[1997] Tulsa Family News, December 1997; Volume 4, Issue 12b

[1997] Tulsa Family News, December 1997; Volume 4, Issue 12b

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

December 1997

James Christjohn
Leanne Gross
Barry Hensley
Jean-Pierre Legrandbouche
Lamont Linstrom
Kerry Lobel
Judy McCormick
Josh Whetsell
The Associated Press

Tom Neal

Tulsa Family News, November 1997; Volume 4, Issue 12a

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PDF
Online text

English

newspaper
periodical

https://history.okeq.org/items/show/542

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

Given Electric Shocks
LONIX~N (AP) - Gay prisoners were given electric
shocks in government-sponsored tests in the 1950s to
see ifhomosexuality could be controlled, The Guardian
newspaper reported recently. Documents released by
the government showed that inmates were given shocks
if they stared at pictures of men for more than eight
seconds, the newspaper said. Other inmates were given
the female hormone estrogen.
TheHomeOffice, which funded the study by London
University, concluded at the dme that up to half themen
who participated in the trial "have benefited from it- in
the. sense that they are less likely to indulge in homosexual
behavior." The newspaper did not report when
during the 1950s the trial was carried out, or on how
many people. It said that experiments were carried out
at four prisons in England.
The Guardian also said that the documents showed
the government was concerned that legalizing homosexuality
wouldencourage greater numbers ofpeople-to
try it. "Would homosexual conduct spread, or, losing
the glmnor of rebellion, decline?" the paper quoted a
government report as saying. In 1957, the government
ordered a review of Bfttain S homosexuality laws, which
resulted in their liberalization 10 years later.
Gay Holocaust Survivor
CAMBRIDGE (AP) - Stefan Kossinsky is wanned by
the memory of an old love, and chilled by a haunting
uncertainty. What happened to Kossinsky’s lover - a
German soldier- all those years ago? Kossinsky was a
teen-ager when he fell in love with a Nazi soldier in
1941, after Germans seized his Polish town of Torun,
Kossinsky told a group of Harvard students on Friday.
The 72-year-old Kossinsky, on campus to attend the
sold-out play, "Angels in America," which was dedieated
to him, said the young men met in an abandoned
shed for nearly six months. But then the soldier was sent
to the Russian front. Kossinsky was caught trying to
send a letter, was tortured by the Gestapo and sent to a
prison camp for five years.
"It was my greatest love, my first one," The Boston
Globe quoted Kossinsky as saying. Fearing that he had
sealed his lover’s fate with his hastily-launched letter,
Kossinsky began a frantic search for the soldier. He
examined archives in Germany, Poland, and Austria,
but found no trace of the man.
One of the most difficult things for Kossinsky, aside
from having to live without his lover, has been having
to live with the gnawing uncertainty of what happened
to him and the torturous guilt of possibly having contributed
to his demise.
The Holocaust devoured millions for their ethnicity,
politics, and religion. But it is estimated that as many as
.15,000 were put to death-for homosexuality. Kossinsky
is one of only seven gay Holocaust survivors to be
located by the Shoah Visual History Foundation in Los
Angeles, see Shoah, page14
MJ DIRECTORWLE’[TERS/EDITORIAL P. 2/3
~m~ US & WORLD NEWS P. 4
HEALTH NEWS P. 6
m ENTERTAINMENT NOTES P. 8
COMMUNITY CALENDAR P. 9
BOOK REVIEW & GARDEN COLUMN P. 10
Z RE~AU~NT REVIEW P. 11
1 GAY STUDIE~ANTHROPOLOGY P. 12
¯ Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
: Tulsa’s Largest Circulation Community PaperAvailable In More Than 7’0 City Locations
: Anti-Bias Policy,Add.ed
.At Rogers University
: First Ever ComprehensivePolicy atOKCollege
: TULSA.- In a move made with no attendant publicity, the board
: of regents for Rogers University added the words "sexual often-
" tation" to the university’s comprehensive non-discftmination
¯ statement last summer. The statement is printed on nearly all of
" Rogers’ newer publications, from Student Handbook & Rei
sources Guide to its 1997-99 catalog.
¯ The specific language reads: Rogers University, in compliafice
¯ with Tides VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive
¯ Order 11246 as amended,Title IX of the EducationAmendments
: of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other
: federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis
¯ of.race, color national origin, sex, age religion, disability, sexual i orientation or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices,
¯ or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to admissions,
¯ employment, financial aid, and educational services. Formerly
¯ Rogers documents used the same language minus the words,
" sexual orientation.
: While the addition of this language was done as much as 20
: years ago by the "flagship" public and private universities in the
nation (University of California System, University ofMichigan,
¯ University of Texas System, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford
." and Rice University), no other Oklahoma institution of higher
learning, public or private is known to have a similar policy. The
: regents of the University of Oklahoma did adopt after years of
¯ efforts by campus activists a very limited non-discftmination
¯ policy a few years ago which applied only to student organiza-
¯ t~ons.
¯ The change which protects all i~adividuals, Heterosexual, Gay,
’ Bi or Lesbian, from discriminauoz~ was introduced by regent
¯ Nancy Feldman, attorney, former TU professor and longtime
¯ community social jusdce activist in response to a request from a
¯ Gay commumty civil fights activist (A.) who prefers to remain
¯ unnamed. The activist had requested for severa] years that Rogers
!TOHR Protests Bias in
:Tulsa Centennial Book
: by Kelly Kurt, Associated Press
: TULSA (AP) -A Gay civil rights group is protest-
¯ ing the official Tulsa Centennial history, saying the
¯ book excludes contributions and events involving
¯ Gays and Lesbians. Tulsa Oklahomans for Human
¯ Rights (TOHR) charges that.’’Tulsa! A Biography
¯ of the American City" is a biased and incomplete
: account of the city’s first 1.00 years.
." "’An entire minority community is treated as
: though it doesn’t exist,"-Tom Neal, president ofthe
¯ approximately 150-member Gay and Lesbian or-
" ganization, stated. The group has contacted local
." retailers asking that they post its views adjacent to
¯ displays of the book, which Centennial organizers
¯ officially unveiled on November 18th..
: Author Danney Goble said the book’s intent was
: "to cover as fairly as possible the mainstream
¯ history of Tulsa as a whole.""The book never had
: the purpose or the intention of being a politically-
" correct encyclopedia of the contributions of or
: issues centra] to any one social group orminority,"
¯ he said.
: He based the book on 10,000 pages of research
: notes deftved mostly from publicrecords andmain-
: stream, publications. Most historical public ac-
¯ counts have not addressed homosexual issues, he
¯ said. "This should not be surprising because, as a
¯ professional historian, I know that until very recent
." times such highly persona] issues were considered
¯ taboo for public discussion and aiftng," Goble said.
¯ Nea] likened the exclusion to previous histories
¯ that failed to mention the 1921 race riot, which
: destroyed the city’s black business district. For
¯ example, he said, a-Tulsa commission produced a
¯ report in the mid- 1970s on anti-Gay discrimination
¯ at a time when few citie~ nationwide even consid-
University president, Roger Randle and other administrators ¯ ered the issue. "Fairness would only have required
: adopt the change. However, according to "A", thesereouests fell " - o " "
¯ on deaf ears tmtal Ms. Feldman became ~nvolved. "A’~oted tha~t , .¯,.~,~Gpaorbalger~aapihdohretw~,o0,uldhneosmt idn:cludeall groups in the
Ms. Feldman understood see Rogers, page 3 , nearly 3_00-page book. see Centennial~ page 14
No More Church in a Box!
St. Jerome Finds A Home
TULSA - After two years of
sharing others’s space, the
Parish Church of Saint
Jerome celebrated its first
Mass in its own building at
205WestKing StreetonSunday,
Nov. 30th. According to
the Reverend. Father Rick
Hollingsworth the congregation
has under gone many
changes -not the least of
which is no longer having to pack up the altar and all the items
needed for the service: i.e. church in a box!
St. Jerome began its services as a group committed to a
traditional liturgical style of worship; in fact, many at St. Jerome
had gone to Trinity Episcopal Church. But because of ongoing
debates in the Episcopal. Church USA’ about inclusivity, specifically
allowing Lesbians and Gay men to serve the Church openly,
those who founded St. Jerome originally affiliated with an
independent Catholic denomination.
The congregation first met at the United Methodist Commuuity
of Hope where they literally had to move the altar in and out
of the room for services. Later St. Jerome moved to the Garden
Chapel of the Ninde Funeral Homenear 41st&Peoria where they
remained until recently.
For much of the last year, the parish council and the members
of St. Jerome have searched Tulsa for a home. In the meantime,
some church events were held at the Pride Center and others in
homes. The search was made more difficult since Tulsa has few
church buildings on the market and a number of congregations
looking (of congregations fftendly to Lesbians and Gay men,
Commtmity of Hope a~d Community Unitarian Universalist
Congregation have been looking at space).
However, about September in a series of events which Father
Rick and Deacon Debbie characterized as the work of God, the
congregations ofSt~ JeromeandWestmiusterPresbyterianChurch
came together, see Jerome. page 10
¯ TOHR Board Changes
"Staff of HIV Program
¯ TULSA- The board of directors of Tulsa Oklaho-
¯ mans forHumanRights, Inc. (TOHR), Oklahoma’s
¯ oldest. Le.sbian and Gay non-religious community
orgamzauon, have announced changes in their
¯ HIV education, prevention and testing programs,
-" which do business under the name: HOPE: HIV
¯ Outreach, Prevention & Education. The board will.
¯" be hiring a new program director to take the place
which Mallory Degen Brown held. Also the board
¯ willbe replacing theHWclinic co-ordinator. Former
¯ clinic co-ordinator Leslie Johnson resigned due to
." a move out of the state. Other staff members are
¯ temporarily undertaking the duties of program di-
¯ rector and clinic co-ordinator.
The 1997 board of directors of TOHR include
¯ Dennis Arnold, Tim Daniel, Robert.Hill, Steve
¯ Horn, Sue Knause, The Rev. William Chester
¯ McCall, III, Jonathan Stanley and Tom Neal.
¯ TOHR/HOPE provides Tulsa with its principal
¯ anonymous HIV testing site at the HIV Resource
¯ Consortium. TOHR/HOPE staff members also do
’ targeted outreach for HIV prevention in several
: programs. These include "MSM’s" - men who
: have sex with men, younger Gay men; MSM’s in
¯ rural Oklahoma and women in Tulsa who are at
¯ high risk because of drug use or because they are
¯ sex workers.
: TOHR, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt, non-political or--
, ganization, also provides the Pride Center, Tulsa’s
¯ community center for Lesbian, Gay, Bi, and Trans-
" gendered persons, our families and friends. The
¯ Pride Center is located at 1307 E. 38th Street, 2nd
¯ floor. Individuals who support the mission of the
: organization may become members and support
: the community and HIV work of the organization.
¯ Formoreinformation, call 712-1600, 9-Spin, M-F,
¯ or 743-4297, 6-10pro, M-Sat.
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine
*Boston Willy’ s Diner, 1742 S. Boston
*Blue Room, 606 S. Elgin
*Concessions, 3340 S. Peoria
*Full Moon Cafe, 1525 E. 15th
*Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria
*Interurban Restaurant, 717 S. Houston
*Jason’ s Deli, 15th & Peoria
~Lola’s, 2630 E. 15th
*The Palate Cafe & Catering, 3324G E. 31st
*St. Michael’s Alley l~taurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*Samson & Delilah Restaurant, 10 E. Fifth
*Silver Star Saloon, 1565 Sheridan
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’s; 2114S Memorial
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd
*Umbertos Pizzeria, 21st west of Harvard
832-1269
592-2143
592-2583
744-0896
583-6666
749-4511
585-3134
599-7777
749-1563
745-9899
745-9998
585-2221
834-4234
585=3405
660-0856
584-1308
599-9999
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Advanced Wireless & PCS, Digital Cellular 747-1508
*Affinity News, 8120 E. 21 610-8510
Dennis C. Arnold, Realtor 746-4620
*Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000
Kent Balch & Associates, Health & Life Insurance 747-9506
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15 712-1122
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21 712-9955
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria 743-5272
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria 746-0313
Don Carlton Honda, 4141 S. Memorial 622-3636
Don Carlton Mitsubishi, 46th & Memorial 665-6595
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700
*Daisy Exchange, E. 15th 746-0440
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620
*Devena’ s Gallery, 13 Brady 587-2611
I3oghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria- 744-5556
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503
*Ross Edward Salon, 2447 E. 15th 584-0337, 712-9379
*Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria 744-9595
*Gloria Jean’ s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st 742-1460
Lealme M: Gross, Southwest Financial Planning 459-9349
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744=7440
*Sandra J. Hill, MS,.Psychotherapy, 2865E. Skelly 745-1111
*International Tours 341-6866
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 t3. 15th 712-2750
*Jared’ s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering 747-0236
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15 599-8070
Kelly Kirby, CPA, POB 14011, 74159 747-5466
Langley Agency & Salon, 1316 E. 36th Pl. 749-5533
Laredo Crossing, 1519 E. 15th 585-1555
*Living ArtSpace, 19 E. Brady 585-1234
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3 584-3112
Mingo Valley Flowers,9720c E. 31 663-5934
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664-2951
*Novel Idea Bookstore, 51st & Harvard 747-6711
David A. Paddock, CPA, 4308 S. Peoria, Ste. 633 747-7672
*Peace of Mind Bookstore, 1401 E. 15 583-1090
The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor 743-4297
Puppy Pause II, llth & Mingo 838-7626
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101 747-5932
Richard’ s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617.
Scott Robison’ s Prescriptions, see ad for 3 locations, 743-2351
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921, 747-4746
Christopher Spradling, attorney, 616 S- Main,#308 582-7748
*Scribner’ s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square 749-6301
*Sedona Health Foods, 8220 S. Hatward .. 481-0201
*Sophronia’ s Antiques, 1515 E. 15 592-2887
*Tickled Pink, 3340 S. Peoria
*Trizza’ s Pots, 1448 S. Delaware
*Tulsa Book Exchange, 3749 S. Peoria
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 _S. Lewis
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
697-0017
743-7687
742-2007
481-0558
743-1733
592-0767
Tulsa Organizations, Churches, & Univemities
AIDS WalkTulsa, POB t071°, 74101-1071 579-9593
*All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria :..-.. 743-2363
Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 .--i-. 587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207E: 6 583-7815
*B/L!G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa Canterbury ctr. 583=9780
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman.Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Florence
*Co,,imnity ofHopeUnitedMethodist, 1703 E- 2nd 585-1800
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595
918.231.7372 POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159
e-mail: TulsaNews@ earthlinlcnet
website: http://users, aol.com/TulsaNews/
Publisher + Editor: Tom Real
Entertainment Oiva + Mac Guru: James Christjohn
Writers + contributors: Leanne Gross, Barry Hensley, Jean-Pierre
Legrandbouche, Lamont Linstrom. Kerry Lobet, Judy
McCormick. Josh Whetsell, Member of The Associated Pres~ .
Issued on or before the 1st of each month, the entire contents of this
~,,w,bliacnatdionmaaryenportobteecrteedprboyduUcSedcoepityhreirgihnt w19h9o7leboyrTin~up~artFw.i. t~hout
written permission from the publisher. Publication of a name or
photo does not indicate a person’s sexual orientation. Correspondence
is assumed to be for publication unless otherwise noted,_oaust
be signed & becomes the sole property of T~ [:~dg..
Each reader is entitled to 4 copies of each edition at distribution
Joints. Additional copies are available by calling 231-7372.
*ChurchoftheRestorationUU, 1314N.Greenwood 587-1314
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/integrity~Lesbian/Gay Catholics/Episcopal. 2~8-4648
*Family of Faith MCC, 5451-E So. Mingo 622-1441
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free SpiritWomen’ s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
*HIV ER Center, 4138. Chas. Page Blvd. 583-6611
*HIV Resource Consortium, 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
HOPE ~TOHR), HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education
1307 E. 38, 2nd fl. 712~1600, HOPE/TOHR Anonymous
HIV Testing Site, Mon/Thurs. eve. 7-9pm, call 834-8378
*House of the Holy Spirit Minstries, 3210e So. Norwood
Interfaith AIDS Ministries 438-2437, 800-284-2437
*MCC of Greater Tulsa, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
NAMES PROJECT, 4154 S. Harvard, Ste. H- 1 748-3111
NOW, Nat’ 10rg. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9!.65, 74157
*Our House, 1114 S. Quaker 584-7960
PFLAG , POB 52800, 74152 749-4901
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
*The Pride Center, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor, 74105 743-4297
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152 .
~R.A.I.N. ~ Regi0hal AIDS Interfaith’Network 749-4195
Rainbow Business Guild, POB 4106, 74159 665-5174
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
O’RYAN, support group for 18-24 LGBT young adults
O’ RYAN, Jr support group for 14-17 LGBT youth
St. Aidan’ s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882
St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 3841 S. Peoria 742-6227
*Shanfi Hotline & HIV/AIDS Services 749-7898
TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
Trinity Episcopal Church, 501 S. Cincinnati 582-4128
Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Unifon~a/Leather.Seekers Assoc.. 838-1222
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*Rogers University (formerly UCT)
BARTLESVILLE
*Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
NORMAN
*Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
OKLAHOMA CITY
*Borders Books &Music, 3209NWExpressway 405-848-2667
¯ TAHLEQUAH
¯ *Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
*Tahlequah Uni~mian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
¯ *Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360
: NSU School of Optometry, 1001N. Grand
¯ HIVtesting every other Tues. 5:30-8:30, call for date
501-253-7734
501-253-7457
501-253-6807
501-253-5445
501:253-9337
501-253-2776
501-624-6646
501-253=6001
501-442-2845
Indicates a distribution point. Listed businesses are not all Gay-owned
but welcome Lesbian/Gay/Bi & Traus communities.
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
¯ *Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23
: *Jim & Brent’ s Bistro, 173 S. Main
-" DeVito’ s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
~ *Fmerald Rainbow, 45 &1/2Spring St.
¯ MCC of the Living Spring
: Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429
¯ Positive Idea Marketing Plans
¯ Sparky’ s, Hwy. 62 East
: FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS
: *Edna’ s, 9 S. School Ave.
TOHR on Centennial Book Bias
Dear Mr. Goble, Rogers University -
¯ We are disappointed that you appar-
¯ enfly lack both the professionalism and
the courtesy to respond to our several
: requests to speak with you about ’q’ulsa!
." ABiographyoftheAmericanCity". How-
. ever, thanks to the Associated Press, for
whom you seem to have more respect, we
have some insight into the erroneous assumptions
that appear to have motivated
your purposeful exclusion of any mention
of Gay and Lesbian Tulsans in this official
centennial Tulsa history.
"Author Danney Goble said the book’s
intent was ’to cover as fairly as possible
the maimtrewn history ofTulsa as awhole.
.. The book never had thepurpose or the
intention of being a politically-correct
encyclopedia of the contributions of or
issues central to any one social group or
minori~., ’ he said."
This use ofhighly prejudicial language,
"politically correct" to dismiss and .~
marginalize criticism is a cheap shot not
worthy of a serious scholar. Likewise is
the specious suggestion that the only alternative
to what you wrote would have to
be an encyclopedia. For example, if you
had chosen to wax less lengthy about Dan
Alien, you might have found room for a
paragraph or two about the issues we
discussed. And are Tulsa Metropolitan
Ministries (TMM) or DomesticViolence
Intervention ServiceS really more than
Tulsa Oklahomans forHuman Rights and
the work this organization has done in
responding to HIV/AIDS?Ori s itjust that
you were an admirer of Dan Allen, or felt
the need to suck up to TMM or DVIS?
"He based the book on l O,O00pages of
research notes derived mostlyfrom pub--
lic records and mainstream publications,
Most historical public accounts hitve not
addressed homosexual issues, he said."
Perhaps youdepended entirdy toomuch
~ on other peoples’ research? Was it too
much to ask you to do a little original
work? You certainly had ample opportu-
~ nity from the names and phone numberw
¯ we provided you before you began the
¯ book but chose not to take it. For that ¯
matter, once most historical accounts did
¯ not address the experiences of Blacks or
" women in this country well either. Most
~ scholars have learned that these biases in
¯ earlierworkisno excuse for shoddy schol-
: arship now.
". " ’This should not be surprising be-
" cause, asaprofessionalhistorian, lknow
¯ that until very recent times such highly
¯ personal issues were considered taboo
¯ for public discussion and airing,’ Goble
¯ said."
: This comment proves just exacdy what
¯ was wrong with your assumptions about
-" Gay & Lesbian Tulsans. To be Gay or
¯ Lesbian is not merely a function of one’ s
; private sexual behavior as you imply
¯ above. Just like other minority communi-
." ties, Gay &LesbianTulsanshaveadistin-
¯ guishable sub-culmrewhoseexistence can
¯ be documented at least back to the middle
: 60’sbypeoplewhoarestillaliveinTulsa.
¯ see Book. page 16
Letters Policy
: .Tulsa Family News welcomes letters on
¯ ~ssues which we’ve covered or on issues
: youthinkneedtobeconsidered.Youmay
¯ request .that your name be withheld but
¯ letters mustbe signed&have phonehum-
: bets, or be hand delivered. 200 word let-
" ters are preferred. Letters to other publications
will be printed as is appropriate.
Our Fifth Year Begins
by Tom Neal, publisher & editor .
This issue marks the beginningof our 5th year. We take ¯
some space each year to comment on this event which we
believe is of importance, obviously to us, but also to the "
Tulsa and Oklahoma LGBT communities. ¯
Some may forget the pioneering contributions of this "
newspapers since much of what we .started, others have "
since imitated. Tulsa Family News was the first Gay ¯
newspaper in Oklahoma to establish extensive "main- ¯
stream"distribution across an Oldahoma town. Where "
once you could only get acommunity newspaper in a club ¯
or a"specialty" bookstore~ TFN is found at more than 70 .
locations across Tulsa as well as in Oklahoma City, "
Bartlesville, Tahlequah, Muskogee, Eureka Springs and
Fayetteville, Arkansas. Our Tulsa locations range from ¯
near North Tulsa, TulsaCity Hall, theTulsa Metropolitan
Chamber of Commerce, and local colleges and universities
to large Southside retail establishments, and our
acceptance in those venues is, we believe, not just a
positive reflection on this newspaper but a sign of ;growing
tolerance of Tulsa’s Lesbian and Gay communities.
Tulsa Family News was the first Gay newspaper in
Oklahoma to become a member-of the Associated Press
and serious news coverage has been a feature of the
newspaper since the beginning. In fact, much of the early
coverage in the mainstream press about the paperfocused ."
on that then unusual aspect. However, TFN has always .
balanced our national and international news with local ¯
coverage and commentary., and unlike some of our competitors,
our columnists are almost all locals and "wire"¯"
stories do not make up 80-90% of our content.
Fnrthermore, Tulsa Family News has consistently do- "
hated substantially greater amounts of advertising space "
to Tulsa.Lesbian and Gay, and HIV/AIDS charities. One."
of our competitors has a standing policy of not donating
but only giving discounts and another gives just tiny ads "
and tho,~e sdectivdy tojust a few charities. Nearly every .
HIV/AIDS charity in Tulsa has received or been offered "
free ad space in the last two years. It may be bad form to
brag about this but this record of donations is just one way "
that Tulsa Family News gives back to our community, "
unlike others who~takefrom it, and worse, send what they ¯
take out of town. ¯
Another contribution of Tulsa Family News is more :
controversial and that is our commitment to investigative
journalism and serious commentary. In that area, we have
done, we believe, much good work and have easily lived
up to themotto attributed to the early 20th century radical, "
Mother Jones, "to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the "
comfortable.’" ¯
In the process, we’ve angered some influential and
prominent Tulsans, both in and out of the community, ."
Which is probably good. Power gone unchecked often "
leads t° arrogance if not abuse. And it is the role of a real ¯
newspaper sometimes to question thejudgments of those "
who put themselves forward as leaders, to askif they have "
acted always with due diligence, to ask if their action."
benefit the community as whole ormorebenefitindividu~ ,
als’ quests for greater personal influence and position. ¯
It is our very real regret that raising these questions
sometimes hurts the feelings of thoseinvolved especially ¯
when those individuals seem well-intentioned. However, ¯
the goal of creating a tradition of debate and dialogue, of "
a shared democratic and-non-elifigt decision making
process are so critical to the long term growth and well
being ofTulsa’s LGBT community, that those who chose
to be in leadership positions must accept that criticism :
from TFN is as much a part of a healthy community as is ¯
their well-documented criticism of us for our positions.
We commit to our readers to continue to do the good
work we.have been doing; to improve where we need to
and to continue, edi~t0rially~ to be .advocates for Lesbian,
Gay, Bi and.Transgendered persons, for our friends and
families. We don’t promise perfection; in fact, we?likely
miracles, be they Yule, Christmas, HanukkJ~h~-KwaanTa
or merely thejoy of celebrating our,~r~,e..n,ds and families,
honoring thosewhom we ve lost mi~lofWelcoming anew
year, we wish each of you, the blessings of wisdom, joy
Please note these TFN & community updates:
our new phone number and preferred e-mail
address: 918-231-7372, fax: 918-583-4615 and
TulsaNews@earthlink.net
Also, Concessions wants its patrons to know
they will be closed on Christmas Eve but
will be open on Christmas Day. Marlene, Chris, Bruce and Tony are volunteers with the
HIVEducation and Recreation Center in West Tulsa.
¯ Tulsa Family News Endorses The Cimarron Alliance
"- by Tom Neal, editor & publisher
." Tulsa’s Gay rumor mills have been working overtime
¯ again. Those of you who don’t have the opporttmity to
¯ hear some of the concoctions that circulate are missing
: some of the most interesting fiction created today.
.. The latest fable of the rumor circuit is that a new
Oklahoma City Organization, The Cimarron Alliance, is
¯ coming to Tulsa to take over everything and everyone.
One friend was told that Cimarron aspires not only put
TOHR
Oklahoma’s oldest Lesbian and Gay non-religious organization)
and the Pride Center out ofbusiness but they are
going to take over ALL the HIV service organizations as
well. My goodness!
When I hear these things, I can’t help but think that if
perhaps just a fraction of-the energy our community
expends on gossip went into good works and substantive
efforts towards change, we would see progress for our
community and for our city as we’ve never seen before.
Well, here’s what we know about The.Cimarron Alliance.
The Oklahoma City based organization is coming
toTulsa- that’s true. But they’re aPAC, apolitical action
committee, registered with the State of Oklahoma and
authorized to do fundraising for political races. They do
not have the tax or legal status to take over TOHR, the
HIV Resource Consortium or any other Tulsa charitable
organization: Nor do they want to do so. Oklahoma City
attorney and board member, Jim Roth, expressed amazemerit,
and dismay, at the suggestion.
What they do want to do is to raise the kinds of dollars
to give to candidates that will result in Lesbian and Gay
issues andpeople being on Oklahoma’s political agenda.
Right now, We’re not even on most politicians’ radar,
except’perhaps as an issue to avoid, or in Jim lnhofe’s
case, to demonize for cheap political points. Cimarron
has raised substantial dollars in Oklahoma City andmade
significant donations in the last OK.C city council races.
That’s what they want to do in Tulsa as well.
Seems reasonabledoesn’t it? Seems damn well overdue,
even. But hey, in the fashion of many minority
communities, it seems we’re not happy just with the
obstacles that others put in fro]it of us, we need to add
some of our own. Already, we’re hearing some Tulsans
say we shouldn’t trust people from "The City" (sorry,
Marty - I know you hate that phrase). And Tulsa does
have ample evidence of Oklahoma City taking dollars
from us with little benefit returning. Others have characterized
Cimarron, rather uncharitably, as just another
(Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights " Dennis Neill, Rick Phillips, Marty Newman, Peter Ath-
¯¯ the need for thepolicy practically without any explanation.
"A" added that months more might have passed before
¯ :he and others kn~w abOUt the chaageexceptfor aconver-
"- : sation that Ms. Feldman had:With oriecotnmunity leader,
can promise that our occasional mistakes will be pre~ ¯ ." Marty Newman. Newman mentioned this to "A" who
sented in print for al!.to, see - !ik¢ having dectronically
lost the second half 0f Josh Whetsell’s story last month.
We will promise to do our best to present the news
fairly and accurately. We promise to work for social
justice, and specifically that if forced to chose, we will
stand withthe poor and oppressed before we stand with
those with privilege, and that we will work for a world in
which the many human differences, like race, gender or
gender identity, class, religion or sexual orientation, are
of only minor biographical significance.
Finally, in this holiday season of celebrating various
: self-appointed "A-list" group whose values may or may
¯ not really reflect those of our community as a whole. So
." there are some legitimate issues to discuss.
¯ But we at Tulsa Family News would like to endorse
¯ The Cimarron Alliance and to welcome them to Tulsa.
: Some Tulsans tried to get ourown version of thi_s type of
¯ group together, and frankly, failed. It wasn’t that the
¯ "right" people weren’t involved; most of the usual sus-
¯ pects were there: Nancy & Joe McDonald, Kelly Kirby,
confirmed the policy withRogers University vice.presidenh
Carolyn Thompson Taylor, a former Norman state
legislator and spouse ofOklahomaSenateleader, Stratton
Taylor.
Students in the University of Oklahoma Gay, Lesbian
.Bisexual Alliance (GLBA) wdcomed the news, expressmghope
that this mighthave a"domino effect" to shiftthe
OUboard of regents off dead center. They also noted that
former Oklahoma Sen. David Boren had not been particular!
y supportive of their efforts get anti-bias policies
passed.
¯ ens,meand others. Likely, the Tulsa effort failed because
¯ most everyone listed is already overcommitted to other
¯ worthy civic work.
So we’re saying let’snmwith what OklahomaCity has
¯ already done. It’s likely better that we have a statewide
¯ organization. Tulsans will need to be careful that the
Oklahoma City dominated board not just take dollars
¯
from our city without giving back. at least proportion-
: ately. And we’d suggest that if Cimarron really wants to
¯ overcome Tulsans’ long established and legitimate dis-
" trust of Oklahoma City motives, the organization should
¯ make having a board that equally balances Tulsans_ with
Oklahoma City residents a priority.. Not only will that
diffuse some of the traditional distrust, it’s a great way to
sell the organization. After all, folks here will much more
likely join a group where they know someone.
As forus, we’re putting ourmoney where ourwords are
- wejoined. And we made a commitment to support and
- promote the organization as much as wecan. Weencourage
you to do so as well.
Note: as many ofyou know, I am a candidatefor Tulsa
City Council and obviously, have been talking with
Cimarron about that race in hopes of having their support.
Indeed, t’t seems likely that a new organization to
Tulsa, a Lesbian and Gay PAC that wants to be credible
in Tulsa’s community, would support Oklahoma’s first
openly Gay candidate to runfor municipal office.
However, to clarify any question ofconflict ofinterest
in my endorsement ofFhe Cimarr0n Alliance, I made my
commitments to support the organizatt’on more than a
month prior to any announcement of incumbent city
ounctlor Gary Watts dectston not to runfor re-electron.
¯ Mr. Watts waswidely expected to continue in office by ¯
Democratic Party leaders and most city hall observers,
¯ including thi-s writer. If Mr. Watts had chosen to run
¯ again, I would not be runningfor city council butI would
¯ still be supporting Cimarron.
¯ A spokesperson for Tulsa Oklahomans for Human
". Rights expressed pleasure at the Rogerpolicy, noting that-
¯ Oklahoma’s largest employer, AmericanAirlines as well
: as a number of other corporations had adopted similar
¯ policies: He added, "promu" s"ing to j"ua"ge people j~t on
¯ their performance, not on their beliefs or statusis aot,Only
¯ good for business, it’s the only morally and
cally justifiable position for a public institut~t)n,to take~:
¯ .TOHR would like to see the City of Tulsa~ T~Sa:Cr~y,
and Tulsa City County Library make an equal:c0mmitment
to fairness."
Vermont Gay Marriage
License Case Filed
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP)- L~,wyers for three samesex
couples who want.the state ~o give them marriage
licenses have filed arguments in court. The arguments,
filed Tuesday in Chittenden Superior Courtby
attorneys for the law firm Langrock, Sperry & Wool
in Middlebury, Say Vermont marriage law supports
all committed couples, including those of the same
gender. The papers say interpreting the law to deny
the couples access to marital benefits goes against the
Vermont Constitution.
Two lesbian couples and a gay couple who were
denied marriage licenses in their towns filed suit
against the state in July. The suit challenges a 1975
ruling by the state Attorney General concerning a
same-sex marriage request in Plainfield. That ruling
advised town clerks that Vermont law defined marriage
as a union between a "bride and a groom,"
prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying.
The Attorney General’s office responded to the
three couples’ lawsuit on Nov. 10, requesting that it
be dismissed. It said the Vermont Constitution does
not guarantee same-sex partners the right to marry.
In the papers filed Tuesday, the couples’ lawyers
said the state has not shown a "valid pubfic purpose"
to deny the couples the benefits of civil marriage.
Those benefits include sick leave, inheritance rights,
and being appointed guardian if a spouse becomes
incapacitated.
Thefiling Tuesday also referred to studies showing
that children raised by same-sex parents are welladjusted
and don’t suffer from psychological or social
development problems. The filing said the state
relied on outdated roles and .stereotypes of men and
women in its arguments.
"Marriage is about much more than procreation,"
said Susan Murray, an attorney representing the
couples. "It’s about sharing. It’s about sacrifice. It’s
about companionship. It’s about loyalty.
Cammermeyer Running!
LANGLEY, Wash. (AP) - Retired Army Col.
Margarethe Cammermeyer has mailed her filing
papers to the secretary of s tateand opened a campaign
office to take on Rep. Jack Metcalf in Washington’s
2nd congressional district. Cammermeyer, 55,- drew
national attentionby successfully fighting to stay in
theWashington National Guard despite the military’ s
policy of discharging homosexuals.
Cammermeyer, a Democrat, said Monday she had
opened her campaign headquarters in Langley, the
Whidbey Island town where she lives. The 2nd Dis=
trict includes Western Washington from Everett to
the Canadian border.
Her early campaign entry against Republican
Metcalf gives her time to rinse cash and drum up
support in a race bound to receive national attention,
party activists said. "We’ve got the ’L’ word in this
race, and we’re not talking about liberal," Paul
Foumier, an Island County Democratic activist, told
The Seattle Times.
Cammermeyer recently retired as chief nurse of the
Washington Army National Guard. She had been
fired in 1992, three years after telling an investigator
she was a lesbian. But a federal judge ordered her
reinstated in 1994, and the government dropped its
appeal of thin ruling. Her battle resulted in a bestselling
book and amade-for-TV movie starring Glenn
Close.
Metcalf, 69, has won twice in the nominally Democratic
district. Before that, he spent years in the state
Legislature. Heis a retired history teacher, and he and
his wife operate a bed-and-breakfast inn on Whidbey
Island. Metcalf has said he considers Cammermeyer
"a substantive candidate" and will take her seriously
if she wins the nomination next year.
Benefits for Detroit
DETROIT (AP) - The City Council is considering
legislation that would allow benefits for domestic
partners,
’q’his does indicate movement forward on this
issue," Jeffrey Montgomery, president of the Gay
civil rights advocacy groupTriangle Foundation, told
the Detroit Free Press. "We look forward to going
through the process. It’s very encouraging."
The legislation, submitted by Councilman Clyde
Cleveland, would allow any committed adult couple
to register with the city a~a-.f-amily.It also would
enable nonunion city employees to declare their partners
as dependents so they could collect life and
health insurance benefits, the paper said in a recent
story, ff adopted, Detroit’s ordinances would be in
line with those found in at least 20 other cities -
including Ann Arbor- which already recognize domestic
partnerships.
None of the council members would comment on
the legislation. Mayor Dennis Archer would not say
whether he will support it. "He’s not going to deal
with that measure until it’s presented to him by the
City Council," Anthony Neely, Archer’s press secretary,
told the Free Press. The council likely will vote
on the ordinances in January.
Wash. St. Rights Initiative
SEATTLE (AP) - His voice still, thickens when he
recalls the day he got fired, 12 years ago. David
Biviano, then a probation supervisor for a Spokane
County court project for youth offenders, says his
bosses told his work was terrific, but that he’d have to
go. There was just one little problem, they said:
Biviano is gay.
"I was wiped out. It was devastating," he says.
"They said they regretted having to do that because it
was a tremendous loss to the county, to the clients and
to the courts, but that.they.., could not employ a gay
man in this position. "I lost my job, my ability to
support my six children, my ability to maintain a
home," says Biviano, now 56. "I became extremely
depressed: I became dysfunctional in many ways.
My children ended up on welfare. It was quite a
struggle making my way back, maintaining some
kind of mental health, some kind of self-esteem."
Biviano now has his own diversity-trmnmg consuiting
firm in Centralia. But he says he was out of
work or underemployed for the better part of six years
before he got work in Seattle, and later with state
government, that reflected his abilities.
Today he is stumping for Initiative 677, which
would make Washington the 12th state to ban employment
discrimination based on sexual orientation.
If it passes, Washington would be the first state to
adopt such a law through the iuitiative process
State law currently bans discrimination based on
race, creed, national origin or disability. Employers
also cannot ask about marital status, children or
religion. The initiative would add sexual orientation
to the list of characteristics the employer can’t take
into account It would apply to government and the
private sector, exempting religious organizations and
employers with fewer than eight workers. The measure
expressly says it would not require preferential
treatment or quotas and that employers could regulate
dress and conduct in the workplace. If the initiative
becomes law, those who believe they have suffered
discrimination could sue in Superior Court.
The citizen initiative was mounted after advocates
tried for two decades to get a "gay civil rights"
measure through the state Legislature - it repeatedly
passed the House only to stall in the more conservative
Senate. The measure began as a response to the
Republican-controlled Legislature’s vote earlier this
year to ban same-sex marriage. When Democratic
Gov. Gary Locke vetoed the ban, backers began
trying to place the bill on the ballot as a referendum.
.That prompted the gay community to begin collectmg
signatures for this counter-measure.
The Gay-marriage referendum died in-the Senate
but the initiative backers went ahead, though some
activists consider it unwise to make civil rights a
ballot-box popularity contest.
The campaign can’t quantify the scope of the
problem, since no one keeps records. Proponents
have offered a handful of examples, but say their
documented eases of discrimination arejust the tip of
the iceberg.
"Nearly everyone in the gay and lesbian community
would say they’ve been affected at some point,"
says Jan Bianchi, a Seattle attorney who heads Hands
Off Washington, a gay-rights organization that has
beaten back anti-gay rights initiatives.
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In addition to direct discrimination in hiring, firing
and promotion decisions;~"m’fiiiy homosexuals face
hostile work environments that the initiative might
help to slowly eliminate, Bianchi says. "in this culture,
we define ourselves through work, and if we are
having to be afraid weql lose our jobs .. or we can’t
be open about our lives, it has a major impact on how
we look at ourselves," she says.
Unincorporated King County, Seattle, Olympia
and Tumwater have anti-discrimination laws covering
mostemployers, and statutes in Clark and Clallam
counties and the cities of Bellingham, Pullman and
Vancouver cover local government employees.
That covers about 18 percent of the state population,
but legal action must be taken by a government
agency on behalf of the person. Under the initiative,
the individual would gain the right to filea civil
lawsuit in Superior Court.
Backers note that Microsoft, Nordstrom, Safeco,
Group Health, Weyerhaeuser and some other employers
have non-discrimination clauses.
Opponents say the initiative is part of a broader
effort to gain public acceptance ofhomosexuality and
w.onld lead to "an epidemic of costly lawsuits against
private employers."
The initiative would make outlaws out of those
who consider homosexuality wrong and harmful,
says Bob Larimer of Vancouver,leader ofNoOfficial
Preferential Employment (NOPE). While advocates
portray the measure as "a harmless gesture of tolerance,"
he contends itwouldcreate special rights in the
workplace.
Latimer and other foes say the initiative could lead
to quotas despite wording to the contrary. The only
effective way for a company to prove it does not
discriminate would be to hire homosexuals and adopt
workplace rules that "honor diversity, which actually
means honoring and legitimizing homosexuality,"
Larimer said at a legislative hearing this month.
The.state Christian Coalition calls it"a quota requirement
in disguise." Opponents also insist that homosexuality
is a lifestyle choice, not an in-born characteristic,
and has no place in a anti-discri~mnation law
based on. "immutable characteristics" such as race
and disabilities.
In a fundraising letter, NOPE uses the bogeyman
tactic: "Your children are the target.... They have not
g~ven up. They still want your kids, and 1-677 is
another move toward that goal." The group says the
initiative would allow cross-dressers in the classroom
and glorify sodomy._
A fundraising letter from initiative supporterscalls
such allegations "stereotypical misinformation and
verbal gay-bashing" Bianchi says the initiativewould
create no special rights or quotas and would simply
require that employment decisions be based on merit,
not on sexual orientation.
"There are not quotas about how many Jews or
Buddhists or Christians someone has to hire," though
religious discrimination is barred, says Hands Off
Washington leader Laurie Jinkins. "Likewise, there
won’t be any quotas about how many gays or lesbians
someone has to hire."
There have been no media or independent polls on
the initiative. A campaign poll taken months ago
showed 9 out of 10 voters agreeing that "It is wrong
to fire someone from their job just because of their
sexual orientation.Y Asked if they’d support a law to
keep that from happening, 62 percent said yes. The
poll was conducted by Lake Research, with 500
respo.ndents contacted by telephone in February. The
margin of error was 4.4 percent.
Sydney Wins Gay Games
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Sydney will host the
2002 Gay Games after beating four North American
cities in a vote in Denver on Thursday. Sydney beat
Dallas, Long Beach, Montreal and Toronto and will
hold the Games in September 2002.
The games will have more participants than the
10,000 expected at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Sailing, netball and touch rugby will be Sydney’s
addition to the list of official sports which includes
ballroom dancing, tenpin bowling and golf. Events
will take place in ,Olympic venues and mother land-
,.marks;including the Sydney OperaHouse. The openlug
ceremony will held at the Olympic baseball
stadium at Homebush.
Chairman of the Sydney 2002 Gay Games bid,
Tom Seddon, said the 2002 g~ames have a budget of
US $7.35 million. "The economic impact of the
event, most of it in Sydney, is expected to come in at
over $100 million (US $70 million)," Seddon said.
The Gay Games started in 1982 with just 1,200
participants but 12,000 competed at the New York
edition in 1994.
Sydney’s bid was criticized earlier this month by
Ian Armstrong, a conservative ptlitician and member
of the board of SOCOG, the 2000 Olympics organizing
body. Armstrong said he was staggered by a
request for US .$700,000 in government funding. "I
predicted that this business was just a stunt to allow
Sydney’s homosexuals to give their overseas colleagues
acheap holiday in the harborcity,"Armstrong
said. "And it appears I was right.’"
Organizers received about US $50,000 government
funding to help win the bid and were promised
use of some of the venues to be used at the 2000
Olympics.
"The Olympics are for all people, and will be paid
for by the community. But why should the New South
V~ales commumty have to pay for the Gay Games
which by its very name is intended to cater for.only a
minority?" Armstrong said.
Gillian Minervini, a member of the successful bid
team m Denver, said Armstrong’s comments had
"empowered" the team. "I think the gay and lesbian
commumty in Sydney has a history of enormous
strength and those kind of detractors are just not
worth listening to anymore," Minervini said. It was
the third time Sydney has bid for the Gay Games and
the first time the games will be held in the southern
hemisphere.
Senator Supports .ENDA
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Sen. Harry Reid says he is cosponsoring
a federal bill on Gay civil rights because
it’s fundamentally fair. The bill outlaws hiring, firing
or promoting employees based on sexual orientation.
Reid told about 180 gay and lesbian business leaders
Monday night that sexual orientation should not be a
factor in hiring or firing someone. Reid, D-Nev., told
the LAMBDA Business and Professional Association
that thebill does not promote special ghts. It is
not a quota bill or a special treatment bill," Reid said.
"It’s just a fundamental call for fairness."
Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev., opposes the bill. Retired
businessman Bruce James has not taken a position on
the bill, known as the Employment Non-Discrimination
Act. Ensign and James are seeking the Republican
nomination for the 1998 Senate race, while Reid
is seeking a third term in the office.
Thenon-discrimination act was introduced in Congress
m 1994 and has been introduced in every
session since. It failed to pass in 1996 by one vote.
The bill is the leading piece of legislation sought by
the Human Rights Campaign, the largest national
political organization for Gays and Lesbians. The
campaign is supporting Reid’s re-election effort.
Reid told the association he supports the bill because
no laws exist to prohibit putting up a sign in a
business that says, "Wehire everybody but lesbians."
He recalled the days when storefront signs stated"no
blacks, Jews or Mexicans." To discriminate in the
workplace based on gender, race or religion has since
become illegal. Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., is also
one of at least 30 co-sponsors.
Ensign said he is not convinced Gays are being
discriminated against economically. And he said he
sees other problems with the bill. "Somebody could
say they are gay, and who can say they are not?" he
said. Ensign said he thinks people would lie ~to Win
lawsuits by claiming they are Gay, just as people lie
about being injured k0 win setfle~entsi~ ¯ ¯ "
Ensign said as a veterinarian and gaming executive
he hired and promoted Gays and Lesbians. "I’ve
never discriminated against Gay people," he added.
U. of Cal. Gives Benefits
LOS ANGELES (AP) - By a one-vote margin, the
University of California Board of Regents approved
a plan Friday to offer health benefits to domestic
partners of its Gay employees, see News, page 14
,I
Young Men
Not Being Safe
. t
BOSTON (AP) - A sex survey criticized
for its frank language has fouffd that 59%
of the young gay men whoresponded had
unprotected sexual intercourse within the
last year. T,he sex survey enraged lawmakers
such as House Speaker Thomas
Finneran who said the questions were
filled with profanity. But it confirmed the
need for HIV prevention programs for
young gay men, said- John Auerbach of
the Department of Public Health. "We
found it to be very helpful," Auerbach
told the Boston Herald.
The survey results convinced DPH to
divert $300,000 from otherAIDS prevention
programs to target young gay men.
The survey questioned 250 gay and bisexual
men aged 13 to 24. It found that 85
percent of men who have sex with both
men and women had unprotected intercourse.
Bisexual menwere twice as likely
to have unprotected sex than those Who
only have sex with men. Those who reported
having sex with unfamiliar partners
were much more likely to have
unprotected intercourse than those who
knew their partners before having sex
with them, the survey reported. AIDS
Action designed and conducted the survey,
butitwas analyzed and printedby the
DPH for $20,000.
Court to Clarify HIV
Bias Protections¯
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme ¯
Court said Wednesday it will use a dis- ¯
pute over a dentist who refused to treat an :
HIV-infectedwomanat his office to clarify "
protections against bias for people with ¯
the AIDS virus. The court said it will hear
an appeal by Maine dentist Randon ."
Bragdon, who a lower court said violated ¯
the federal Americans With Disabilities ’
Act when he told Sidney Abbott he would ¯
only fill her cavity at a hospital.
The 140,000-member American Dental
Association supported Bragdon’s appeal
in a friend-of-the-court brief that
urged thejustices to clarify dentists’ legal
obligations in such circumstances. The
Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders,
which is representing Abbott, said in
a statement, "Without strong legal protections
against discrimination, the nearly 1
millionAmericans inthis countrywhoare
living withHIV will become second-d_ass
citizens."
Lower courts have split on whether
people who are infected with the HIV
virus, but do not yet suffer from symptoms
of AIDS, are considered disabled
under the 1992 anti-bias law. Under the
law, someone is disabled if they have a
physical or mental impairment that substantially
limits "one or more major life
activities."
Bragdon’ s appeal also argues thatcourts
should defer to his professionaljudgment
on whether to provide treatment such as
filling a cavity in his dental office or at a
hospital. Ms. Abbott visited Bragdon’s
office in Bangor, Maine, for. an appointment
on Sept. 16, 1994. On her patient
information form, she indicatedthat she
was HIV-positive buthadnoAIDS symptoms.
Bragdon examined Ms. Abbott and
discovered that she had a cavity near the
gum line on a back lower tooth. He told
her that, under his infectious-disease
policy, he would not fill her cavity in his
office. Bragdon told Ms..Abbott he would
treat, her in a hospital setting, and she
would have to bear the additional costs
~ imposed by the hospital. Two months
¯ later, Ms. Abbott sued. She sought, among
¯
other things, monetary damages..A f_edi
eraljudge ruled thatBragdonhad vioIfffed
: federal law, and the 1st U.S. Circuit Court
: of Appeals agreed. "Ms. Abbott’s HIV-
: positive status is a physical impairment
¯ which substantially interferes with her
." major life activity of reproduction, and
¯ sheis therefore disabled within the mean-
" ing of the ADA," the appeals court said. It
¯ added that Bragdon did not offer enough
¯¯ evidence to show that it would have been
¯ unsafe to fill Ms. Abbott’s cavity in his
office. "Cases of this kind are necessarily
: fact-sensitive," the 1st Circuit court said.
¯ "Had the patient required more invasive ¯
treatmentorhad the dentistproffered stron-
¯
ger evidence of a direct threat, the result
¯" may well have differed.’"
¯ Beforemonetary damages couldbe cal- ¯
culated, Bragdon appealed to the nation’s
¯ highest court. His lawyers argued, among
¯ other things, that reproduction should not
¯ be considered amajor life activity compatable
to walking, seeing, hearing, speak-
" ing, working or caring for one’s self.
¯ AIDS Spread Worse
i Than Thought
: PARIS (AP) - AIDS has struck the world
much harder than previously thought, a
U.N. agency said Wednesday in a report
showing more than 30 million people are
infected - one-third more than earlier
estimated. About 16,000 people are infected
daily, one in every 100 sexually
active adults under age 49 worldwide has
HIV and among those infected, only one
in 10 knows it, UNAIDS said in the report
released in Paris.
"The main message of our report is the
AIDS epidemic is far from over. In fact,
it’s far worse," Peter Piot, director general
of UNAIDS, told a news conference. Released
ahead of World AIDS Day on-Dec.
¯ 1, the report said that if current rates hold
steady, those infected with the immune-
" .stripping virus "will soar to 40 million"
¯ by the year 2000. The impact of AIDS
deaths, which rose an estimated 50 per-
" cent this year, "is only just beginning."
¯. Despite advances in AIDS treatment
and falling infection rotes in the West, the
: virus is hitting Africa much harder than
; earlier believed, said the "Report on the
¯ Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic." Instead of ¯
relying on regional estimates, "for the
: first time, we went country-to-country to
¯ see what was happening," Piot said. "The ¯
: rate oftransmissionwas grossly underes-
¯ fimated, especially mNigeria and South ¯
Africa, he said. Rates are also rising in
¯ Eastern Europe, primarily due tointrave-
: nous drug users and lack of AIDS educa-
¯ tion, said the report by Geneva-based ¯
UNAIDS.
: The report also called for better educa-
¯ tion, which it said does not encourage ¯
¯ young people to have sex, as some believe.
On the contrary, it said sex educa-
¯" don "helps delay first intercourse" and
¯ reduces teenpregnancy. EvenintheWest,
Plot said; "prevention efforts are far in-
; sufficient for youth. I have a daughter at a
: lycee here, and what she’s gettingin terms
¯ of sex education is inadequate." ¯
Thereport said some 5.8 million people
: have been infected in 1997, and an esti-
¯ mated 5.3 million were infected in 1996,
"- up from the count of 3.1 million people
¯ that doctors originally estimated. A total
: of 30.6 million live with HIV or AIDS
¯ globally, two-thirds of them in sub-Sa-
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hhran Af~ca, it said. The epidemic has
,-~st~ck yoUth the hardest, Piot said. "Most
of them are under 25 years old."
The report estimated that 2.3 million
people died of AIDS in 1997 - a 50
percent increase over 1996. Nearly half of
those deaths were among women, and
460,000 were among children under 15.
AIDS is wiping out gains in life expectancy
made in the developing world in
recent decades and has orphaned 8.4 million
children, the report said.
The report paints a devastating picture
ofAIDS-ravaged sub-SaharanAfrica, with
7.4 percent of people aged 15 to 49 there
thought to be infected:
- the number of HIV-infected in
Botswana has doubled over the last five
years, now reaching 25 percent to 30
percent of the total population.
- one in five adults in ~Zimbabwe was
HIV-positive in 1996. In one town with a
largepopulation ofmigrantworkerS~ seven
pregnant women in 10 were HIV-positive
in 1995.
- 25 percent more infants are dying in
Zambia and Zimbabwe because ofAIDS.
The disease is expected to push
. Zimbabwe’s infant mortality rate up 138
percentby 2010. Ugandais Africars bright
.spot, reporting falling infection rates that
were credited to education and wider
condom use.
The report said Asia’s AIDS epidemic
is morerecentthanAfrica’s, though India’s
3 million to5million HIV-infectedpeople
make it the country with the most HIVinfected
in the world, Indicating Asia’s
fi.g~res couldjump later, it cautioned that
estimates there are made on "less informarion
than in other regions." In the
world’s most populous nation, China reported
up to 200,000 cases and the figure
was expected to double this year, it said.
Speedier Drug
Approval Process
WASHINGTON (AP)-President Clinton
signed a law Friday giving the Food and ¯
DrugAdministrationnew powers to speed :
the approval of drugs to combat a host of :
killerdiseases including cancerandAIDS. :
Some critics have argued that thelaw will ¯
expose patients to risky medicine for the ~
. benefit Of the makers of experimental :
drugs and new devices.
But Clinton said,"TheFDA has always !
set the gold standard for protecting the. :
public safety," "Today, it wins the gold "
medal forleading theway into thefuture," ¯
he said at the bill-signing ceremony in the ¯
Old Executive Office Building next to the "
White House. ¯
A hard-fought compromise, the FDA ¯
Modernization Act of 1997 took three ."
.years to hammer out. Many of its provi- "
sions.have been put into effect adminJs- ¯
,~,atively throughVicePresidentA1 Gore’s ¯
reinventinggovernment"programs."We .
know that for many patients, experimen- "
tal treatments represent their best - per- ¯
haps their only - chance for recovery," ¯
Clinton said. "That’s why this bill writes .
intolaw current FDA policies that allow "
doctors and patients to use new drugs :
before they are formally approved." "A1- ¯
ready thousands of AIDS, cancer, and :
Alzheimer’ s patients havefoundnewhope :
- even new life- with these experimental ¯
therapies," he said. "
Clinton said he first became interested :
in the issue during his 1992 campaign ¯
when he heard complaints that the FDA ¯
drug approval system was "too slow and :
somewhat arbitrary and not giving the "
: American people the drug approvals and
: the medical-device approval~ in a timely
¯¯ fashion."
Clinton allies applauded the new law.
¯ "The challenge now is to implement this
¯ far-reachinglegislationrapidly andeffec-
: tively, so that the full benefits of these
¯ changes will be available to patients and
¯ industry as soon as possible," said Sen.
: Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass.
¯ But Dr. Sydney M. Wolfe, director of
¯ Public Citizen’s Health Research Group,
: called the new law "the worst attack on
_" the Food and Drug Administration’s abil-
¯ ity to protect consumers and patients in 91
¯ years." "Americans will be exposed to ¯
defective drugs and medical devices that
¯ Europeans with their weaker laws have
¯ been exposed to for a long time," Wolfe
¯ said. He contended thatpolitical contribu- ¯
tions greased the bill’s progress through
Congress and added. This bill,s good for
: corporate profits and.bad for public health
¯ - period."
i Cell Fights HIV
¯ WASHINGTON (AP) - How do some
." patients infected with theAIDS virus sur-
¯ vive for years without treatment and with-
: out getting sick? A Boston team of re-
: searchers says it may have the answer to a
¯ question that has puz~.led scientists for
: years. In a study published in the journal
~ Science, researchers say an analysis of
¯ blood from a robust Boston man infected
." witthHIV for 18 years shows he is pro-
¯. tected by a large number of immune sys- tern cells, called helper T-ceils, that spe-
¯ cifically attack the AIDS virus.
¯ Using:this clue, researchers at the Massachusetts
General Hospital went on to
." find that these special helper T-cells may
: be the essential difference between being
¯ well while infected with HIV and being ¯
sick with the disease. "Our work provides
." an explanation of why a very small group
¯ of people have been able to avoid getting
¯ sick from this virus even though they _are
infected," said Dr. Bruce Walker, the seuior
author of the study.
Helper T-cells direct the body’s immune
system. There is a variety of the
ceils, and each type is primed to attack a
specific virus .or other invader. As these
ceils detect the presence of a target virus,
they reproduce by the billions, flooding
thebloodstream with defenders. ButHIV,
the AIDS virus, has broken down this
defense. For reasons not understood,
helperT-ceils specificforHIV oftenareat
t0w levels in or absent from patients infected
with the virus.
Experiments at Massachusetts General
confirmed that high levels of HIV-specific
T-cells may be essential for the body
to hold the AIDS virus in cheek. Walker
said laboratory tests of blood from HIV
patients found that those with the strongest
T-cell response to the HIV antigen
had the lowest amount of virus in their
bloodstream, but those with weak T-cell
responses had high virus loads.
Thediscovery suggested thebodymight
be able to control HIV if helper T-cells
that target the virus could somehow be
protected. To test this idea, researchers
used powerful anti-viral drugs to treat
patients recently infected with HIV.
Walker said the drugs caused the vires
load to drop quickly, and the patients’
immune systems then started producing
T-cells that specifically attacked HIV.
Walker said the HIV-specific T-cells
were not produced in the bodies of patients
whohad been infected withHIV for
more than six months, see Health, p. 14
by-James Christjohn Bernadette Peters was the
Hello, playmates in the amusement park ¯ artistatthelast TulsaPhilharmonicPops
of life. Well, since I missed it last month, : concert, and put on a great show. To see
Happy Thanksgiving in re~,ospect, and " her perform live is to understand why she
Merry Yule. Good, now that s out of the ¯ is a star. You know the moment she sets
way. I’vebeenrunningamonthbehindall " foot on the stage that a star is present, her
year. ’Bout time I caught up. : charisma is so powerful. Every move-
Well, the one person ¯ ment was perfect, every note a gem, and
who actually reads this the performance one of
colunm-oops, there’stwo . . . ~ceord~l~ to polishandclass.Sheperthat
I know of now (Hi Robert Reed,
formed many of the se-
-Robert!) - anyway, the lections from her new
one who lets me know whathe really thinks,pro- Plaillmrmonlc release"LiveatCamegie
Hall" and included- the
claimed me insane after executive director, patter developed for that
reading last month’s ode mue]z dlseusslon at show. Starting off with
to all things Uhi~y Uhitty "We’re in the Money"
Bang Bang. And Peter’s t]ze prior day’~ and "Pennies from
the one who remembers re]zearsal centered on Heaven", during which
exactly where he bought _ she walked into the audihis
Corgi diecast model w]tet]ter or not to ence and scattered cop-
(Marge McNeamey’s at
form per confetti all over
Utica Square, the "Baby ][mr
people, then thanked the
Gap" of its day), and how "M~xl~ Love crowd for coming and
much it cost at the time Alon~" a ltilt~t-~ou~
told us that shehadheard
($12 in 1968). He also , that Tulsa was famous
admits to still having the ode to t~te joys of... for its oil. She then said
car somewhere in his at- that she loved the city
tic, and to have retained well, mal~in~ love and was only upset that
his childhood copy of the alone. A taste[ul and herhotelwasnexttorail-
LP soundtrack. Sounds roadtracks.~okingiyMs.
like the pot calling the humorous little ditty, Peters said well! guess
kettle tome. . . butnomore. Ms. Peters ]~ad no the only .,fixing that mat-
I have outgrown last ters is if I m on the fight
month’s column, and am small trepidation as side of them!"
now into more mature
to laow well it would Therestofthefirstsectoys.
don of the concert was
So we move on to the l~e reeelved, as Tulsa much like the
review section, inwhichI
lass a reputation for "Sondheim, Etc."
get to play "good re- Carnegie Hall concert
viewer" and "bad re- not l~eln~ very ae- CD, proceeds of which
didn’tViewer’" Waltita minute,theI " ’ o[ anyt]un~,
benefit the Gay Men’s
mean quite . ceJ~tm~ Health Crisis organizaway
it came out. I’m al- i-i-mz_eenter. Imagine. tion. Those of us who
ways a good reviewer, recognized an introduc-
I’ve seen 2 shows with tiontoacertaininfamous
major headliners in the last month, ~ song that began ’¢Hais song has become
Fleetwood Mac and Bernadette Peters. : legendary in certain circles" began clap-
Those who are even slightly acquainted ¯ ping and hollering and she said "well I
with me, or have heard Tom complain in : guess those circles are all here tonight!"
his inimitable fashion about my obses- : (See, it’s notjustme that engages insuch
sions, know that I am fans of both. Espe- : rowdybehavior!Therewasawbolebunch
cially Stevie Nicks. (I’m so jealous that ¯ of us! The bluehairs didn’t know what to
she gets.away with capes and I can,t.) : think!) And according to Robert Reed,
Anyway, one performance was GREAT : Philharmonic executive director, much
and one was woefully disappointing. " discussion at the prior day’s rehearsal
Which was which? Stay tuned for de- ¯ centered on whether or not to perform
tails... ." "Making Love Alone", a hilarious ode to
Don’t miss the University ofTulsa’s : the joys of... well, making love alone. A
production of"FALSETTOS". The kids ¯ tasteful and humorous litde ditty, Ms.
fought long and hard to get this show : Peters had no small trepidation as to how
mounted (don’tgo there)andfinally gotit ." well it would be received, as Tulsa has a
going! The show, which won Tonys ga- : reputation for not being very accepting of
lore duringits Broadway run, was penned ¯ anything off-center Imagine. Wall, she
by James Lapine, author of the book for" : need not have worried, there was a large
Into The Woods". The musical is corn- : contingent of fans who knew the song,
prised of what were originally 2 one-act " and let out a cheer at the intro. The rest of
plays, detailing the changes in a Jewish ¯ the audience wouldn’t have understood it
family brought about by the father’s ac- : anyway. I was able to personally thank
knowledging he is gay. The first act cen- : her for singing it.
ters on the reactions of the family - his : Also included were "Not a Day Goes
wife, son, and lover - to the announce- o By , FmthlessLove ,and GlowWorm.
ment. The second act follows the family : Almost all the students of the theatre
as they deal with the Son’s Bar Mitzvah, : departmentoftheUniversityofTulsawas
the ex-spouses dealings with each other, ° at the show, and waited in the cold for the
AIDs and the lover who had left but now ¯ chance at an autograph. Ms. Peters didnot
is back. TU presents the musical at 8pm ° disappoint, stopping her limo so that she
December 4-6 and two matinees at 2pro ~ could give a wave and a greeting to the
Dec..6 & 7 in Chapman Theatre on cam- ¯ kids, and even signed autographs. I’m
pus m Kendall Hall. A special perfor- : sure her writer’s cramp will fade in time.
mance benefiting RAIN will be held at " Pure "class" all the way.
7proon Dec. 3. BETHERE! Reservations : Oflaer songs performed were"Children
are recommended and can be made by ¯ Will Listen and No Oneis Alone from
calling 631-2567. ¯ the Sondheim sde Notes, page 13
Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for
justice & equality for
Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
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1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
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Weekend and evening appointments are available.
Call 918-742-1971
or Toll Free 1-8OO-559-1558
Tul~ & Nationwide, Relocation
Real Estate Service~
/~ated w~th I~erside Realty, Inc., Realtors
New merchandise arriving weekly.
lheI ride 1307 E. 38th, 2nd ft.
in the Pride Center
743-4297
Open at 4-6; Wednesdays
2 - 6, Saturdays
Gifts ¯ Cards ¯ Pride Merchandise
Find us on the web at http:l/members.aol.com!TulsaPride/index.html
Take Advan :i! O,uFLow Prices
For fh i : olida .
OPEN:
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Sat. (Thru Dec.) 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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(918) 743-5272
30%
[ANTIQUES & GIFTS
Holiday Sale
off all furniture storewide!
1515 East 15th Street, Tulsa 74120 592-2887
The University of Tulsa Department of Theatre
presents the award winning Broadway musical
about families, love, marriage, divorce and AIDS
Falsettos December 4-7, 8pm
Dec. 3, 7pm Benefit Performance for RAIN
Regional AIDS Interfaith Network, $10
Kendall Hall’s Chapman Theatre, $7, $5area students +
seniors, $2 TU students, faculty + staff
Box office hours: 12-4pm, M-F, Info" 631-2567
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 - 1 lain, 1703 E. 2nd, 749-0595
Church of the Restoration Unitarian Universalist
Service - 1 lain, 1314 No. Greenwood, 587-1314
Family of Faith Metropolitan Community Church
Service, 5pro, 5451-E S. Mingo, 622-1441
House of the Holy. Spirit Ministries, Inc.
Sunday School, 9:45am, Service - 10:45am, 3210c So. Norwood
Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Tulsa
Service, 10:45am, 1623 North Maplewood, Info: 838-1715
Parish Church of St. Jerome (Evangelical Anglican Church in America)
Mass - 11am, 205 W. King (east of No. Denver), Info: 582-3088
University of Tulsa Bisexual/Lesbian/Gay/Transgendered Alliance
Sundays at 6:30 pm, Meets at the Canterbury Ctr., 5th & Evanston, 583-9780
I~ MONDAYS
HIV Testing Clinic, Free & anonymous testing. No appointment required.
Walk in ".esting: 7-8:30pm Results: 7-9pro, Info: 834-TEST (8378)
HIV Rap Sessions at Bless .the Lord At All Times Christian Center
.. 7:30pm, 2207 E. 6th, 583-7815
PFLAG, Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays
2nd Mon/each too. 6:30pro, Fellowship Congregational Church, 2900 S. Harvard
Gay & Lesbian Book Discussion ’Group, Borders Bookstore
1st Mon/ea. too., 7:30pm, 2740 E. 21st, 712-9955
Mixed Volleyball, 6:30pro, Helmerich Park, 71st & Riverside, 587-6557
Monday Night Football, 8 pro, Pride Center, Rcnfro Room, 1307 E. 38th, 2nd ft.
I~’ TUESDAYS
HIV+ Support Group, HIV Resource Consortium 1:30 pm
3507 E. Admiral (east of Harvard), Info: WaSda_@.834~4194
Shanti-Tulsa, Inc. HIV/AIDS Support Group, and Friends ~Tamily HIV/AIDS
Support Group - 7 pm, Locafious, call: 74%7898
Rainbow Business Guild, Business & prof. networking group, Info.’~"665-5174
PrimeTimers, mens group, 11/18, 7:30 pm, Pride Center, 1307 E. 38th
¯Coming Out Support Group (TOHR/HOPE)
Alternating Tuesdays, 6 pm, Pride Center, 1307 E. 38th, info: 743-4297
~ WEDNESDAYS
Bless The Lord At All Times Christian Center
Prayer & Bible Study, 7:30 pm 2207 E. 6th, 583-7815
Family Of Faith MCC Praise/Prayer-6:30pm, 5451-E S. Mingo. 622-1441
House of the Htly Spirit Ministries, Inc. Service - 7pm, 3210e So. Norwood
Tulsa Native American Mens Support Group
For more information, call 582-7225, John at.ext. 218, or Tommy at.ext. 208
TCC Gay & Lesbian Association of Students (GLAS), Call for info: 595-7632.
Lambda A-A, 7 pro, 1307 E. 38th, 2nd ft.
Ellen Watch Party, 8:30pro, Pride Center, Renfro Room, 1307 E. 38th, 2nd ft.
~THURSDAYS
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education
Anonymous HIV Testing, Testing: 7.- 8:30pm, Results: 7 - 9pro, Info: 834-8378
Oklahoma Rainbow Young Adult Network (O’RYAN)
Support/social group for 18-24’s, call Red Rock Mental Health at 584-2325
Tulsa Family Chorale, Weekly practice - 9:30pro, Lola’s, 2630 E. 15th
From Our Hearts. to Our House, 1 lpm, 3rd Thurs/each mo. Lola’s, 2630 E. 15th
Substance Abuse Support Group for persons .with HIV/AIDS, Info: 834-4194
~= FRIDAYS
SafeHa~en, Young Adults Social Group, 1 st Fri!eachmo. 8pro, Pride Ctr., 1307 E. 38th
Community Coffee House, varying dates, 7 pro, Pride Center, Info: 743-4297
i~P SATURDAYS
Narcotics Anonymou~, 11 pm, Community of Hope,1703 E. 2rid, Into: 585-1800
Lambda A-A, 6 pm, 1307 E. 38th, 2nd ft.
~ OTHER GROUPS
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform & Leather Seekers Association, info: 838-1222
Womens Supper Club, Call for info: 584-2978
OK Spoke Club, Gay & Lesbian Bike drganization. Long and short rides. All rides
start at Zicgler Park Recreation Center, 3903 W. 4th St. Members get access to the
Club’s hot line for updates on rides. Info: POB 9165, Tulsa 74157
Ifyour organization is not listed, please let us know. Call 23]-7372 orfax 583-4615.
Y
READ ALL ABOUT IT
reviewed by Barry Hensley
Tulsa City-County Library
Even the most enlightened parent who
learns that their childis
Gay/Lesbian/Transgendered
goes through
anemotional andstressful
period. Christian or
particularly religious
parents often have an
even more difficult
time. Coming Out As
Parents is arevised edition
of afabulous book
written by David
Switzer, Professor
Emeritus of Pastoral
Theology at Perkins
School of Theology at
Southern Methodist
University in Dallas.
Switzer examines the
standardreactions from
mostparents, including
denial, guilt and anger.
This book will guide
disbelieving parents
through the maze of
emotions, and help
themcontinue to have a
constructive and posi-
"five relationship with
their child.
Chapters on"WhatWill PeopleThinkT’
and"Where Does the Fault Belong?" confrontthe
c0unterproducfive andultimately
ummportant feelings that parents may
have. Parents who are ashamed or embarrassed
by their child may decide to keep
seemingly inanswerto eachothers’ prayer.
The congregation of Westminster Presbyterian
Church had aged and they no
longer needed nor could maintain their
1920’s building in Tulsa’s historic Brady
Heights district. They were seeking a
younger, and as it were, "needy" congregation
to take over their building.
So on a Saturday in September, the
Parish Church of St. Jerome held its annual
meeting and decided on a budget to
acquire its own space, citing the need for
their own "sacred space". The next day,
St. Jerome officers connected with
Westminster Presbyterian and found that
the price for Westminster was exactly the
amount to which St. Jerome’s members
had committed the day before!
Father Rick, waxing both serious and
lighter-hearted, noted how important it
was for those "who have been turned
away [from the Church] or disenfranchised,
to have a space to call our own,
where we can be completely free." Humorously,
he added that it would also be
nice to be able to plan HolyWeek services
without having to worry about whether
there would be a body in the Garden
Chapel and be able to carry in the cross
without hitting the low ceiling as happened
at CommlLnity of Hope.
For now, St. Jerome will have all its
parishioners’ hands busy just doing repairs
and renovations to the 10,000 s.f.
main building. But St. Jerome’s also has a
5,000 s.f. auxiliary building which they
hope to make available to community
¯ the information about their Gay child to
: themselves . Switzer’s observation:
¯ "People feel they must keep shame to
: themselves, and yet the sense of isolation
of particular interest
is the chapter
titled "But Doesn’t
the Bible Condemn
It?". In astoundingly
logleal prose,
Switzer examines
the biblical
implications of
homosexuality in a
completely
different light than
we commonly get
from-television
preachers...
that is intensified by
keeping the secret also
further feeds the feelings
of Shame. It is a
destructive trap." Parents
and Friends ofLesbians
and Gays
(PFLAG) is mentioned
as a good resource for
confused parents.
Of particular interest
is the chapter tided
"But Doesn’t the Bible
Condemn It?". In astoundingly
logical
prose, Switzer examines
the biblical implications
of homosexuality
in a completely
different light than we
commonly get from
television preachers. If
a parent is able to go
beyond their emotional
reaction to their Gay
child, this chapter will
bring much comfort
and understanding.
Any parent of a Gay
child, regardless of
their religious beliefs, will benefit from
this slim volume. It packs invaluable information
into just 100 pages.
Check it out at your local Tulsa City-
County branch library, or call the Readers
Services at 596-7966.
: non-profits. Also they plan to create a
¯ garden with a columbarium. The latter
¯ would provide a place not only for the
¯
ashes ofmembers Of St. Jeromebut also a
: place for beloved pets. Father Rick holds
¯ an annual blessing of the animals on the
¯
Feast Day of St. Francisl At this year’s
: blessing, St. Jerome was host not only to
¯ a number of dogs and cats but ~also tO a
chicken, aNile lizard (rather "bitey" said
: Father Rick).
: St. Jerome in addition to having found
¯ a physical home has also found a denomi-
: national home in the Evangelical Angli-
¯ can Church in America (EACA). St.
¯¯ Jerome’sVisitor’sGuidenotes thatEvangelical
Anglican Church in America dif-
¯
fers little from the Anglican Communion
: in matters of church polity, worship or
¯ doctrine. The brochure adds that Chris-
: tians from "every Christian tradition are
¯ welcome" and states that all who are bap-
_" fized are welcome at the Communion
¯ table. St. Jerome’s welcomes all mere- ¯
bers, regardless of "heritage, culture, fi-
¯ nancial status, sexual orientation, age,
¯ gender, ormarital status" toreceive"ALL
¯ sacraments of the church." This includes ¯
the sacrament ofmarriage and Father Rick
¯ presided over the marriage of Deacon-
." Deb Statues and her spouse.
¯ OnSaturday, December6th, the Church
¯
of St. Jerome will welcome the Right
." Reverend Craig Bettendorf, Bishop ofthe
: Evangelical Anglican Churchin America
¯ who will hold a consecration service for
¯
St. Jerome at 7 pm. Also, St. Jerome will
." hold a Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at
¯ 11:30 on Dec. 24. For more information
about the services, call 582-3088.
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9
What’s happening in
the community?
What services
are available?
Looking for a Rainbow
Sticker or
Community
Newspapers?
Need a Coming Out
Support Group?
Need to get tested
for HIV?
Want to get involved
and help?
Call 743-GAYS
(743-4297)
Your
Community Center
the Pride Center
1307 E. 38th at Peoria
2rid floor
Lookfor the Rainbow
Flag on the roof!~
q~y Jean-Pierre La Grandbouche
After a hard day of braving the shopping
throngs and cold Oklahoma winter
winds, there is nothingmorerelaxing than
sitting down by the fireplace at one of
Brookside’s older and long-popular cafes,
The Grapevine, for a quiet glass of
wine andanicemeal."Conveniently nestled
at the comer of35th and Peoria, this place
is popular not only with the young professional
crowd, but those withmoreeclectic
tastes, as wall.
Some people come just to
sit at the crowded, narrow,
upstairs bar in this see and-beseenestablishment,
while others
come for quiet cocktails
and hors d’oeuvres. Many
come for the full dining experience,
and we’ve even been
there when wedding receptions
have movedin for a lesschaste
after-party.
Much of the menu has been
selected to complement the
bar’.s large selection of wines
by the bottle and by the glass.
Cheese beards ($1.85 to $9.50)
are very popular, and nibblers
can sample up to a dozen different
cheese varieties, served
withfreshfruit and crusty sourdough
breads. Abaked brie en
croute ($8.75) is also available
with an original touch of
being wmppedin phyllo leaves
instead of the traditional puff
pastry. Those who can afford
the fat grams and calories will
love to indulge in the homemade
hot artichoke spread
($5.25), and they have a very
tasty country-style chicken
liver pate ($6.50) served with
small American gherkins instead
of the usual French
comichons.
: Zealand orange roughy ($12.50), a sturdy
: white fish which is prepared meuniere,
¯ and then sauced with the white wine that
: was used to deglaze the pan. Roughy is
.’. getting to be cliche in Tulsa, but this is a
¯¯ satisfactorypresentation.Theseafooddish
du jour was a Caribbean grilled salmon
¯ ($12.50), which was tantalizingly scented
¯ with the fiery hot Jamaican jerk season-
: ings, and finished with a bell pepper and
Mack olive butter and garlic in olive oil -
The Grapevine
3509 Soutl~ Peoria
Olmn:
llm - lOpm on
Tues. &Wed.
11 am until 11pro
Thurs. through Sat.
Clmed Sun.& Mon.
The imr stays open
-as long as ther~ is
business, sometimes
until 2am
Moderately
expensive
Pavement:
All major plastic
Smoking: "
N0n-smoking and
smoking rooms
Alcohol:
Full
Ambiance:
Dressy casual
Rating:
A llst
abizarre combination thathad
a surprisingly fabulous flavor
for those brave enough to em
dure the jerk seasonings.
Part of the charm of The
Grapevine is that, not only do
they have finerfoods, they also
havegoodold,O~klahoma-style
home cookin, ~oo, with a decent
chicken fried steak
(.$6.75), Dutch oven pot roast
($9.50), and a ham hock and
butter bean special ($7.50).
The deep-fried catfish fillet is
okay, but it’s farm-raised fish,
and at $12.25, wecati find less
expensive and just as goodfried
fish elsewhere. If one
likes meatloaves, don’t pass
up the Mom’s Dangerously
Good Meat Loaf ($7.50),
which is a welVflavored individual
loaf filled with bits of
onion, garlic, carrot, and celery,
sliced in rounds, drizzled
with a thin brown gravy, and
presented on a bed of lumpy,
.homemade mashed potatoes.
Diners with smaller appetites
or smaller pocketbooks
will be well fed by The
Grapevine’s big selection of
hearty sandwiches, ranging in
price from $4.25 for a gour-.
met greaseburger to $9.75 for
a prime rib sandwich. We par-
In addition to their usual chicken enchilada
soup, there is always a substantial
soup dujour, which, on the evening ofour
visit, was country ham and broccoli. Cups
are $2.50 and bowls, $3.50. They also had
two appetizer specials, a grilled chicken
pizzaonafoccacia crust ($7.50) and some
fascinating Chinese-style "pot stickers"
($6.50), which are little packets or dumplings
of pork and-chicken braised and
poached, and served in a roasted garlic
sesame sauce, accompanied by a little
shrimp egg roll.
The dinner menu shows a .refreshing
creativity and willingness to accommodate
both foods-of-the-season and the
tastes ofregular customers. One of the old
standby favorites is the Grapevine’ S Beef
Wellington ($18.50). Now, the traditional
boeuf Wellington recipes involve an entire
beef tenderloin partially roasted, then
encased in arich, truffled, liver pate, all of
which is then rolled up in decadent puff
pastry dough and baked until golden -
certainly an elegant dish for an entire
gourmet army! The Grapevine chef has
improved upon the theme, also making
sure that his kitchen prOductis more suited
to the whims ofthe evening’ s patrons, ahd
created a mouth-watering individual beef
Wellington out of a bacon-wrapped filet
mignon, surrounded by a sauteed mushroom
duxelles, seasoned with Dijon mustard,
and encased in puffpastry. It’s adish
with which we’ve never been disappointed.
Another popular item is the New
ticularly like the ham on German black
bread sandwich ($5.00); with cu(umbers
and sour cream on excellent black rye
bread. Sandwiches usually comejust with
banal potato chips, but th~ $2.00 Order of
beer-battered French fries is well worth
the cost.
One of our favorite things about the
food here is the attention paid to humble
vegetables. During our review meal, we
were served a delicious bowl of sliced
parsnips which had been sauteed in butter
until golden brown, a choice recommended
by our surly waiter. Our dinner
companion’ s meal had excellently prepared,
lightly battered, and sauteed eggplant
circles. The vegetable dujour was a
bowl of huge, Oklahoma-grown Brussels
sprouts. There are always a dozen ormore
fresh vegetables available, and worth every
penny of the $1.50 extra charge. We
also recommend highly the garlicky and
rich cheese grits and thecom souffle, both
$1.75.
If there’ s room for dessert, they have a
large selection of typical Tulsa cakes and
cheesecakes which are popular, but commercially
obtained and, rather boring,
since everyone else in townhas them, too.
However, there are a couple of items
made in-house which are always worthwhile,
inclhding various flavors of creme
bmlee($3.00), anexcellentcoconutcream
pie withfresh, real whippedcream ($2.00),
a simple bread pudding ($2.00), and the
ever-popular baked fudg~ ($3.00),
see Food, page 12
by Lamont Lindstrom
TheJapanese like their gaijin (’ foreigners’)
to have big noses. I worked for a
number ofmonths at auniversity in the far
southern Japanese city Kagoshimawhose
foreignpopulationmostly consists ofsnubnosed
Chinese and Korean immigrants.
Only ahandful ofAmericans and Europeans
live in that city. Most of these are
employed teaching English
in local secondary schools.
Because of this, unlike Tokyo
or Osaka, gaijin are infrequent
patrons ofthe city’ s
several gay bars.
When I dropped in one of
these establishments, the
bartenders and patrons were
invariably polite and curious
about how I had come to
live in Kagoshima. MyJapanese
improved enough to
answer the stock set of questions
always asked: Whywas
I there? What did I do? Was
I married? Didn’t I find
Kagoshimapeoplefriendlier
than other Japanese? Did I
like Japanese men (or food,
or drink, or housing, or the
weather, etc. etc. etc.)? But I
always sensed my new barfriends
checking out my
nose. GayJapanese share our
folk belief that big nose
equals big penis and I was frequently
apologetic that.my nose is of modest dimension.
I did very soon learn the phrase
anata no chinpo wa okii desuka? (’is your
dick big?’). I wasn’ t~telling.
Amerika-jin were still scarce enoughin
Kagoshima that people wanted to check
out rumors ofWestern endowment. I once
met a young American wandering the
entertainment district. He was handing
out flyers for a strip show later that night.
He claimed to been enslavedby a crooked
Japanese entrepreneur who had brought
.him to town to strip at a local dub for
Japanese woman hungry to see white naked
flesh. This boy looked gay to me. He
invited me to a performance but I didn’ t
want to get in the way of those eager
women.
I made friends with Eichiro who was
one ofthehandful ofpeopleinKagoshima
who spoke English well. Eichirohad taken
English courses in New York City and
had worked at his uncle’ s Japanese restaurantin
Glendale, California. He metan
American boyfriend in Hawai’i, and the,
two ofthemhad retamaed to Kagoshima to
be near Eichiro’ s mother. Back home, he
had taken a job as a bartenderin a small
place thatcatered to Japan’ s growingnumbers
of professional working women.
(Young Japanese ~women are fascinated
by gays.)
I hung out there, too, hungry to talk
English. Eichiro was 30 but was obviously
going to remain perpetually, terminally
cute. I would walk downtown to the
bar, drink acouple of glasses of hot shoju
(Kagoshima’s infamous sweet potato
brandy), and thenleave before 11:00 pm
so I could catch abus home. (Kagoshima’ s
city council is in cahoots with the taxi
companies - public transport stops about
11:00 and drinkers have to fall into taxis
when the bars close.)
Eichiro and Isoon developed a routine.
Each time I was making to leave, he
would beg to follow along and check out
my chinpoin the darkened stairwdl. "No,
: Eichiro, you are married." He was, too.A
¯ lesbian minister had married him and the
: American boyfriend on the beach in
¯ Waikiki. ButEichirowouldclaimtobeso
: franticfor gaijin chinpo thathe could even
: forego the shower he normally had to
¯ have after sex. How soJapanese, Ithought.
¯" Good bartenders always Know how to
: make one feel special.
¯ I was lonely for Ameri-
My first two
weeks in town,
nearly every night
I. went bar-h~pp.
m ¯Herewa. smy
ebb?lenSe: could I
find a Gay bar? In
a eitK of 500,000,
so I tlaured, there
had t~ be one or
two. I hardly spoke
any.Japanese ...
Worse, my knowledge
of the three
orthographies
that Japanese use
was nll so I
cans so I called up the boy:
friend one day and asked
him to lunch. He insisted on
eating only at McDonalds,
Pizza Hut, Mr: Donut, or
Subway- thefourUS chains
that have found their way to
distant Kagoshima. We met
at Subway. I didn’ t like boyfriend
much. He whined
about Kagoshima and the
Japanese. He-did have a
mother-of-a-nose, though.-
He and Eichiro were planning
a return to Los Angeles
where they would live by
"selling theJapanese antiques
that they had accumulated
over two years in
Kagoshima. Boyfriend left
first and Eichiro followed a
month behind. I said my
goodbyes. But a few weeks
later, Eichiro called me at
my office. "Eichiro! What
on earth are you doing here?" I asked.
He had arrived at LAX where US Immigration
immediatdy arrested him and
threw him back on the next plane for
¯ Japan. He was on the blacklist, having
overstayed his previous visaby 18 months.
I helped Eichiro fill out the immigration
: lottery form that the American Embassy
¯ in Tokyo had sent him as his only chance
for a US Visa. It didn’t seem very prom-
: ising to me. I left Japan soon afterwards.
Six months later, when I returned to the
US, l sent a postcard to Kagoshima ad-
: dressed to Linda--Eichiro’ s bar name. It
: came back marked "unknown." I started
calling the 28Japaneserestaurants in Glen-
: dale one after the other but gave up, feel-
. ing foolish;.after a dozen or so. Eichiro -
¯ where are you? I sure hope you’ ve found
your way to the land of the free, the home
of the big nose.
¯ although their versionis abitmore on the
¯ half-baked brownie side.
¯ The full bar stocks a lot of domestic
wines andafewimports,thoughnotnearly
¯ as many as we would expect from a bar
¯ that holds itself out to be a wine bar. The
¯ prices are reasonable, though, both by the
bottle andby the glass, and they occasion-
" ally do get in some rare and unusual
: vintages. We were quite shocked, how-
¯. ever, when we went in for dinner on the third Thursday of November (the tradi-
¯ tional release date for the new crop of
¯ beaujolais nouveau) and discovered that
thebarhadn teven ordered any nouveaus.
¯ We trust that their bar manager will be
¯ severely pelted with used wine corks for
: thatfauxpas.
¯ Nonetheless, The Grapevine remains
: one of our favorite eateries for a cozy
: meal. Best of all, we find it to be a com-
¯. fortable place. And, one needn’t wait for
a Brookside shopping day to try it out -
¯ it’ s worth a special trip of its own.
PuppyPause II
Allanna Davenport
Professional All ~t
Breed Grooming
1060-N South Mingo
Tulsa 74128
838-7626
Moot
t features free,
St. Michael’s
Alley
Restaurant
&
Club
Featuring
Steaks, Seafood,
Chicken, Pasta,
Soups, Espresso,
and Chalkboard
Speciaties
Monday - Thursday
o 11 aria - 10pm
Friday- Saturday
1lain- 11pm
3324-L East 31st
Northeast side of
Ranch Acres
745-9998
Established 1960
the Eyewear
’"Stars & Celebrities"
Wear
Oliver Peoples,
Gaultier Mikli, Matsuda etc,
Cool, Unique & Exclusive
Eyewear
Found Nowhere Else
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VISIONS
6837 S. MEMORIAL
254-! 611
CHARITY TRADE-IN $75,fo
Trade in your old glasses & we Will
[ donate them to the needy, plus give you
$75 off the put’chase of a new pair
tMust include 2 yr. Warranty Anti-
Reflective High Index Visio~ Lens &
Frame). Restrictions apply.
Saint Aidan’s
4045 No. Cincinnati. 425-7882
The Episcopal Church
welcomes You
R inhow
Business
G ild
wishes aft the
happiest of.holldays
and-best w~shes for
the New,Year¯
Look for u,peoming
events m January.
Info./RSVP: 665-5174
POB 4106, Tulsa 7,~159
How To Do It:
First 30 words are $10. Each additional
word is 25 cents. You 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 sheet mailed - $2
Blind Post Office Box - $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 POB 4140, Tulsa,
OK 74159 with your name. 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.
Tulsa Based, Nationwide
Company Needs:
Associate Programmer
Programmer
Programmer!Analyst - Five years
experience preferred
All positions require Bachelor’s
degree in Computer Science
Send resumes to:
Post Office BOX 1531
Broken Arrow, OK 74013-1531
Looking for Life Mate
Tulsa OWMChristian, 40, BriHzl,
5’-3", 2001bs., Stocky. Fun Loving,
Outgoing, Sensitive, Passionate,
Versitile, Like Country Living, Seeking
GWM 30-50 for Life Mate, Write to:
Rt.8, Box 796, Tulsa, OK 74126
Sister Pairs Needed for
Study of Adult Sisters
University professor is looking for
volunteers to complete a survey about
how thive lives of adult sisters are
similar or different. Contact: E.
Rothblum, Box 252, John Dewey Hall,
University of Vermont,
Burlington, VT 05405, 802-656-4156.
Director of HIV Programs
Tulsa HIV prevention programs,seeks
Program Director. Non-profit management
and grant-writing experience
preferred. Send resumes to TOHR/
HOPE, 1307 E. 38th, 2rid ft. Tulsa,
74105 or fax to 918-712-2440.
FUSO - Friends in Unity
Social Organization, Inc.
FUSO is a community based
organization not-for-profit 501(c)3
agency providing services to African-
American males + females who are
infected with HIV/AIDS inthe Tulsa
community. FUSO also helps
individuals find other agencies that
provide HIV/AIDS services.
582-0438
POB 8542, Tulsa, OK 74101
production "Into the Woods" which she
was acastmemberof;"Unexpected Song"
from Loyd-Webber’s "Song and Dance"
for which she won the Tony in 1985 (and
a highlight of the performance for me);
several gems like "Faithless Love", given
an almost ethereally Celtic
rendering; "Glow Worm",
which only she could pull
off well, and did; and finally,
’Tll Be Seeing You".
Mist notes: Her drummer
is Cubby O’Brien - yes, the
original Mouseketeer, for
those that recall the Mickey
Mouse Club of the ’50’s.
Her conductor is Marvin
Laird, who wrote the musical
"Rut[fiess" and is collaborating
with Speilberg on
a new animated film.
She was poured, and I do
meanpoured, into areddress
withredhigh heelsl Thedress
was simple, not glitzy, but
did maintain a glamourous
effect, while being .easy to
travel with - no ironing, no
muss, no fuss.
When she left, she was in a
black pantsuit and coat. And
boy, is she pale! And tiny. I
have been consistently
amazed that most of the female.
stars I have seen perform
are incredibly tiny. Yet
while on stage, they seem
larger than life. So I would
have been a star had I been
born an incredibly small,
very pale woman. Well, it
seems logical to me.
L;vlng Arts
of Tulsa
presents the
Gay & Lesbian
Issues Series, a
month of ereatlve
events. The "Love
Makes A Family"
exhibit runs
through Dee. 14,
sponsored in part
by PFLAG...
Dee. 19 brings us
the alternative
video evenlng,
featuring
"Tongues Untied",
"Jddy: An hon"
about la dlva
Foster, and
"Glennda &,
Camille do
Downtown", a
moe~umentary
about Camille
Paglia and a
cross-dresser...
The orchestra was in excellent fornl, ]
and the classical selections were-all tied -:
together by a "water" theme by the new
conductor Kenneth Jean. Introduced as a
guess what the tie of the music to the
theme is, some pieces were obvious, such
as "Blue Danube Waltz". Others less so;
"’Pomp and Circumstance" - Watergate;
one piece from an opera .set in Venice,
Italy, performed by the characters in a
gondola, which floats on the.., you get the
idea. Jean is fun to watch, looking at times
like a mad scientist who’s just gotten the
monster to move, or a sidekickto Disney’s
Quasimodo in "Hunchback of Notre
Dame". During Ms. Peter’s concert, the
orchestra members even got to show off
their singing voices.
It’s not too late to catch Philbrook
Museum’s "Festival of Trees: A Century
of Holiday Traditions", which runs
through Dec. 7. All kinds ofYule goodies
are on display. And, through January 11,
you can take someone special there to
"look at etchings" during the "British
Etching Revival" exhibition.
On to Fleetwood Mac. Basically, for
those that couldn’t afford lawn seats at
$50.00 and who have the Dance video -
you’re not missing a thing. The FM that
playedin Dallas was abunch oftired folks
who did reasonable justice to the songs,
but were dearly there to get the money
and go home. Every word of the betweensong
patter was from "The Dance", all by
rote, word for word. Fortunately, l got ’
press tickets, so I didn’t feel ripped off.
But I would have hated to.have paid the
$80 bucks for seats that were worth $20 at
the most. Lindsey Buckingham was terribly
off key throughout the show, and
: making obnoxious gestures behind Stevie
¯ Nicks’ back while she was speaking some
¯¯ of her by-the-book patter between songs.
She tried to play off the alleged
¯ "Buckingham-Nicks" tension by singing
," to him at many points during her lover’s-
, revenge ballads, but he mostly ignored
[ her. Christine looked bored throughout
¯ the evening, watching the audience &
singing along off-talc during main verses
when the others were singing
their songs. John was,
wall, John, and Mick was
the only one who seemed to
be enjoying himself. I made
a 5 hour trip to get to the
show, and I am still wondering
if it was.worth it. -And
I’m adiehard Stevie fan!
Withke.ychains the cheapest
souvemr at $10, the reason
for the tour was made quite
clear. Stevie’s tax bill,
Mick’s constant bankruptcies,
and Christine’s restoration
of an English manor
house - and John’s yachts -
are the reason behind the reunion.
Stevie did sound bet:
ter than ever, so that was
what made the trip worthwhileforme.
Hersongs were
the best Of the bunch. Too
bad Nicks wasn’t on a solo
tour. Maybe next year. Plans
are in the works for a new
solo album and a box set.
The box set is rumored to be
out early next year.
Living Arts of Tulsa presents
the Gay & Lesbian Issues
Series, a month of creative
events The "Love
Makes A Family" exhibit
runs through Dec. 14, sponsored
in part by P-FLAG, with
Rainbow Business Guild and the Pride
Center, withaperformanceworkshop Dec.
6 &7 for Gays and Lesbians who’dlike to
perform but don’t know where to start.
Dec. 12 is Performance Night, giving
honor to those artists who are Gay and
Lesbian. Dec. 19 brings us the~ alternative
video evening, featuring ’’Tongues Untied",
"Jody: An Icon" about la diva Foster,
and "Glennda & Camille do Downtown",
a mockumentary about Camille
Paghaandacross-dresser walking through
downtown New York and the adventure
they encounter. $5, $3 students and members.
No, not that kind. Of the organization,
silly! All of these events take place at
Living Artspace (hmmm - an offshoot of
"Living Island", where H.R. Pufnstuf is
mayor? Gives me an idea for my next
column. Oh, Peter...), at 19 E. Brady. For
more info, call 585-1234.
Heller Theatre is holding Improvisation
classes on Thursday evenings from
6pro. Participants perform in their "Laughing
Matter Improv" shows. An advance
workshop is scheduled Jan 10, 1-4pro.
Free to Laughing Matter participants, $10
otherwise. Laughing Matter Improv per-
.formances are $4, and the next evening of
~mprov will be Jan 9. Heller presents
"Lonely Planet" : Dec. 4-6 & 11-13, a
drama dealing with two men and their
lives and loneliness. For ticket info, call
746-5065.
AndBroken Arrow Community Theatre
is presenting the musical comedy
"Once Upon A Mattress", another of my
childhood favorites. I remember seeing
Carol Burnett in the televised version.
The show runs Dec. 5 - 14. For reservations,
call 258-0077.
which documents Holocaust survivor stories.
Kossiusky went back to Poland after
thewar, workedas an economist andlived
a secret life as a gay man. Kossinsky
wrote an award-winning book about his
affair with the soldier in 1991.
A group in Vermont that teaches high
school students about the Holocaust is
making a moviebased on the book., which
is tiffed "Damned Strong Love." "It’s an
extremely compelling love story thathappens
to be about gay men," filmmaker
William Stetson, president of the Vermont
Film Commission, told the Globe.
In Nazi Germany, homosexuality was
punishablebyup to 10yearsinprison,and
love letters could be considered evidence.
Homosexuality among German police
officers was punishable by death.
Kossinksy read theletter to the Harvard
students, part ofwhichread: "I pray every
day that you will come back Safe. I’mjust
true to you and will remain so for my
whole life."
As far as comparing the issue with omissions
of the race riot: ’qqaat is unfortunate
anditis absurd," Goble said. "I can assure
members of this group that if 35 square
blocks of Gay-owned housing had been
burned and as many as 1,000 Gay and
lesbian people had been murdered, that
that event would have been very much a
part of the public record and very much a
part ofthis history."
ACentennial committee commissioned
Goble to write thebook. Paula Hale, coordinator
of the City’s yearlong Centennial
celebration, said the boo.k was funded
through private funds and pre-release
sales.
Editor note: while the Centennial boak
was privately funded, the Centennial office
and co-ordinator, Paula Hale, who
helped to coordinate the book are paid
throughpublicfunds, directly subsidized
by the Mayor’s office. The statement
TOHR sent to the Centennial committee
as well as to local news media is reproduced
below.
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights :
(TOHR),at 17years o!d Oklahoma’s old- ¯
est n0n-religious Lesbian and Gay orga- -"
uization, is formally protesting the new
Tulsa Centennial book, ’q~ulsa! Biography
oftheAmerican City"for its failure to. ¯
acknowledge any contribution, or. even
the existence of Lesbians and Gay men in
Tulsa’s 100 year history.
Author, and Rogers University profes- ¯
sot, Danny Goble was asked by TOHR "
prior to beginning the book to be both fair "
and accurate by having at least a brief
mention of the eMstence of Lesbian and ¯
Gay contributions, organizations, or is- "
sues¯ Goble was told of the nationally "
groundbreaking report doneby the City of ¯
Tulsa i~ ~.ei~m~_’dt:!le:. 70’s on anti-Gay..~ ,"
discrimi~ff0~. Jk~ thai time, ouly a hand-i’~ :
ful of Am",ericau,Citie~were even consid- :
efing thi~.:sort’~i~g~,T,OHRgaye Goble ¯
the nam~S~~b6~.~..~s of TulSanS :
who were p~~bf:~ffiS~’i t~ er~te~ atrendsetting
non-discrimination policy.
Despite Goble’s published intention to
write a history that would be inclusive of "
Tulsans whosehistory oncehad been sup- "
pressed, his deliberate exclusion of Les- ¯
bian and Gay issues.makes his sections on
Civil rights and diversity incomplete and "
inaccurate. .
: Since this is the offiCial commemora-
¯ tive book for this city, and because the
-" Centennial office and Centennial Co-
" ordinator Paula Hale are paid with public
¯ dollars throughthe Mayor’s office, Tulsa’s
-" Lesbian and Gay taxpayers have the right
~ to be outraged by our exclusion. And
." Centennial Committee members and the
¯ bookCommitteemembers are to be chided
¯" for their efforts to defend Goble’s biased
¯
product with claims that the only other
¯ alternative would have been an encyclo-
¯¯ pedia thousands of pages long. Fairness
would only have required a paragraph or
¯ two.
¯ ’cliffs suggests that there is a window of
: time during the acute phase of infection
¯ when anti-viral treatment can rescue the
¯ helper T-cell response to HIV;" Walker
: said. If treatment is delayed, he said, that
¯ natural protection may be lost forever.
¯ Dr. DavidH. Schwartz, aJohas Hopkins
¯ University AIDS researcher, said the
Massachusetts General finding confirms
." work performed earlier at Hopkins. He
¯ said there may be immune system ele- ¯
merits other than the helper T-cells, how’-
: ever, that are responsible for suppressing
¯" HIV infection in the rare patients who
¯ never get sick from the virus. In any case, ¯
Schwartz said, the new research empha-
¯ sizes the importance of early and aggressive
anti-viral treatment against HIV.
: Virus to Fight Virus
¯
WASHINGTON (AP) - It may take a
¯ virus to kill a virus, say researchers who
¯. have made a biological weapon that seeks
¯ out cells infected with HIV. In laboratory
experiments at the University of Pennsyl-
¯ vania Medical Center, scientists ha~,e
¯ shown that a harmless virus coated with
s.pecial.proteins will search out cells in-
" fectedwith HIV and then lock onto the
: cell surfaces.
¯ Dr. James A. Hoxie, senior author of ¯
he study in the journal Science, said t
¯ at the hunter virus could be loaded with a
: iological weapon that would attack HIV
¯ nside infected cells and, thus, contr ¯
1 the AIDs virus. HoMe said the technique
: takes advantage of the fact that HIV carries
molecules that it uses to link up with
receptors, or receiving molecules, on the
surface of cells that it invadesS When the
HIV molecule connects with the receptor,
it acts like a key in alock, opening the cell
surface to allow the virus to enter.
A prime receptor used by HIV is called
CD4. This receptor is present on immune
system blood cells that are the primary
targets of HIV. HIV also requires the use
of at least one of two other receptors. A
receptor called CCR5 is used by HIV
early in the disease to infect macrophages,
a type ofimmune system blood cell.
: This means,that the hunter virus is rather
: like a biological "smart bomb" that seeks
¯ oat÷specific targets, ignoring the rest.
¯ The technique is still in an early stage of
: study and will require extensive develop-
. ment before it can be tested on patients.
¯ But Hoxie said that it may be possible to
." use the hunting virus to deliver toxins or
¯ attacking genes to the cells where there is ¯
HIV. Once it is locked onto the target,
¯ then the hunting virus would release its
¯ - w.eapon into the infected cell, killing the
.- v~rns or preventing it from reproducing.
More HIV Drugs
¯ NEW YORK (AP) - Drug makers are
¯ working on an unprecedented array of
¯ new mediCines to combat theAIDS virus,
: enough to triple the number of drugs and
¯ vaccines on the market today, according
¯ to a recent survey. Drug companies are
testing 124 new treatments on patients,
: according to the survey by the Pharma-
¯ ceutieal Research Manufacturers of
¯" America. The Food and Drug Adminis:
trationhas approved 50 AIDS-related
.’. drugs, including eight this year.
~ With the first-ever drop in the number
¯ ofnew cases last yearin the United States,
~ drug makers have come a long way since
¯ the first drug, Glaxo Wellcome’s AZT,
." was approved in 1987, said Dr. John
¯ Siegfried, the industry group’s head of
¯ medical affairs. "Here we are ten years
¯ later, just a decade, andnow there are 50
: drugs either for the disease or for associ-
¯ ated conditions," he said. ¯
The treatments under development in-
" elude:
¯" - 40 anti-viral mediCines and protease
¯ inhibitors, whichhave proven effective in
reduCing.the amount of the virus in some
¯ patients..
- 23 drugs to fight AIDS-related cancers,
such as Kaposi’s sarcoma.
- 11 anti-invective medicines to fight
¯ opporttmisdc diseases, including a type
¯ o~’-.pneumouia that afflicts 8 out of 10
¯ pataents. ¯
- 5 gene therapies designed to genetically
: alter patients’ cells to make them more
¯ resistant.
: - 12 vaccines, including the first DNA-
¯ based preventive vacCines.
¯ The National Centers for Disease Con-
¯ trol and Prevention said the drop in AIDS ¯
deaths and new diagnoses last year shows
: that powerful new drugs seem to be slow-
" ing down the virus.
In 1996, an estimated 56,730 people
¯ were diagnosed with AIDS in the United
¯ States, down 6 percent from the 60,620
¯ new cases in 1995, according to the CDC. ¯
¯ AIDS deaths also dropped 23 percent,
from an estimated 50,140 in 1995 to about
¯ 38,780 in 1996. About 235,470 people
¯ wereliving withAIDS in 1996¯ The CDC ¯
said powerful drugs such as protease in-
" hibitors are apparently preventing ~HIV
tackle oppommistic infections and other
related problems.
Doctors who treat AIDS patients have
eagerly called for more drugs since mutations
in the virus can reduce the effectiveness
of drugs. New drugs are being approved
more quickly, in part due to an
FDA.programthatuses contributions from
drug makers to hire more offiCials to review
drugs.
The plan was approved 13-12, with one
abstention, after Republican Gov. Pete
Wilson made two llth-hour regent appointments,
provoking charges he was
trying to "stack" the board. Both appointees
voted against the plan.
"I was very relieved, ecstatic," said
Jonathan Winters, a UC Berkeley employee
and member of the UC Lesbian
Gay Bisexual Transgender Association.
The vote came 16 years after a gay UC
employee first asked the university to
provide health coverage for his partner.
He was turned down. Under the plan,
domestic partners must be at least 18, the
couple has to have lived together for at
least a year, be in a "long-term relationship
of infinite duration," and provide
documents showing mutual home ownership
or leasel common bank accounts or
investments, among other requirements.
The plan applies to 130,000 employees
on the UC system’s nine campuses. UC
has estimated it could cost an .extra $1.5
million to $5 million a year- a very small
percentage of the health care costs for the
UC system.
Opponents, including Wilson, said extending
the benefits would be "devaluing
mamage." Supporters counteredit was an
issue of equality and that without the plan,
UC~s ability to recruit and retain quality
professors would suffer because .comparable
institutions already offer such benefits.
¯
Partners Housing at
U. of Washington
¯ SEATTLE(AP) -Beginuing next month,
¯ same-sex couples who register as domes-
; tic parmers can apply for subsidized mar-
. ried and family housing at the University
of Washington. The UW Board of Regents
voted unanimously and with little
commentto allow gay andlesbian couples
¯ to live in married student housing. "We
had really mad~ clear our intentions early
¯ on,"regentCindyZehndersaid.Themove
¯ comes after the board in May extended
undergraduate health insurance to same¯
sex partners. Five couples have signed up
for that benefit so far.
Bothmoves havebeen opposed by some
¯ state lawmakers. "They shouldn’t be setinfection
from progressing to full-blown ¯ ting policy in the face of the values of the
Another receptor, called CXCR4, is used ." AIDS es,~eciall,, i-n~t~nt~ ,.he~ ot,~vt people of the stateof Washington," said
by HIV later to in¯fect T-cells, wh.ich are ¯¯ taking m.e m.e~c~.ne ea.rl ... ep. Mike -Sherstad, R-Bot¯hell " Th,e
another type of Immune system blood ¯ ~..,,+ a’l’~ ~t,t;vi~t~Y~-~ that tl~,a ** people of the state of Washington don t
cells. : t,a......~i~fi~t~hav,~m~Al-i-,iq~lh,~o : accept homosexual mamage, either-te-
In the Pennsylvama stu¯ dy, researchers .." ,a~ ori0rit,~ h,ii.Vth,=~ M,,,~ ,~,a,~, ,~,v,~oS~ " - gally ormorally. Sherstadsmdheplanned coatedthe surface ofaharmless w..rus w~¯ th .. ~ mi,~,~d r,~V,i,~,~ i:~vor~: ils"’-"I .... 8 . to .... nld ~,t,o thb.rrt .....ask the Legislature s Joint Admimstrathe
molecules used by HIV to invade " .........." ............. s....... five Rules Committee to review whether
cells. The altered virns was then exposed
in tile.lab0ratory tO HIV-infe~ted ~lls:,
HoMe said that the hunter virus coated
with CD4 and CCR5 locked onto macrophages
that were infected with HIV.
When coated with CD4 and CXCR4, the
hunter virus sought out and locked onto
T-cells infected with HIV. In both cases,
he said, the hunter virus ignored normaJ
cells that were not infected with HIV.
¯
¯ an ’A’ for advan’ceS~in the sCience and an : . - . .
’F..................................~""~" .........the regents exceeded their authonty :: -
¯ ~. ~ ¯ - ,.- ;-,-- :- ~_,~,-~,~....~ ,,.: , UW: offic~alshave~smdth~¢state attor-: ¯ Langam, execuuve a~rector ot At~ Ac: ¯
ne eneral’s office .... -; -,
: tion in Washington. "We do owe them a ." y ~ , .,: ..na.,s.,a.~ete~ruunco me
¯ errant debt of crr.fit~,tl~ fat th,~ arlv~.,-,~ : regents can (lecloe ellgiOlnty IOr campus
¯ they’ve made in the fight against HIV and ¯ housing. To quahfy, the couples will have
~ AIDS¯ The challenge is to make. those " to register as domestic partners with the
: treatments more available to people," he : City of Seattle or anotherjurisdiction with
said. Patients pay as much as $15,000 a " similar regiStration procedures. All fami¯
year for the three-drug cocktails usually ¯ liesmust demonstrate finanCial need to be
¯ eligible for the subsidized housing¯
used to treat AIDS and other drugs to . ¯
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~:: ] NOT A BEBHOPPE~ I’m not BULLSE?E AIM I’m I~king ~r
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TONED BUT TIMID Attractive, Gay,
White male, 38, 5 9, 1721bs, with
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I’m open minded, into different scenes=
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SHOW ME AROUND Brand,
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ON THE UP AND UP Handsome,
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2) To record your FREE
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Call: 1-800-546-MENN
here)
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BASELINE OF THE BLUES I’m,a
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=7007_
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GOOD TIME CHARLEY This fun
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Brown hair and BI,ue eyes, seeks buddies
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RUB It AGAINST ME This smooth
bodied, Gay, White male, 31,5’9,
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seeks a masculine, intelligent man, who -
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I’M IN THE MOOD I’m in the mood to
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=7257
SPEND THE DAY WITH ME I’m an
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NATIVE NEEDS Good looking, Native
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I m open to g~,ood times, friehdship, or a
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CLOSET HANGER Young, Gay ma e,
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(Tulsa) =4309
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I m interested in guys who are college
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travel, music, concerts and mor,e. I like
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dark hairba,i~lue e~ hairy,’~,e
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BLONDE AND BI Ah’Tadive, Bi While fema e,
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~o likes to party go ou~dancing see movies
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NEW STATE Of MIND Th s ve~/feminine, B
curious, While ~nale,’now to Ihe area, wants to
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I~n. ~s 9et to know each oCner.
e7030
INDEPENDENT CLASSIC You.n9 .
!ndepeodent, Black female, 21, likes to~ar~
I’,ave a 9o~. lime. I’d like to get to know’other
wom),n in fne area. {Tulsa) ’e6289
~CLOS.ER Togethome~ v~h another
.womyn is what i’m afler. This Ga~.~, While
female, 34, 5’6, with O~ive ~n, ~ark hair and
e~,,s, law .r~ing, watching sCl~aIl Io~
,va~s, and ~’ving tun Wanna be Iri~.~
the ouI~:x~s and I’d like to meel a womyn
~can share these inlere~ with me. I’m a 25
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~~) am.a~!~o ~o back to school to get
a~a~ner. ~ou should be belween 25 and 35,
and fun Io,,ing. fl’ulso)
~i~i~k,se~_. an~ing,~., m!n~, Single,
~ female, ",’I to 38, for a possi~e live in
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.,:,iOn.Red ~ir and Igue eye., who’s a casual
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To record your FREE Personal ad Call: 1-800-546-MENN (We’ll print it here)
This sub-culture has had its own
meeting places, churches, traditions,
language and yes, history. Your unfamiliarity
or prejudices should not
have limited your inquiries.
It is true that ithas been part hidden
because of severe and systematic legal
persecution. In fact, there isa
Tulsan you could have interviewed
who was imprisoned in the 60’s in a
mental institution for the "sickness"
of being a Gay teenager. While imprisoned,
hewas tortured withelectro,
shock"therapy". Healso witnesseda
young Lesbi,~,. being raped so that
she would be turned heterosexual."
In Tulsa, in the 60’s, 70’s andinto the
80rs & 90’s, people have been fired
jnstforbeingidentifiedas Gay. Tulsa
police made, and continue to make,
harassment and entrapment of Gay
mena regularpart of their work, even
perjuring themselves whennecessary.
"Goble said he could not include
all groups in the nearly 300-page
book. Asfar as comparing the issue
with omissions ofthe race riot: "That
is unfortunateandit is absurd, ’ Goble
said. ’I can assure members of this
group that if35square blocks ofgayowned
housing hadbeen burned and
as many as 1,000 gay and lesbian
people had been murdered, that that
event would have been very much a
part of the public record and very
much apart of this histo~.. ’ "
This comment is particularly idiotic
but to try to give you the benefit
of the doubt, perhaps the AP reporter
failed to aecurateiy convey the point
we were making. Or perhaps you
deliberately.responded in such a way
to make us look as though we were
making the comparison which you
accurately characterized as absurd.
We never suggested that Tulsa’s
Gay history was comparable to the
"Race.Riot." The pointwe were making
is that that event was suppressed
.thoroughly for many, many years
because it was considered "embarrassing"
to "mainstreamTulsa"- that
was, of course, when "mainstream
Tulsa" did not treat Blacks as equal
human beings.
Our pointis since Lesbian and Gay
Tulsans now occupy a position
slightly similar to that which Black
Tulsans once held, we find that our
experience andcontributions arerendered
invisible or marginalized just
like theirs were. It is the process that
is similar, not the specific, eventg.
The "mainstream" culture censors
that which it finds objectionable or
embarrassing or uncomfortable.
In the final assessment, Mr. Goble,
with the inaccuracy and omissions of
the Centennial book, you not ouly
rob Lesbian and Gay Tulsans of the
dignity and respectwhich we deserve
as members of this community,-you
also rob all Tulsans of part of our
history. No doubt, 10 or 20 years
later, more progressive scholars will
look back and see you much like .the
racist scholars of some decades back,
and in both cases will say how could
you ignore what really happened?
If you are interested in educating
yourself, we are at your disposal~
Pleasegive these matters serious consideration.
Thank you.
- the board ofdirectors
TulsaOklahomansforHumanRights
www.movo.corn

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