIDS,
according to the Maine Bureau of Health.
The new waiver will allow the state to
offer treatment to about 300 people who
couldn’ t otherwise afford it. Officials said
the early intervention is expected to reduce
the need for costly hospitalization and
prevent addi tional infections.
Nationally, about 900,000 people are
infected with HIV, a third of those with
full-blown AIDS, said Kathryn Bina, a
spokeswoman for the federal Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. A third
of those whose HIV hasn’t progressed
into AIDS, about 200,000 people, don’t
know they have the disease, she said.
Claudia French, acting executive
director ofAIDS Action, a national AIDS
support group, said more states need to
ad’o~t suchaplan. ’~roday’s announcement
will prolong the lives of low-income
Mainers with HIV, but we want all HIVpositiveAmericans
tohave access to drugs
that could keep them from developing
full-blown AIDS," said French.
’Shooting Gallery’:
to Open in Sydney ¯
SYDNEY, Australia (AP)- This nation’s :
first experimental heroin "shooting ¯
gallery" will open later this year in a "
former pinball parlor in Sydney, the
Uniting Church, which will run the 18- "
month government-approved trial, "
announced at the end of February. "
The Site in Kings Cross, a suburb :
notorious for drug use and prostitution, "
has been approved by New South Wales :
police and the state’s health department. :
It will be run by an expert on AIDS and ¯
aim to provide a clean, safe environment :
for addicts to take their drugs. "Our
primary aim in operating the medically
supervisedinjecting centeris to save lives,"
said Uniting Church spokesman Rev.
Harry Herbert."
New South Wales state premier Bob
Carr said he understood concerns of local
residents who have fought to prevent the
gallery being opened, but said it would
help improve public health. "We think it
mayhelp save lives and get the problems
out of the streets of Kings. Cross into a
medically-supervisedlocation,’? Cartsaid.
Thecenter’ s medical director Dr. Ingrid
van Beck said about 200 addicts would ¯
use the center to shoot up when it opens, :
possibly as early as July,, just weeks "
before Sydney hosts the 2000 Olympic
Games. .
United Nations drugs experts this week "
condemned "shooting galleries" but
authorities in Sydney and two other cities
have said they will forge ahead with plans
to open them.
Want to get involved?
Need to get tested for HIV or
a Coming Out Support Group?
Call 743-GAYS (4297)
Tulsa Gay Community
Services Center
1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor
the
: ~a strangejourney," he said,, shaking
¯ his head. "I started drugand alcohol abuse
: when I was around 10," he said.
¯ The drug and alcohol abuse worsened
when h_e was a teen-ager having conflicts
with his policeman stepfather and
struggling with the emer~ng realization
that .he was Gay.
"I joined the military when I was 18 to
escape a lotof things, and because I wanted
~o be somebody," Stewart said. "And, I
onestly thought that in the military, I d
go straight. It didn’t quite work out that
way. I found more Gay people in the
military than I’d ever known."
His eight years in the Air Force brought
him to this city of 21,000 on the shore of
Lake Champlain. When his tour of duty
ended, he started driving a tractor trailer.
Then came a drug and alcohol relapse.
"I fell flat on my face," Stewart said.
With the help of a network of friends,
Stewart struggled to overcome his
addictions. "I sobered up on Dec. 14,
1988, and I’ve been clean and sober ever
since." It was the recovery process that
led Stewart out of the closet. "I was 26
years old, sitting in the basement of a
church at a recovery meeting at 1 a.m. on
New Year’s Day. I said, ’I can’t stav sober
!,f, I .keep hiding the truth,"’ Stewart said.
It lifted a huge burden. When you live a
lie, you suffer the consequences."
Backin the eabofabigrig, he considered
his furore. "I wanted a sense of inclusion
in the system, having a positive role,"
Stewart said. He got involved with the
AIDS activist group, ACT UP, handing
out condoms on the street. His activism
ultimately led him into mainstream
politics.
Of roughly 500,000 elected officials at
the local and national level across the
country: about 180 are openly Gayand the
vast majority are Democrats, according to
the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a
.Washington-based group flint seeks to
¯ increase the number of Gay and lesbian
¯ public officials. "It’s hard to overstate the
. value of having outstanding opeul3,,’ Gay
~ and lesbian people in public office, said
¯ Sloan Wiesen, a spokesman for the Gay &
: Lesbian Victory Fund. "When Gay and
straight legislators are working together
: on less contentious issues, like education,
; health care, or fixing roads, people are
¯ more inclined to stand up f0rfairness
¯ when a nondiscrimination issue comes
: up," Wiesen said.
Stewart hopes the national attention he "
¯ en.j,,o,ys,by .virtue 0f,,b~,ing aGayRepublican
Will neip the city. I m invited to all these
events - the State of the State address, the
State of the Union. It gives me the
opportunity to get the message out that
Plattsburgh exists, and we need" things
here. A lot of people around the country
want to help, because they want to see me
succeed."
Stewart does have some regrets. 0~e is
that he never worked up the courage:to
talk to his mother about the fact that he’s
Gay before she died in a car acdident four
years ago. "I was making visits to the
White House on Gay issues, but I was
afraid to talk to my own mother about it.
It shouldn’ t have been that way," Stewart
said, his voice trailing off.
Another regret was that he taunted the
boys who wanted to go to the prom at
Cumberland High School.
see Mayor, p. I1
TWO REVIEWS AND A MUSE!
[love John ~Villiams’ film scores. I
really do; they are sweeping, grand things,
alwaySsuitable for driving to, especially
the S~.Wars and Indiana Jones scores¯
Hedidagreatjob.on 1979’s
Draciihi, d~ea~iiig, an
o~atie score that soared
andswooped al,ong with
Dr~c~ffd~tly..It s my all=
score.- too :bad it h~Snot
been reissued comp!etdy
as some of his others have¯
What happened was, way
backwh~,scores were not
released in the version
heardin the film. Williams
was 7::..notorious for
rerecording .chopped up
bits~iof, his: sc0~ds, edited
t6gethdri .....ahogether
diffe~gntly ~ft0ffa~the film,
aadrdea~edas the ori
mdtifnpicture s’dundtrack
qt is a nice thing to
wish for
peace ~ndha~mony
amm~.~p~oipl~
I wonder if it will
’ever kappen. ~
One can, only hope
that. Deganawida
will come along and
help create a world
that engenders
with .a just-too~tight cardboard Slip case
covenng the CD case mid the thick liner
notes abit too tightly, so that getting die
blasted tiring out is enough to prejudice
your listeafing experience (childproofCD
cases?).If you’re a purist
and a Williams collector.,
.this is for you. If not, well,
rent the film.
~ .Jomme~he~mndoahhas
a uewirelease out,and it is
well worth seeking out mid
buying. A member of the
Wolf Clan of the Oneida
(Iroquois) Indians in New
York, Joaame has put out a
:number of bestselling,
award-wi~ufing CDS that
arejustincredible tolisten
to (Orenda, ~Matriarch,
Lifeblood)¯ She_has a
lovely, clear,: bell-like
voice that .Ires an intimate
quality to it that can’t, be
:beat. Sheap,,l~ffed in Peter
Whnt~.y0a ggt Wasnot the laarmony anaong Buffet.t" S y Spirit,:- A
s0u.fidi~,.a~(.~,er~annoying d-f- ¯ ~,, " 1 ’~.- .- Jotmley in,Dance, Drum,
to~p.ufiS.~!, b.uLa reerea.ted
~re~ng~ peop,es_~. : ~ .-m!d:,~oug",,:-and opened
.~rms.~...ash:..o[~,hat rmght ’ : :.. " :~ :;. ’- ~Wo.odstock ~94. :She:~has
ha~g:~n~n!h9 soundtrack at somepoint~ ;. beenailed~-aa!~i-ve Ameii.can:yersion of
In!re.a~..~ ca~_e~.,, this was disap~ointing, ~; Enya,:.a.1,.lhough; L.~eall~-!-hiak.,that’s
This,~beguntochange,firstwithpufists ,~ ,c,ompari~g:,oa.pl~e~.:,~,d,+,oranges.
rais~g~:S~jhenwithrecordcompanie,s : Pea~gmai~er,_SJoameyr:i:sanenchanting
,a,ct~[yt,iste~nipg. The score to Williams - r ~lbmn:, wi~h beautiful~melodies. Iti~ sung
Close-Eae0unters of the 3rd Kind".was ~ in her~nativg~Oneida Jaaguage, and- the
one::of .the. first to be remastered and ~ liner;aotes~.~conta_;n the :story. :and a
rel~:witli all cues (music bits) int.act.. ¯ trans!afioa:~into:English of:/he lyrics: It is
~di]s:reallygreat~sincemuchofw.hat , the.p~effeet:~bumt~li-ght~some,oandles,
mad~ the sou~dtrack~so great were ~CU! : and relax -~ith, with-its genre :melodies
¯ ."~" ~. " ’: : "- ’.~ ’ ~ ’6 --~ ....~z ~-~ ~ ,:~-~-~,~,~-,. ,~;’,’::-, ,~:’L~"~’J-~ . ~nta~t. ~twas also great. Then the S-.~y~ i,. mumc,-ofLtl~ ~f~ri~:~ of,~.lroqums
V~$i ~l~gy was. released with:.,t..b.~;~: Co~f~%~li~x~i~ihg,~t6~er-~ter
sou~atra_~ks"intact. That was beyond"~:~ many.:cemu~eS-ofW-~;-~-tli~M61iav~k,
wonderful. Now, Rhino records has ~ ~Onei~;.Onoiidaga, Cayuga; Seneca; and
released, something score purists have " TuscaroralndianNations.~’Peacemaker’s
desired since-the film came out: The
"Superman". soundtrack, complete, and,
no pun intended, uncut.
Great in that the quality of sound is
incredible for a score recorded in 1978,
great that the record companies are
releasing complete sets ofsoundtrack CDs.
Notso.hot after a listen and the realization
that Williams copying Williams is not
really worth a 2" CD set, because almost
every cue on the two CDs (despite what
the liner notes claim) is almost lifted note
- for.~ note/from Star Wars. Oh a few
sequences are rearranged, but "Luke
Skywa~ker!s~" i.Theme" is clearly
recognizable in one cue, and the original
openingnotesfrom"StarTrek" are audible
in another; in.what one might surmise to
beatributes,Williams borrowing ofthemes
is nothing new;’,many classical references
abound in Star Wars; but to blatantly
borrow so much from oneself is just
lazi~s~’~ ~:of.. li.ke~a~in~;i’~Well, I
don~f~[lik¢i~ri~ti~t,g~~,,w.hat
can r.borrow from the .~,~gltv~l,~ear~
S~n~.~ays,~eco~zes. T0,~,fair,
m~be~h~J~.t d~dd’"~h~,~e-lmucl~ tim.e .~d
that. w~- tiieifio~t practic~i, s01ution~- ai~d
maybe-theirwas why a fully complete
score was never released.
Still, it’ S a pleasant listen, especially if
you recall the thrill of Christopher Reeve
in blue tights and hotpants fondly, as I do.
Who paid attention to the score? I must
say that Rhino has done a fine job on the
remastering; the sound quality is, as I
said, incredible. The packaging is odd,
: Journey isdedicated-to children
¯" everywhere and to th0se striving forpeace
¯¯" betweenpeople andharmonyfor all living things.
¯ Peacemaker’ sJourney tells the storyof
¯ Deganawida and Hiawatha, who smv the
tribes warring ambngst themselVes, and
: sought to bring peace and harmony to the
¯ people~ -Relationships ~etween the tribes
¯" had deteriorated into constant war, blood
: feuds~and revenge killings. In danger of
: self-destruction; the Iroquois were saved
¯ by the sudden appearance ofa Huron h01y
¯" man known as the "Peacemaker."
: Deganawida (Two RiverCurrents Flowing
; TogetheO re.ce~yeda vision from the
¯ Creator of peace’and cooperation among
". all Iroquois.Apparently he was hindered
2 by either.a language or speech difficulty,
:... but :~ganaw,ida~ ~eaxttialty,, w:o~ ~the
¯ support of Hiawatha (.Mionwatha - He ¯
Makes Rivers), an Onondaga who had
~ beeo~n~..~:;Mg~aw.~:~ar~ ~i,ef. With
:: t.h~irfighiiii~Mdjoin i6~th~inale~i~ue.
: ~~end tdiS~fii Degan~widablotted 3ut
: thesun"t;6:~dh~,~il~:tfieS:’,elucima~t;’~,i~oi~r
¯ eclipse, visible ’ih(upstate New York
." occurred in 1451 suggesting another
~ possible¯ d~t~ for these events. The
¯ formalion ofthe League ended the warfare
: between itsmembers bri~ging the Iroquois
: a period of unprecedented peace and
¯ prosperity. It also brought political unity
¯ and military power.
: "Peacemaker’s Journey" will be
~ releasedMarchT, 2000. seeAmuse, p. 11
The University of Tulsa
The Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay & Trans Alliance
presents
ANiOKLAHOMO PROMO 2000
2-’~ightSi.~~di’,~y ~f:C£11~loid Scintillation
B+~n+i’:~,+++~m+~:~+~*~@+~;~;Chi.~olls, and Out of Se~on
Friday, Ma~h 24, 7- I2:0~ midnight
.GOd Shave (he Queen,Watermelon Woman
Indecent Acts: O~car Wilde, Cynam, P~t~ in Motion,
and C~sh
Sunday, March~ 26, 2-7pm
Different for Girls, All Over Me, Under Heal, and
Our Mom’s a Dyke ,.+
Chapman Hall Theater, 2835 East Fifth Street
: -. :’- ~.: (not~the+:Alleri~Chapman~Activity Center)
Eas{ of Delaware Avenue on the University of Tulsa campus.
Please look lL~r rainbow flags to lead you in off Delaxvare Avenue.
¯ Thi+ ex;+fit is offered in +6iijunction withomyn,~&
Hentage-Month. Actlvtt~es.
P!.eg.s,e=,<+c~+ntact,..~g. J~6~s~+~at’ 63.1~:~3 i:!5 to make arrangements
for accessibility, accommodations.
A
Jurnpin ",
Singin " .
Movin"
and Groovin"
Good Time!
Warren Vach4
and the
NEW YORK CITY ALL,STAR BIG BAND
and direct from London!
THE JIVIN’ LINDY HOPPERS
Sunday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Tulsa Performing Arts Center, Chapman Music Hall, 3rd &.Cincinnati
Tickets: $15,-$20, $2S,
*Includes post-performance swing dance
’ Discounts a~aihble ~or~gr6h’p~ and’ ~tudents
Call: 596-7111 or Outside Tulsa:~1-800-364-71il
"Online:.’Rrano.tulsapac.com
Tulsa PerformmgSA~s Center Trust
Holland Hall
SCHOOL
MIDDLE & UPPER SCf-IOOL TESTING (GRADES4 - ll)
PRIMARY SCHOOL TOUR (AC~ 3 - GRADE 3)
PRIMARY SCHOOLTESTING ~qDERGARTEN- GRADE 1)
To reserve your place, please call the
i Admlssi~n Ot~ce at .,t81-1111, exte~i~n 25 t.
5666 E. 8 Ist Stre~J~.~ Bet~eea~le.& Sheridan ~ Tulsa ~ www.hollandhalLorg
HSllatid Hall admits q~lifid’~studm~i ivfit~ ~egard to rat6 sex, religion, national or ethnic origin, or physical disability.
Church,of the Restoration
Unitarian Universalist
11 am, Sunday, 1314 North Greenwood, 587-1314
by Mary Schepers, Do-lt-Yourself-Dyke
There was your DIYD, on her knees,
aching, throbl~ing~-on the verge of tears -
wondering why her mouth says "yes"
when her brain screams "No, no, no!" No,
gentle readers, we are not revie~ving the
DIYD’s-latest forays into courtship, but
~rather her most recent
Volunteereffort to help out
a friend in need. As you
accumulate handy skills
..~and .-become geuerally
perceived as arather useful
indiv:idual, expect to be
asked to help out others.
This is quite fair; after
all, most ofus, your DIYD
included, have accumulated
skills and learned
lessons (someti~nes not
positive ones) from those
who:have helped us on our
ownprojects: Quidpro qu,o
is a conunon currency tn
the world of home
improvement; the student
evolving into the teacher is an apt, and
expected, metaphor. -
" In short,_darlings;give backwhat has so
generously been shared.withyou~Orbegin
ficcumulating favors(that can be repaid
later in yourown moments Ofdire need:It
is common proffer; it is cxpected,~and it’
is honorable, and as sly as your DIYD
may seem, she is absolutely honorable..
Therein lies the.theme; the exemplar.
and the moral of our m0nthlytale. Listen’
closely and ieani from yore DiYD.-And
remember that this is a. cautionary story;
not a vehicle for blame,unlessR is your
poorDIYD’S~ whodidn°taskforsufficient
"There was your
DIYD, on her
knees, aehln~.,
thr0bhi O;on the
ver~e o~ tears -
wonderln$ why
her mouth says
’yes" when her
: infomiation before promising her vast
¯. array ofskills, tools and energy to a friend
: The particulars of die story ,’ire not
~ important. What matters is that a favor
¯¯ was asked of the DIYD - to help lay tile.
¯ Rule number one: if the task at hand is one
that you are not only good at, but have a
particular vanity over,
watch out! You m’e very
susceptible! Alld the
DIYD is the tile and grout
di~’a. Having refitedevery
c6nv~i~tionatstiffaeeinher
liouse, she finds herself
wonderizi~,7 Liii unguarded
moments, whether the
garage or the front porch
could, benefit from the
tasteful application of
ceramic tile. She was, m
fact, ripe for the phscking.
She graciously agreed.
Wlfich brings us to rule
nmnber two: agree on and
set all the parameters
around the proposed
! project befom.taldng it On: For those o,,f
you.whoshudderat theword "bom~dafies,"
¯" find a word thai works, b~t doi t~ al!ddo it
: thoroughly. This not only protec.ts you
~ from unpleasant surPrises, but the party to
i whom you are lending assistance aswelE
Nothing can sour a friendship like an
: ~tmisin4¢rpretedand goneaw.ry. ’
: Both sid~ should knowwhat is expected,
¯ ’ what wil! actually occur, ~hat amount of
¯ dme is involved, how~.much work is
: inv61vht, hoW much each person is.
: responsible for, and~ whatthe fairexchange
will, be. Any changes should be
E comm,tmi.¢ated u~ front:..,., ." _’ .’," "
50 New-Books at the Library
by Barry Hensley
Tulsa City-County Library
Over the last few momhs, .the Tulsa
City-Cotmty Libraryhas acquired dozens
of recent tides of interest to the gay
community. Cheek your local branch
library for these dries, or call the Readers
Services department at 596-7966.
LESBIAN FICTION
Shy Girl by Elizabeth Stark
Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
Hers 3: Brilliant New Fiction by Lesbian
Writers
6th Sense: A Cassidy James Mystery
by Kate Calloway
Bogeywoman: A Novel by Jaimy Gordon
Lost Daughters by J. M. Redmann
November Ever After by Laura Tones
The Other Woman by Ann OiLeary
The Vintage.BookoflnternatiomdLesbian
Fiction
GAY MALE FICTION
Breakfast with Scot by Michae! Downing
Comfort and Joy by Jim Grimsley
Justice at Risk: A Benjamin Justice ~iYnkStSelriypbbyyJoRhintaMCiorregsain,Wilson
Surrender.Dorothy by Meg Wolitzer
Minions of the Moon by Richard Bowes
Capital Queers by Fred Hunter
EveryManfor Himselfby OrlandOudand
His 3: Brilliant New Fiction by Gay
Writers
LESBIAN NONFICTION
The Queen of Whale Cay by Kate
Surmnerscale
TheWhole Truth:A Case ofMurderon the
Appalachian Trail
by H. L. Pohlman
Monologues and Scenes for Lesbian
Actors by CarolynGage-
Janet, My Mother; and Me: A Menloir of
Growing Up by William Murray
Baby Precious Always Shines: Selected
Love Notes by Gertrude Stein
Lesbian Health: Current Assessment and
Directions
My Lesbian Husband: ALandscape ofa
Marriage by Barrie Borich
Hunting the Witch byEllen Hart
ApplesandOranges:MyJourney Through
Sexual Identity I~y Jan Clausen
RestrictedAccess: LeSbians on Disability
To Believe in Womem ’What, Lesbians
Have Done for America by’ Lillian
Faderman
GA~ MALE NONFICTION
How to Survive Your Own Gay L~e
by Pet~ Brass " .
VulgarFavors:Andrew Cunanan,G’ianni "
Versace, and the Largest FailedManhunt
in U S. History by Maureen Orth
Crisis ofDesire by Robin Hardy
Love in A Different Climate
by Jeremy Seabrook
Finding the Boyfriend Within
by Brad Gooch
When It’s Time to Leave Your Lover
by Neil Kaminsky
see Read, p. 1:
by Lamont Lindstrom, Ph.D.
"Faggots !" I was sitting inmy car talking
to my friend Errol when I heard the word.
One of ErroF s cantankerous neighborsno
pal, obviously - had barked at us as he
marched past the car. I didn’t know
whether tO feel outraged or amused. It had
been a long time since anyone "called me a
name, at least publicly. Sticks mad stones,
I thought. And did I really mind being a
faggot anyway?
Still, the hairon my neck Stood up.
Rude slurs are good e~idence of the power
of words. Even-if 0nly symbolic, words
have an ~mpact. Some words ,are deeds.
Linguists study "’speech acts" that shape
or change the world. Utterances like "I
promise, "I apologize," "I resign," or "[I
name you] faggot!" have serious
consequences (as anyone knows who has
been "pronounced" man or wife).
Language can’carry either a positive or
a negative charge. Both sacred speech and
profane speech are dangerous. In many
religions, no one knows the name of god.
Or even where onedo..,e.s; the deity’ s name
is never uttered aloud, Magical words can
change the world. The secret word
"sesame" opens the cave. Abracadabra
pulls the rabbit from the hat. Uttering a
sacred name can have unintended
consequences. You might wake sleeping
gods. It’s safer to steer clear of charged
labels.
A similar sort of ritualized avoidance of
naming characterizes many kinship
systems around the word. Son-in-laws
never pronounce the personal names oftheir
wives’ parents, and .vice versa. In
other societies, brothers and sisters avoid
¯ in public? Who can use which word, and
¯¯ in which context? "Gay" and "Lesbian"
have recently become broadly accepted
¯ terms for homosexuality. Some have also
¯ attempted to revaluate "queer."
Revaluation succeeds when the labeled
¯ themselves embrace a slur as their own,
defusing its negative charge. Thus,"Queer
Theory" is currently being taught in
¯ Ameficau umversities.
Then there’s "faggot." Faggot, as a
negative homos’exual label dates back
¯ onlyto 1910, although it was used as early
¯ as the late 16th century to slur women. In
¯ fact, a number of today’s Gay slurs -
¯ including the term "Gay" itself- were ¯ first applied to women. A "Gay" woman
¯ in 1650 Faagland was a prostitute. Robert
¯ Scott’s Gay Slang Dictionary (online at
http:/!~vww.hurricane.net/.~vizard/
19.htnfl) lists 156 synonyms for"fag" mad
¯ more appear else~vhere in the dictionary.
(Scott also has 37 terms for "Lesbian.")
These include Spmfish-derived’~maricon"
~ and "’pato," French "tapette" (although
¯ pede ~srmss~n~),~dd~sh fe~,ele, and
¯ British/Australian "poofter." Then there
are the more obscure "’cot betty,"
¯ "daffodilly," "fu," "whoopsie boy," and
"uffimay" - "muffie’" in Pig Latin.
~’Faggot,’" unlike "Gay". or "Queer,"
~ still remains impolite. The ~vord is
¯ dangerously profane.. Not many of my
¯ academic colleagues are willing to teach
¯ courses ~in "Faggot Theory." But the profane is always close to the sacred.
." Because of its charge, "faggot" is more
¯ hurtful but also thusmore useful indefining ¯
who and what we are. When we name
¯ each other by the word, we make a strong,
each other’, s names like hot potatoes. ~ pt~blic claim to belong to a shared world
Anthropology suggests" that such ¯ .~oFfaggotry. So, still sitting in ~ny 4,’if; I
"avoidance relations" smooth over areas
of potential social conflict.
Negativel5 charged words are equally
powerful. The profane also carries a
wallop. A curse c,’m kill. The villagers I
lived with in Vanuatu were always fearful
when someone spoke evil of thegn. Even if
someone swore without thinking, in the
heat of an angry moment, the ancestr~fl
ghosts ufight hear and punish the person
who cursed, or the person who ~vas cursed.
or both.
Sociologists of the 1970s formulated
what tlaey called "labeling theory?" They
analyzed the ways in which lal~els, like
faggot, impact both society and the
individual. Socially. an arsenal ofnegative
labels maintains power inequalities. Those
on the bottom of the social ladder shoulder
the brunt of these terms. Individually,
such slurs unavoidably tinge our sense of
who we are. Like muttered curses, they
can harm. Even if we are of the strong,
"words may never hurt us" sort, we still
have to take into account their social
currency:We must respond tO slurs ifonly
to deny their validity and power over us.
Labeling theory in the 1970s particularly
noticed ethnic slurs the N word, the H
word, and all those othe~ lfibels ,that~e
today t66 impolite to say. Dhrin~"~iE last
generation, American speech etiquette
(what socio-linguists call "pragmatics")
has shifted to make use of these labels
hazardous. More recently, the same has
occurred with words like faggot. In a way,
however, new politeness rules give these
words even more power than they once
had, as Errol’ s neighbormay have realized.
There is a politics of labeling here.
Whose words will become the standard
labels - the one everyone safely may use
jnst gave that !@#S% the evil-eye.
But in 1996, at a Gay pride parade in
Providence, R.I., he took the opportunity
to make ,’unends,
"’I stood tip in t¥ont of 3,000 people mad
lnade a public apology to the Gay
couununity aud the two gentlemen who
went to that prom together," Ste~vart said.
"It was very emotional." "
Stewart 1]as been criticized bv some iu
the Gay connnumty for not being more
out froht with his personal relationslfips.
He bristles at that.
"’My personal life is extremely private,"
he said. "People have a lot of gall to
impose their opinions on someone who’ s
trying to make a difference - to tell me
that because I’ ve reached a certain stature,
I have to promote some Gay agenda."
’~¥qaen it comes to being a role model,
Stewart believes it’ s more important to be
a greatmayor than to spotlight his personal
life. "Having-openly Gay elected people
gives us our place at the table mad proves
that we are just as capable as anybody
else," Stewart said. "And it helps change
people’s minds abont how to consider
Gay people in their daily lives. It’s all
about being positive in what you do."
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Tulsa Locatioi~s~ - "
2001 S. Garnett, 437-2~.~.~.
3733 S. Memori.,~ 6600344
1216 S. Harvard, 587-1778
Sapulpa Location:
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@Origin. 18+. Additional features from 67
!n April of this year the "Warrior in Two
Worlds" documentary will air nationally
on PBS. Keep an eye open for the exact
time and date in your area. This is a
compelling story of Eli Parker, a Seneca
Chief and a Union general in the Civil
War. Joanne wrote the sound track.
It is a nice thing to wish for peace and
harmony among peoples; I wonder if it
will ever happen. One can only hope thal
_ Deganawida will come alo~ag and help
create a word that engenders harmony
among differing peoples. Maybe then there
will be no more Gay bashing, lynching,
genocide... Sometimes, with news of
another Matthew Shepard-like case
-coming along once a week, it’s hard to
believe any change is occurring. Yet, I
watch TV, and see Will and Grace, and
many other shows that have or feature
Gay/Lesbian characters, I see films that
are about Gay folk even showing here in
the crotch of the bible belt (Beautiful
Thing, for instance) and can see a
difference. Because when I grew up, the
onlyimage I had ofGay folk were the man
mentioned in the book on birds and bees
my parents gave me at 14 - published in
1945 - that stated homosexuals were men
who hung around playgrounds in trench
coats offering you candy. I remember
thinking - in a rare moment when I wasn’t
busy suppressing, repressing and denying
- that that was what I had to look forward
to? That’s what I was? Ick. And the news
at the time, if Gay folk were mentioned at
all, "was nothing but images of the most
whacked out, far out people on the planet.
Lovely.
Now, kids have it much easier. Is it
paradise? No. Obviously not, and there
are people who are very much fighting to
prevent growth and understanding, and
raising monsters all around us. As Melissa
Etheridge wrote in her song "Scarecrow"
on the albttm "Breakdown": "’We all gasp
’this can’t happen here’, we’re all much
too civilized, where can these monsters
hide?’" She answers: "But they are
knocking on our front door, They’re
rocking in our cradles, They" re preadfing
in our churches, And eating at our tables."
And she’s absolutely right; that’s exactly
where they are. The boogeymen are out
there; and occasionally they do get you. In
another song on the same album, she
writes: "There is no marc, There are no
secrets, We all begin this race at the start,
But I have come this farWith a truth of the
heart. Deep down inside I think we’re all
the same. Try not to judge someone And
never shame. I do bdieve that people are
good. They just want hope and respect
And to be understood. Sometimes it hard
sometimes it’s strange But the truth of the
heart is people can change"
And this is true; I’ve seen it happen. Far
too infrequently, but it can happen. And
that’s the hope that can feed the fire of
change, andkeepus going whenit gets too
much. And it does feel that way,
sometimes. I had gotten to that point, after
seeing the internal strife within the
communities, as well as from outside.
How can we hope to change the world
when we can’t even agree amongst
ourselves? I’ d certainly decided it wasn’ t
worth an effort. Butmy best friend Karin,
aftermany years ofcomplainingabout the
world, has finally taken steps. To at least
make an attempt. And her doing so has
reignited a flame within me. And if that
spark might ignite another, then perhaps
the tamers of the world can unite. And
thus is hope reborn, like a phoenix frown
the ashes. And the world has changed; it is
so much easier tocome out earlier. There’ s
less a chance ofsomeone being afraid that
they’re the only one - like I did, There
were no role models. There were no out
Gay folk that I could talk to. There were
few resources available even at.the library,
unless it was reinforcement of the writing
in that booklet morn and dad gave me.
Thanks to the folks who were willing to
come together and fight and be,,,~ocal ~md
out when it was much more dangerous to
do so, the younger Gay folk do have
options we older folk didn~ t have. For thai
reason alone, the fight must continue. So
get involved, even if it’s coming out to
someone youhaven’ t yet. The only way to
dispel the lies and misi~ffonnation of the
radically wgong is to present ourselves as
we are - hmnan beings. That h~s done
more to change folks around me tha_u all
the marching and worn out footwear in
the world. And what is it that we all seek,
really? Not sex; and people who think
that’s what it’s all about are just plain
wrong. Tell them so. It’ s about the right to
love without being discriminated against.
And if they give you guff about that, just
tell them what author Lynn Flewelling
told me: Love is love.
Tuesday, June 6th, an art exhibit,
"United" will openandonThursday, June
8th, there will be a film night. Locations
and times will be announced later.
For more information about these
events, call the Gay Community Services
Center at 743-4297 (Gays). Groups who
want to enter a float in the parade are
encouraged to attend the float clinic on
March 11 from 1-4pro at the Center.
Gay Men’s Friendships: Invincible
Cotnmunities
by Peter Nardi
The Elusive Embrace: Desire and the
Riddle ofldentity
by Daniel Mendelsolm
Prayer Warriors by Stuart Howell Miller
Widescreen Dreaths : Growing Up Gay at
the Movies
by Patrick Horrigan
Victory Deferred: How AIDS Changed
Gay Life in America ¯ by Johi~-Manual Andriote
; OF INTEREST TO EVERYONE
¯ Gay Parents/Straight Schools: Building
¯ Comnfftnication attd Trust
by Virginia Casper
¯ Witness to Revolution: The Advocate
¯ Reports on Gay and Lesbian Politics
¯¯ 4 Steps to Financial Securityfor Gay attd
Lesbian Couples
¯ by Harold Lustig
Multicultural Detective Fiction: Murder
¯ from the Other Side
Outon Stage: Lesbian andGay Theatre in
". the Twentieth Century
¯ by Alan Sin.field ¯
TheQueerSixties by PatriciaJuliana Smith
¯
Gaylaw: Challenging the Apartheid of
¯ the Closet
¯ by William Eskridge
: To Be Continued, Take Two
i by Michele Karlsberg
Disidentifications: Queers of Color and
¯ the Performance ofPolitics ¯
by Jose Munoz
"- SomethingInside: Conversations with Gay
¯ Fiction Writers
CouNCiL oak meN’S c or<aLe
presents
an~eclectic mix.of.choral.literature ranging from Baroque to Broadway,
from pop classics of the ’50s and ’60s to a bawdy sea chantey
aod an American Folk song featuring the Green Country Cloggers.
Friday and Saturday, April 7 & 8, 2000 at 8pm
Williams Theatre, Tulsa Performing Arts Center
(reception following)
Tickets: PAC box office, 596-7111 in Tulsa,
1,800-364-7111 or online at www,tulsapac.com
council oak a fellowship of gay men dedicated to musical excellence in
the performnnce of choral literature:, providing a source ot"
pride, unity, and support, w;h{]e presenting a positive image
for ourselves, our community, and society as a whole.
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the council oak me~’s Cl~oI~aLe and its parent organization,
the non-profit Vocal Pride Foundation,visit our award-winning website at www.counciloak.org.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
[2000] Tulsa Family News, March 2000; Volume 7, Issue 3
Subject
The topic of the resource
Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
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Tulsa Family News
Source
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
March 2000
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
James Christjohn
Barry Hens;ey
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Rights
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
Relation
A related resource
Tulsa Family News, February 2000; Volume 7, Issue 2
Format
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Image
PDF
Online text
Language
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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/598
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