[1994] Tulsa Family News, January-February 1994; Volume 1, Issue 2

[1994] Tulsa Family News, January-February 1994; Volume 1, Issue 2

Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa's Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.

Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September of 2001 (Vol. 8, Issue 9).

The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, military, law, charity, Pride, TORH, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.

This document is available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.

Tulsa family News

https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24

Tom Neal

January-February 1994

James Christjohn
David Brady
Alan G. Nyitray
Gerald Miller
Lori Livingston
Mary Trounstine
Kris Kohl

Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News

Tulsa Family News, December 15-January 14, 1994; Volume 1, Issue 1

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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/462

Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)

Family ¯Support:..Essenti al
For Hea~ll-hy Gay KidS::
WASHINGTON - A .tolerant. ;loving and suppo~tive.en\-i;
ronment buill around young gays and lesbians C~uld be ~he tifd,.
saving ~orce lhat coanteracts the problems thato[ien place tliem
at.high risk for HIV infection, said. RayfordI~yde,. ~feputi
director of the news office at the U.S. Public Health Seaice, in
a recent speech to the agency’s empR~yees.
Nytle. who said he has experienced [irsl-hand the intolerant
altitudes towm-ds gays and lesbians, said that a negative attitude
toward homosexualit? by family and friends creates a confused
yo,ung adult who, in trying to c~me to terms With/sexualit?,
often succumbs to isolation and !owself-esteem: These trails
can lead to sell~destcucti\e behaviors - such as alcohol and drug
abuse, s{iicide, and unsafe Sex - which place them at risk-for all
sexually transmitt¢d diseases, and especially for AIDS.
Accepting a young, homosexnal and providing a supportix e
famih’ climate, on the other hand. could allow these youngsters
to x alue themselves enough to xxant to sta\’ healthy and live
fulfilling, responsible lives, K~tle said. He added that gay and
lesbian youths need community, role models who promote
healthy- ’,Trod responsible choices."
Condom TV Ads Begin
Januau’- .February !994, Volume-1, Issue 2
.: Bom-bed
January 10- Time’N-Time Again, a local bar.serving primarily
- the Tulsa Lesbian community, suffered light-damage from a ~
home-made pipe bomb that w’~s thrown through its d~.~or. There
\xerc patrons in.the bar as weltas staff but no one was hurt.
Damages wcrc limited to burns on the flooring, broken glass
from the windows blon out and signs shaken off the wall.
Police have taken descriptions of the person seen throwing
the Ixmab. Jane Roth, owner of Time N’ Time Again, said that
the description given of the bomber resembled tha! of an
individual’banned from thc bar previously. She characterized
the bombing as possibly moti\-at~d by a "~{udge" rather than by
anti-Lesbian bias.
TJC Officials Express-
Gay-Positive Attitudes
b\,.Tam Neal
Opinion.: BigotrY at City Hall
Back in July, Robert Nelson, Tulsa C~y CounCilman, .told the Tulsa World of his opposition
to proposed human rights protections for Lesbians and Gay men. Although he is not’a lawyer,
Nelson proclaimed that current laws already protect Lesbians and Gay men from discrimination
based on their sexual orientation.
InOctober, speaking with Mr. Nelson; I sought to learn if he genuinely believed that current
laws provided civil rights protections.for Lesbians and Gay men~ I met with Mi’. NelsOn and his
aide, Rebecca, in his Ci_ty Hall office. When questioned about his earlier statements, he repeated
them: "[there. are] enough la~s to cover any conditi6ns:,. [he-would] like us to be color-blind,
politics-blind, gender-blind.:...’ This statementis admirable but not accurate about current law.
By chance, in the ~middle of this conversation, City Attorney David Pauling stuck his head in
Mr. Nelson’s office: We asked Mr. Pauling if there were any Mws, federal, state or local which
would protect t:itizens on the basis Of their sexual orientation? Mr: Pauling stated, ".Lno ordinance
explicitly addresses that point [providing protecti_on based on sexual orientation] and no redress
is available..."
I "also shared with Mr. Nelson mv research on the issue. If you ask them, the city of Tulsa Human
Rights Commission will tell yo~ that there are no protections underany current .laws from
discrimination based on sexual orientation. Likewise, the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission for Oklahoma which enforces applicable federal law said there are no protections
under any current laws from discrimination basedbn.sexual orientation.This information which
I confirmed with a few phone calls was easily available to.Mr. Nelson.
He could have had a staff person call He hadn’t asked EEOC He hadn’t asked the Human
R~ghts Commission. Fie hadn t even asked the C~ty Attorney right there in C~ty Hall. And even
after heating my int’ormation and-that of the City Attorney, he still claimed that current laws
prevent sexual orientation discrimination. .
Mr. Nelson’s ability to hold on to this view in spite 0Lconsiderable evidence to the otherwise
~as only the begmmng. He proceeded to say that ...what we ve done m the past [laws providing
civil rights protections] have hurt us....dvil rights [laws] orders you-to discriminate on the basis
of race, creed, etc...." In some disbelief, I asked him if this meant he was opposed to the civil rights
acts of the 1960’s which ended, at least officially, segregated public facilities. As I understood
him, he stood by his opposition to civil rights protections, not only as proposed for Lesbians.and
Gay men but also those already in place to address discrimination based on race, gender, religion
and so forth.
Perhaps in this context, that of a man who seems to have no understanding of the fact that Jim
Crow laws did not just disappear on their own, Mr. Nelson’s declaration that the law protects
Lesbians and Gay men, when it does not, is at least consistentff not logical Robert Nelson also
added’that he didn’t think that there’was th~t~much discrimination against Lesbians and Gay men.
He was not familiar with a 1978 study done by the City documenting discrimination in h~3tising
and employment.
However, if he’s willing to ignore what the City Attorney says to. his face, then it seems likely
thai he would ignore any other researchtoo. Nelson’s attitude~seems to be one of: don’t bother
me with the facts-whenI’ve already made up my mind Mr Nelson says that LeSbians and Gay
men have every right that everyone else do~s; and that we .should not be discriminated against
~ based on our sexual orientation, BUT that he would do everything he could to make ce~dn such
a~human-riglits- ordinanceis not.p~sed. ~ - "
This politician says there sho_ul,d_be no discrimination but opposes any.effort acthally to end civil
fights abuses. Perhaps what we ve~ got here is a kind of bigotry that dares not speak its mime.
The lesson in this for us, Lesbiansand Gay men~ our families and Our friends is that we can no
longer remain complacent about local politics. Nelson is perhaps less smart about his bigotry and
i~ therefore, more vocal butwe have few friends on the Tulsa City Council. And that is something
we can change. The City Council primary, elections are February 1, and the election is March 1.
There are folks running for some of tho~ seats who are very g~od On Lesbian and Gay issues.-
There are some who are very had. Andthere are some who [night be educated.
This iswhere we can make a difference. Oldahoma City has come close in recentmonths to
passing a human fights ordinance; Tulsa could pass one too if We just get,fair-minded f~tks elected.
Those candidates, new and incumbent need to hear from us. They.need our volunteer hours and
if we can, they. need our contribution. We can make a difference in the quali~ of life for ourselves
and for the Lesbian and Gay kids growing up now.
Tom Neal, publisher
Tulsa DireCtory
*. Asterisks indicatedistribution.points.
Bars & Restaurants
*The Alley; 3340 S. Peoria ;744-0896
*Cheh~" St.- Bakery, 1344 E. 15 583-8398
*Deep Elm, 61st & Mem. 250-0933
*Electric Circus, 606 S. Egin 587-8677
*Laff’s, 31L E. 7th 583-5233
*ParadiseBar& Grill, 12570 E. 21 °,23429007
*SilverStar Saloon, 1565 Sheridan 8342zP234
*Renegade, 1649 S. Main 585-3405
*TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial 660~0856
*Time n’Time Again, 1515 S. Mem. 664-8299
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd 58421308
*Whittier Cafe, 416 S. Lewis, 582-2400
Businesses/Services
Budget Window Treatments and more!
7116 So. Mingo, Suite 102 25422100
*Indian Terr. .Coffee Company
1613 E. 15 ;587-1633
Galerie Europa, 203 N. Main 592~2787
Hatry&Mrs. Joties,°1617E. 15 582-1617
Jared’s, 1602E. 15 582-3018
Ken!s Flowers, 1635 E. 15 599-8070
*Living Arts of Tulsa, 224 N. Main 585-1Z34
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 PI 664~2951
Novel Idea Discount Books
7104 S. Sheridan 492-0335
3356 E. 51 747-6711
*Phun Stuph, 1519 E. 15 584-7486
Puppy Pause II, llth & Mingo 838-7626
*Tomfoolery, 1565 S. Sheridan 832-0233
Organizations
ACT-UP, POB 532 74101
Names Proj. POB 3181 74101 748-31.tl
P-FL~G POB 52800 74152 749-’4901
HIV Resource ConsortiUm
*TOHR, 4154 S. Harvard, Ste. H-1
Gay Line lnfo. 743-4297
Shanti Hotline 749-7898
B/L/G ~Alliance, Tulsa U, - 583-978(3
Oklahoma AIDS Hotline 800-535-2437
Other.
*Chapman Student Ctr. TU, 631-0000
TULSA FAMILY NEWS
Publisher/Editor
Tom Neal
Assistant Editor
James Christjohn
" 918-832-0Z~3
POB 4140
¯Tulsa, Oklahoma 74159
Issued on the 15tkof each month, the emire
contents of this publication are protected by
US copyright 1994 by Tul~ Family News and
may ’not be reproduced either in whole or in
par! without written permission from the
publisher. Publication ofn name or plx~to in no
way indicates orrefleizts that person’s sexual
orientation.
Correslxmdance is assumed to be for publication
unless otherwise noted and becomes the
sole property of, Tulsa Family News. All
c:orrespondance should be sent to the address
atxwe.
~Tulsa Family News is a event & enterlainmere
newspaper dimributed free of charge in.
local businesses and or~nizations.
*University Ce:’,ter at Tulsa
Professionals
Theodore Campbell, MSW
1560 E 21 743-1000
Sand~’a J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy
2865 E. Skeliy, Ste. 215 745-11tl
Tim Daniel, Atty. 352-9504, 800-742-9468
Bill Hinkle, Atty. 749-1586
Kelly Kirby, CPA,9933 E 16 663-9399.
John Kirk, Rea{tor 747-5800, 745-2245
Tom Neai, Designer 832-0233
Buildings/Gardens/Graphics
Religious iOrganizatiOns
*Family 9f Faith MCC, .500W. ~A’ JenkS
298-4622
Affirmation (Methodist) 742-8213
*MCC-Tulsa, 1623Mapl~ewood 838-1715
Digni~y/Integrity " 298:4648
*Canterbui3~ Ministry C;tr. TU, 583-9780
. CORRECTION/RETRACTION ..
Due to false infOrmation, provided to GayNet, anews item was carried indicating that
one of the "American Gladiators" had acknowledged heis gay on one of the television
programs aired nationally.The neffs report was erroneous and we sincerely rearer any
mi~nformation or inconeenience thereport may" haye caused.
Puppy.Pause II
Tulsa bbmily News. January 1994 - February 1994, page 2
....l tth & Mingo
:-.-:’.::i: 838;7626
:Open, esday- -Saturday at 8am.
,Appointments; walk’ins Aiso-Wele6me
January S-ale
Tulsa’S Only Openly -Gay-owned Gift Store
Pride Jewelry, Buttons, Stickers, Cards, Newsmagazines;
T-shirts & More for Us, Our Families: & OurFriends
DO I REALLYWANT TO. SURVIVE. THIS EPIDEMIC?- b~ Alan G. Nvi/rav..M.S. themselves "How much is lifc Worth. when [ I dop’t have to \vote" atx~ut being the ’last gay
- For many’,/he qresuon ~n the headline above
may seem absurd. The will to live is a motivation
that we generally take lbr granted. Alarmingly,
though~ reports from the xvcs~ coast
indicate that some.people are responding to the
above question with ambivalence.
Workshops at the 1993 National Lesbian
and gay HealthConference in Hrustonand the
National AIDS Updatein San Francisco are
shedding light on a disturNng development in
AIDS epicenters. So far, most of the anecdotal
infi)rmation is coming fromSan Francisc~a.
However, even here, away from the AIDS
epicenters, many of us who Work ih HIV
prevention are s"tdrting tosee how this deepening
epidemic is takingits toll on t~he mental
health of.the gay communi.ty.
Health educators have long known that hc’,.dth
behavior change is an extremely complex
process. Htmaan beings who have iull kn0wl
edge Of the. negati \’e consequences of certain
behaviors nevertheless chemise to participate
in those beha\io~. There is ampl~ evidence all
around us. in our friends who are overweight,-..
who smoke, who drive without seatbelts, who
abuse alcohol and other drugs, etc. The majority
of the individuals who participate in, these
unhealthful behaviors knrw that their actions ¯
can have pegatjve consequences.
Lack ~ knowledge-is notan issue..Internal
cultural I t, ,ors and external societal factors
drive peop : to do things that are.harmful. The
deepening ~,IDS epidemic itself is prompting
.some HIVnegativd men t-o question the quality
of life they can have if most or "all of their
friends and family are to die of HIV. In San
FranCisco, approximately 50% of,gay and bisexu,
l men are infected withHIV. In some
specific age groups, ttiat percentage is much
higher. For instance, m gay and bisexual men
in their Upper thirties in Spa Francisco, apprbximately
80.% are infected with H1V.
Some gay men are .unconsciously asking
only have funeral after funeral after funeral to
Io0k forwa~rd to?" In such an environment,
some gavmen may feel that ~co~ng HIV:
infected ~s not sucfi a temble sccnario: Consider
the words of a ncwh" HIV-inlk~tcd client
-of Berkeley.p~yehol.ogisi. Walt Odets:
"Be!~n.g n~wly, i. HIV
pomtive J_s:. d":,~ Iess
stressful-place to be.
1’11 probably stay
healthy for another
decade.-I. don~t have
~to-worryiabout
seroconverting; 1
.dontt.have t..o~worry
about ~.buryi.ng my
.friendsfor the next
50’ Years; and Idon!t
have to worry about
.being’ the ’last gayman’."
"’Being newly HI V posi.tive is a less stressful
place .to .be. I"11 probably stay healthy for
another dedade. I don~t have to worry about
Seroconverting;l don’t have to Won’y about
bu~’ing my friends fbr the next:50 years; and
ma~l ’. ""
S:This newly infected man may. have had a
specific intention to becomc HI¢" infected, o~:
he may simply havc grown weary 0f living
thro~g’h a h~:~r~iblc epidemic that 6nh’ prom-
~scs to get worsc. Will this phcnomcno grow as
thc cpidcmic progrcsses and more pcoplc become
ill’? The impact on gay men’s will
rcmam U~infectcd may be prolbund.
Counsclors in AIl~S’epiccntcr..s whoare
reporting this phenomenon :streSs that these
lechngs are almost alxvays subconscious. Admitting
ambivalence alyout one’s own survival
is taboo. Many counselors arc familiar with.
a\- men stdl engaging in unsafe sex, who say
they arc snrpriscd, bafllcd, dr confuscdabou’t
their-own unsafe behavior_. These men oftea
pummel thcmsehes and call thcmschcs ignoran(
ibr having unsafescx Mcanwhilc,
dcflying moti\ations for their risky.behavior
may not bc explored.
A group of San Franc sco counseling professionafs
have bcgun.t0 call lo~" gre~tc~" attcntidnto
be paid It~ th~ mental h~alth ne~ds of
gay and~bisexnal men living through this continning
AIDS cpidcmic. Stories from clients
~ind fricnds xxho had rcccntly, bccomc HI V
infected provoked them to speak atx~ut a "psychological
cpidcmi~" happening in AIDS cpicenters.
Two of the most visible lccturcrs on this
"phsychok~gical cpidcmic" are Berkclcy
pShychologist Walt Odets a!!d San Francisco
therapist Tom Moon, MFCC. Odets says that
gay men in AIDS cpiccntcr m’e incrca’singly
having to grapple \vith a fundamental truth of
~uman existence: bMogical survival is not
enough. Man.’," people xvith AIDS, whose health
maybe deteriorating, have to deal with.the
issue-of qu’,di.ty vs. quantity Now, people
without AIDS - whose lives have been changed
by AIDS, ncvcrthclcSs -are’ addressing the.
same concern.
Gay Owned and Operated
Town Hall :Meeting
Mayor Susan Savage
:7pro, Monday, February 21
(tentative)
~- Silver Star Saloon
156~. S. Sheridan
~ Call 832’02~3 to confirm.
/Sponsored b~ Simply Equal
¯ - & Tulsa Family News
Parklane Building
Secure Midtown/
Riverside-Area
" One. Bedroom Apartment
No pets, kids or waterbeds, please.
Good credit/references required.
$315; bills Pai.d, .$1.50 deposit.
587-4640 .
WANTED:-Part-time
HIV Testing Counselor;
Gay, Lesbian & Bi-sexual
Friendly;
People .of Color are
. especially encoura~o,ed to aPP1Y.
. Applications accepted until 4pm
Jan-. 21 st.-Please call Roger Morris
749,4194
- ¯ -a r & G &" 12.9 ~r"
~:’~S*, " (Next. to Homeland)Phone °234,9007
. Beer Bust , Ev" e (. ta.i y 81.50-..Pit( hers,. 9-:to m"l(lnight.
lla¯m:;".~.a.m.-., .P:o6d s¯ er-"v- ed..! .d.u...H..ng,.all .oNn hou rs;Major,.’~,~,~’.’~""a" eardSaccepted.
..... ’............., ~......... r .....
.-. TulsaoFa,hiO NeWs,: January 1994.:February.1994;page3
News Briefs News Briefs News Briefs News Briefs News Briefs News Briefs News.Briefs News
Country Goes for AIDS Prevention put back on toy store shelves in more than 40 Female Condoms for GayMen FBI Investigating COlorado Mail
NASHVILLE- Beginning on Jan. 13, some states. Canada and England. When Christmas LONDON.. They’re still not yet commer- 35 countr\ music stars xvill be Seen in. no: COLORADO SPRINGS. Colo. - The FB] rolled around, of course, the effort,which the cially available in.the U.S.. but inBritain the is investigating reports o1~ hate mail being sent nonsense public service announcements on B.L.O. admits is an "unabashed publicity female condom has .bec~n,oe increasingly to readers who wrote letters to the editor of a ,’adio. TV and print media to promote aware- stunt," became public as kids found their G.I. :popular with gay men.-:VChen the condoms new weekly The Colorado Springs Indepen-. ncss of the AIDS epidemic. Stars featured in Joes exclaiming in the voice, of teenage girl, went on sale.ih~ England in 1992. under .the dent as a possible Violation of:First Amend~
the "’Break the Silence" ads include Garth "Let’s go to the beach," and their BarNes ¯ brand name "F~midom "-the National AIDS ment rights by someone upset with thepaper’s Br~×~ks. Clint Black, Johnny Cash, Tammv snarliiag out in a deep baritone, "Eat lead, ManUal promptly included guidelines on their, antbAmendment 2 editorial positions: Most of Wyneuc, Wynonna Judd,-D’olly Parton anal Cobra!" The B.L.O. says the vOice-change : use by ~ay.:rheh. AIDS’ :educators say tile ~he anonymous letters handed over tothe WillieNclson. Singer Mark Chestnutt started operation was a head-Oh attack on"gender- . female condom with an extra,heavy d~med ~ so far.are Signed simply "The Concerned the Country Music AIDS Awareness Cam- based stei’eotyping in 6hildren’s toys. No one cap allows .for more vigorous, sex, reducing mencans and are nfew~th Chnstmrr refer- paign. Some Of the messages in the campaign has taken up Mattel’s offer to exchange any of concerns’:about leaks and breakage. ~ind be- ’ ences, veiled threats and sexual obscenities. include: "Sleeping with yourpa~er is sleeping the butch BarNes,and several major to3; stores cause it’smade of polyurethane rather than One 63-year-old yeoman, tbr example, wrote a with their past" and "Use a latex condom eve~" have reported a number of inquiries about the latex it Can als0 be £1sed with nonwater-based letter to the editor that was published in The time you have sex." new gender-bender dolls, lubricants The Temale condom also has a htdependent merely suggesting the paper.use Michael C.allen-Dies of AIDS Pulling of. Gay Books Prompts psychological advantage, educators say, be- a larger typeface so she and other older readers
LOS ANGELES --Michael Callen, the Student ’Cheek-Out’ Protest cause it can be .inserted in advance." The with vision problems eould read it moreeasilv.
composer, singer and writer whose 12-year KANSAS C!TY, Mo. - After a,school dis- manufacturer, Wisconsin Pharmical ComFany; She received a letter from "Concerned Ame~-
struggle with AIDS made him oneof the most trictin suburban KansasCity, Mo., Ordered the has: tried .tO get final FoodandDrug Adminis- cans" calling, her a"weak-minded sheep" and
visible people With AIDS in the U.S., died at - rp,~,~,~,~ ,’,f u,,,,~ ,,,~ ,,,,,~ ~,~,1,,, ~r,,~,,,,~ ....... tration approval for6 years. ’The.finn hopes lbr indicated in explicitl ’sexual lan ua e that she
his Los A~geles home Mondav ,DEC,,27 ..............
~:-=............-....... vo~,,,~ ¯ ..... . . .. Y, ¯ g g
a.aul.t n.ov.els.a.on.ate.a.ov.tne gay n¯ .gn-Ls g-roup .. FDAapproval early m 199~. ¯ - should be sodomlzed The letter also warned : ~: ;2 .. -. . ¯ ¯ , ..... - ,...... . _. ¯ .. . , . -, . ;.,
Callen, who recorded "Purple iSI~l~ ~t~d" Th~ Pro~J’ect 21,, stud. ents,., at ohe ot~ t.he’.dis.~i.ct.schools’ " ~ay¯ $ Pam.u..]/M..e.mt~e. ~..$. in. N¥- . t~o. not a.ttempt to ~ rite more fetters ~onn , . ¯
Flirtations" with the a cappella group of the
began a massive check-out" of some 2,900 ALBANY, N~Y. -, New Yoi~k state’s:hous- Weiss, e&tor of lhe htdependent has handed
same ¯name, was also one of the .founding library books to nrotest what the,, seeas cen . ing agencv may consider ~av an~d lesbian -- all the.anonymous letters to the FBI which is
.
¯ - , . ,.
,’ .¢
orgamzers of groups suchas the People ~ith r. . ,"r ,.... ~, - ~ ’, ~’ ~" ,) :~ ~"%~’;: ’ ~ . investi atin tode ine if the author or sorshm of what they read A Shawnee Mission couples as family members the state hmb g g term
A..I~DS C,oali!ign and the National Association -Scho~ District c~mmi~’tee Voted T~ur£iav : :e6Uh tiaS.ruled. T~e d~fisi0:~ Wiil~;p~rmit st~r- ’authors of the thr~ateriing l~tter~ have violated
~ veo.pte with AIDS. He was 38.. Dec. 16, to return the novels All~t~e/~can"~j .... :~Vi~iingpartne~s;tolinheriti’ent~C~t~irbil~d hour: :. federal civil’fights laws, particularly in the uenoer-Bender Barbies & G.LJoes and Annie On My Mina tO-~oject ~iafie~2.:~ ingiri-the;state~:.:-.-=~.:- .. ’ .. . ’~ areaofsuppressingFirstAinen~lmen(guamn-
, ~N,EW. Y.O.RK~-,,H.e’s big, bad, iburley and
i group of eight parents in the district :com~ ’. ii ,7 Ani| Gayeaml aign in ArizOna. weekly newspaper has
outcn. ,~no me. tmking G I Joe Battle COm- plained that the books "prom0tehom0sekual: " ":PHOENIX: Aii~ ’: A S;~:~,~w~’i2 ;,~.m2. ~ mso oI~ereo a :l,t,u~ rewardi:for information
mander is supposed to ro¯ a" r off th’ings lik~ " ity’, The 11 ~member ~ommittee dec¯ ided" that" ,¯: c..a..m¯ mian to’o:.ro.li.ib.itle"~sla:.tio.n.~.u.a,.~b~r’,.,.,.,.,.,~..i- ’.leading to the c¯on..v..~ctl" qn of th" e anonymous ¯ ¯ ¯ " ......... ,. .~.... ’- ..... ’ letter-writers . ¯
Attack. and -Vengeance ts mtne.’ But in- : the scko~,,l &st~ct should.return the books.:: :’:. gay biashas:beenlaurichedinAfiZbtla"Sup-. _. ~ . ~" _...... _ ..., stead, because of the work 0f a group of,New because they were presented by a special2.1- ; ~o~teis ~i" the anti2~a~:initiati~e ~r0n~sal ;b~d.... ~~ t~OUpta$ t:quantyMl~attimor~
York artists, several hundred of the G.I. Joes interest groui~ advodatih~ its oWii a~enda "’.- : ~ifi~i~’,~.~:gPA~~£a,~,,,., ~r-.i,~] :-~: - ’ ’ BALTIMORE Baltim0re’~ :t~....... , ~r
" g " " ( . .i .)," -: " " ." , 2 ntroyersv abo.utth~:lgooks IDA~t0 t~ALLS "~- ^. :S.;~;.2 ;~ .’.. program The-city wo)kers partners plan
earne.r this year bought some 300 G.I..Joe and dunng the past:year as aml-~,ay actlv~sts hax e Idaho Falls Po}tRe-ister survey :~nl ~ ~" doesn tgo.into elfect until 1995, however.
Barbledolls andswapped the computer chips i. escalated attacks on ga.y:positive materialS in " ,,., ~; .~2, 2,g " -:"- .Y. 9~-me Chilar"-’= w~=~,..^ o,,,,, ~,,, that give the popular dolls their e~;llection 6f - the public :educational system One-bf tile manos ~.u,~ ~,g.~sl.a,to,rs ~pport.anmltmt~ve k’,,--~]’~ 7,~.,~,,’"’~’’~ ":’y "~’~.~"~ ~,’~
set p.hrase.s. T.he sw.itch.ed d.olls were then ..students.ln.vol.ve.d ~n’ the protesl’~:=t:Ol¯d re.p.o.rt.e.rs.. sponsoreo o the toano txitizens Alliance to r~.w ~ur,r,_ -~esponses ~romme r~ortn ’ ¯ .... " "’Y’ -- " .... - ¯ Pole Poll a nationwide ~,,~,:o,~ ,,~ carefully repaekaged along wit.h aflyer urging ~. that the witlidlawal 0f.lx~ks bY students Would prgm..t,1~.cW,n,~g.nts pr.ote.,cuo~s.coven,,ngsexuai
the purchasers .to contaCi.thetr local media-" continUe a~ long as the distria tried to restrict ~ondu .._3 ~_..~,. ~- ; .,.7:" ~-’. ~.
:~ffieeLta~tiu°rn~ ’~r~s, m, me.s.._mt.e will vote on ~te ~c2~r~’;~’°gs°~2em~h~raol~vC~’ ~o
~ i .~ emoer 1~,~4. " ¯ °
"about this funny doll.they g and stealthdv what they cou~Jd or could, not read -
° ..... " " . :. " ’:" .~i.i , :%;, ~ ..~-... i -i t~,=~;,~,¢~.’r.~,;,^ ~,, ~=^^ - etal concerns chief.among:them the AiDS
.......:.]~,l~i~.S::~:~itt-~i~e~n.fMa~i~lies: epidemic. The’sun,eyof.mdi’ethan 3,000 chil-
2nd Annual Benefit for Tulsa PFLAG i.n m.; e.t~.n.a,r,lotte ~~’;.t..d: c"o7mmun..i.ty o~i iv,tatt.hews " dren, ages 7 tO 13,:found that more than 26% , :., ¯ " of them, given a holiday wish that could come ¯ have gone to court i.n an effort [o prevent the
New Life Metropolitan Community Chiarch true, would ask for a cure for AIDS. That
from opening .its newly purchased church in response was the most popular.of the I 1 choices
their communit~becausemany of its parishio- cgrivimene;,rhanokmineglehssignheesrs,thwaanre, lriamciinsamtioonr ogfadnrgusg. s,
..... hers are gays~hd lesbians. But’Re~~ Robert
:.:’ ?i Darst of ~,i~W Life MCC,:with the Supp01"t o[ Canada More Positive About Gays
the Charlotte Ai~ea Cle:~gy Assn ; is fighting. TORONTO - Mac/ean’s. Canada’s largest
back. "If they’want itd buy it [the ~hurch circulation news magazine, has just publishcd
¯ property] from us,we’ll .sell it to them - at a ~ts annual national poll of what Canadians
.. ¯ i~ro~it, ol~course: We’ll makemoney off their, think about a vm:ietv of issues, including hohomophobia,"
he said. mosexuals: Overall’, 56 percent of those re-
¯ Mass. Student BiasLaw Signed sponding agreed with the statement, "It would
_ .BOSTON -Mass. Gov. William Weld
bc fine if oneof my chil~tren turncd out to be
=g .bias against students in gay." In Quebec province, where more than a
:he state because of their
third of all Canadians live, an astounding 85
se~ual.’Orientation: It is the first such state law percent of the respondents agreed with the
in theU.S .and was approved by the legislature ,statement’ .When ~resented:.. with the statement.. It would bothe~ me d openly gay and lesNan Parents & Friends-of Lesbi; in schools," 51 percent
.,reed or strongly ~dis-
3 l~ercent agreeii~:.that
"s WOUld boiher them.
HIV TESTING CLINIC " . . about
EVERY THURSDAY EVENING, 7’8:30 PM "
sponsored by ho-
ELLISVILLE,’Miss~-:At a
.~rt io prevent
He~isdn ;fi~om
Daytime Testing; Tuesday and Thursday, by Appointment _ Ck}l ;749~zfiN ¯ ii!: ¯ Migs., in:1964, who Paid the Women~g
By &for.but not exclusiveto the Lesbian, GaY & Bisexual Commun~ti~)~:" .... j ~had every, fight.t6 exist and operate ~t~ i
:/ :i:~!..i.;i eenter,:f~0d b~k, clbthes.ci~seL Crisis phon’e
Tulsa Family News,-January19~4~Eebruary~1994~-pi~ge;4 ~,: <:;~:’~,._~.:~-~.o. ............. o ..:’;.~: i~...:.. ....... : , ....¯ ,. . - - ...... : ..
. ’.. -.’i:-:.i’:.’,.:: ~ -;,
News Brnefs News Br¯iefs News Br" " " -" "
nefs News Bruefs News Briefs News Briefs N ws Briefs’ News line arid displaced homernakers’ program. cause inqu, rin~ minds ,,ant to know, ,re can T Chancy has even led a caravan of sevemfcars assure re~deL’s that Romcr(£s claims of gigasizc
full of people who acted as late-night guards at
the Sister Spiril property. The women have
been the continuing object of threats and the
property vandalized since k)ca! ministers stirred
up opposition to what they telmcd a "lesbian
compourid."
Sir lan Enters the ’Ring’
HOLLY’WOO~ - Sir Ian McKellen. the
openly gay noted British actor, is set tO co-star
as a political adviser in the long-buffed Orsoh
Welles movm project, "The Big Brass Ring "
based on a fictional story about a U.S. presidential
candidate who must hide hishomosexuality
to rnn for office. No date has been set
for the delayed film to go into prt~luction. "
Cleric Wants Condom Ads Pulled
INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana Roman Catho~
lic Archbishop Daniel Bucchlein called on
local TV and radio broadcasters not to air the
federal government’s newly released public
sewice announcements promoting condom-use
as part of a new AIDS-pre~;e.ntion i~ffort.
Buechlein said condoms .encourage young
people to engage in casual sdx, bu~:n~fst 0f
staters stations said.they.would run the gfvernment
PSAs anyway. . ,~
A Very Natural Thing
ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands - The
Staat~-Zeitung newspaper reports that 2 male
flamingos at.the Rotterdam Zoo .have bonded
st) closely that the~y repe-atedlv tried to steal
eggs fro~ nesting females to ~aise their own
baby. Moved by the persistence of the gay
birds, ztx)keepers linallv gave them:their own
fertili~e.d egg which th~ tw()-hatched ~nd"be-~
gan rinsing as their own.
Virtual Safe Sex
SANFRANCISCO - The highqech.computer
world inched forward (.maybe: even 8
inches forward) with the premiere of "Dream
Lovers:’ the first gay gex CD-ROM aLthc
MacWorld Exp0,. For.the computer illiterati
who don’t know a CD-ROM from Baba Ram
Dass, suffice it to sa~:: that ROM (or "Read-
Only Memory:’) is t(3 3’our average desktop
computer what~ideotape is to 8mm film - a
high-tech zoom that reproduces and g~nerates
9mazmgly sharper, mote detailed images. With
mteractwe capabilities, CD-ROM allows the
user to manipulate the images in a rariety of
ways not possible in awe conventional medium
- which means you c~n do a lot more With
"’Dleana Lo\ers’~ star Joe Romero than you
ever thought possible. Romero,.who atien~led
the opening of the 10th annual. MacWorld
Expo where "Dream Lovers" was..., ahenl-...
being exhibited, said he was surprised by the
"number of women who are just going crazy
over it." (Well if you’ve ever seen the swarthY’
Romero’s "it," you wouldn’t be all thin su{-
iSrised.) But Wi[ihout batting an eyelash, R0mero
points out with perhaps )ustii:iable pride of
ownership, that the program’s windows displaying
the sex-acts menu "is the largest window
size. The heterosexual versions for pore
CD-ROMs] have small windows." And bennuunmnnnnn.
nnnunnnunnnm
¯
¯
¯
¯
¯
¯
¯
¯
¯
are not rncre hubris or isomc optical illusion.
It’s tough work, but somconc’s gol to do it.
What Sign Are You?
DETROIT ~ Just thought y"ou."d h" kc to know
that, according to Patricia Fedclum of the Deaf
Hearing & Speech Center in Detroit. deal"
Americans have generally stopped using a
limp wrist to sign the wo~d indicating a homosexual,
As a sign of the" times, the ne~ves~
sign is simply the letter Q for (guess what?l the
Wt)rd "~ueer."
Settlement in FBI BiasSuit
SAN FRANCISCO -The FBI has agreed
not to discrimi.natc against ga3 and lesbian
employees based on sexual orientation or conduct
as parl of a settlement :of a class-action
lawsuit filed b\’ former San Diego FBt agent
Frank Buttinoia 20-year-\:etcran of the climc
agency fired when tlie bureau learned hc is
gay Under the tem3s of the Sctd~mcnt, the FBI
does not admit any wrongdoing but agrees to
formally adopt ffuidelincs prohibiting discrimina~
i0n.against appl cants, and,employees
’oh.?thc gffunds of s~xual orientation. ~hc
,agency:retains, howc.~,’er~ the option to.imcsti-
¯ gate h~iw anapplicant’s ~exua 6(mductmlght
affect their31cl~d~:act~r or:judgment~ The FBI
will pay Buttino an undiscl0sed:aim)unt of
money, including court costs, and he will be
allowed to receive his pension, But Buttino .... : :
will not get his job with ihc FBI back..As part
of the agreement, the FBI will accept its first
openly lesbian applicant Dana Tillson, a 32-
year-old private inve-stigator the:biarcau had
earlier rejetted after learning shcis a lesbian.
NationaI,HIV Magazine Launched
CHICAGO -- "17te Advocate rel~)rt~that the
premiere issue of Plus: The MagiStrate About .-.
Livbtg attd.HIV~riil be laun~hC~i’.this month
Thdmagazine will:f(x:us on lifestyleissues and
daily concerns the difficulties fa~cd by people
infe’ctcd with’thc’,vitUs but not Usu"allv ad-’
-Tdr(~sed :i n ~i~ etiical~ibli~:a-tii-m~,"in~lud~r~g ca-:-
reer deCisions, dating~ famil;,) relation~hips -- ¯
andunconvehtiona]- ~j~proac~aes :to staving
health\. " "
Pneumonia Treatment Causing
Shifts in Opportunistic Diseases
BOSTON -- The New England Journal of
Medicine rel:x)rts thatthe eddy and widespread
" treatment of AIDS-l-elated i~ncumonra in the
U.Si:ischanging the pattern of illnesses related
t0 HIV. Because drugs treating pneum~x:\’stis
carrel pneumonm extend life expectan~y.of
people xvith AIDS without stopping the deeli,
he of the immune system, 4 types of AIDSrelated
illnesses occur more frequently: mvcobacterium
avium complexdisea~e, cs~pha’geal
candidiasis, wasting syndrome, and cvtomegalovirus
disease.The lbur, once rclati~,-eh:
uncommon, arc now fairly often found among
patients,
(c) 1994 by GayNet N(~ws Sers:ice.
m m m m m m-man n mm m u m |m h mm m m,m m n ~.
Computer Matching Service
Linking with one or n|orc like-minded partners is now as simple as making a few keystrokes,
thanks to The Matchmaker. a world-wide matching service for the gay and lesbian world
serviceC°mmUn~sll\"[hclnfirstall°wiintgsofkind.Graphical Interface Forl-nat images of the users to be exchanged, this
Users Of the Matchmaker can find new friends, potential mates; or just someone to chat. with
about similar interests. Travelers k.x~king for compat ble people indistant cities find the service .
\cr\ helpful for locating new friends in destilmtion cities. -
AS With most matchmaking scr\iccs, a questionnaire is filled Out by the user, describing him
or herself, as well as indicating preferences for traits desired in a partner. The computer selects
a lnatch:fron~ filcs,"based on gender, location agcl and percentage of matched interests,
similar ties and desired qualities.
For more inl:ormation about The Matchmaker..contact: ~
.Arnic HoldclL Looking Glass Services, Voice: 918.838. 1222, BBS: 918.838.7575 or 7755
P.O. Box.33076. Tulsa~ OK 74153
PFLAG Support Groups
Parents.and FriendsOf L¢:sbians and Gays, T’ulsa Chapter in a partnership with the HIV
Rcsourc( Center and the Vi~.;iting Nurse A~sociation is offering a support.groul~ for oarents,
friends and l;amily of those persons:living with HIV/AIDS. The groupis m_ceting.the’tirst dnd third
Wednesda~,,s,of eat!h month at 6:30 pro:
P~G ~s also sD.mS0i-ihg a:RAP~roup lbr lhmih’, liicnds~Ga~rs ~md Lesbians who ~ antto talk
about:iheir ex~rie~ccs on,tJ~i(!.ij0urncy toundcrslan’ding and aCCeptanCe This group will meet on
Bo~h’~f.~hesc.’~rot~psWill meet-at-ihcI~llV Resource Ccmeri~l154 South Harvard, SUiie H,
Conlcrence_: R~x!m:For mi.~r~ information,, please call the PFLAG Hotline~ 749-490I.,
: Ne~ QommumtyBulidmg Orgamzatlon
., formed]Goal: building a stronger,, healthier
nded ]gersons Organizational meeting:
Psychotherapy. &Clinical
Sensitive to the Challenges of Gay, Lesbian, .Bisexual &
Transgendered lndividuals,~ Col.t~les & -Famifies.
2865 E, Skelly:DriVe,..Ste. 215
Tulsa, Oklahoma 741’05~ 745~1111
T H E
Show Company
City of Angels TPAC
Jan 18-20 596-7111
Chapman Theatre, PAC $29
Ed I~letzcer as TPAC Trust
Albert Einstein 596-7111
Jan 21. Williams Theatre, PAC $12
Glass. Menagerie Theatre Tulsa
Jan 21-30 596-7111
Studio 1, PAC $12.50
Phillip Bianconi Philharmonic
Jan 22,Z3 596-7111
Chapman Theatre, PAC $25
Armchair Traveler Celebrity Attrac.
January 24 596-7111
Chapman Theatre, PAC $6
One Mo" Time American Theatre Co.
Feb. 4-12 596-7111
Williams Theatre, PAC Prices vary..
Romeo & Juliet Tulsa Ballet
Feb 11-13 596-711"1
Chapman Theatre, PAC Prices vary.
Wait Until Dark
Community Playhouse of Broken Arrow
Feb. 11-20 258-0077
BACP $10;$8
G A Y. . L
What Is. Meaningful
Theater, Anyway?
by Gerald Miller, M.A.
What is "Meaningful Theatre", anyway?
Today, political "correctness" has translated
"meaningful" into a6stracted heavy drama
aimed at the issue of the moment. Those scripts
don’t hold a monopoly on beingmeaningful or
valuable. Sometimes, there,is value in being
simply.., entertained. Sometimes,~being able
to escape the cares and concerns of daily life
can be even more meaningful to an audience.
At Theatre Tulsa, our mission statement
enunciates that we, place equal emphasis on
both the quality Of the production and the-~
quality_of the "e~perierice ~’or the participants".
By "participants", we mean the talent pool, the
volunteers, and the audience. Our objective is
to provide the best quality theatrical entertainment
we can, from the resources available in
the community.. Our objective witli this approach
was to provide for the community of
actors and the local audience to, participate in
the best of live theater. "
That best may sometimes be dark dramas.
and sometimes frothy comedies or musicals.
The very best and most meaningful theater
will be entertaining in the delivery of its
message. Good drama, by definition, has to be
accessible to the audience2 If the work-is not
-entertaining, there will be no audience. If there
is no audience, how" can anyone have an associated
"meaningfulY experience?
As Carolyn and Nancy, professionals intheir
mid-thirties smile and exchange silx er--
and-amethyst bands, the’ wedding p~. of old
friends witness. Later, a midnight cel~brati0n
supper will include Nancy’s mother and
Carolyn’s two children: Star and Brigid choose
to simplify’ their commitment ceremony, reciting
vows and making love on a secluded stretch
of beach in Aruba. Michael and Kevin, antiquedealers~
who have co-habitated for three years
opt for the traditional trappings of matrimony:
tuxedos o1~ dove grey,
exchanging rings and "
vows in the Universalist
Church in Boston, GAY:MARRIAGE?. Massachusetts. Tri.sh
and Patty wear match- " NOTHING-NI::IN, ing gowns, organdy and ¯
white lace lbr their Au- JUST OUT tumn union. No one
gives th~ bride away;
willingly she takes the IOF i~’lE e,OS~r!
arm Of herlover as they ~ . -
stand-beneath- the laden
grape arbor in their Madison, Wisconsin backyard.
Jo and Kelly, armbikers, wear leather
and. commit "themselves .in a celebration of
joined life, riding Harley Davids0n motor:
cycles in Colorado. And in windy Chicago
Tim and.Pat quietlyre-affirm their sixteen-
Charley’s Aunt Theatre Tulsa
¯ Feb 18~27 596-7H I
Williams Theatre, PAC $12.50
TOM NEAL
DESIGNER
Buildings, Gardens & Graphics
832.0233
The Drunkard
Saturdays, 8:15 p.m.,S8
I F E S T Y L E
Gay and Lesbian Committment Ceremonies
by Lori Livingston, COUPLES have beei~ sharing life and hearth for cons,
albeit discreetly. Still technically not legal ~n "
the United States (in the Netherlands, howevcr -,.
same-sex unions are given the same status as
heterosexual counterparts), gay marriage is
gaining slow acceptance. In t989, an estimated
three¯ hundred gay men and lesbians
clad in attire ranging from formal to ultracasual
and hailing from as far away as Japan
came together on.the streets of our nation’s
capital and publicly acclaimed (heii" unions in
a great Gay Wedding: Churches and religious
institutions such as the
Universalist Meeting
House and Unitarian
sects accept and encourage
gay marriages,
offeri ng same-sex
couple counseli ng and
performing ~r,’ices.
Those gay men
and lesbians who
choose not to affirm
" theirjoining religiously
¯ ¯ " can and.do create their
..own personal expressions of shared love, as
varied and diverse as the individuals themselves:~
Editedby BeckT Butler, Cerernonies of the
Heart (Seal Press) is a documented account of
same-sex ctnnm~tment ceremonies. Well-reyear
relationship every 365 days;- sharing a searched, it is a moving testimony of gay
[~ottle of Cognac and a reading 6f Dicken’s A couples acknowledging their unions, both tra-
¯ ¯ o¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ o ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯. ¯ ¯ Christmas Carol each ChristmasEve. ditionally and avant-garde.
¯ Commitment ceremonieS. Matrimony. E,s- AS we approach the twenty-first century,
¯ poused union. Across the United States and seemingly in the final rounds of a fight for gay
¯- beyond gay men and lesbiahs are joyously, rights which we will win, the trend to publicly ¯ openly~and privately,- noisily and ih quiet acknowledge gay unions with the institutioh
¯
¯
" .pledge~joining in a-wave ofloving ritual, of marriage is on the upswing. With the self-
¯ .Is, th!,s a new trend? One might suppose yes, absorbed 80’s-decade at our backs, more same--
¯ citing me number of public c0mmitinents in gender couplesare declaring their relation-
¯ .-recent years but in act;aality same-sex couples stiipsin all manner of ritualistic creativity.
¯
."1".".Timothy W. :DanIi¯e’l
¯ AttornoyatLaw
Tulsa .Family News, January¯1994 : February 1994, page" 6
Estate Planning, Adoptions, Personal Injury
Criminal Law, Bankruptcy, Workers Compensation
1’800’742-9468or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway~ Drumright, Oklahoma
Weekend arid evening appointments are available.
.:K.n.ow You r Rights!
H ¯ E G. .A Y L.’ ¯ F - EM S s TG Y¯ L E
a
Domestic Partners Benefits-Are You Being Ripped. Off? ’ i s .a T u I s. by Mary Troltnstine - Entre Nous In Ihct there may ~ legal precedence lk~r cxtcndfng domestic "
Ifa ~rspective employer said. "1 pay heterosexuals $15 an pawners ~ncfits.~itlc.VlI of the Civi.l Rights Act specifics that Oklahoma’ 05 eat Pagaant hour and lesbians and gays $10 an hour?." would you ~ke the an3 benefits ofl~red by a companY must ~ cqmtablv ofl~red to
.
job? EveD’ time we accepl a job at a company that does not
ofl’er domestic partners benefits we ha~’c taken the job for $10
an hour. Benefits packages represent 25-35’~ of an employee’s.
pay. As a gay or lesbian employee working in a company that
does not recogni2c our partners, we
can’t utilize the medical/dental, plan for
our partner. We can’t take sick leave to
tend otu" sick partner, lhmily leave when
our partner has a child, orbereavemcnt
leave if our partner should.die. If our
company extends health club privileges
or other perks to its employees’and
Ihmily, our families arc once again left
out. These are all benefits that the
company would extend to us, if only we
were straight.
There are companies that e.~tend benel’its
to their gay and lesbian employees.
Are they alii’uistic companies, out
to. do the morally right thing? Comparues
are not moral. They canbe persuaded
however, to do th~ morally cot-.
..feet thing if it can be shown to be in the
company’s best interest.
Why should a company extend costly
benefits to non-traditional families?
Some of the reasons given.by employ-
If a perspective employer
said, "1 pay heterosexuals
$15 an hour and lesbians
and gays ¯$10/hour?"
would, you take the job?
Every time we accept a
job at a company that
does not offer, domestic.
partners benefits, we have
taken the job for $10/hour.
all employees. Rcce:nt EEOC rulihgs have used this ~act to force
employers to give men the same parenting leave as they give their
female emplo\ccs. .
There is no [:orrcct way to fight for domestic l~artncrs benefits.
But there i ~ enough cxper|cnce to dhtc to
be able to draw s0fiae g~neral conchisions.
It is important IO understand and work
\viththc "corporateculture" that defines
your conlpany. How does inlbnnation l]ow
in thi: company? How arc decisions made?
Who has the power to make and to influence
decisions?
Ho\\ you present the pr0blcmslsolutions
is critical to whether or not you’ll be
listened to. A confrontational approach
does not Work, but You mm;t stay visible.
Erame the issues so’that thc comt~anv sccs
thatit is in their best interest to c~angc
their policies. Give the Coml~m\’ as much
information as you can, includit~g policies
and monctarx anah:sis of Othcrcompanics;
domcsti’( partners policies.
¯ Partnerships arc important. There is
strength in numberS. Form aJcsbian & gay
employees assocmtion..loin forces with
other employee groups. Unmarried heterosexuals
t~kc ad\’antagc of domestic
ers who have extended domestic part- partnership benefits far more often (han
nership benefits include: lesbian and gay couples. Joining forces with unmarried hctcro-
1. Benefits packages help employers recruit and retain se~xuals can push the Cause foi’ward much faster.
qualified workers and a db,’erse workplace. It is hel pft, l to get the supp6rt of Human. R~sourccs. Even.
2. Employees are more productive if they feel management though the HR departmentis of(on the prescncr of the status
v.alues them and takes their l:amilies seriot~slv, there are man\’ ~×xt people in HR who honc~th" wzint to d0 the
~. Financial needs of an employee in a non-~raditional family right thing. Enlist the support and help from som[2one in manageare
m~ different from financial needs of a married emplove(~, ~cnt~ This pe?son does not -havcto be lesbian i~r gay. Bcnnct
nor are their responsibilities to their partner different. " " Marks,.€o-chair of the gay employees group at Appl~ ~omputcr
4. Denying benefits violates principles of fairness, summed it up when he said "I would much r’athcr work \vith ’
5. Redefining "family" to include long-term committed sympathetic straight people than closeted gay people on these
relatio_nships reflects th(~changing socia~ reality. " i~sues. " .....
New Hours:
Tues.,Thurs. 4:2
Fri. & Sat. 7-2
Sun, 4-2
by Kris Kohl
- F~ms and contestants are preparing for the annual Miss Gay,
Tulsa Pageant to be held on Sunday, January thirtieth at eight
p;m. at the Silver Star Saloon, 1565 S. Sheridan. At twentythree
years old, the pageant is the oldest in Oklahoma:" it
predates by two ’,’ears the Miss Gay American Pageant of
Norma KriTsfie in Little-R~k, Arkan~.
The pageantwill be an AIDS benefit, with proceeds going to
the MCC AIDS fund. Money collected from advertisers, raffle
tickets, and donations at the &x~r of the Silver Star Will all
contribute to the fund. I.~t year, this wonderful event was the
largest fund:miscr of its kind in our state. The pageant brought
in over $ I, 100, which was divided between Shantiand MCC..
Our pageant¯ over the-years has benefited from. the contri-
.butions of many shining Stars. Each, in their own way, shone
bright as title-holders, and Will all be long-remembered. Two
people without whom this pageant would never have achieved
its statusand grace arc EmCee Parker and Tim Warren. These
two men created the Miss Gay Tulsa Empire.
La,,~t year, as a memorial to these two pioneers who have
passed on; an award was created by pageant director, Kris
Kohl. The Award of Artistry recogni~,es the power and contribution
to the art of female impersonation ofthe stage performance
of its recipmnt.
Last 3’car, the fabulous Jazzmyn Cherri took home this
honor, as well as being fimt runner-up. Second runner--up and
w~nncr of Male Intcn’iew, was Sensuous Helen Holliday. Who
will be crowned this )’ear? Come find out on January ~hirtieth
at the Sihcr Star!
A limited amount of reserved seating is available for ten
dollars per person. A donation of three dollars c(wer will be
asked for at the door, and raffle tickets lbr some wonderful
prizes can be bought at the d(×)r as well. Remember. all
proceeds benefit MCC-AIDS benefit fund!
- all your interior needs~
MaleDancers Every Thursday
15th Street, 599-8070
I
T H E G A
Show.- Company
City of Angels TPAC
Jan 18--20 . 596-7111
Chapman Theatre, PAC $29
Ed Metzcer as TPAC Trust
Albert Einstein 596-7111
Jan 2 !, Williams Theatre. PAC $12
Glass Menagerie Theatre Tulsa
Jan 21-30 596-7111 -
Studio 1, PAC $12.50
Philfip Bianconi PhilharmoniC
Jan 22.Z3 596-7111
Chapman Theatre, PAC $25
Armchair Traveler Celebrity Attrac.
January 24 596-7111
Chapn~an Theatre, PAC $6
One M0’ Time American Theatre Co.
Feb. 4-12 596:7111
Williams Theatre, PAC Prices vary,.
Romeo & Juliet Tulsa Ballet
Feb 11"13 596-711"1
Chapman Theatre, PAC Prices vary.
Wait Until Dark
Community Playhouse of Broken Arrow
Feb. 11-20 258-0077
BACP - $10; $8
Charley’s Aunt Theatre Tulsa
¯ Feb 18-27 596-71-11
Williams Theatre, PAC $12.50
The Drunkard . Spotlight Theatre
Saturdays, 8:15 p,m,;$8 1381. Riversid~
What Is Meaningful
Theater, Anyway?
L I F E S T Y L E
Gay and Lesbian Committment Ceremoniesby
Gerald Miller, M.A.
What is "Meaningful Theatre", anyway.’?
Today, political "correctness" has translated
"meaningful" into abstracted heavy drama
aimed at the issue of the moment. Those scnpts
don’t hold a monopoly on beingmeaningful or
valuable. Sometimes, there,is value in being
simply.., entertained. Sometimes,being able
to escape the cares and concerns of daily life
can be even more meaningful to an audience.
At Theatre Tulsa, our mission statement
enunciates that we, place equal emphasis on
both the quality Of the production and the--
quality_of the "experiehce for the participants".
By "participants", we mean the talent pool, the
volunteers, and the audience. Our objective is
to provide the best quality theatrical entertain-
. ment we can, from the resources available in
the community.. Our objective With this approach
was to provide for the community of
actors and the local audience to.participate In
the best of live theater.
That best may sometimes be dark dramas,
and sometimes frothy comedies or musicals.
The very best and most meaningful theater
will be entertaining in the delivery of its
message. Good drama, by definition, h~ to be
accessible to the audience~ Iftbe work-is not
,ente~aining, there will be no audience.if there
is no audience, how can anyone have an associated
meamngtui experience.
by Lori Livingston, COUPLES
As Carolyn and Nancy, professionals intheir
mid-thirties smile and exchange sih er--
and-amethystbands, the’ wedding~of old
friends witness. Later, a midnight cel~brati0n
supper will include¯ Nancy’s mother and
Carolyn’s two children: Star and Brigid choose
to simplify’ their commitment ceremony’, reciting
vows and making love on a secluded stretch
of beach_in Aruba. Michael and Kevin, antiquedealers.
who have co-habitated for three years
opt for the traditional trappings of matrimony’:
have been sharing life and hearth lbr cons,
albeit discreetly. Still technically not legal in -
the United States (in the Netherlands, however \
same-sex umons are given the Same status as
heterosexual counterparts), gay marrmge is
gaming slow acceptance. In t989. an est,-
mated three hundred gay men and lesbians -
clad in attire ranging from formal to ultracasual
and hailing from as far away as Japan
came together on the streets of our nation’s
capital and publicly acclaimed theii" unions in
a great Gay Wedding~ Churches and religious
tuxedos of dove grey~
exchanging rings and
vows in the Universalist
Church in Boston,
Massachusetts. Trish
and Patty wear match-’
lng gowns, organdy and
white lace for their Autumn
union. No one
gives th6 bride away;
willingly she takes the
arm Of her lover as they
stand beneaththe laden -
GAY-MARRIAGE?
NOTHING¯NEW,
JUST OUT
OF THECLOSET!
institutions such as the
Universalist Meeting
House and Unitarian
sects accepl and encourage
gay marriages,
offeri ng same-sex
couple counseling and
performing services.
Those gay men
and lesbians who
choose not to affirm
theirjoining religiously
can and do create their
grape arbor in tlieir Madison, Wisconsin backyard.
Jo and ¯Kelly, avid¯bikers, wear leather
and. commit "themselves ¯in~ a celebration of
joined life, riding Harley Davidson motor~
cycles in Colorado. And in wi ndy Chicago
Tim and¯Pat quietly.rezaffirm their sixteenyear
relationship ever), 365 days;, sharing a
[~ottle of Cognac anda reading ~i" Dicken’s A
own personal expressions of¯shared love, as
varied and.diverse as the individuals themselves~
Edited by Beck3~ Butler, Ceremonies of the
Heart (Seal Press) is a documented account of
same-sex commitment ceremonies. Well-researched,
it is a moving testimony of gay
couples aCknowledging their unions, both tra-
¯ ¯ .. ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯.. ¯ .¯. ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯. Christmas Carol each ChristmasEve. ditionally and avant-garde.
’ i
Commitment ceremonies. Matrimony. Es- AS we approach the twenty-first cer~tury,
i th atre q:tdsai poused union. Across theUnited Statesand seemingly in the final rounds of a fight for gay
¯,
-
.:
beyond gay men and lesbiahs are joyously, rights which we will win, the trend to publicly.
i" " "~I~.,I’L~
openly~and privately, noisily and in quiet acknowledge gay unions ~vith the institution
¯ : i " pledges joining in a.wave of¯loving ritual. ¯ . of marriage.is on the upswing. With the self-
" ¯ ~i amtams’., i.. :- "
" Is.this a new trend? One might suppose ves, absorbed 80’s decade at our backs, more same-
¯ citing the number of public’commitment~ in gender couples are declaring their relation-
" " k " r " " " - * ..recent years but in actZaality same-sex couples . ships in all manner of ritualistic creativity. : ethe ~lass,~Tlenage~ie .
c, tt s 7-s ,ozi "¯
¯¯" lotmore LnformatLon.".
¯
Estate Planning, Adoptions, Personal Injury
Criminal Law, Bankruptcy, Workers Compensation
1’800,742-9468or918 -352-9504
128 East BroadwayCDrumright, Oklahoma
Weekend and,evening,appointments are-available.
Know-. You.r Rights!.
Tulsa .Fatnily News, January 1994- February 1994, page 6 .............
3340 South Peoria
21 To Enter
744-0896
scene
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