[1997] Tulsa Family News, April 15-May 14, 1997; Volume 4, Issue 5

[1997] Tulsa Family News, April 15-May 14, 1997; Volume 4, Issue 5

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 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.

Tulsa Family News

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

Tom Neal

April 15-May 14, 1997

Jams Christjohn
Barry Hensley
Dr. Mike Gorman
Jean-Pierre Legrandbouche
The Associated Press

Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News

Tulsa Family News, March 15-April 14, 1997

Image
PDF
Online text

English

newspaper
periodical

https://history.okeq.org/items/show/533

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

April 15 - May 14, 1997, v. 4, no. 5
Serving Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual & Trans Communities
Lesbians’ Kids: Just Fine
WASHINGTON (AP) - Lesbians who become parents
through artificial insemination are rinsing emotionally
healthy and well-adjusted children, according to three
new studies presented at a recent meeting of social
scientists. Researchers said standardpsychological tests
found no significant differences between children of
lesbian parents and those of heterosexual parents.
"When you look at kids with standard psychological
assessments, you can’t tell who has alesbian parent and
who has a heterosexual parent," said Charlotte J.
Patterson, a University of Virginia researcher. ’°That’s
really the main finding from these studies." The studies
were conducted in the United States, Britain and the
Netherlands. They were presented at a meeting of the
Society for Research on Child Development.
"Most of the children in the lesbian families were
conceived at fertility clinics. Some of the children of
heterosexual parents also were conceived at fertility
clinics, see Kids, page 3
Marriage Update
Oregan Ban on Marriage?
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A bill that would define marriage
as a union between a man and a woman drew emotional
testimony at a legislative hearing. Suzanne Cook testified
Thursday that being raised by a gay father denied
her a proper role model and led her to a life of pronnscuity,
drug abuse and depression. "I believe homosexual
marriage is detrimental to our society," Cook
said. But Donna Saffir told the committee, "I am here
.today as a very upset and angry mother." The legislation
Is mean-spirited and a veiled attack on her gay son and
her family, she said.
About 60 people packed a hearing room to listen to
the first debate on the bill, -known as the Defense of
Marriage Act. Opponents argued thatunder current law,
gay men and lesbians cannot marry in Oregon anyway.
They accused supporters of pushing the bill tO promote
intolerance of homosexuals. Supporters claim to have
enough votes to pass it through the Republican:controlled
Houseand Senate. Gov. John Kitzhaber, aDemocrat,
opposes the bill, but it is uncertain whether he
might veto it.
"The institution ofmarriag,,e is not under attack by the
gay and lesbian community, Said R~p. ChuC,k C~n:’
ter, one of three openly gay House members. "To me,
this piece oflegislation is amean and vindictive ai~ck.."
But Sen.~ob Kintigh, said his marriage of 53 years Was
.... s~dcial. ’The relatiOnship we have.i~ad ic~tdd:not::l~
duplicatedby twopeople ofthe samesex," Kintigh Said.
Hawaii House & Senate
Wrangle Over Marri ige
HONOLULU (AP) - The state House won’t budge
from its position that a proposed constitutional amendment
state clearly that marriage in Hawaii t0be limited
to couples of the opposite sex,H0use Speaker Joseph
Sould said. That position stands, even if it pushes the
same-sex marriage dispute into next year, he said. Sould
and House Judiciary ConLmittee see Vows, page 12
"Christians’, Harassing
Gays in Riverside Park?
TULSA - Jimmy Flowers, a Gay civil rights and HIV activist,
livesnear Riverside Park and frequently goes to feed the ducks
and geese near the 21st Street Pavilion. On April 14th around 1
pm, he went as usual, and after feeding the birds, sat to enjoy the
sun near the cage.
Flowers says he noticed-a group of couples going up to
individuals in the park but that he didn’t pay much attention until
they came up to him. He says that this group of male/female
couples asked him if he was Gay. Not being particularly shy,
Flowers answered tothe effect of’:yes and do you have a problem
with that?" Heclaims that theirresponse was that"this is afamily,
Christian park," that Gays are "child molesters" and are not
welcome, and that he should leave. Flowers notes that he, as a
longume activist, was not the person to whom they should have
said that. The couples told Flowers that they would’all the police
if he did not leave. Flowers said he’d love for them to call the
police, and that he was proud to be Gay and see Park. page 3
Ellen Coming Out!
Pride Center to Hold Watch Party
NEW YORK (AP) - Ellen DeGeneres is coming out in real life,
too. After a season of controversy-stirring rumors, her character
on "Ellen" will acknowledge her homosexuality on the ABC
sitcom April 30. Now, DeGeneres says she’s a lesbian, too.
"When I decided to have my character on the show come out,
I knew I was going to have to come out too," DeGeneres says in
the latest Time magazine. "But I didn’t want to talk about it until
the show was done. I never wanted to be the lesbian actress. I
never wanted to be the spokesperson for the gay community.
Ever. I did it for my own truth."
DeGeneres admits being confused sexually as a young woman.
"I dated guys," she says. "I liked guys. But I knew that I liked girls
too. I just didn’t know what to do with that." The 39-year-old
comedian says she quit dating men at about age 20 and recently
met a woman she hopes to forge see Ellen, page 3
3rd TU Film Festiv lll=i TULSA - The Bisexual/.Lesbian/Gay/Transgendered Alliance
of the University of Tulsa (BLGTA) is presenting the 3rd Tulsa
Gay & Lesbian Film Festival on April 18-20 in’ Lorton Hall
The Festival was originally ojoint effort of the then BLGA and
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR) and Tulsa Family
News. The films and videos for the first Festival in 1994 were
selected by a student and community committee lead by Jason
~S,_n~_’_th of the BLGA and by Tom Neal for TOHR. Tulsa Family
News was and continues to be the media sponsorfor the Festival.
The original festival included 15 works that ranged from 1975
to 1992, and varied from highly inaccessible and experimental to
very conventional styles. Two works by the late and acclaimed
filmmaker, Marion Riggs, were featured. Most of the w6rks were
from theUS buttwo were Canadian.Amodest donation benefitted
the BLGA and TOHR.
The 2nd Film Festival at TU was produced in 1996 as part of
TU’s 2nd Annual World Cinema Festival presented by the TU
Student Association and the BLGA. This event was free and
featured film and video organized around three themes. The first
n~ght was Gay & Lesbian History, see Film, page 3
HIVIAlDS Conference
Facing the HIV/AIDS Crisis, a Callfor Unity andAction will be
held ~n April 18 at the Rogers University Tulsa Campus Confer-
:~ ence tseat~t at700 No. Greenwood. The Conference 6~ganizedby
¯¯ members ofTulsa’sAfrican-Americancommunity to address the
particular ways that HIV/AIDS is impacting people of color,
," .w.Qmen ,and yOUth wi.ll feature anoon address by Dr. M. J0ycelyn
: Elders,:form~rUS~urgeonGeneral~. :~ , ; i .= " ’. ~
: The conference i.~ divided int0 three tracks beginning after:the
¯ welcome at 9 am: youth, general and clergy issues. A particular
: goal of the conference according to organizer Beverly Benton is
to get North Tulsa churches more involved in HIV/AIDS issues.
¯ And the conference is sponsored by. several churches: Higher ¯
¯ Dimensions Family Church, Revelations-Revealed Truth Evan- gelistic Center, United Methodist Oklahoma ConferenceAIDS
¯ Taskforc¢ and Co.mm~unity of Hope, TU’s Canterbury ~,entef,
¯ Al! Tribes ~o.ring_mfi_’t3; ~hurch, as well as rndtiy brg~z,~tion~
from PFLAG to the NAACP.
¯ " R~’gls’~afi6iiincludes lunch andis $25 ($10/students). At 6 pm,
the Gospel Fest AIDS Memorial Service will be held at the
Greenwood Cultural Center. This event is free. Info: 622-6059
New AIDS Czar Praised
WASHINGTON - The Human Rights Campaign
(HRC), the AIDS Action Council and other DC
based organizations praised the selection of Sandra
L. Thurman as the new White House "AIDS czar."
"’Sandra Thurman is a solid choice to take the
Office of National AIDS Policy to the next level
said Elizabeth Birch, HRC’s executive director.
"She brings the right mix of leadership, political
skills and commitment to the fight against HIV and
AIDS.’"
The HRC legislative director, Winnie
Stachelberg, added Thurman has the experience to
design and execute the administration’s programs
in the changing struggle to end the HIV/AIDS
epidemic. "Thurman was intricately involved in
the creation and enactment of the Ryan White
CAREAct in 1990 and its reauthorizadonin 1995,"
said Stachelberg, who is a member of the executive
committee of the tunbrella group National Organizations
Responding to AIDS. "She knows AIDS
policy and politics from the inside -a critical
combination of skills for this job.’"
Thurman becomes the third person to hold the
position known informally as the national AIDS
czar. Thurman, a native of Atlanta, is past executive
director of AID Atlanta, the Southeast’s first
and largest AIDS service provider. Under her stewardship,
AID Atlanta tripled in size, becoming a
multimillion-dollar direct service agency with 90
staffers’and more than 1,000 volunteers, serving
thousands of individuals and families with HIV
and AIDS.
Oklahoma Gay Rodeo
Oklahoma City will host the 12th Great Plains
Regional Rodeo organized by the Oklahoma Gay
Rodeo Association (OGRA) on Memorial Day
weekend, May 23-25. It features 2 days of rodeo at
the OKC State Fair~rounds and 3 nights of parties
and exhibits at the Hilton Inn NW. A ticket package
is available for $36 which includes the competitions,
a barbecue dinner, Friday night party and
Sunday’s award ceremony.
OGRA began in 1984. The Great" Plains Regional
Rodeo was formed through the efforts of
Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma and held its first
rodeo in 1986. In 1993, Arkansas formed the Diamond
Stare RodeoAssociation andjoined the Great
Plains organization. OGRA gave over $10,000 to
HIViAIDS organizations in the state.
¯ Membership is not limited to rodeo competitors.
¯ Members of OGRA participate in events ranging ¯
from campouts, trailrides, shows and fun
¯" fundraisers. For more information, call 405-842-
0849. Hotel reservations can be made by calling 1-
¯" 800-848-4811. The next regional rodeo will be in
"- Kansas City in August.
i Tahlequah’s Stonewall
: League Aims to Serve.
: Tahlequah’s Stonewall League may be small but is
: definitely ambitious. They aim to provide support,
¯ advocacy, outreach and education to Lesbian, Bi-
: sexual, Gay, Transgendered and Intersexual per-
. sons. For now, the fledgling group has conceni
trated.0n ~Upport;and.q0mmunity building but they.
¯ also hope to provide a safe space for you~ iidul~ ......
¯ whoarejustdiscoveringtheiridentities.TheI_~ague
¯ meets at a friendly religious organization on the
," 2nd &4th Thursdays each month, andis open to all
: wh0silPi~4 ~he.g~lslofthe .League For informa-
¯ tion, leave a message at 918-456-7900.
INSIDE- EDITORIAL/DIRECTORY P. 2
US & WORLD NEWS P. 4
HEALTH NEWS P. 6
HEALTH & WELLNESS COLUMN P.7
COMMUNITY CALENDAR P. 9
ENTERTAINMENT NOTES P. 10
BOOK REVIEW .... P. 10
RESTAURANT REVIEW P. 11
CLASSIFIEDS P. 14
Y
publicationare Protecte¯dby~Sc~pyrig¯ kt1997¯ byT~F " N~¯¢a¯nd
may not be reproduced e~th~t tn whole or ~n part w~thoutwntten permission
918,583.1248 from the publisher..Publication of a name or photo does not indicate that
fax: 583.4615 Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal p~,rson’s sexual orientation.
POB 4140 Tulsa, OK 74159 Entertainment Writer: James Correspondence is assumed to be for publication unless otherwise noted,
e-mail: Christjohn, Writers ÷ contributors: must be signed & becomes the sole property of Tulsa Family News. All
TulsaNews@aol.com Barry Hensley, Dr. Mike German correspondence should be sent to the address to the left. Each reader is
website: Jean-Pierre Legrandboucfie entitled to one free copy of each edition at distribution points. Additional
http://users.aol.com/TulsaNews/ Member of The Associated Press copies are available by calling 583-1248.
by Tom Neal, editor &publisher
It’ s interesting to watch the machinations of the latest Oklahoma City_ export that’s come to Tulsa.with grand ambitions - and grand
pretensions, but also with he-humjournalism and questionable business practices. Once again, some OKC residents have decided that
they know what’s best for the rest of the state. Pity that we were just too witless to realize that we needed them to save us. Oh well.
What we’re talking about is the warma-be Dallas Voice weekly rag. Unfortunately while they’ve mostly got the weekly part down,
they haven’t gotten the quality local journalism part that The Dallas Voice has provided for years. Despite claims of local coverage,
their content remains consistently almost all wire stories. The slight local content is inaccuratemoreoften than not. AndTulsa observers
are regularly amused by the consistently fictional aspects of parts of their Tulsa calendar.
In contrast, The Gayly Oklahoman and Tulsa Family News have provided consistent, serious and nationally praised coverage ofOKC
and Tulsa news, respectively. And while we cannot speak for The Gayly, Tulsa Family News has always been run on sound financial
principles. While we never, ever will get rich, TFN was in the black from its first issue, see Spit, page 3
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Bmnboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine
*Concessions, 3340 S. Peoria
*Lola’s, 2630 E. 15th
*Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria
*Ground Floor Cafe, 51st & Harvard
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E, 31st
*Samson & Delilah Restaurant, 10 E. Fifth
*Silver Star Saloon, 1565 Sheridan
*Renegades Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial
"*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd
832-1269
744-0896
749-1563
749-4511
749-5678
745-9998
585-2221
834-4234
585-3405
660-0856
584-1308
*Interurban Restaurant, 717 S. Houston 585-3134
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Advanced Wireless & PCS, Digital Cellular 747-1508
*Affimty News, 8120 E. 21 610-8510
Deuni s C. Arnold, Realtor 746-4620
*Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000
Kent Balch & Associates, Health & Life Insurance 747-9506
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722E. 15 712-1122
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21 712-9955
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 So. Peoria 743-5272
*Creative Collection, 1521 E. 15 592-1521
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis -581-0902, 743-4117
Counnunity Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620
*Devena’s Gallex3’, 13 Brady 587-2611
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556
Don Carlton Mitsubishi, 46th & Memorial 665-6595
Don Carlton Honda, 4141 S. Memorial 622-3636
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503
Tulsa Organizations, L;hurches, & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 1071,74101-1071 579-9593
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 Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa Canterbury Ctr. 583-9780
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th PI & Florence
*Community ofHope United Methodist, 1703 E. 2nd 585-1800
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595
*Church of the Restoration, 1314 N.Greenwood 587-1314
Dignity/Integrity-Lesbian/Gay Catholics/EpiscopaL 298-4648
*Family of Faith MCC, 5451-E So. Mingo 622-1441
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free SpiritWomens Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
Friends in Unity Social Org. (African-American mens group)
POB 8542, 74101, call c/o HOPE @ 712-1600
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education, 1307 E. 38, 2ndft.
712-1600, HOPE Anonymous HIV Testing Site, 742-2927
TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
Interfaith AIDS Ministries 438-2437, 800-284-2437
838-1715
749-4194
748-3111
365-5658
584-7960
749-4901
587-7674
743-4297
749-4195
665-5174
584-2325
¯ attn: Jean-Pierre Legrandbouche ¯
re: March ’97 restaurant review
¯ When writing, your articles, I should
¯ think thatyou should add that your critic’s ¯
are based on a personal opinion. By not
¯
doing so you have not only insulted your
¯ hostess, in more ways than one but about
50,000 people thathave eat (sic) atMolly’s
Landing on an average each year for the
: last 12 years.
Before stating how overly expensive
you feel that Molly’s is, have you ever
tired some of the other restaurants in the
Tulsa area, because.you not-ouly.pay a
equal amount for the entree, but you pay
extra for the baked potato and/or salads.
No hints will be given, because we feel
you need the experience.
If you did some investigation, I think
you will find that your beloved
Montrachet’s is closed because people
didu’t like the food. I realize that not
everyone has the same pallet (sic), bnt
there are enough people to keep a restaurant
open that has decent food.
Most people feel it a compliment to
Molly’s that people from all walks of life
and every dress preference, feel comfortable
and enjoy the same food in the stone
buildiug, at the stone time.
Molly’s was approached not long ago
to adve’rtise in you paper, I wonder how
the critic would have read (sic) had we
doue so. - Molly’s Landing, Linda Powell
Editor’s note:
Several ofMs. l~owell’s claims deserve
correction. TFN’s restaurant critic works
independently. A professional who has
traveled attddined widely, attd who has
visited nearly all ofTulsa"s better restaurants,
he is well qualified to comtnent on
the ones he chooses to review. Furthermore.
neither I nor any other member of
TFN staff have ever solicited Molly’s
Ixznding for advertising: We suspect that
"" Ms. Powell may have confused us with
¯ l)dsa Kids or Oklahoma Family. And as
¯ publisher and editor, l neither assign nor
¯ prohibit the coverage of any establish-
’. ment by this independent. 1 limit my edit-
" ing to issues oflength and the excision of
¯~ the rare, over-the-top c.omment. There-
. jbre, the suggestion that somehow there
¯ could be a connection between your deci-
¯ sionsaboutadvertisingandTFN’sreview
has less than no merit.
Infact. there has been only one restau-
*Ross Edward Salon, 1438 S. Boston
Leaune M. Gross, Financial Planning
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney ..
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotlaerapy, 2865 E. Skelly
*International Tours
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th
Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15
Kelly Kirby, CPA, POB 14011, 74159
l~mgley Agency, 1104 S. Victor
bean Ann Macomber, Realtor Associate
Susan McBay, MSW: Earth-Centered Counseling
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720C E. 31
*Mohawk Music, 6157,E~ ,51, PI
*Nothing Shocking Salon, 2722 E. 15
*NOvd Idea Bookstore, 51st & Harvard
David A. Paddock, CPA, 4308 S. Peoria, Ste. 633
Pet Pride, Dog & Cat Grooming
The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor
th~ppy Pause .II, 1 lth & Mingo
584-0337
744-0102
744-7440
745-1111
341-6866
712-2750
599-8070
747-5466
592-1800
671-2010
592-1260
584;3112
663-5934
.664-2951
712-1123
747-6711
747-7672
584-7554
743~4297
838-7626
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617
Scott Robison’s Prescriptions, see ad for 3 locations, 743-2351
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921,.747-4746
*Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square 749-6301
*Tulsa Book Exchange, 3749 S. Peoria 742-2007
*Tulsa Comedy,Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling 743-1733
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767
*MCC of Greater Tulsa, 1623 N. Maplewood
*HIV Resource Ctr., 4154 S. Harvard, Ste. H-1
NAMES PROJECT, 4154 S. Harvard, Ste. H-1
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165,74157
*Our House, 1114 S. Queer
PFLAG , POB 52800, 74152
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria
*The Pride Center, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
*R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network
Rainbow Business Guild, POB 4106, 74159
¯ *Red Rock Mental Center, 302 S. Cheyenne #108
St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati
¯ St Jerome’s Catholic Church, 3841 S. Peoria,
¯ *Shanti Hotline & HIV/AIDS Services
¯ Trinity Episcopal Church, 501 S. Cincinnati
¯ Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, POB 2687, 74101
T.U.LS.A. Tulsa Uniform]Leather Seekers Assoc.
¯ *Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
¯ *Tulsa Community College Campuses
: *Rogers University (formerly UCT)
425-7882 " rant that refused to advertise with TFN
742-6227. " which has also caught the attention ofM.
749-7898 ¯ Legrandbouche. We were amused when
582-4128 " he gave a scathing review to this family
743-4297 ° owned establishment where we have ex-
838-1222 i periencedso-sofood, slovenlyserviceand
¯ gratuitous rudeness from an owner. But
¯ had he written a review singing their
¯ praise, we also would have run it,
TFNfollows standardjournalistic con-
~ ventions regarding reviews. The~ aTtic!es
are by-lined, i.e. the writer’s name or
¯ pseudonym is given. Ms. PoWell tnight
want to refer to The Tulsa World for
¯
example. None of their reviews note that
¯
these are the personal opinions of the
¯ writer -that is understood. However,
918 456 7900 ~ [hankyoufor taking the time to shareyoO~r
.....:, vie~s with:out redders. - Tom Neal
501-253-7457 -:
501-253-6807 :
501-253-5445 :
501:253.;9337- ¯
501-253-’2776 ~
BARTLESVILLE
*Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. J0hnst0n6 - .918-337-5353
¯ NORMAN
*Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
OKLAHOMA CiTY "". "’-" - ’ "’- ""
: *Borders Books’&MiiSi~C, 3209NWExpressway 405-848-2667
¯ TAHLEQUAH
¯ *Stonewall League, ~all for information:
" EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS ¯
¯ *Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main
DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
*Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St.
MCC of the Living Spring
"¯ Gcek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429
Kings Hi-Way Inn, 62 Kings.Hi:~ay.................... 800-231-1442
Positive Idea Marketing Plans .............. 501-253-2401
Rock Cottage Gardens 501-253-8659, 800-624-6646
Sparky’ s, Hwy. 62 East 501-253-6001
lasting relationship with.
Asked about the Rev. Jerry Falwell, who resorted to
name-calling in blasting DeGeneres’ morals after news
of the upcoming on-air announcement was released, the
New Orleans native said she’d heard it all before. "’Really,
he called me that? Ellen DeGenerate?" she said.
"I’ve been getting that since the fourth grade."
In a related event, Birmingham television station
WBMA,known as "ABC33/40," decided that the lesbian
theme of the show was not suitable for prime-time family
viewing and won’t show it. ABC hasn’t heard whether
any other of its 223 affiliates has rejected the hour-long
special planned for April 30, spokeswoman Arme Marie
Riccatelli. said.Thursday......
Jerry Heilman, president and general manager ofABC
33/40, said the station tried to get permission from ABC
to air the episode at 11:30 p.m., rather than the scheduled
8 p.m., but the network would not approve the switch.
"Our stance rightnow is that we will not be showing the
first episode. There’s a possibility we won’t carry any of
the episodes in May if it deals with the same thing. We’ll
take it an episode at a time," said Heilman. In its place, the
station plans a special on an Alabama football coach.
Other ABC affiliates that serve the major Alabama
markets - WAAY in Huntsville, WHOA in Montgolnery,
and WEAR in Mobile - plan to carry Ellen’s outing
episode. "As far as we’re concerned, there’s no real
decision. It’s just another episode," said Joe Smith, operations
managerforWEAR, which is based in Pensacola.
Asked about the Rev. Jerry Falwell,
who resorted to name-e.allin ....,
[Eflen] said she’d heard aftbefore.
"Reafly, he eafled me that?
Ellen DeGenerate? ... I’ve been
getting that slnee the grade."
The network has received criticism from both sides on
the issue. Lana Metcalf, a policy analyst for the Alabama
Family Alliance, commended ABC 33/40 for deciding
uot to carry it. "I thimk it’s certainl y a harmful episode and
not conducive to families," she said. But the pastor of a
Woodlawn church that serves a largely homosexual congregation
said the show could offer insight into what a
gay person experiences in coming out. "We’re very sad
that ABC 33/40 will not show this process to the world at
large," said Covenant Metropolitan Cormnunity Church
paslor Margc Ragona.
Also ABC rejected a TV ad promoting the lesbian
cruisc line, Oakland-based Olivia Cruises and Resorts.
ABC broadcasl editor Bob Reynolds said in a fax to the
public relations firm that represents Olivia that their
proposed ad had been rejected for use during the "’Ellen"
coming-out episode, even though the spot would have
helped make up for ads pulled by Chrysler and J.C.
Pcaney. "It is our position that discussion about same-sex
lifcstyles is more appropriate in programming,-
Olivia’s presideut, Judy Dlugacz, called the April 30
"’Ellen" episode "lfistoric," since it will be the first time a
show’s lead character has revealed that she or he is
homosexual. But - knowing that a large number of
lcsbians will watch the show - Dlugacz also sees a prime
marketing moment slipping away. "Here was this incredible
opportuuity forme to reach a group that often doesn’t
want to be identified," said Dlugacz, who has run her
travel and ~nusic co~npany fbr more than 20 years-: .....
"FED Inc., the New York public relations finn that
handles advertising for Olivia, is now pursuing air time
on ABC affiliates in New York, !~os Angeles, Chicago,
s-hn ’Fraiici~co, Houston, Eiallas, Mimni and Seattle.
"’Needless to say, it will cost ~nuch more to air the ad in
these individual ~narkets than it would have cost to air
uationally," said Bob Fitzgerald of TED Inc.
It is the second time in less than a month that sponsors
ofa gay-related ad have had to shop it to local ABC
affiliates after rejection from the national network. The
Washington-based Human Rights Campaign wanted to
place.an ad about discrirmnation against lesbians and gay
men m the workplace. HRC’s ad is aimed at raising
awareness thatjob discrimination based on sexual oftenration
is legal in 41 states.But Vice President Harvey
Dzodin said that script violated network’s policy against
. .i’~controversialissue advertising," such as abortion, union
~ssues and Gay civil rights.
HRC says ABC’s stance on the Olivia ad, which would
have brought the broadcaster ~;000, iridicates a specific
bias against businesses trying to reach the gay and
lesbian market. "This discriminates against gay comparues
trying to reach amarket," said David Smith, a Human
Rights Campaign spokesman. Smith said he askedABC’ s
Dzodin for clarification on the policy, but was refused.
Currently, HRC is planning to air the ad in the following
markets: Albany, Albuquerque, Anchorage, Alaska,
Atlanta; Austin, Bismarck, N.D., Boston, Cleveland,
Columbia, S.C.; Dallas, Denver, Erie, Pa., Fargo, N.D.,
Fort Smith, Grand Rapids, Mich., Honolulu, Jackson,
Miss., Los Angeles, Madison, Wis., Manchester, N.H.,
Minneapolis, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Phoenix,
Portland, Maine, Portland, Ore., Raleigh, N.C:, St. Louis,
San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle, Traverse City, Mich.,
and Washington. The spot was declined by the network’s
affiliates in Chicago, Colorado Springs, Eugene, Ore.,
Grand Junction, Colo., Houston, Knoxville, Memphis,
Nashville, New York, Philadelphia, and Wichita.
Meanwhile, ABC is attempting to fill slots that could
have been filled by such skittish advertisers as Genera]
Motors and Johnson &Johnson, which have- in addition
to regular advertisers Chrysler andJ.C. Penney - decided
not to advertise on the April 30 episode. Johnson &
Johnson’s competitor, Home Access Health Corp., has
announced it would advertise its HIV-testing kits during
the show. Microsoft Corp. plans to buya spot.
In Tulsa, The Pride Center will host an Ellen Watch
Party in the Pfimetimers Lounge beginning at 6:30 for the
7-8 pm broadcast. Popcorn and soft drinks will be served.
All are welcome.
but the studies also compared these groups with children
born from natural conception.
Though the studies found no differences between the
groups, Patterson noted that "the existing body of research
is relatively sparse and open to criticism." ~he said
many of the studies are based on small samples and the
lesbian couples studied often have volunteered for the
research, which can affect the results. The studies involved
children up to age 9.
Interest in the development of children bona to lesbian
couples has increased in recent years because more and
morelesbians are choosing to raise afamily, said Patterson.
"There is a lesbian baby boom," she said. "’It hasn’t been
quantified, but there is a general community sense that
more and more lesbian couples are having children." Part
of the reason may be that more fertility clinics now are
providing services to lesbian couples, she said. These
clinics hdp lesbians become pregnant with the sperm of
anonymous donors.
Fiona Tasker of Birkbeck College in the Netherlands
said her study found that non-biological lesbian parents
were usually more involved with the children than are the
fathersof heterosexual couples. "The woman who is the
co-parent in alesbian family is more likely to take a major
role in raising the children," said Tasker.
In a study of 15 lesbian couples and 41 .parents of
clfildren born throughnatural conception, Tasker said she
found that 90 percent of the lesbian co-parents assumed
the common child-raising tasks. Only about 37 percent of
the fathers in heterosexual Couples, however,, took an
active role, she said. In disciplining the children, Tasker
found, 60 percent of the lesbian co-parents took an active
role, while it was only 20 percent of the fathers in
heterosexual families.
Raymond W. Chan of the University ofVirginia said
his study of lesbian and heterosexual couples with children
included reports from the children’s teachers. Chan
¯ children in Chan’s study were conceived at fertility
¯ clinics andsome were being raised by single heterosexu,~l
¯ parents and some by single lesbian parents. The researcher
said his tests found no differences between the
: groups. "The children of insemination are developing
normally whether in lesbian or heterosexual families
when compared to the available norm for the community
at large," Chan said.
Contrast that with a vanity press, held iogether with
spit, volunteers, prayers, and some OKC sources claim,
¯
the subsidy of a wealthy businessman who was gunning
for The Gayly. Should readers care whether a newspaper
has sound financial practices? Only if they expect it to
¯
last. In contrast to the newly amved, The Gayly has
¯ operated for more than a decade and Tulsa Family News
¯ is well into its fourth year of giving Tulsa serious,
¯
sometimes-controversial, but thorough news coverage
." for Lesbians, Gay men, Bisexuals and Transgendered
¯¯ folk and our families and friends.
And while we are happy to distribute TFNto other parts
¯
of the region (we’vejust added Oklahcma City, Norman,
..... Tahtexluah andBartlesville sites); we recognize, a~ Serious
newspapers have for years, that it is nearly impossible
to cover competently a city in which one does not live.
That’s why TFN has chosen to cover Tulsa well rather
than cover a region poorly.
By the way, the dirty little secret of Lesbian/Gay
newspapers is that the reason for "’regional coverage" is
so that there’S more towns_ from which to suck out
advertising - not because covering more towns can be
done well. Just look at the consistently marginal quality
of news coverage in our "regional" newspapers if you
need any further proof.
Anyway, our advice to the wanna-be’s is: don’t give up
ygur day jobs yet or at least, make sure you keep the
spouses who are supporting you happy.
next was American Gay & Lesbian Experience, and the
final day was International Film with works from France,
Spain, Canada and India.
This year’s event will show 10 works of varying
lengths and origin beginning at 7 pm on Friday, 2 pm &
6:30 on saturday, and 2 pm & 7 pm on Sunday. (see page
11 for ad with schedule). BLGTA spo,kesperson, Tedd
Adams, noted that the organizers had hoped to screen
"’Beautiful Thing," a highly acclaimed~xvork about two
teennage boys first love, made for the l~K’s commercial
Channel 4. Adams noted that if they were able to get the
film (which showed in Tulsa at Movies8 for a week), it
would be added to the Sunday night program.
Organizers note that Lorton Hall can be difficult to find
the first time. From 8th Street and Evanston, attendees
may go north on Evanston between Shaw Alumni Center
and Twin Soutl~ Hall. Where Evanston dead ends sits
McClure Hall ~or TUalums - where youpaidthose bills).
Lorton is just to the left, or west. There is a very small
parking lot and the screening room (#207) is just to the
left inside the door that opens onto the parking lot. For
more info., call Tedd at 832-7838.
that Gay people had as much right to be in the park as
anv others.
At this point a bystander came forward and identified
lmnself as Bisexual and asked if they had a problem with
that? At this point, Flowers claims that the couples
backed down and said that they didn’t mean to do anything
wrong but were just doing what their minister told
them to do. A local HIV educator who does some park
prevention outreach adds that in the last few weeks, that
he may have seen similar things going on at 21st and
Riverside. While he hasn’t overheard-any conversations,
he has seen groups of couples approaching single men
who then have left immediately.
A source with the City of Tulsa, speaking anonysaid
the teacher reports, ~using standard osveholo~ical "" ’ ~nously, noted that intimidating Gay people out of ~the
evaluations, found.’!no significant difference" in ah~t-. " ~park is reprehensible but is probably well within the area
ment or behavior between the groups of children. All the ~ of protected First Amendment speech, noting that there
: likely is no crime involved. However, an area Gay attor-
,. hey when asked if the situation were reversed and Gay
people were harassing straights out of the park, com-
." mented that he had no doubt that the Tulsa police would
find a way to arrest Gays.
: Representatives of the Pride Center/TOHR have taken
¯ complaints from Flowers and encourage others with
¯ similar experiences to report thereto the Helpline at 743- 4297 to help in tracking these problems. The Pride Center
¯ representatives also note that those willing t,o do so may
also file written complaints with the Mayor s office.
7
Firing of Anti-Gay Civil
Rights Official Upheld
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A pul~lic official who
"preaches homophobia" as a member of San
Francisco’ s anti-discrimination agency is not assured
job security, says a federal appeals court. The 9thU.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the city’ s firing of
the Rev. Eugene Lumpkin, who said he thought
homosexuality was an abomination and appeared to
endorse anti-gay violence. Neither freedom ofspeech
nor freedom of religion gives an appointed public
official the right to undermine the tolerance his office
is supposed to promote, the court said Thursday.
Lumpkin had the right to speak as a private citizen,
"but the First Amendment does not assure him job
security when he preaches homophobia" while serving
on the city’ s anti-discrimination agency, the court
said. Lumpkin’s lawyer, James Struck, said he would
probably appeal further. "This opinion shows complete
intolerance for religious beliefs that are widely
held," said Struck, of the Rutherford Institute, a
conservative religious-liberties organization. He said
Lumpkin did not support anti-gay violence and held
views no different from those of orthodox Catholics,
Muslims and Jews. "Now the 9th Circuit has painted
all those people as homophobes," Struck said.
Lumpkin, a pastor appointed to the commission by
then-Mayor Frank Jordan, was fired by Jordan in
1993 after a furor over his public comments about
homosexuals. "The homosexual lifestyle is an abomination
against God," Lumpkin said. "So I have to
preach that homosexuality is a sin." He also said he
believed "everything the Bible sayeth." Asked by a
television interviewer.about a statement in Leviticus
that a man who-slept with a man should be put to
death, Lumpkin said, "That’s what God sayeth."
Jordan, in announcing the firing, said Lumpkin had
the right to his religious beliefs but had "crossed the
.line from belief-to behavior to advocacy" and "implied
that he condoned physical harm." San Francisco
supervisors backed the firing. Lumpkin’s lawsuit,
claiming violatidns of his constitutional rights, was
dismissed by U~S. District Judge Fern Smith. The
appeals court upheld her decision in a 3-0 ruling.
The court cited the Human Rights Commission’s
official responsibilities, "to eliminate prejudice and
discrimination" based on race, religion, sex, sexual
orientation and other grounds, and to promote "equal
opportunity for and good will toward all people."
Lumpkin’s statements "are not simply hostile to the
commission’ s charge, they are at war with it," said the
opinion by Judge William Norris.
"Neither the First Amendment nor the Religious
Freedom Restoration Act (a 1993 federal law) requires
government at any level to put up with policylevel
officials who work at cross-purposes with the
policies they are responsible for carrying out." Deputy
City Attorney Burk Delventhal said the court endorsed
the city’s argument that "when a person accepts
public office, his ability to engage in whatmight
otherwise be protected speech is limited to the extent
necessary to enable the person to discharge his public
duties."
CA School Protections
BillWins CommitteeVote
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Public schools and colleges
couldn’t discriminate against students and employees
because of;their, sexual orientation, under-a bill
that passed an Assembly test without a vote to spare.
The measure by Assemblywoman Shelia Kuehl, DSanta
Monica, cleared the 21-member Education
Committee On Wednes-di~y with a bare. maj ority of 1
votes after stalling for several hours, one vote short.
The bill now moves to the Appropriations Committee,
the last stop before the Assembly floor.
Current law bars public schools and colleges from
discriminating on the basis of race or gender in their
programs, admissions, hiring or financial aid. In
some instances, the anti-discrimination ban also covers
religion, disabilities, age, and national origin.
Schools can’t use instructional materials that reflect
adversely on people because of their race, creed,
national origin,.ancestry, gender, disability or occupation.
In.addition, school personnel commissions
¯ NH Students Denounce University Violence
~ PLYMOUTH, N.H. (AP) - Several years ago, Ply-
. mouth State Collegejunior Judy Pich was attacked by
¯ a man who punched, kicked and spit on her while
¯ calling her names like "queer" and "dyke." When she
¯ tried to talk about the incident with her peers, she"-felt
¯ more like an offender than a victim," Pich said.
¯ "There are good people and there are bad people, but ¯
everyone is at fault because the good people don’t do
¯ anything about it. Peoplehave to breakthe silence and
¯ ignorance."
¯ Pich told her story to the 2,000 students, faculty,
[ staff and alumni who turned out Wednesday for an
¯ emergency "Forumon Hate" organizedbythe school’ s
¯ Task Force on Homophobia. The forum was held in
¯ ~eaction to an incident involving another fema!e
¯ student, who said she was attacked by two men in
¯ March.. The woman, whose identity has not been
revealed, told campus police the two men punched
¯ her and urinated on her face after calling hera lesbian ¯
and telling her she "had no right tobe allowed to be
¯ walking around the world."
Plymouth police Chief Tony Raymond said even
¯ though the girl has decided she does not want to
¯ pursue the case, the investigation will continue; The
¯ student government is offering $500 for.information
¯ about the attackers. While some students who turned ¯
out at the forum said they were shocked that a hate
¯ crime occurred on the campus, many said milder
¯ incidents of intolerance, suqh ~s .name-.calling and
¯ telling derogatory jokes, happen all the time. Many ¯
said they were ready to tackle the problem and try to
¯ solve it. "We need to look out for each other and not
¯ stand idly by while these things happen around us,"
¯ juniorMikeHeber said. "We needto take responsibil- ¯
ity for the safety of each other."
¯ Several people pointed out that alcohol is often a
¯ factor of violent crime. College President Donald
¯ Wharton railed against bar owners he said encourage ¯
drunkenness and even sexual assault with such promotions
as ladies’ nights, where women drink for
¯ free, and tan-line contests. But many students said
cannot ask job. applicants questions about their race,
¯ sex, marital status, political opinions or affiliations or
¯ religious beliefs.
¯ Kuehl’s bill would expand tlgose,..prohibitions to
cover sexual orientation. An ~lmost identical bill,
"¯ also by Kuehl, one of two openly gay members of the
Legislature, died in the Education Committee last
¯ year, when the Assembly was controlled by Republi-
¯ cans. Supporters suggested the bill would lead to
¯ changes in school policies and attitudes that would ¯
help curb the harassment of students that are, or are
perceived to be, gay.
Stephanie Reed of Petaluma said her son Robin
¯ committed suicide after being taunted by other stu- ¯
dents while a teacher looked on without intervening.
¯ "Robin did not commit suicide because he was gay;
¯ he-committed suicide because he was in pain;’: she
¯ said. Another bill supporter, Michael Malcolm, a
~ high school vice principal from"Union City, said
¯ schools must provide a safe learning environment.
¯ "Our district adopted a non-discrimination policy,"
¯ he said. "I believe our campus is a different place ¯
because of the change in policy."
¯ Opponents claimed the bill could be used to silence
¯ criticism of homosexuality. "(The bill) is not about
¯ discrimination; it’s about letting one group of people
~ bring their personal agenda into the classroom and
¯ tell students that the homosexuallifestyle is all right,"
said Herbert Hall of Garden Grove, who said he was
¯ a former homosexual. "This is a cunning political
attack that uses children as pawns," added a witness.
¯ who identified himself only as Mark and who also
said he used to be gay. Other opponents said the
: measure could prevent private schools that discrimi-
¯ nated against homosexuals from playing public
schools in athletics, and Assemblyman George House
¯ contended the bill would lead to a "massive boycott ¯
of public schools." Kuehl suggested the opponents’
¯ fears were unfounded. "This bill does not do anything
¯ but bar discrimination by public educational institu-
¯ tions against their own students on bases that do not ¯
relate to their merit," she said.
St. Jerome
An Affirming Liturgical Church
meeting at The Garden Chapel
3841 S.~Peoria ¯ Tu~a, Ok~unna
Mass Saturday eves at:6pm
Fath~" R~k Hoa~ng~wm~ Pastor
B~,v. Deacon Deb~e Starms
(918) 742-6227
Ted Schutt
Realtor
834-7921
Specializing in
Family Homes
REX, REALTORS, 747-4746
MCC of Greater Tulsa
"Where God Uplifts All People"
1623 N. Maplewood
Tulsa, Oklahoma 838-1715
Shopping
Errands
Supervision
Bill Paying
Robert L. Boyd
Personal Assistant
Housesitting 748-9996
~163~5-E~ i5TH-ST. ....
TULSA, OK 74120
599-8070
Proudly Serving Our Community!
7
United Methddist
C,,ommunity of Hope
.... an inclusive community that seeks,
values and welcomes all people...
to act a the living body of Christ by seeking
justice, compassion and liberation..."
1703 East Second Street, 918-585-1800
Worship each Sunday at 6 pm
BROOKSIDE
JEWELRY
4649 So. Peoria
743-5272
Corner of
48th. & Peoria
9:30 - 5 pm
Monday - Friday
Fred H.
Welch
L.C.S.W.
Individual,
Relationship and
Family Therapy
743"1733
MARK T, HAMBY
ATTORNEY AT LAW
2021 SOUTH LEWZS, SUITE 470 744-7440
TULSA, OKLAHOMA 74104 FAX 744-9358
ADMITTED IN OKLAHOMA & COLORADO
1307 E. 38th St.
Tulsa, OK 74105
918-743-4297
Gifts ~" Cards ~" PRIDE Merchandise
Sun. 9:15 am Christian Education ¯ Sun. Service 11:00 am
Wed. Service 6:30 pm °,.Wed. 7:30 pm Choir Practice
Thurs. 7:30 pm Codependency Support Group
To do justice, love mercy & to walk humbly with our God... Micah 6:8
5451-E South Min~o ¯ Tulsa, OK ° 74146 . (918) 622-1441
while alcohol often accompanies violence, it isn’t the
problem - people are. "I don’t drink a six-pack and
say ’I hate that guy bee-~s’~6’tae’s ghy,"’ sophomore
¯John McKittrick said. "A drunken man’s words are
sober man’s thoughts. I think we need to go after the
people who did this."
Maine Civil Rights Bill
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Jbel Abromson and
Michael Quint come from different backgrounds and
even represent opposite parties in the Legislature, but
they.say they share one thing in common: discrimination.
Abromson, who recalls the prejudice he endured
growing upJewishdnMaine,ds sponsoring a~bill..that
could help Quint and others like him who say their
homosexuality makes them second-class citizens
when it comes to housing and other rights; "Discrimination
happens every single day," said Quint, a Democratic
representative from Portland. "I know because
I have seen it, I have experienced it and still carry
around with me the expectation, even the fear of it
because I know it could happen anytime."
About 500 people attended a public hearing on the
bill held by the Legislature’ s Judiciary Committee. A
similar bill passed both the House and Senate four
years ago, but was vetoed by then-Gov. John
McKernan. But Gov. Angus King supports the legislation,
which would extend to all citizens, no matter
their sexual orientation, the same civil rights guaranteed
regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age,
national origin and physical or mental handicap.
Discrimination in the areas of employment, housing,
public accommodations and credit would be prohibited.
Abromson, a Republican senator from Portland,
recalled his own personal experiences as a Jewish
man growing up in Maine, and how he was called a
"dirty Jew" and a "Christ killer." As a student at
Bowdoin College in the late 1950s, the Portland
Republican said he saw fraternities deny invitations
to Jews and blacks. Later, during a tour of the infamous
Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland,
Abromson said he learned theNazis tried tb exterminate
not only Jews, but gays, Gypsies and Slavs, as
well. Abromson said his bill "ends forever any similarity
between the Nuremberg laws (legitimizing
anti-semitism) of 1930s Germany and state laws of
1990s Maine. This bill is that important."
The bill’s most vocal foe is Concerned Maine
Families, an anti-gay rights group which calls the
proposal a "jobs bill for gays." The organization’s
leaders have warned the bill would give special job
advantages to anyone claiming to be gay or perceived
as gay. Many at the hearing held signs that said, "Stop
the Special Jobs Bill for Gays" and "Equality for ME.
The way life should be." "The effects of this mandate
on small business will be burdensome, unjust, unenforceable
and will heighten the unfriendly business
climate that we must already tolerate in the state of
Maine," said Randall Clark ofCape Elizabeth, president
of Small BusinesS Benefits Inc. and leader of the
CMF!s 1,200-member Business Advisory Board.
Rod Smith of Buxton told the committee he was
fired from his job as a nursing assistant in Lewiston
last January because he was gay. Another gay man,
Guy Riddick of South Portland, said several landlords
in Gorham, Westb.rook and Scarborough toldhim
and his male partner last year they did not rent to
homosexuals. Alandlord in POrtland also refused, but
because that city has an ordinance protecting homosexuals
from housing discrimination, the couple was
able to sue, Riddick said.
In 1995, Maine voters rejected a ballot question by
Concerned Maine Families to restrict gay civil rights,
53 percent to 47 percent. Civil rights advocates are
cormng off a recent loss over same-sex marriages.
The Legislature last month approved a ban on gay
marriages, making Maine the 18th state [o do so. King
let the measure become law without his signature.
Several legislators said they voted for the ban only to
avoid sending the issue to a statewide referendum,
where they feared a negative campaign could hurt the
drive for gay rights.
So far this year, about 17 bills favoring civil rights
for Lesbians and Gay men have been introduced in at
least 14 states, according to the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force.
¯ First Montana Gay Pride
Parade In Bozeman
BOZEMAN (AP) - Despite protests from about 200
¯ people, Bozeman city commissioners unanimously
¯ approved apermit for a gay pride parade this summer,
¯ saying they had no choice. "Ifwe didn’t, it’s discrimi-
¯ nation," Mayor Don Stueck said after the 5-0 vote.
~ Stueck said the city’s attorney, PaulLuwe, had warned
¯ that if the commission banned this parade, it would
¯ have to cancel all parades, including the Sweet Pea
¯ and Montana State University homecoming parades.
¯ Stacey Haugland, a Pride member who attended
¯ Monday’s meeting, said she was pleased by the vote.
’- Pride’has-been a:’~r~al’respectfUl ~bn~m~n~ity gtot~p,"
¯ Haugland.said. "I donrt think the people have any-
~ thing to fear from the parade." The Pride Weekend is
¯ planned June 6-8 at the Emerson Cultural Center to
¯ celebrate gays, lesbians and bisexuals living in Mon-
¯ tana. Three annual weekends have been held before in
other Montana cities.
Raven Kargel of Belgrade, who organized an anti-
. gay march in Bozeman two years ago, said the city
¯ really didn’t have a choice because it would have
¯ been sued by Pride if commissioners rejected the
¯ "sodomites"’ parade. People who oppose homosexuality,
she said, may raise money to sue the city
themselves. "I think it would be better to boycott the
¯ city," specifically downtown, Kargel said. "People
¯ who don’t want to see people bragging about bi:eak-
¯ ing the law need to boycott." KGVW, a Christian
¯ radio station based in Belgrade, had urged listeners to
~ call Bozeman City Hall to protest the parade, and that
¯ prompted about 200 phone calls from around the
¯ Gallatin Valley. "It is like inviting leprosy into the
¯ community," one caller said.
: Transexual Parent Seeks
¯ Custody Rights Back
ST. LOUIS (AP) - A father who lo~t custody of two
¯ song after undergoing a sex change operation says she
¯ plans toask an appeals court to reconsider its ruling.
¯ "There are things only a parent can provide," the
¯ father, now known as Sharon, told the St. Louis Post-
" Dispatch. "That is unconditional love, guidance and
~ wisdom. There is no reason I can’t give that to my
kids."
¯ Sharon, 38, is a graduate of the Air Force Academy
¯ and a former officer in the Air Force and Army. She
has had no direct contact with the boys since late
¯ 1992. Sharon said that the children - now 7 and 10 -
¯ needed both their parents. She plans to ask the Mis-
¯ souri Court of Appeals in St. Louis to reconsider its
¯ March 11 decision giving the boys’ mother sole legal
¯ custody.
¯ Hundreds of battles similar to Sharon’s are waged
~ nationwide each year, but nearly all are fought out-
. side public view, a national advocate for transsexuals
¯ said."Mostcasesdon.t&"splaythecourageofSharon,’
~ who was willing to go public;" said Riki Anne
¯ Wilchins, executive director ofGender Public Advo.
¯ cacy Coalition, or Gender PAC, in New York. Such
¯ custody battles are seldom conducted "on a level
¯
playing field," she said. "Usually, the mode of attack
¯ ~s to portray the transgender parent as, bydefinition,
¯ deviant and anendangerment to their own kids, even
¯ in the absence bf any evidence to support the claim."
~ In Sharon’s ’case; -the appeals ’courtin St:Louis
¯ ruled that a St. Charles County Circuit Court judge
¯ must decide whether visits with Sharon would be in
¯ the boys’ best interest. The appeals rulingo overturned
¯ ajoint-custody decision by anotherjudgein St. Charles
¯ County where the boys’ mother lives.
¯ "Ifyou asked them, I know they would want to talk
¯ with me," Sharon said. "I have never, ever presented
~ myself to my children.as anything other than their
¯ dad. I do not need my chi" ldren’ s vali"dati"on ofm¯ yself
¯ as a.woman."
~ Sharon acknowledged that both boys would need
¯ counseling before they could resume a relationship
¯ with their father. Sharon said her original plan for
¯ reconciliation with her sons called forphone calls and
~ counseling leading up to visits. "I know they would
¯ recognize me as their dad," she said. "I would never
¯ do anything that would harm them."
Y
Teens Feel No Risk
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Th,~re is a
perception amongrural Indiana teen-agers
that AIDS won’t happen to them, according
to a recent study by two Indiana University
professors. "They think they know
everyone, what they are doing and who
they should avoid," said William L.
Yarber, one of the researchers. "That is
really significant relative to the fact that
we are finding, in our center, that AIDS is
growing faster in the rural areas."
Yarber, senior director of the Rural
Center for AIDS/Sexually Transmitted
,Disease Prevention, and Stephanie Sanders,
associate director of the Kinsey Institute,
condUcted the study of 38 adolescents,
ages 11- to 17-years-old. Both males
and females said they would not practice
sexual abstinence just to avoid HIV, and
females expressed a greater fear of pregnancy
than of HIV infection.
"There is a real perception in the rural
communities that they don’t believe their
ownrural town has been touched by AIDS
and that they are invulnerable," Yarber
said. But state statistics show that both
counties involved in the study have AIDS
cases and several HIV diagnoses as well,
Yarber said. "They may not know people
as well as they think," he said. "But they
don’t feel they have to worry about it."
1st Nat’lCurriculum
About; HIV/AIDS
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A new tool to
slow down the~spread of HIV where it is
increasing fastest - among teens - has
been u0y~iled,~gcently. "The Science of
HIV,?~.a. l;84-page teachers’ guide and 30-
minute Video, is:the first gcience program
designed to ~each students about the human
immunodeficiency virus, how it
causes,AIDS, and how to avoid it. The
guide wasunveiled at a National Science
Teachers Association (NSTA) meeting.
"The research community has made
encouraging progress in treating AIDS,
but the only 100 percent effective treatment
we have is prevention," said James
Gallarda, with Abbott Laboratories. "By
teaching the science of HIV and AIDS,
we hope to give students a better understanding
of how this disease is prevented
and treated."
Gallarda, who helped put together the
Chicago Museum of Science and
Industry’s AIDS exhibit, said that work
prompted Abbott to ask the NSTA about
developing the program.
A new report from the Centers for Disease
Prevention and Control found that
new AIDS cases among 13- to 25-yearolds
infected thrdugh sex and drug needles
rose 20 percent between 1990 and 1995,
he said. One quarter of all new HIV infections
are among people younger than’22.
Even science teachers in the audience
murmured in surprise Friday at the results
of one demonstration designed to show
how quickly a virus can spread.
Author Michael DiSpezio passed out
clear plastic cups of clear liquid to the two
dozen teachers and reporters who attended
the breakfast meeting. Four of the cups
were "infected" with an alkali and would
turn bright pink when the right chemical
was added. He had each person turn to a
neighbor, mix the contents of their cups
together, then divide the mixed liquid
back between the two cups. Then each
person turned to a different neighbor and
did the same thing. DiSpezio went down
the aisles with a vial and eyedropper,
adding the telltale chemical to each cup.
Every single one turned bright pink.
¯ Sharon Nelson, a biology teacher at
Waunakee High in Wisconsin and an ad-
¯ visory board member for the project, told
~ the group that when she used the demon-’-~’
¯ stration in her class of 22 students, two
¯ cups remained clear- and one was held by
¯ a student she had asked to abstain from
¯ mingling fluids.
¯ "I wasjust- ’Wow! The kids will really
¯ go for that! That is very emphatic,’ "said
~ WillaRamsay, a high-schoolteacher from
¯ San Diego. "I am going to my district
¯ science-math manager with it. I think it
¯ needs to be promoted throughout our en-
¯ tire district" she said.
¯ DiSpezio said he thinks that teaching
¯ H1V as science, rather than morality, will
¯ help thecurriculum avoid the fate of safe-
] sex education programs. A committee
¯ namedbytheNationalInstitutes ofHealth
¯ reported in February that moral and gov-
¯ ernment objections are blocking safe sex
¯¯ education programs.
She asked if it could also be used in
¯ middle school, and the developers said
¯ yes. "By the time they get to us at ninth
¯ grade, they’re pretty well educated the
¯ wrong way," Ramsay said. "I think we
¯ need to get to the students in sixth grade."
¯ Condoms for Kids
~ SEATILE (AP) - Adults can buy con-
. doms at clubs, bars or gas stations, but
¯ access isn’t as easy for youths. A publicprivate
partnership campaign aimed at
¯ lowering HIV infection hopes to change
¯ that. The campaign, dubbed Project AC-
¯ TION, is placing condom machines in
¯ Seattle businesses where young people
¯ gather. It’s an attempt to reduce the risk of
¯ sexually transmitted disease and preg-
¯ nancy rates among youths ages 14 to 20.
¯ Kae Lee Dozier, 14, says about a third ¯
of her friends are.having sex. Many of
¯ them think they are immune to sexually
¯ transmitted diseases, HIV, or pregnancy.
¯ "They think ’it can’t happen to ~me,’ but
¯ they’re wrong," Miss Dozier says.
¯ Miss Dozier, other youths and numer-
¯ ous business, religious and political lead-
" ers on Thursday announced their support
¯ for Project ACTION. Organizers de-
. scribed it as the first broad effort to make
¯ low-cost (25 cents) condoms available to
¯ youths with no strings attached. The two-
" year, $450,000 campaign is modeled after
¯ a project started in Portland, Ore., which
¯ includes public education and peer coun-
¯ seling. Seattle and San Jose, Calif., are the
~ next cities to go "online" with the project.
¯ Five condom machines have been in-
- stalled in two Seattle businesses so far and
~ the Project hopes to place dispensers in
¯ 130 otherbusinesses with significantyouth
¯ patronage. In King County, health sur-
¯ veys among youths show that 60 percent
~ ofhigh school students are sexually active
¯ by graduation, yet only half of them use
, condoms.
Lisa Bond, president of the Seattle
¯
Council of Parent Teacher Student Asso-
~ ciation, said even though the PTA has
¯ taken no official position on condom avail-
" ability, she personally views the project
¯ .as a step forward. ’Td rather have them do
¯ an end run and save my child’s life than
¯ have a child die from ignorance," Ms.
¯ Bond said. "The more kids know about
¯ the dangers they’re facing, the better deci-
¯ sions they can make."
Gwen Williams, director of Holiness
Missions, acknowledged that the avail-
. ability of condoms is disturbing to many,
¯ particularly churchgoers who emphasize
¯ abstinence. But, Ms. Williams, said,
~ "We’re talking about saving lives. We
¯ find a bias in church ... that people don’t
Free & Anonymous
Finger Stick Method
By &for, but not exclusive to the
Lesbian, Gay, & Bisexual Communities.
Monday & Thursday evenings, 7-9 pm
Daytime testing, Mon-Thurs by appointment.
HOPE HIV Outreach, Prevention & Education
formerly TOHR HIV Prevention Programs
742 2927
4158 South Harvard, Suite E-2
2 doors east of the HIV Resource Consortium
Look for our banner on testing nights.
Volunteers Sought
for
Experimental
Genital Herpes
Treatment Study
Volunteers are needed to participate in a medical research
study evaluation an experimental plant-derived antiviral drug
that is a topical gel for the treatment of recurrent genital
herpes.
Interested individuals must be 18 year of age or older, have
AIDS and have herpes outbreaks in the genital, area.
Involvement in this study will require visits to the clinic 3
days a week, a total of 8 visits.
There is no cost to subjects accepted into the study. All
study related examinations, laboratory test and study treatment
drug will be free of charge. This study is being conducted
by Dr. Stephen T. Peake and Dr, Jeffrey A. Beal at
2325 South Harvard, Suite 600, Tulsa 74114-3300
Individuals interested in knowing more about this study are
encouraged to call Dr. Peake or Dr. Beal at (918) 743’1000
for additional information.
Jeffrey Beal, MD
Ted Campbell, LCSW
Specialized in HIV Care
Providing Comprehensive Primary Care
Medicine and Psychotherapeutic Services
We have many insurance provider affiliations
- ifyou belong to an insurance program
that does not list us as providers,
call us and we will apply.
2325 South Harvard, Suite,600, Tulsa, 74114
Monday, Friday, 9:,30;4;30-pm, 743,1000
SCOTT ROBISON’S PRESCRIPTIONS
Serving Tulsan’s Since 194 7
Major credit cards, In-store charges or
Direct insurance billing for your convenience!
3 locations to serve you:
Hillcrest Physician’s Building
1145 So. Utica, 582-7144
Utica Square Area
1560 East 21st, Ste. 104, 743,2351
The Plaza
8146-D South Lewis, 299-1790
Cherry Street
Psychotherapy Associates
.,,/-, ~,~)
~’~-" ,-" -- 1515 S. Lewis _ ~:. ~._.--:~.’~ ~ --%L-’__--~_:’L ~-
(918)-743-4117
¯ Certified in EMDR Treatment
¯ Certified in Hypnotherapy
¯ Traditional Psychotherapy
Leah ,Hunt, MSW Richard Reeder, MS
* Our Fees Are Negotiable *
Serving a Diverse Community
A User (Un) Friendly Guide to
(Mis) Managed Care
By Dr. Michael Gorman
Who is managing who? Is Managed
Care managing yourhealth oryourmoney?
And which is more Important, money or
health? And to whom? What is happemng
in the dynamic field of health insurance
providers and third party payer organizations?
First, a simple (if possible) explanation
on how the system seems to be
operating currently...
For example.: an insurance company
presents a "plan" to a potential purchase
group (Le., an employer with, say, so
many employees). The "Plan" will provide
certain services for each insured at a
cost of $100.00 per person (employee)
per month. This plan has a $300.00 annual
deductible and pays 80% of your medical
bills after that deductible is met. Sounds
pretty easy so far. Here’s where it gets
complicated... A third party approaches
your insurance company and tells them
they can cut their expenses by 40%. This
third party is the Managed Care group. It
functions as an intermediary (negotiator)
between you and your doctor, hospital,
pharmacy, etc., and your original insurance
company. Its function is to make
.money (profits) for themselves and for the
Insurance company. It is not in the busi-
¯ gist, "Sorry, no money is left in the Heart
¯ Transplant Fund. Procedure demed.
That’s it! After all, money talks. This is
¯ how our civilized, capitalistic society func-
¯ tions. Now, I wouldn’t have such a prob-
¯ lem with all this, if the Managed Care
~ groups were going broke orifthese groups
¯ functioned as not-for-profit institutions.
¯ But when insurance and Managed Care
¯ companies are showing record profits, it ¯
becomes extremely difficult to rationalize
how someone could be turned down
¯ for a life-saving procedure.
Have yourpremiums gonedown lately ?
Have your deductibles or co-payments
been reduced this year? Physicians’. pay
has dropped by nearly 40% in the past few
¯ years, so they are not benefiting..Ask
¯
yourself, "If premiums are up and benefits
are down, who is making out? It
¯ doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure
¯ that the Managed Care groups and your
insurance company are laughing all the
¯ way to the bank. If you think (or don’t
¯ think) managed health care is bad now,
¯ here is a look into the crystal ball...
~ Primary care physicians will be called
¯ uponto make decisions (final decisions in
¯ some cases) about health care procedures
¯ based on age and need. For example, say
~ I am your primary care physician, you are
60 years of age, and you need kidney
¯ dialysis. But, I can have only five people
¯ a year on dialysis treatment. Four slots are ¯
already filled and, just before your apness
to serve you.or-your doctor!s, ¯ pointment, a 25 year old patient of mine
hospital’s, and pharmacist’s (etc.) best ¯ also needs dialysis. Who gets dialysis slot
interests:~ Which is your health! Period. ¯ #5? In the future, the care will go to those
The sooner.you understand the princi.-. ~ : who can pay out ofpocket: In other words,
pal motives of the Managed Care gr0up’s~- . just likeih~judici’ai system, the rich will
interest (which is money-making), the- ¯ prevail in health care.
better equipped you will be to deal with. ~ Obvi~usly this is avery simplistic overthe
pr0blei~s you may encounterl Tile ,~’ vi~c.0f thetotal managed health Care
decisions made in health care today .are ¯ picture. "What can I do?" you ask. Get
bas~d0nfinancialnumbers.ForeXai:nplei" " inv6I~edi’Wfit~you~elected~fficialsand
say you need a heart transplant. Your ~. the State Insurance Commissioners. And
primary care physician must refer you out o take care of your health by becoming fit,
to a specialist (cardiologist)~ and he/she
must ask the Managed Care group if you
can be approved for the heart transplant.
Mind you, there are funds allocated for
these procedures for each group or plan.
Well, guess what?! It’s toward the end of
the fiscal year and the Heart Transplant
Fund is depleted. An accountant from the
Managed Care group tells your cardiolo-
¯ ea.ting right, and supplementing with vita-
¯ mlns daily in order to avoid feeding the
~ (Mis)Managed Care Monster!!
Dr. Gorman’s practice is located at
¯ 4775 S. Harvard, Suite C, 712-5514. His
¯ is a Board Certified Chiropractor &Acu-
~ .puncturist, has a B:S. degree in Nutrition,
¯ is an active bodybuilder, anddoesfitness,
¯ nutrition, & supplement counseling.
want to deal with these issues- not AIDS,
not sex before marriage," she said. "But
we must face the reality or we’re going to
lose our youth."
Miss Dozier said condom availability
reduces, rather than encourages, sexual
activity among youths. "Knowing more
about this gives you the power; you don’t
think of having sex because you’re drunk
or rebelling or because you feel pressured,"
Miss Dozier said. "After getting
all this information aboutAIDS, I’m holding
back from .sex. It made me want to
wait, and I think more youths will wait
and hold off more, the more they know
about the risks."
Gore Seeks More $
For AIDS Drugs
WASHINGTON (AP) Hoping to improve
access to AIDS-fighting drugs, the
Clinton administration is exploring the
possibility of expanding Medicaid coverage
for people afflicted with HIV, the
virus that causes AIDS. Vice President A1
¯ Gore has asked the Health Care Financing
¯ Administration "to look into the possibil- ¯
ity" of making Medicaid available earlier
¯ to people with HIV to get them the cut-
. ting-edge drugs needed to help them. -
¯ "If it works out, as I hope and expect it
¯ will, it can ease suffering, renew hope and
¯ help ensure that goodpeopte are notpriced
¯ out of lifesaving medicine," Gore said
¯ Wednesday. He said the move was neces-
¯ sary because people diagnosedwith HIV
¯ can develop full-blown AIDS before be-
. coming eligible for Medicaid, "and that
¯ makes some of these new drugs prohibitively
expensive for people who need
¯ them."
¯ Gore made the announcement after re-
" ceiving the 1997 National Leadership
Award for Public Service from AIDS
¯ Action, an AIDS advocacy group. He said
¯ he has asked the HCFA to report back to
¯ him in 30 days after exploring the possi-
~ bility. "Our view is that getting these
¯ drugs to people earlier will not cost more
¯ in the long run," he said. "Itmay even save
¯ money, and it will certainly save lives."
OGRA Presents~The 12th Annual
Great Plains
Regional Rodeo
Sponsored by Miller Lite
Oklahoma City ¯ OK State Fairgrounds
Memorial Day Weekend
May 23, 24, 25, 1997
Ticket Package $36.00
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL THE RODEO HOTLINE
1-405-842-0849
HOST HOTEL - HILTON INN NORTHWEST
2945 N.W. EXPRESSWAY
1-800-848-4811
TULSA OPERA
uisa April 26, May 1, 3 Cdd~g BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY!
lOOYears. Call Tulsa Opera 587-4811,
Or Call The Tulsa Performing Arts Center 596-7111.
SUNG
IN ENGLISH
Saint Aidan,s
I[
4045 No. Cincinnati, 425-7882
The Episcopal Church
Welcomes You
Parents, Families & Friends
of Lesbians and Gays
PFLAG,TulsaChapter
POB 52800, 74152
749-4901
AT PHILI3ROOK
Your window on the world
Visff Tuesday - Sunday
Adults $4, Children 12 & under flee
One block east of Peoria at 27th Place
749-7941
Sponsored by SpiritBank, the Oklahoma Arts
Council and Friends of Native American Art.
featuring Alistair Russell,
Alan Reid, Iain McDonald and
John McCusker.
Thursday, May 1
8 p.m. John H. Williams Theatre
Tulsa Performing Artt~,1?~e,r ~
Tickets $15 Call 596-7111
[~uts!~!e:Tt~!~i~al i1~36~7~ ~1~i~ic~ets~a~s~: at~;ats~n~ ~S~ect~A~eat~cat~ns~ and ~ck~ts ~By I
Free with . Reth I
¯iea e pre ent or mention t&s coupon.
THE " I HOUSE
BROOKSIDE
3311 S. Peoria, 744-5556 ~ ~
~ SUNDAYS
1 lth Tulsa AIDS Candlelight Memorial & Mobilization Service and Reception
May 4th, 4pm, Chandler Park Shelter #1, Interfaith AIDS Ministries, 438-2437
Bless the Lord At All Times Christian Center
Sunday School - 9:45am, Service - 11 am, 2207 E. 6th, 583-7815
Community of Hope (United Methodist), Service - 6pm, 1703 E. 2nd, 585-1800
Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Service - l lam, 1703 E. 2nd, 749-0595
Family Of FaRh Metropolitan Community Church
Adult Sunday School, 9:15 Service, 11 am, 5451-E S. Mingo,622-1441
Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Tulsa
Service, 10:45am. 1623 North Maplewood, Info: 838-1715
PrimeTimers
Social group for men, 1st Sun/each mo. 4-6pm, Pride Center, 1307 E. 38th
University of Tulsa BisexuaULesbian/Gay/Transgendered Alliance
6:30 pm at the Canterbury Center, 5th & Evanston, 583-9780
~ MONDAYS
HIV Testing Clinic, Free & anonymous testing. No appointment required.
Walk in testing: 7-8:30pm Results: 7-Ppm, Into: 742-2927
PFLAG, Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays
2nd Mon/each mo. 6:30pm, Fellowship Congregational Church, 2900 S. Harvard
Gay & Lesbian Book Discussion Group, Borders Bookstore
1st Mon/each month, 7:30pro, 2740 E. 21st, 712-9955
Womens Literature Discussion Group, Borders Bookstore
3rd Mon/each month, 7:30pm, 2740 E. 21st, 712-9955
Mixed Volleyball, 6:30pro, Helmerich Park, 71st & Riverside, 587-6557
Unity Lambda Al-anon, 7:30pro, 1307 E. 38th, 2nd ft.
~ TUESDAYS
Lesbian Mothers Support Group, 2nd+4th Tues/ea. mo. 7pm, 1307 E. 38th,
HIV+ Support Group, HIV Resource Consortium 1:30 pm
4154 S Harvard, Ste. H-l. Info: Wanda @ 749-4194
Shanti-Tulsa, Inc. HIV/AIDS Support Group, and Friends & Family HIV/AIDS
Support Group - 7 pm, Locations, call: 749-7898
Pride Center Community Meeting - DVIS Speaking on New Domestic Violence
Intervention Program, April 22, 7 pm, 1307 E. 38th, 2nd ft., 743-4297
~ WEDNESDAYS
Bless The Lord At All Times Christian Center
Prayer & Bible Study, 7:30 pm 2207 E. 6th, 583-7815
Family OfFaithMCC Praise/Praycr-6:30pm, Choir-7:30,5451-ES. Mingo. 622-1441
TNAAPP,Tulsa Native AmericanAIDS Prevention Project
Gay/Bi Native American MenSupportGroup, 6 pm, 1703 E. 2nd, 582-7225, 584-4983
TCC Gay & Lesbian Association of Students (GLAS), Call for scheduled events.
hffo: 631-7632 or Jeremy at 7-12-1600
Ellen Coming Out Watch Party, April 30, 6:30 pm, Pride Ctr., 1307 E. 38th
~ THURSDAYS
Co-Dependency Support Group - 7:30 Family of Faith, 5451E S Mingo, 622-1441
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education
Anonymous HIV Testing, Testing: 7 - 8~.30pm, Results: 7 - 9pm, Info: 742-2927
Oklahoma Rainbow Young Adults Network (ORYAN)
Support/social group for 18-24’s, call Red Rock Mental Health at 584-2325
Tulsa Family Chorale, Weekly practice - 9:30pm, Loin’s, 2630 E. 15th
From Our Hearts to Our House, 1 lpm, 3rd Thurs/each mo. Lola’s, 2630 E. 15th
Substance Abuse Support Group for persons with HIV/AIDS 4154 S. Harvard,
Ste. G, 3-4:30pm, Info: 749-4194
~= FRIDAYS
Safe Haven, Young Adults Social Group, I st Fri/each mo. 8pm, Pride Ctr., 1307 E. 38th
~= SATURDAYS
St. Jerome’s Church, Mass - 6 pm Garden Chapel, 3841 S. Peoria, [nfo: 742-6227
Narcotics Anonymous, 11 pm, Community of Hope, 1703 E. 2nd, Info: 585-1800
Pride Center Work Day, April 27, l:30pm, 1307 E. 38th, 2rid ft., 743-4297
~ OTHER GROUPS
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform& Leather Seekers Association, into: 838-1222
Womeas Supper Club, 4/23, 6:30pm, Zio’s, 71st & Mingo; 5/7, 6:30pm, Spaghetti
Warehouse, 221 E. Brady; Info: 584-2978
SENSES, Society for Exploring New Sensations, Educating & Socializing
Leave message for Kathy, 743-4297
OK Spoke Club, Gay & Lesbian Bike Organization. Rides: 4/19, 7am; 4/22,
6:30pro; 4/26, 7am; 5/21, 6:30pro; 5/24, 7am; 5/28, 6:30pm; 5/31, 7am. All rides
start at Ziegler Park Recreation Center, 3903 W. 4th St., Into: PUB 9165, 74157
.Y
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Reviewed by Barry Hensley
Tulsa City-County Library
An apparent oxymoron, Steve
Gunderson was a multi-term, gay Republican
congressman from a rural
Wisconsin district. Amoderate,
traditional Lutheran,
Gunderson had quietly represented
his district since 1981
before deciding not to seek
reelection in 1996. The story
ofGunderson and his long term
partner, coauthor Rob Morris,
is inspiring, but somewhat disappointing.
Told in alternating narratives
by each author, House
and Home is a refreshingly
candid view of a major, gay
publiC figure. Many moderates
and progressives were
deeply disappointed when
Gunderson declined to run for
a ninth term. He had risen to a
position of seniority and influence
when he decided that
he could no longer trust his
own party for support. He realized
this one day in 1994,
while attending a Wisconsin
Republican caucus: "it was
composed mostly of right-
¯
Gunderson to become more vocal about
his life with Rob Morris. They had met in
¯ 1983 and Gunderson had occasionally
¯ mentioned Morris during political
¯ speeches. After being outed, Morris con-
Gundel n
lashes outat
whathe
considersthe
liberal,
left-w_’mgof
theGa-y ci rigrit
movement...
. t_iayacfivists
taavetoaccept
thatGays are
not
automatically
that
vinced Gunderson to respond
forcefully to critics by pointing
out that the Republican
Party had "an historic role in
fighting prejudice." Gunderson
insists that "anyone who
was familiar with the history
ofthe Republican Party would
understand that, like Barry
Goldwater, I could legitimately
say, ’I didn’t leave the
party, the party left me.’ "
Morris, comments are
mostly short contributions of
apersonal nature. Being a Congressional
spouse, he had to
maintain a careful balance
between G/anderson’s public
and private life. Morris dutifully
details his perspective,
but without much of the wit
and humor that he apparently
possesses.
Gunderson lashes out at
what he considers the liberal,
leftwingofthe Gay civil rights
movement. He has often, been
accused of "sleeping with the
wing ’true believers’ who had "[~t=r~ ]]’~ll¢~,~ne
come .to the caucus straight . xx~~oa~a
from services at their funda- .aren t _
mentalist churches. Mostwere
people I had never met before au~oxx.~u.~,c.ttt,y
in politics. They were part of enemies....
the ’family values’ army, loyal
in every way to the Religious RighVs high
command. Not schooled or motivated in
partisan politics, not educated about government
or history, and not informed in
any deep, objective way about many of
the major issues, they were there because
they had been told that the only way to
save the lives of fetuses from abortion, to
save their children from the influence of
predatory homosexuals, and to save
America from degradation was to show
up at these caucuses and compel the Republican
Party to do their will."
His 1994 outing on the floor of the
House of Representatives, by controversial
congressman Bob Dornan, forced
.enemy,’/. : Gunderson~ s response:."
Gay activists have to
~aecept ~that gays are not auto-
.matically DemOcrats, that Republicans
aren’t automatically
enemies, and that it is vital to
have friends in the majority
¯ party. More specifically, it is crucial to
~ have openly gay Republicans who are
¯ willing to do the sometimes tough and
¯ thankless work of sensitizing the party to
¯¯ gay issues, gay rights, and gay humanity."
Gunderson, ofcourse, decided in less than
¯ two years after his outing, that this was the
¯ responsibility of someone else, someone
who has yet to show up. The abdication of
¯ his essential role diminishes the impact of
his otherwise impressive story.
¯ Checkfor House and Home, and books
¯ on other related topics, at your local
¯ branch library, or call the R~aders Ser-
¯ vices department at the Central Library
at 596-7966.
Email is a wondrous thing. At the moment,
I am in Fort Worth, and having to
write a colmnn for deadline. Fortunately,
computers allow tiffs to happen. Or unfortunately,.
depending on your perspective.
You will notice this column is a bit differcnt
from others. I have a story to tell. It
may be meamngful, it may be entertmning.
I hope it is both.
Story one: In 1986, my Father was
diagnosed with cancer. He was admitted
into the hospital for a biopsy. I, as well as
the rest ofmy fanfily, were strained mad in
denial He had never shown his age frotu
the time I was born up to that point in his
lifc. 1! sccmcd he would always be there
lor us. I was in a play at the time, a
drcadflfl nmsical review. I had a solo part
in a song (my lirst ever). I was in school
full timc and working, so I didn’t have
much time for hospital visits. According
to fanfily that did spend time at the hospital,
his wish was that I continue in the
rehearsals and not miss any on his account.
Since we all thought he’d be home
at any time, I suffered through the rehearsai,
trying to conquermy fear of singing
in front of people. His biopsy kept
being delayed, and a two day visit stretched
into three weeks. I did visit him a couple
of times, and each time he seemed older,
as though the years were catching up to
him all at once. It scared me, but still I kept
thinking he’d be home soon. I remember
him looking out the window once, a sad,
resigned look on his face. He said something
- I cannot to this day remember
what, but I know it had to do with what
was coming.
I continued struggling to smile while
singing and remembering choreography
and lyrics at the same time. Dad continued
to go downhill, each time they’d think he
was ready for biopsy, see Jim, page 13
COOL UNIQUE & EXCLUSIVE EYEWEAR
Discover eyewear styles found nowhere else in Tulsa.
OLIVER PEOPLES, GAULTIER, MIKLI, MATSUDA, ETC... ~
VISIONS
6.837 S. MEMORIAL ¯ 254:1611
Renew Your
Subscription to Life.
NITSUBISHI
HOTORS
Built For Living,TM
$ 2 1, 9 8 8 sale price
7
Kelly Kirby
CPA, PC
Certified Public Accountant
a professional corporation
¯ Lesbians and Gay menfitce
many special tax situations
whether singlo or as couples.
¯ Thank youfor giv.tng us our
most successful tax season.
¯ Call us for help with your
year round tax needs.
7 4 7:2 5~4 6,6
4021 S. HarVard, Suite 210
Tulsa 74135
Rainbow
Buslne** Guild
Plenle at
Zink Park
31st at Trenton
Saturday:, May 3, Z~pm~:
: " I~o.IRSVP: 665~174
POB 4106, Tulsa 74159
Teleflora’s
Everlasting
Fresh flowers are
presented in a
stunning vase
crafted from fine
French glassware,
accented with
sculpted, frosted
roses around
the entire vase.
Perfect for holy unions,
weddings, showers, or
anniversaries.
$42.50
MINGO VALLEY
9720-C E. 31st St.
663-5934, Daphane Cooper
TU Film Festival
Friday, April 18th
7pm Celluloid Closet
8:45 Stonewall
Saturday, April 19th
2pro Flow
3:30 Love Song Trilogy
4pln Naomi’s Legacy
4:30 Break
6:30 Bound
8:15 Costa Brava
Sunday, April 20th
2pro Midwives’ Tale
3:30 Rescuing Desire
5:30 Break
7pro Gay Cuba
Sponsored by the BLGTA-TU
and Tulsa Family News
ADVANCED
WIRELESS & PCS
Mark Bizjack
Digital Cellular Service
747-1508
May Day! May Day! Thursday, 8pm on the patio.
Multi-media presentation of Hippies, Fairies & Trolls.
The stunning photography of Lee Steenhuis.
by Jean-Pierre Legrandbouche " the sandwiches are accompanied by a dill
TFN Food Critic " pickle and Pringles potato chips, though
If one ever has out of town guests who
¯
the lemon Caesar salad will be substituted
think no culinary excitement exists in . upon request.
Tulsa, one need go no farther than Cherry ¯ The lunch time crowd has welcomed
Street to wakeup their tastebuds. Tucci’s, the addition of daily pasta specials to the
located at the site ofthe former
long-beloved Cherry Street
Bakery, serves up food in the
New Italian mold with strong
California influences.
While not exclusively a
pizza parlor, it’ s pizza that has
made Tucci’s a Cherry Street
destination, even with such old
standbys as The Hideawayjust
across the street. Nothing promotes
a restaurant more than
the Shock value and talk factor
of previous customers telling
their friends about their dining
experience, and diners here
will certainly have something
to talk about. The kitchen at
Tucci’s makes up a fine, handtossed
pizza crust, and then
covers ~t with some unbelievable
toppings. Two ofthe most
talked about combinations are
the Stone Temple Pie, which
features marinated cactus,
smoked fajita chicken, and
black beans, and the Thai Pie,
an interesting mix of spicy
peanutpesto, teriyaki chicken,
bamboo shoots, and chow
mein noodles.
Intrigued? Shocked and appalled?
Read on. The Upstream
Dream, a fairly new
addition to the menu, is topped
with smoked salmon. The
Aglio Arrosto (roasted garlic
for the non-Italianophones out
there) has roasted garlic,
pinenuts, and Italian sausage.
The California Pie is loaded
down with artichoke hearts,
sun dried tomatoes, olives, fresh basil,
and feta cheese. And, the list goes on.
The true artistry at Tu_cci’ s is that, while
certainly bizzarre sounding, these unusual
topping combinations work. Oftentimes,
we see restaurants trying to be too creative,
and they can’t quite pull it off, but
that is not the case here. The pies inspire
strong emotions from the diners--they either
love it or they hate it. We’ve never
heard anything in between.
All of the pizzas are accompanied by a
wonderful lemon Caesar salad, crispy romaine
with a zesty and bright lemon juice
dressing, instead of the more traditional
egg yolk-based Caesar. And, when the pie
amves, it immediately takes center stage,
since it is presented on a metal footed cake
plate. But, after the shock of the toppings,
be prepared for another shock. The bill. A
large pizza is $19.50.
Pizzas are not the only menu item available,
especially since the recent menu
redo, which added additional entree
choices, mostly in the sandwich department.
An Italian "rich boy" is offerred for
$5.75, as is a chicken parmesan. Grilled
Italian sausages and peppers goes for
$5.25, while smoked turkey breast and
chicken salad tarragon sandwiches come
in a $4.95. A very interesting Roasted
Italian vegetables in pita bread sells for
$4.95, and we’ve found this sandwich
interesting, though a bit heavy on the
lettuce and short on the vegetables .All of
Tucci’s
1344 East 15th
11 am- 10pm
Mon - Thurs
Fri/Sat til 11
closed Sun
Cuisine:
Nuovo
Italiano
Dress: Casual
Payment:
Cash, checks
MC, Visa,
and AmEx
Alcohol:
Domestic and
imported beer
Smoking:
Smoking on
outdoor deck,
non-smoking
inside (sort of)
Cost:
Moderate
~kat{.1nsgt:
menu, selling for $5.50, which
includes the lemon Caesar and
Italian bread. On the day we
reviewed Tucci’s, the special
was a spinach fettuccine with
basil cream. Assuming one
likes spinach (which we
don’t), the pasta was freshly
made and had a distinct
spinachy taste. The basil
cream sauce had pieces of
fresh basil leaf in it and was
light and pleasant. The only
surprise was that the dish was
served with a large soup spoon
on the plate. Why? There
wasn’t any soup on the menu?
Surely, they didn’t expect us
to. eat our fettuccine with a
spoon ! (for those who haven’t
memorized the writings of
Miss Manners, Jean-Pierre
insists that it is incorrect to eat
spaghettior fettuccine using a
spoon to~,~help twirl the pasta
around th~ fork.)
Several.~alads are also available,
from a large lemon Caesar
at $4~50, to the chicken
salad an~t~he.Mediterraneo at
$6.50. Could s~m.eone please
tell us why the: Mediterranean
salad proudly proclaims that
it contains shrimp from the
Gulf ofMexico? There is also
antipasto for $6:50.~
Beverages are fun here. Certainly,
the mostpopular is iced
cappuccino. They also make
Italian sodas, soda water with
a shot or two of various flavoring
syrups, and have an
¯ extensive selection of bottled waters, in-
~ cluding the Welch "Ty Nant," the pricey
¯ stuff in the pretty cobalt bottle.
Biscotti and cheesecake are always avail-
" able for dessert, and, when the kitchen
~ makes it and there is some left, a nice
¯ spumoni ice cream ($3.00) can be had.
¯ Even better is the tiramisu, sponge cake
¯ soaked with espresso and layered with
¯
Italian cream for $3.75.
The food at Tucci’s is good, and a
¯ relatively goodvalue for the money. The
¯ major area needing improvement is the
service. Chronically understaffed, the
¯ friendly and earnest wait staff will get to
¯ one’s table as soon as they can, but still,
¯ the wait can be annoying. On ourlast visit,
~ the iced cappuccinos and Italian sodas
¯ arrived at the table with no spoons or
¯ straws. And, the music being broadcast
¯ over the speakers was so loud, we could
~ hardly hear one another talk, making us
¯ feel like we were at the Full Moon Cafe
¯ across the street.
¯ But, the future is looking bright. The ¯
ownership triumvirate of husband, wife,
¯ and mother has recently extensively re-
- modeled the kitchen, and the menu under-
" goes regularrevision and freshening. The
¯ outside deck remains a popular spot for
¯ watching the Cherry Street traffic. We
¯ like Tucci’s.
~ Not feeling up to cactus or pineapple or
¯ peanuts on your pizza? There’s a-Pizza
¯ Hut just down the street for the timid.
Y
Chairman Terrance Tom called a nmvs
conference mad insisted that without referring
the opposite-sex couples in the
amendment, it will continue to invite la~vstfits
challenging the marriage law.
House and Senate conferees were fac;
ing an internal deadline of resolving their
differences over the stone-sex marriage
bills, although Sott~ acknowledged that
deadline could be waived upon an agreement
with Senate President Norman
Mizuguchi. Both Souki and Tom expressed
confidence that an amendment to
ban same-sex manJages and a package of
benefits for gay mad lesbian couples will
be approved before the Legislatm’e adjourns
April 29.
Tom defended his decision at die latest
House-Senate meeting Wednesday night
not to take up the rights package for samesex
couples. He said as far as he’s concerned,
the Senate has failed to provide a
comlter proposal to the House’s latest
proposal. Senate conference co-chairnlan
Avery Chumbley said the Senate will
meet with the House when the Itouse
agrees to take up both the anlendment mid
tile Lesbian/Gay benefits package and not
separate them. "They are both are part of
the stone problem mad we’re not going to
separate them," he said.
Rhode s and Kills
Anti-Marriage Bill
PROVIDENCE, RA. (AP) _ A bill to ban
gw marriages was voted down by a powerful
House couun{ttee on Thursday.
"Life in Rhode I~l,’md is not going to
change tomorrow if we don’t pass tiffs
bill," said Rep. Timoth3 Willianlson, DWest
Warwick, a member of the House
Judiciary Connnittee.
A1 though Rhode I slmad doesn’ t recognize
gay marriages uow, the bill’s supporters
worried the state would be forced to recognize
them if legalized in another state.
Debate over the issue led Congress to pass
and President Cliuton to sign last year the
Defense of Marriage Act. The law says
the federal government will not recognize
gay nlamages andit allows states to refuse
to recognize them as well.
No states allow homosexuals to marry,
although the Hawaiian Supreme Court is
considering the issue.
Rep. Michael Pisaturo, D-Cranston, opposed
the bill so much he introduced one
of his own to legalize same-sex marriages,
although henow plans to let his bill
die.
City Grants Partners
Health Insurance
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) - Saying he
hopes to lay down a model for the rest of
the state, MayorMichael Albano on Thursday
began offering health insurance to
gay and lesbian partners of city workers.
He acknowledged talat the move is bomld
to breed some dissent, saying, "There are
.those who do not yet understand that tails
IS a new world we live in." But he added,
"It is the right thing to do. My adininistration
will not discrilninate based on ...
alternative lifestyle. And no other city in
Massachusetts or in America should elfiler."
Springfield, file third largest city in tale
state with 160,000 residents, became the
second Bay State connnunity with such a
nleasure in effect, according to Gay mid
Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, a Boston-
based group that monitors gay rights.
Mary Bonauto, tlae group’s civil rights
direc.tor, said Cambridgeis tale other commumty.
"It’s a basic stand by the mayor
and city of Springfield for fairness to all
fmnilies and also for equal pay’ for eqtml
work," she said.
Albano signed the executive order in a
brief late-afternoon ceremony before city
and .state officials, gay-rights advocates,
jottrnalists mad others. State Attorney
General Scott Harshbarger, a supporter of
the policy, was also there. Albano said he
expects perhaps 20 or 30 of the city’s
6,500 employees to sign up for such coverage.
But he predicted it won’t create the
need for any larger appropriation. The
progranl now costs about $32 ~nillion a
year. The mayor ordered bereavement
and sick time rights for gay mid lesbian
partners of city workers in January 1996.
The city is defining a gay or lesbian
"domestic pm:tner" as someone sharing
expenses and living with the city employee
for at least a year "in a relationslfip
of mutual support, caning and counnitment
in wlfich they intend to remain for
file indefinite
In western Massachusetts, the town of
Palmer briefly adopted such a policy, but
oppouents m,’maged to dismantle it within
months. In Northmnpton, city leaders approved
apolicy ofletting stone-sex couples
register as such tbr certain rights, but not
health insurance. Voters later blocked the
move in a public referendum. In Springfield,
not everyone was embracing the
idea. "As a resic]ent, I find it reprehensible
that file3’ can do something fl~at so many
citizens are morMly opposed to," said
Ronald Crochetiere, a resident who said
he has been active on some political issues.
Maine Gov. Lets
Anti-Marriage Bill Pass
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Sayiug his
decision was not an easy one, Gov. Angus
King will let the gay marriage ball enacted
by’ the Legislature last week become law
without his signature rather than force a
referendum by vetoing tale bill.
King said he has "a deep respect for the
institntion of marriage and its religious
roots," but he does uot bdieve the bill
remedies a problem because there’s no
movement in Maine to make same-sex
marriages legal. The governor also said
he does not believe traditional marriage is
under assault in Maine. "I believe that this
bill has very little to do with marriage and
nothhlg to do withlove," said King.
Concerned Maine Families, which led
the initiative that forced tam legislative
vote, said the law protects traditional
marriage from threats by inilitant gay
activists.
The governor had three options after
the bill was enacted by overwhelming
margins last week by the House and Senate:
sign file bill, veto it, wlfich would
force a referendum, or let it become law
without his signature. King said a referendum
would trigger a bitter and divisive
statewide campaign that would not benefit
the public. The governor also said he
expects the law to be successfully challenged
in court. He believes it violates
both tile equal protection and full faith
and credit clauses of the Constitution.
"This bill will briefly become law in
Maine, but it will nothavemynameonit,"
said King.
Timo{hy 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.
BIooming Vase
Bouquet
A cheerful bouquet
presented in a
fine glass vase
patterned after
18th century
forcingjars
used to grow
beautiful bulb
flowers.
$35.00
MINGO VALLEY
9720-C E. 31st St.
663-5934, Daphane Cooper
Damrons & Womens Traveler
Out of state Newspapers
Magazines for all Interests
Mens & Womens Lingerie
Games
Movie Sales & Rentals
Novelties & Gifts
Monthly Specials
Kama Sutra (candles too!)
Home of the 21 st Social Board
Open 24 hours a day
¯21st & Memorial across from Albertsons
610-8510
International
Mr. Leather
Chicago, Illinois
May 22 - 26
Orlando Gay Days
Sea World, Universal
Studios + Disney World
Orlando, Florida
June 6 - 8
IGTA member
Call 341.6866
Internationa
Meet
free,
"~ d~)’mplication would arise. The last visit
the fanfily had with him, he looked plNn
tired and we~. I had never seen him look
that way in my life. At one point, he ended
up in the intensive care refit. The last time
I saw him, he was so heavily sedated that
nay brother’s voice brought no reaction at
all. When I spoke, his eyelids fluttered as
he straggled to open his eyes. He finally
did, and tried to speak - in vain, because
they had a breattfing robe stuck down his
throat, making it impossible to talk. But
he. came to, tried to speak, and became
extremely agitated when he couldn’tcommunicate.
My brother and I were ushered out by
the nurse, for fear our presence would
disturb him further, causing him to damage
the numerous tubes and devices connected
to him. Keeping him alive. Sort of.
That is the last time I saw my father alive.
A couple of weeks later he lapsed into
coma. Momgave the orders to remove the
life support.
My father left this plane alone. No one
who h~ew him was there. I vowed then
that if anyone I was close to was in the
hospital, my first priority was being there.
No show, nojob, no other event would be
more important than being there - for
fmnily, friend, or lover.
The show went on. I remember the day
Dad died. The director berated me venomoush’
in front of the cast for not smiling
and"selling" the numbers I was in. I
had left a message on the answering machine
that morning, he didn’t get the message
until after the rehearsal. I for a change,
~vas the first one out the door, so he ufi ssed
me. I was ready, for the first time, to walk
out on a show. I just about told him he
could take the bloody solos and give them
to someone else. gcrew "’professionalism".
It had cost me too much Nready.
There ,are times that "The show must go
on" is absolute poppycock. There will be
other shows. I held my tongue, but barely.
I was in too much shock to say anything at
that Moment. He did apologize later.
Story two: I am in Fort Worth because
nay Mother has breast cancer, and had
both of her breasts removed on Monday
the 7th. According to several doctors, she
will need help for 2 -3 weeks, as she
won’t be able to lift her purse, so I am here
to help. Mom’s health is not so great.
She’s 74, a heavy smoker, and is handicapped,
and thus cm~’t get around solo
under the best of Circumstmaces. I have
too many scars and unanswered questions
leftover from Dad (as do all the members
ofmy f,’unil y) to ever let anyone I know go
into a hospital without me being there.
People can slip away too damn fast.
And all the political ballyhoo and bickering
in the world doesn’t change that.
Yes, it’s important to fight for what’s
right, and to use your time wisely. But
don’t forget the other things that are import~
mt, too - the smell of a flower, the
voice of a loved one, and the time you
spend with them. In the end, that.., is ....
ALL... that.., matters. Nomatterhow mnch
they am~oy you. You will miss them when
they’re gone. Jobs are replaceable, things
are replaceable, people ~e not. And too
many filings can go wrong.
My father died of cancer, my morn is
dealing with cancer, and we have tbund
out that three male cousins on her side are
dealing with/have died from cancer. Her
sister had breast cancer. I can’t shake the
feeling that I ana seeing how I will die,
barring bus crashes, plane explosions, and
bank robberies. It is ~t too likety, given
[hmily history and genetics Not to mention
that there is no more severe issue thm~
losino a pare~t I~sing one is bad enom,h’
it t~rces you to den with mortNity m a
way that no other loss can do. When a
parent Nes, you lose not oNy apart of
your Nstory, and present, but Nso your
clfildh~d. No one will be there to dean
up yot~ nfist&es or save you frown yourself,
if you were so fortunate to have had
fmNly like that. Some axen’t.
I’ve been lucky thus t’~. I ~ow Mom
will not l~t forever. Quite fray, the
f~ly has been expecting a Nagnosis of
lung ~acer to pop up for ye~s, yet she
has remNned in fNr heNth. She never
expected to outhve Dad. And when he
died, she stepped up the ~ount of algareties
consumed in order to ~tch up with
Nm. Didn’t woN. Bre~t ~cer was a
sunrise to us ~1. I and my fanfily have
certNNy had, and continue to have, our
differen~s. But they have always been
there for me, t~ough my back surgery,
tl~ough nasty splits with exMovers, and
whatever other crises I had. Now, it’s my
turn to be there for them. I tN~ this is
what should Ne meant by the term "fmnily
values."
And with that rather drmnatic ending, I
do have a Mnd of review. Anyone catch
toNght’ s "Dr. Qnim~, Medicine Woman"?
It’s not a show I usual3 watch (I am not at
~I parti~ to westerns - sacrilege coming
from an OM~oma resident and nativeborn
Texan, but there you ~e,), but b3
complete accident (except I, like Obi-
Wan Kenobi, don’t believe in accidents.
So~y, had to get that St~ Wars reference
in there, ya M~ow.), I happened upon it
tolfight. I was about to change the chanuel,
when the gist of the plot line lilt me.
Dr. Quinn was brining Walt Wlfitm~
into her dusty little Colorado county town
for a p~try reading. I though t~s a rather
novel idea. I wondered if they were going
to de~ With Iris being homosexual or just
gloss it over. So, I stayed tuned. I was
pleasantly suwfised.
Dr. Quiim, noticed that WdtW~
w~ depressed (Hmnun. Sounds fm~li~.
Have I wfitmn about ~s before?) and
asked lfim what wm up. He w~ saddened
that Iris so.mate could not be wi~ ~m.
She sfid, tot~ly t~owing of what gender
~s so.mate ~ght ~ (heterosexist
assumptions, don’tcha ~ow), "Well,
bring lfim on out from the ~st Co~tF’
Well, Waltw~ happier than a Gay m~in
a gym, and perked nfighfily. Me.time,
Her young son, a writer for the school
paper, interviewed Wilt for the school
paper...flone with ~m...during a solit~y
wflk in the woods. Back to subplot number
two,in w~ch the mwns~ople, thrilled
at the prospect of a man of W~t’s stature
bestowing a bit ofculture upon ~eir dusty
town, become rather discfinfinatory upon
being ~e gossip that W~t (GASP[) is a
"Nmmy-boy", "one of them fellers who
don’t like women ~e way most men normflly
do". Dr. Qui~m is hogtied that her
boy has been ~one with trim. She t~ks to
Sully, plwedby the everhm~yJoe ~do,
who tells her that she’s ove~eacting, that
in lfis Nbe, gay folk are ac~pted~dhave
eqtu~ status. His is the voice of reason,
and he’s given excellent diNoN~e in tlfis
episode. Well, She questions the boy, and
tells lfim not go into the woods None with
X~qfitman. She does do some research, and
finds ~at some German literature of the
day ch~flks it up to a defective gene. She is
upset, because she emwnined Whitman
and didn’t "see" anytlfing like this wrong
with lfim. see Jim, page 14
~JJr~ continued from page 13
Stdly tells her she should just
accept him for who he is, that he
is still the same mm~ whose writing
tlmlled her.
W~t’s souhnate arrives,
he cheers up. The townsfolk display
their homophobia with maliciotks
gossip zu~d ontright discrimination,
denying the couple
a hotel room. Dr. QuimL despite
her misgivings, invites them to
stay in her home, m~d gradmflly
comes to ~low them as simply
two folk in love. She asks if the
townspeople’s reaction bofliers
him. lie replies no, that life is too
sliort to #re iu to oflmr people’s
ucgativity ~md empower it. Dr.
Quiun is ok widi M1 ~is, undl
Walt t~es her boy fishing.
Alone. In tim woods. Fe~ng dm
worst, she m~es a mad dash for
the fislfing hole, wifll Sully telling
her not to jump to conclusions.
She m~d Snlly sne~ np on
W~dt m~d the boy, fislfing. ~m
bo) spe~s to WMt, ~ng ~m
what "’Nmmy-boy" memas. In a
~vonderfully written respo~me, he
tells the boy, that it is a word
somc folks ~une up ~vith to hurt
others, tte wreaks the boy that
words cm~ be ~vcapons, us~ to
hurt. But they cml ~dso be used to
lined, to reflect tim positive, wondrous
ddngs in liiE, mid that he
mid thc boy had a gift to use
words in t~mt way. And thus,
thc3 could countcract the hate-
4"ul, negative words. Aud of
course, l)r. Quinu, fears assuagcd,
smiles beatifically, ~d
she m~d Joe embrace, t~lll ofhope
for the world. Fade out, dissolve
to thc poe~’y rca~ng, with a
hm~dful 0f imoplc attending. But
cvcn a hmldfid ~m effect a lot of
chm~gc. I liked WMt’s perspectivc.
I will try tom&e it my own.
Classifieds: How To Do It
First 30 words are $10~ liach
additional word is 25 cents.
Y ou may bring additional
attention to your ad:
Bold Headline - $1
Ad in capital letters - $1
Ad in bold capital letters - $2
Ad in box- $2
Ad reversed - $3
Tear sheel mailed - $2
Bliud Post Office 13ox - $5
Please type or print your ad.
Count the no. of words. (A word
is a group of letters or numbers
separated by a space.) Send your
ad & payment to lOB 4140, Tulsa,
OK 74159 with your uame, address,
tel. numbers (for us only).
Ads will run in the next issue after
received. TFN reserves the right
to edit or refuse any ad.
NO refunds. ..... ....
Roommate Needed
(;WM scekiug same to share
2 bdnn., 1 bath home in
Brookside/Riverside area:
$200/mo. plus 1/2 utilities.
Non-smoker preferred.
CMI: 747-1361
PFLAG-Bartlesville
Parents, Frostily & Friends
of Lcsbim~s & Gays
Bartlcsville-Waslfington Cty
F’OB 485, Bartlesville, OK
74005, 918-337-0390
just $2.39 per minute
ADULTS
callers
Oaklahoma City
,movo.€om
Call The 900 number to respond to ads, browse unlisted ads, or retrieve messages. Only $1.99 per minute. 1 8÷. Customer Service: 41 5-281-31 83
TELE TRANS I’m interested in speaking on the
phone wilh crossdresser~, Transvestites, and
Transsexuals and couples. I’m 5’8, 1451bs, with
Blue eyes, long Brown hair, and a mustache. I’m
Bi curious arid may, eventually want to meet in
person, but let’s start on the phone. (Bartlesvilh)
=25764
THAT::- PHO~E~
HERE’S HOW IT.:WO:RKS~:
1 ) To respond to these
ads & browse others
Call: 1-900-786-4865
2) To record your FREE
Tulsa Family Personal ad
Call: 1-800-546-MENN
(We’ll print it here)
ck-up messages
AND OUT OF BREATH I’m a 36 year old,
White male, former athlete, looking for
companionship. The fallowing are some of my
traits: compassionate, God f~aring humorous
non perfect, lonely, sensuous, hair;,, stocky,
loving, adventurous, careful, mystical, pla~/ful,
romantic, tender, masculine, sincere, committed,
and always self seeking. (Claremare) =12057
MANLY PASTTIMES I’m a good looking,
masculine White male, 5’7, wilh a marine
haircut, and Hazel eyes. I like hunting, fishing,
and sports. I’d like to meet other men in the a~:ea
to hang out with. (Grand Lake) =28333
TO THE SKY IN KIOWA This Transgender,
Bi, White mah, 5’9, with Brown hair and Blue
eyes, seeks a Transgender, Bi, or Gqy, male,
b~twean 25 and 30. You should be loving, kind,
and good looking. (Kiowa) =28859
ALONE IN LOCUST GROVE Do you know
what it’s like to be a Gay male in a small town
like Locust Grave? NeedJess to say, I would like
some friends to relate to. I am 24 years old and
would like to meat some guys around my age.
Let’s be pals and hang out. (Locust Grove)
=19197
OKIE FROMMUSKOGEE This 21 year old,
Gay, White male, 5’11,1751bs, with Blond hair,
and Blue eyes, seeks hot, dominant top men for
fun times. I often travel to Tulsa and other areas.
(Muskogee) =12437
WHO’S THE KEY GRIP? Vm an advenlurous
27 year old, 6ft, 1501bs, with light Brown hair,
andBrown eyes.-I want to meet men
(Muskogea) =11834
LIFE IS SWEET I’m looking fur the man, or
men, of my dreams. I’m a 19 year old, Single,
Black male. Once I find you your clothes, and
house, wil always be clean. Dinner will always
be on time. Dessert will be in the bedroom.
(Muskogea) =24043
IN TRANSITION I want to build a
relationship With another good looking Gay,
Ma e, Transvestite. I’m 26, 5’9. with Brown
hair and Blue eyes. You Should be clean, nice,
and fun. I hope we can have a long term
relationship. (Tulsa) =30728
FRIEND INDEED This very attractive 21
year old, Black male, 5’11, 1801bs, With light
Brown eyes, seaks other Black men to hang
out with. I’m new to the scene and want to
make some good friends. (Tulsa) =30941
A WOMAN’S TOUCH Do you need a
woman’s touch? I’m a 40 year old,
Transgender, hoping to someday become
a complete woman.l love to play the
feminine role and give pleasure }o men,
over 40, in every way. Race is
unimportant. (Tulsa) =10195
JUICY FRUIT I’m a hairy, tan, good
Ioaking, Gay, White man, 1801bs, with
Blond hair and Green eyes. Once w~ get
acquainted, maybe we can meet. (T~lsa)
=2416
TRANS TREAT IN TULSA I believe that
a hard man is good to find. This sensual,
sexy, submissive, Bi male, Transvestite,
42, 6ft, 1701bs, seeks dominant, Bi men,
35 to 70, of all races. Let’s play. (Tulsa)
=29954
TULSA TWO STEPPER Show me
around town and teach me the West
Coast Swing. I’m a young looking, 34
year old, Hispanic male, 5’4, 1251bs,
with Brown hair and eyes. I’m pretty new
to town and want to make friends.Jlove
to dance and can two step wilh the best of
them. I’m a big fan of country music,
movies, and love people. Let’s meet.
(Tulsa) =29334
JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME I want to
get close to someone who is able to have a
relationship without letting anyone else know
about it. I’m a good looking, 27 year old,
Married, Bi male. (Tulsa) =29225
TONSILLECTOMY IN TULSA I don’t live
here but ~ come to Tulsa often. I’m a very
athletic, attractive, White male, 5’6, 1401bs,
with Brown hair, Hazel eyes, a washboard
stomach and great legs. I love dominant men
with good builds. Entertain me when I’m in
town and I’ll make you glad you did. (Tulsa)
=28623
CARESS AND CUDDLE COWBOY This 24
year old, recently Divorced, cowboy, seeks e
guy who might be interestad in a relationship.
I’m a good looking bull rider with ~ nice
build, 5’11, with Brown hair and Hazel eyes.
I’m new to this scene and like to kiss, caress,
and cuddle. (Tulsa) =28662
MAD FOR MASCULINE MEN I’m looking
to get to know, and have good times with,
other masculine Gay, or Bi, White males,
between 18 and 34, in the area. i’m a good
looking, Gay, White male, 33, 6’1. 1651bs.
with short Brown hair, Blue eyes, ,
We Can’t talk before you call so
hurry. Ilulsa) =28669
CLEAN CUT CONSERVATISM I’m a White
male in my late forties. I’m looking for a very
discreet male to get together with. You should
be clean cut, conservative, no older than me. I
en oy collecting books and traveling. Let’s
share our values and goals and see where that
leads. Discretion is vital. (Tulsa) =28803
END MY WAIT This old fashioned, ~omanfic
is looking for companionship and’lovefrom
you. P)~se call soon~ (Tulsa) =14264
SERVICE IS MY BUSINESS This young
looking, 42 year old, White male, s~eks
masculine. I~have a good build from
frequent workouts and daily jogs. (Tulsa)
=28323
MY WIFE’S IN THE DARK I want to have
some fun with another man. i’m 27 and good
looking. Call if you’re fun and can be discreet.
(Tulsa) =28503
SATISFACTION .ASSURED Let me do my
number on you. I’m a cute 24 year old guy
looking for other cute young guys that want to
have f~n! (Tulsa) =24514
TRUE IN TULSA I’m a masculine, muscular, 21
year old, B~ack male, 5’7, 1951bs, with Black hair,
and Brown ~yes, looking far new friends to hang
out with. I dOn’t do drugs or smoke, but . ¯
occasionally go Out far ~]rinks. I have lots of other
interests such as working out. Let’s meet and see
what happens. (Tulsa) =13047
TAKE IT SlOW I like soft music, romantic
evenings, and spending time with my family and
friends. This Gay, White male, 38, 5’9,14~lbs, is
HIV positive, but healthy, and is seeking a non
s.~ng friend to share with. I’m most interested in
other ~l),, White males, betwean 21 and 45 who
are willing to go slowly. (Tulsa) ’~23748
IF WE TRY This aflracti~, Gay, White mab,
seeks companionship, and a relationship with a
sincere, ..Gay, Block male, between 18 and 30. I’m
5’9~ 1651bs, with Brown hair, and Blue eyes. You
should be hbeast, loving, caring, and drag frea, as
I am. We con make it ffappen iT we fly. {Tulsa)
~27068
HUNTING NEW GAME I want to make some
new plans and include you in them. rm a 28 year
okl, Gay., White mab, 6’1 with Brown hair and
eyes. I like te cook and enjoy all outdoor spa~,
espec!ally hunting and fishing. Let me kna~v when I
can plan ta seeyou. (Tulsa) =23916
GOODBYE, CITY UFE I wanna meet some of
~ivi’anllg. TinhisIh2e8coyeuanrtyo.ldI ,liGkeaayl,l Bolualcdkomoraalec,tievietieosy,slike
hunling, and fishing. Call me and get aw~ from it
all. (Tulsa) =26S22
FLEX FRIEND You’ve .clot a friend riflht here. I’m
a 42 yea~s 01d, G~ male, 5’8~’, 170E;~. I’m into
sports: music, and am very flexibb. Let’s have
same ton. (Tulsa) =26409
SHOW ME THE WAY I’m a masculine, Lisexual curious guy;’and I’m a:li~e ~rvous about
is. I’m 21,5’7" 1951bs, with a worked out bedy~
Black hair, a~d Brown eyes. I need you to show
me theway. (Tulsa) ’~26412
TULSA TIME I’ve got time on my hands.
Would you like to spend it with me? This Gay
male, enjoys reading sports, and music. Ad ust
the vo ume, and let s taFk. (Tulsa) =25617
WANNA BE MY MENTOR? Maybe you
can hell? nudge me out of the closet. I’m a 19
year old Gay male, 6ft, 1501bs, with Brown
hair, and Blue eyes. I like tno’~ies, sports, and
anything athletic. I’m not yet "out" to the world,
but I want to try a relationship with a guy
between 18 and 25. (Tulsa) =25579
JUST FRIENDS It’s a good time for some
good times in Tulsa. I want to meat some new
I’m 5’9, 1701bs. Give me a call and let’s
out. (Tulsa) =25403
TRANSYLVANIA BEAUTY I’m a white,
Transgender, Bi Male, 26, 5’9, with Brown
hair, and Blue eyes. I’m very beautiful. I’d like
to meat another Bi, or Gay, Transgender male,
26 to 30, who is good looking, clean, kind,
and nice. (Tulsa) =25080
TAKE OFF MY SASH I’m Mr. Tulsa
¯ and I want to have some fun. I’m a
leather man. I"ve been a runner up in
Mr. Oklahoma Leather contest the last two
years. Find out what’s so hot about me. Call
now. (Tulsa) =25161
THE SECRET SHARER Can you help me find
a dominant Bi or Straight guy who wants to
have a discreet relationship? I’m an attractive,
Bi, White male in my 30% 5’2, 1281bs. (Tulsa)
=24820
I’M NO FATAL ATTRACTION It would be
nice to make some friends but I’m hoping for a
at more. I’m a financially and emotionally
~, White male, 33 years old, 5’11
e bars. I hope to meet another
White male between 25 and 40 who’s in shape
and still has most of his hair¯ [Tulsa) =24870
AT THE QUARRY I’ll bet there’s a big,
stocky, Married man out there that would like
to give it to me hard. I’m a cute guy in my 30’s,
5’2 and 1281bs. I hope you’re dominant and
want to have a gay old time. (Tulsa) =24840
UNSUNG YOUNG Let’s keep this simple. I’m
a young guy, 18, looking for other young guys,
18 to 28, fc;r fun and friendship. Call soon.
(Tulsa) =19577
LONG HARD NIGHTS If you like sleapless
nights, and sleepless days, give me a call i’m a
24 year old, Gay, White male, 6’3, 1601bs, in
search of another Gay, White male, between
18 and 24. Let’s have a long, hard night,
h:)llowed by a long, hard day. I’m versatile.
(Tulsa) =24504
THE COWBOY WAY I’m a cowboy, plain
and simple. I love to do things outdoors.
Hunting and fishing are just two of the
possibilities. If you’re between 18 and 25 and
want to explore~ne cowboy way, leave me a
message. (Tulsa) =1004
CONSERVATIVE OUTCOME I’m a 19 year
old student, From Tulsa. I lave movies, sports,
and going out. I’m seeking someone clean-cut,
conservative, and discrete. I have yet to come
out, so discretion is most important. Come
share my values, and discover together what
happens nexL (Tu sa) =23850
BLUE COWBOY This 55 year old Gay
White ma e, cowboy, and Businessman, would
like to meet a younger man betwean 35 and
55, to live with me in rural southeast
Oklahoma. J’m 5’6, 1401bs, with short; thick
Silver hairi strikin.Cl Blue eyes, and a mustache.
You shbuld be well put together and des re th s
type of lifeslyle. =9612 ~:;
To record your FREE Pe onal ad: all: 1-800-546-MENN (We’ll print it here)
The Friends .i n Unity
Social Org.anization, Inc.
FUSO is a community based organization not for
profit 501 (c)3 agency prowding services to African
American males-and.females who are infected with
HIV/AIDS in the Tulsa community. FUSO also .helps
individuals find other agencies that provide
other HIV/AIDS services.
FUSO began in August 1991 out Of a need to bring
African. American men of diverse sexual orientation
together, to promote unity, education, cultural
awareness and sensitivity to the needs of the
African American community at large.
The goal of FUSO is to. build bridges wher.e.gaps exist
and to tear do.wn.the walls that have d~wded us
w~th~n the community.
FUSO ,has taken on the responsibility to.minister:to
the needs of individuals impacted by HIV/AIDS,.to be....
a voice African American commun~ity, and
especially~to be a voice for those.who have not been
heard. FUSO is a ministry of compassion and. care.
POB 8542, Tulsa, OK 74101

newspaper
periodical