[1998] Tulsa Family News, July 1998; Volume 5, Issue 7

[1998] Tulsa Family News, July 1998; Volume 5, Issue 7

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

July 1998

James Christjohn
Jean-Claude de Flambeauchaud
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Judy McCormick
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
The Associated PRess

Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News

Tulsa Family News, June 1998; Volume 5, Issue 7

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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
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Nickles Blocks Hormel Vote
& Denounces-Homosexuals
WASHINGTON (AP)-A national civil rights group is
accusing Sen. Don Nickles, Oklahoma’ s senior senator,
the Senate’ s second-ranking Republican,
of wrongly mixing
government and religion in saying
a Gay philanthropist nominated
for an ambassadorship is
tmqualitiedbecausehepromotes
"immoral behavior."
"This is.a perfect example of
religious beliefs infringingupon
publicpolicy," saidDavid Smith,
a spokesman for the Human
Rights Campaign, a political
group. "In the history of this country, those that have
used religion tojustify bigotry have been~proven wrong.
" Smith said.
¯ "The criticism came hfter Nickles denounced President
Clinton’ s nomination of James Hormel of California
as ambassador to Luxembourg. "He has promoted
that lifestyle and promoted it in a big way, in a way that
is very offensive," Nickles, the Senate majority whip,
said on¯ ,Fox News Sunday." "One might ihave that
lifestyle; butif one promotes-it a~ aceeptaSle behavior,
¯.. I don’t think-they should be a representative of this
countr.y." "I think it" s immoral behavior and I think a lot
of other behavibr is immoral anti shouldn’t be treated as
acceptable behavior?’ Nickles said. While homosexuality
i~ a sin, so is adultery and fornication, he added.
A struggle over Hormel’s nomination has been going
on formonths. Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., has
refused to bring the matter to the Senate floor for a vote.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D:Calif., criticized the delays
recently. Hormel is "entitled to his due process," she
said on CNN’s "Late Edition." "Yes, he happens to be
Gay. But all men are created equal as a matter of public
policy - or should be," Feinstein said.
The renewed debate over Hormel followed controversy
about connnents by Lott that homosexuality is a
Sin. "~lrOU should still love that person," Lott said on
cable television’s "’The Armstrong Williams Show."
"You should not try to mistreat them or treat them as
outcasts. You should try to show them a way to deal with
that problem, just like alcohol.., or sex addiction...
or "kleptommfiacs.’" The co~uments thrust Lott into the
debate of whether homosexuals have chosen their sexual
orientation or whether it is biologically predetermined.
Afterward, Sen. Alf0nse D’Amato, R-N.Y., criticized
Lott for refusing to let Hormel’s nomination go
forward. D’Amato said Lott’s only reason is that Hormel
is Gay. But Sen. Tim Hutchinson, R-Ark., said,"I talked
with Jim Hormel myself and asked him to disavow
some of the groups that ridicule and disdain organized
religion.¯, and he refused to do that," Hutchinson said.
"The question is one of suitability and whether he’s
sensitive to organized religion. Luxembourg is a country
that’s 97% Catholic.’"
Sen. Don Nickles
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Supreme Court Rules
DisabilityAct Covers HIV
WASHINGTON (AP) - In a decision praised by advocates for
AIDS patients and the disabled, the Supreme Court has ruled that
people infected with HIV are protected by a key anti-discrimination
law even if they have no visible AIDS symptoms. The 5-4
ruling said a woman whose dentist refused to fill a cavity at his
officebecause she was HIV-posidveis coveredby the Americans
With Disabilities Act, the 1990 law that protects the disabled
against discrimination in jobs, housing and public accommodations.
"HIV infection, even in the so-called asymptomatic phase, is
an impairment which substantially limits the major life activity
of reproduction" and therefore qualifies for coverage under the
disability law, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the court.
It was the high court’s first ruling involving the human immunodficiency
virus, which causes AIDS.
President Clinton praised the decision, saying it "reinforces the
protections offeredby the landmark Americans With Disabilities
Act for Americans living with HIV and AIDS."
Jennifer Middleton, of the American Civil Liberties Union’s
AIDS Project, predicted the decision will help people with other
disabilities - such as cancer, epilepsy and diabetes - who sometimes
have had trouble convincing lower courts they are covered
by the disability law.-And Daniel Zingale of AIDS Action, a
network of organizations that provide health care and services tO
AIDS patients, called the decision HIV patients’ "greatest legal
victory since the beginning of the epidemic."
The decision set aside the ruling of a Boston federal appeals
court, which said dentist Randon Bmgdon of Bangor, Maine,
violated the anti-discrimination law when he refused to fill
Sidney Abbott’s tooth at his office because she carries the virus
that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome. While the
justices ruled that Abbott was covered by the ADA, they ordered
lower courts to reconsider whether Bragdon violated the law.
Those courts previously had said Bragdon did not show the
treatment would have been unsafe, see Court, page 3
: A handful ofanti-Gayprotesters (ratio: 15 to 150)
¯¯ picket white marchers circle Veterans Park at the
Tulsa Pride Picnic. Typical signs read: "Fags die.
¯ God laughs", and "God hates fags ".
: Tulsa Pride Unfazed by
¯ Anti-Gay Protesters
¯
TULSA - Despite the picketing of Topeka’s anti-
¯ Gay extremist, the Rev. Fred Phelps and friends,
¯ the Tulsa Pride March & Picnic went off with no
significant problems according to organizers. Pride
: Committee member, Greg Gatewood, noted that
¯ there were nearly 30 booths by various community
¯ organizations and businesses and estimated that
attendence at the event was about 700-800, which
¯ organizers say is about usual. One attendee noted
that some of his friends decided not to come citing
¯ the Phelps protest but others came who’d never
been before, also inspired by the picketers.
The Phelps contingent, carrying Sl~,ns like, Fags
die, God laughs," and such, numbered about 15 at
the most. A marcher observed that Gay and Gayfriendly
marchers numbered about 150, more than
double the number in last year’s inaugural march,
outnumbering Phelps-ires about 10 to 1.
see Picnic, page 3
FayettevilleSch0olsto Protect ¯ Gay Pride Worldwide!
Gay :..-...K.. ,ids’ .F .rom.H .s,.m., :e.n,t-.::-. ReportS from The A_sso.C.ia.te.d Press
L;all~Ornla
FAYET~EViLL~, .M:k. (AP) - Tlie school district here lias ;
agreed to train its staff mad set up procedures to deal with " SAN" FRAN’CISCO W. HOLLYV¢O©D - \Vi0z a
harassment of Gay students in a settlement of a complaint by the
mother of a Gay teen-ager, according to a Gay civil rights group.
The Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund mmounced that
officials of the Fayetteville School District had reached m~
agreement with the Office of Civil Rights of the federal FAucation
Department.
The agreement, called a"commitment to resolve," stems from
a sex-discrimination complaint filed by the parents of V~qlliam
Wagner, 17. His mother, Carolyn W~gner, said her son was
beaten in an attack bx other students on Dec. 2, 1997, and said her
son had endured daiiv harassment and destruction of his belongings
because of his s~xual orientation.
The Lambda Fund said the Fayetteville district agreed to
"’recognize the various forms of sexual harassment (including)
sexual harassment directed at Gay or Lesbian students." The
district agreed to overhaul i.t,~s poli~ies and procedures and train
faculty, staff and students tO diminate harassment and deal with
it when it occurs, Lambda Said. see Ar’kansas, page 11
World AIDS Conference
GENEVA (AP) -The largest AIDS conference ever began with
a mix of optimism and frustration: Cheer over potent new viruskilling
drugs was tempered by despair that AIDS sail spreads
explosively in parts of the world that cannot afford these medical
breakthroughs. Abou! 13,200 scientists, doctors, advocates and
journalists gathered for the 12th World AIDS Conference to hear
5,400 presentations on new treatments, insights-into the basic
workings of the virus and how the disease affects everyone from
pregnant women to prisoners to "’commercial sex workers," the
conference euphemism for prostitutes.
During the weeklong meeting, scientists are expected to.discuss
newly developed treatments that may offer alternatives to
protease inhibitors, the class of drugs that have revolutionized
AIDS care. Moreover, experts believe they are closing in on
simpler regimens that will require people to take far fewer than
the 20 pills a day which is now common.
Doctors also will hear encouraging reports on preventing the
spread of the virus see HIV, page 10
’ purple fedora perched on his head, San Francisco
¯ Mayor Willie Br0wnjoined hundreds of thousands
¯ of people who celebrated the annual Gay and
Lesbian pride day at two California cities S~ndav.
In West Hollywood, more than 350,000 people
¯ participated in a two-da.v 28th annual Gay and
Lesbian Pride Festival and Parade. The parade was
¯ preceded by a 5- and 10-kilometer run led by
¯ Olympian Greg Leuganis.
¯ In San Francisco, fes tivities began Sunday moruing
with loud whoops and cheers for hundreds of
¯ women on motorcycles who led the parade down
¯ Market Street, which was lined with rainbow flags.
Brown marched along, sporting a purple fedora,
¯ bright orange jacket and rainbow-colored shirt. He
¯ said it marked his 28th appearance at the annual
¯ event. "’(The parade) represents almost a Super
¯ Bowl for/_he city, from a commercial standpoint,"
he said. "It (also) represents the spirit of this oty.
.. the creativity that is this city and the diversity thal
¯ is this city." ¯
The cyclists were followed by an array of danc-
¯ ers, marching bands, drag queens, politicians; military
veterans, unusual floats and a police-escorted
¯ riderless horse - representing deaths in the Gay
¯ community. Organizers estimated the crowd in the
hundreds of thousands.
In the Southern California parade, Los Angeles
: Mayor Richard Riordan joined city officials from
¯ .throughout the regionin a two-hour, 200-organiza-
¯ aon strong parade led by Grand Marshall Wilson
Cruz of the Broadway musical "Rent" and canceled
TV series "My So Called Life."
¯ Community groups and about 13 corporate spon-
¯ sots drove floats and marched in the parade to this
year’s theme of "Freedom to Love, Freedom to
Choose." The West Hollywood parade is touted as
¯ the third-largest in California, behind the Rose
Parade and the Hollywood Christmas Parade, orgauizers
said. see World Pride, p. 3


NY Mayor Praises Gays
NEW YORK (AP) - Embracing diversity and rejecting
intolerance have made the city stronger, Mayor
Rudolph Giuliani said as he gave Gay men and
Lesbians credit for playing an important role in New
York’s boom. "Our society has to be better off as we
go through sometimes the pain of opening somety up,
so that everyone gets a chance to make their maximum
contribution," he said at a ceremony recognizing
Gays working in city government.
"When you think back to 100 years ago, when lots
of people were excluded from govenanent, some
based on race, some based on gender, some based on
sexual orientation, we were working with half or less
than half of the potential talent that was available."
Giuliani said. "Maybe that’s one of the reasons why
the city does so much better now than it did 20 and 30
and 40 years ago."
In a proclamation, the Republican mayor declared
"Out in Government Day," part of the commemoration
of Lesbian and Gay pride and history month. He
aiso cited his efforts to enact le~slation that would
ensure that unmarried.couples are treated the same as
roamed ones on everything from housing to parking
permits - a bill touted as an important advance in Gay
and Lesbian rights.
Giuliani’s support for most Gay civil rights has
made trim the target of criticism frown the GOP’ s right
wing. When asked later about Republican criticism of
President Clinton’s nominee for ambassador to Luxembourg,
homosexual philanthropist James Hormel,
the ma~’or stud he hadn’t looked into the dispute. But
he added: "Someone’s sexual orientation is a private
matter, and that should not be the basis on which
someone ~s hired or fired by gov~t’unent... I’m going
to have that view until I die." In contrast, Sen. Don
Nickles, R-Okla., said Hormd was unqualified because
he promotes "inmmral behavior.’"
Lesbian Mom Loses
Custody Case
MONTGOMERY, Ala. ~AP) - The ,Alabama Supreme
Court, overturning an appeals panel, has removed
a child from the custody of her homosexual
mother, ruling that the woman exposed her daughter
to a "lifestyle" thatis illegal in Alabama. The 7-0
decision authored by Justice Champ Lyons found that
the child’s best interests would be better served in a’
home with her father and his new wife.
The Supreme Court’s ruling said Jefferson County
Circuit Judge Ralph Ferguson applied the correct
legal standard by removing the young girl from a
mother who was living with another woman in an
"’open Lesbian relationship." The Alabama Court of
Civil Appeals had reversed Ferguson’s order, holding
that the father didn’t prove the mother’s conduct
was having a "’substantial detrimental effect" on the
child. But the high court said there was no need to
prove there was a substantial detrimental effect, only
that the child’s interests were better served in the
father’s home.
%~qaile the evidence shows that the mother loves
the child and has provided her with good care, it also
shows that she has chosen to expose the child continurush’
to a lifestyle that is ’neither legal in this state,
nor ~;aoral in the eyes of most of its citizens,’ "Lyons
wrote, quoting a previous court decision. A 1975
Alabama statute proclaims all homosexual conduct to
be criminal. Earlier this ye.ar, the state enacted a law
that banned same-sex mamages.
At the time of the 1993 divorce, the father gave up
custody knowing the moth.er was revolved in a Lesbian
,relationship, but witt~ the undexstanding she
wouldkeep it discrete and not let the childknow about
~t. The father later remarried. During visits to his
house, the girl told her dad that her mother and
companion were sleeping in the same bed together.
That prompted the father to sue for custody.
Kate Kendell, executive director of the National
Center for Lesbian Rights, which helped argue the
case on the mother’s behalf, said the mother.essentially
lost custody because she was honest about her
relationship: "What’s unique about the case is that it
doesn’t appear to hold that a Lesbian or Gay parent is
always disqualified from custody," Ms. Kendell said
in a telephone interview from her San Francisco
office. "Rather, it enforces upon those parents that
the3’ live a lie - that they not live their lives with
integrity or be honest with their children about being
Gay."
The decision cited testimony from several psychologists,
who had differing op~mons on where the
child should live, but all agreed the girl had a good
home relationship with her mother and her parmer.
The Christian Family Association, an Alabama
group that has promoted fundamentalist Christian
positions, said that was no substitute for a traditional
family environment. "The Supreme Court has placed
the g~rl with a real family," said spokesman Dean
Young. "People aren’t fooled. People can say a family
is whatever they want to, but God said a man and
a’woman would c(~me together to start a family, not
two women or two men."
Congress,.ma Wants to
Stop Anti-Bias Order
WASHINGTON, DC -I;.S. Rep. Joel Hefley, RColo.,
wants to "’neutralize" President Clinton’s executive
order protecting homosexual federal workers
fromjob discrimination. Hefley claims that the order.
signed last month, gives homosexuals specia! status
a~ a protected class throu,~hout the federal government.
He said he has proposed an amendment to the
1999 Treasury-Postal Appropriations bill that would
prevent any o’f the fmads appropriated in the bill from
being nsed"’to implement, administer, or enforce" the
order "’Bill Clinton has added a new category to the
nation’s civil rights laws,’" the Colorado Springs
congressman said. "With this action, the president
effectively established institutional quotas for homosexual
ern’ployees.’" The amendment would"neutralize
this order," Heflev said.
A White House sp~)keswoman said, "’this is about
[fighting] discrimination," said Nanda Chitre, tim
spokeswoman. "If this is what the Republicans want
to focus on, we’re willing to engage .on this issue
because we are anti-discrirmnation." Chitre added
that the amendment ~eflects comments made by Sen.
: TfentLott, R-Miss., who earlier :thi~~ mdfith said~
homosexuality should be treated "ju.st li,k,e alcohol..
or sex addiction or kleptomaniacs
Baptists Promote_Book
Censorship in Texas
WICHITA FALLS, Texas (AP) - Two children s
books depicting families with homosexual parents
will be shelved in a juvenile nonfiction section of the
Wichita Falls Public Library, instead of the picturebook-
area meant for younger children. The First
Baptist Church of Wichita Falls and several reliDous
groups had sought the removal of "Heather Has Two
Mommies" and "Daddy’s Roommate" or placement
on adult bookshelves.
However, Librarian Linda Hughes said it’s inappropriate
to put the books in the adult section "because
children are looking for these books now because
of the furor." She added: t hey are ery curious.
They want to know what is going on. Sending
them to the adult area would mean browsing through
very graphic texts that were written for adults."
The city’s library advisory board reviewed the
books after the Rev. Robert Jeffress, pastor of the
First Baptist Church, sharply criticized the books.
The board recommended Tuesday that "Heather Has
Two Mommies" be moved to thejuvenile section, the
WichitaFalls Times Record News reportedin today’s
editions.
But Ms. Hughes had the final say. She said she
decided children who wanted the books could find
them in the social sciences area for juveniles. The
juvenile section is geared toward children in grades 3
to 7. Jeffress was out of town and not available for
comment on Thursday. But earlier in the week, he
promised to take the matter to the City Council if the
books were placed where children wouldhave access
to them.
But Nancy Horvath, pastor of the Wichita Falls
Metropolitan Community Church, praised Ms.
Hughes’ decision. Ms. Horvath is raising one child
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with her female partner of 11 years. Since the controversy
began, interest in the bo(~ks has exploded. Previously,
only five people had asked about the books. By
June 8, the day the new library opened, s taff tracked 187
computer title searches for both volumes, most originating
from the children’s terminals.
NYC Passes Domestic
Partner Benefits
NEW YORK (AP) A proposal that would cement the
rights of domesuc partners in J.ssues from health benefits
to parking permits has cleared the City Council. "I
think the impact will be very far reaching," said Councilman
Thomas Duane, a M~ahattan Democrat who led
supporters. "It is another step toward fnll equalization
of benefits for non-traditional family members."
The legislation, which is intended to ensure that the
city treats unmarried couples the same as those who are
married, has been touted as an important advance for
.Gay couples.: It was crafted by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
m cooperation with Council members and Gay civil
rights advocates.
New York for years has been recognized for its
accommodating policies toward Gay and Lesbian
couples. A series of directives, some of which date to the
1980s, extended to domestic partners the rights once
reserved for spouses and family members, such as
visitationin city jails and hospitals, child-care leave and
succession for city-supervised housing.
Approved 39-7 with one abstention, the legislation
would make those policies permanent by writing them
into law. It would apply to heterosexual and homosextml
domestic partnerships registered with the City
Clerk. The mayor is expected to sign it promptly.
Since the settlement of a lawsuit in 1993, the city has
provided health and dental benefits to the domestic
parmers of city workers. Under the bill, labor negotiations
would be required to extend to employees" partners
the samebenefits provided for employees" spouses,
potentially opening the way for those benefits to be
. expanded. But the le~slation also, would venture into
new areas, like allowing domestic partners of police
and other uniformed employees to be eligible for death
benefits if the employee is killed in the line of duty. A
domestic partner would also have the right to be buried
with a partner in the city-owned Canarsie cemetery, a
right now reserved for spouses. Other changes invoh’e
rights to parking permits and disclosure statements filed
by city employees.
Councilman ,Michael Abel, a Queens Republican
who voted against the bill, called it another nail in the
coffin of the institution of marriage. "What you are
d.oing is setting yourself up to give an economic incentive
not to get married," Abel said. "It’s anti-societal to
the extent that it’s an anti-mamage bill, and I still
believe most New Yorkers favor marriage.’"
There are about 8,700 registered domestic partners in
¯ the city, and at least 55percent are heterosexual couples,
according to the mayor’s office.. Similar issues have
been debated around the country, including in Philadelphia,
where the City Council approved a measure to
extend health and pension benefits to same-sex partners
of city workers.
The Council vote was preceded by an unusual demonstration
on the City Hall steps, in which a group of
Hasidic Jewish rabbis and rabbinical students invoked
a biblical curse on legislators and officials supporting
the bill l They prayed, held candles and blew into shofars,
a ram’.s horn used in religious ceremonies. "Almighty
God, the arrogant officials who run this city, New York,,,
have declared war against you and your biblical law,
said Rabbi Yehuda Levin, a vocal opponent ofGay civil
rights. "Strike down the hands that are raised in support
of this bill. Silence the voices that speak up in favor of
this bill," he said. When asked about the protest, Duane
said, "I don’t think any religious person would ever
believe God would ever pinfish a person for standing for
fairness and equality.‘°
Arkansas Seeks to Ban
Gay Foster Parents
LITTLE ROCK (AP) - The ,amaerican Civil Liberties
Union of Arkansas objected recently to a proposal that
would prohibit Gay people from serving as foster parents.
Rita Sklar, ACLU executive director in Arkansas,
said in a news release that the proposal
could be challenged as a violation of the right to
equal protection under the U.S. Constitution. "The
"qu~ties that make good parents, or good foster
paren-t~,are universal." she said. "The ability to
love and care for a child is not going to be determined
by one’s sexual orientation. Gay men and
Lesbi an~ are not anymore likely to engage in criminal,
abusive or psychologi"cally damaging behavior
than the rest of the population "
At a meeting in Paragould. the state Child \\%llare
Agency Review Board proposed prohibiting
homosexuals from serving as foster parents. The
board sets minimum standards for liceused childplacement
agencies, foster homes and therapeutic
foster homes. The board asked Assistant Attorney
General Karen Wallace to research the issue and try
to come np with a resolution. "I would like to
require foster parents to be heterosexual, married
couples" Robin Woodruff said during the meeting
of the nine-member board. "Allowing single foster
care.., takes away enforcement" because it opens
the process to "homosexuals who say they’re single
with a roommate or boarder."
Ms. Wallace said state law says marriage must be
between a man and a woman. "Where the difficult)
comes is it’s hard to determine if someone’s a
homosexual . . . and it’s real hard to regulate a
person’s status," she said. "’In other words, you can
regulate what someone does - not what someone
is." She said the board should not "single people
out, because it could be challenged constitutionally."
~ls. Woodrnff said people have "a right to behave
how they want, but they don’t (necessarily)
have the right to be foster parents." Ms. Wallace
said one option would be to require foster pareuts
to be related by blood or marriage. Such an option
would allow ~ingles to remain in the picture as
foster parents.
Other board members agreed with the goal of
preventing homosexuals from being foster parents.
"I think we should never promote homosexuality in
any fashion," said David V,rhatley. "I know there’s
a problem getting foster parents, but in my opinion
it would be devastating for a child to go into a
homosexual home."
But some members expressed concern about the
proposal. "I don’t think we need to promote the
homosexual lifestyle, but we do need to recognize
the necessity for alternative settings," said Steve
Dunaway. "As much as I support the board on that,
I can see situations where it would be suitable" for
a child to have homosexual foster parents.
Canadian Province
Gives Partner Benefits
VICTORIA, British Columbia (AP) - British Columbia
will become the first province in Canada to
voluntarily grant pension benefits to same-sex
couples who are public employees, under legislation
introduced recently. Other provinces have
moved that way, but under duress. Court decisions
have forced Ontario and Nova Scotia to address
pension issues involving Gay and Lesbian couples.
British Columbia paved the way last summer for
extended pension benefits when the provincial
government allowed same-sex partners to be defined
as spouses. It also extended to homosexual
couples the same rights as heterosexual couples on
child custody and maintenance issues.
The new legislation affects British Columbia’s
235,000 public employees, including government
workers, municipal employees and public school
teachers. "It’s very significant because Gays and
Lesbians have been paying into the fund and never
before have they been able to receive the benefits,"
said legislative member Tim Stevenson, who is
Gay and who expects protests from some groups
and political parties opposed to same-sex relationships.
"Here you have a government, to its credit,
that has decided not to fight this in the courts,"
echoed Lawrence Aronovitch, vice president of
EGALE, see Canada, page 14.
Activists Welcome
Court Decision
JACKSON, Miss (AP)-Mississippi AIDS
activists hope a U.S. Supreme Court decision
protecting HIV-infected persons
against discrimination will curb intolerance
of the disease’s victims. The ruling
places persona living with AIDS and HIV
positive individuals, even those who show
no symptoms, under the Americans with
Disabilities Act. The federal law bans
discrimination against disabled people.
Debbie Konkle-Parker, former chairwoman
of the Mississippi HIV/AIDS
Assembly, said. she welcomes the decision
but doesn’t believe it will entirely
end discrimination against AIDS/HIV-
: released recently.
The report provided country-by-c6un-
: try statistics to back up a study released in
November, which estimated that 2.3 rail-
: lionpeoplediedofAIDSin 1997,up50%
¯ from 1996. About 16,000 people a day
¯ contract HIV. The latest study, by the
: WorldHealth Organization andUNAIDS,
: comes ahead of Sunday’s opening of the
12th World AIDS Conference in Geneva,
~ where 12,000 specialists and others will
~ discuss advances in HIV research.
: Limited education about the virus is a
major hurdle, particularly because an ef-
~ fective cure may be at least 10 years away,
~ UNAIDS DireCtor-General Peter Piot said
~ atanews conference. "Let’s be very aware
AIDS is with usto stay for a very long
infected persons."Generally, anydiscrimi- " time," Piot said.
nalaon is not out front," she said. "They
choose other reasons to discriminate.
(against infected persons).
"’There is opposition based onhomophobia
or that folks with HIV did it to themselves.
But I know there are folks throughout
the state who can use this (ruling) to
speak out.’"
"My initial reaction is one of elation
and hope," said Robert McGowan, cochair
of the Mississippi HIV/AIDS Coalition,
"The Supreme Court has finally recognized
laws that find that people with
HIV can be protected by the government.
(But) I am cautiously optimistic. We must
see how this is implemented.~,’,
The rifling set aside a lower 6ourt decision
that said dentist Randon Bragdon
violated the anti-discriminationlaw when
he refused to fill Sidney Abbott’s toothin
his office because she carries the virus
that causds acquired immune deficiency
syndrome. Justices ruled that Abbott was
coveredunder theADAbut ordered lower
courts to reconsider whetherBragdon discriminated
against her.
According to the Mississippi Department
of Health Services, there were 2,856
colffinned cases of AIDS and 3.461 HIV
ilffections repdrted in the state in 19.97,
the last year for which numbers are available.
The ADA, signed by President Bush in
1990. protects the disabled against discfimination
in jobs, housing and public
acconunodations. Some of the law" s most
visible results are aids such as wheelchair
ramps at countless public places. The law
says people are disabled if.they have a
physical or mental impairment that "substantiallv
limits one or more major life
activities." Ms. Abbott’s lawyers said that
if HIV-infected people did not have clear
protection under the taw, many would
hide their condition.
McGowan says-he hopes the court’s
decision will lead to more funding for
HIViAIDS research and to help treat patients.
"I look fonvard to seeing implementation
of this at the federal and state
level,’" he said. "We can, perhaps, see for
the first time that we are our brothers
keepers and hope that this prejudice can
be eroded."
Rise in AIDS Due to
Lack of Awareness
GENEVA (AP) Declining HIV infectxon
rates in some countries are being
edipsed by huge rises in others where
AIDS awareness and access to new drug
therapies are lacking, according to a new
U.N. report. In parts of Africa, one adult
in four is infectS, with the virus that
causes AIDS while the figure is less than
1% in the United States and across Westem
Europe, experts said in the report
Access to new therapies for AIDS-related
infections such as tuberculosis and
diarrhea is the "overwhelming issue" for
90% of those living with the AIDS virus,
the report said.
Zimbabwe and Botswana, where
UNAIDS estimates around one in four
adults carry HIV, had the highest infection
rates. The United States figure was
0.76% - 820,000 people in all. It was less
than 1% across Western Europe. North
Africa and the Middle East are "the great
unknown," with cultural difficulties in
talking about the epidemic hampering
collection of statistics, UNAIDS said.
Political courage to prevent the spread
ofAIDS is the ke3 to narrowing the"AIDS
gap," Piot said, praising HIV prevention
efforts inUganda, Thailand and Senegal.
The November study said 5.8 million
people were ixffected x~’ith HI\’ in 1997,
up from 5.3 million people the year be-.
fore. Globall.v. 30.6 million live with HI\"
or AIDS, two-thirds of them in snb-Saharan
Africa, it said.
Prices Cut on AIDS
Drugs for Poor
NEW YORK (AP) - Several major pharmaceutical
companies have agreed to cut
their prices for AIDS drugs by up to 75%
to make thmn more available to pe6ple in
developing parts of the world. The medication
will soon be sold at a discount in
Africa, Asia and South America, under a
progrmn overseen by the United Nations.
"If you’re charging a New York price in
Uganda and not selling anything, you’re
not helping anyone." said Peter Young, a
G1a.xo WellcomePLC official involved in
the U.N. program. Mor~ than 90% of the
world’s 30.6 million people ilffected with
the AIDS virus live in the developing
world. Uganda and the Ivory Coast wi!l
receive the first shipments of discounted
drugs this week, Dr. Joseph Saba, an infectious-
disase specialist with the U.N.
pro~am, said Tuesday.
Glaxo Wellcome will sell its combination
treatment of AZT and 3TC for $200
a month or less, a 60% discount. Hoffman
LaRoche Inc. will offer several drugs at
reduced cost, including its protease inhibitor
Invirase and medicines to treat
infections that often accompany AIDS.
Other companies that have committed
themsdves to the price cuts include Abbott
Laboratories and Bristol-Myers Squibb
Co. Merck & Co., which makes the protease
inhibitor Crixivan, will not participate.
In recent years, AIDS activists have
been pressuring drug makers to offer less
expensive treatments. Saba said about
3,000 people will be able to receive the
most advanced medidnes, like AZT, in
the coming year. Far more will be able to
Cherry Street
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%oo much for
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please call
pay .for medicine to treat pneumonia,
stimulate appetite or relieve pain, he said.
Even with the price cuts, the drugs are
a crippling expense in nations where incomes
are low and health insurance rare.
Uganda’s per-capita income is, less than
$300 a month; the ivory Coast s is about
$620. But Saba said he hopes governments
will increase funding for AIDS
care if the drugs prove successful. "We
must start somewhere," he said. ’q’hese
governments don’t have huge resources,
so wemust show them that AIDS justifies
investing public funds."
Kent Balch-&
Associates
918-747-9506
Sandra Hill, M.s.
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The
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1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor
in the Pride Center, 743-4297
6-9 pro, Sunday - Friday
12-9 pm, Saturday
all sales benefit the Pride Center
Gifts ¯ Cards ¯ Pride Merchandise
http:/imembers.aol.com~
TulsaPride/index.html
will
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AIDS Cure Lab
NEW YORK (AP) - President Allen
Sessoms of Queens College turned over a
spade of earth Tuesday to symbolically
start construction ofa $30-million, worldclass
AIDS research center headed by one
of the discoverers of the HIV virus. "Because
millions around the world are suffeting
from AIDS, there is not a moment
to lose," Sessoms said.
"My colleagues and I are impatient to
start work in these facilities," said Dr. Luc
Montaguier, the French co-discoverer of
the virus that causes the fatal immune
deficiency disease. ".It will save many
lives." Jay Bargmann, a semor executive
ofRafael Vinoly Architects, said hewould
"guarantee that work on AIDS research
will begin in this building 30 months from
now" - the year 2001.
Meanwhile, Montagnier and his staff
will workin a temporary laboratory on the
campus. "We are very optimistic about
improving treatment by bolstering the
immune system of patients and about our
ultimate goal, a vaccine to prevent infection
by the AIDS virus," Montagnier said.
He added that it looked like a 107yearjob.
In addition to combating AIDS,
Montagnier has said he expected secondary
benefits from the research in the form
of treatments for cancer and, eventually,
multiple sclerosis.
Montagnier, whoseresearch has been
at the Pasteur Institute in Paris,.is taking
up a chair at the college endowed with $3
million by Bernard Salick, a graduate of
Queens College who became a physician
and then a medical entrepreneur. The new
facility will be called the Salick Center for
Molecular and Cellular Biology, with
space for a staff of 70 and laboratories for
Virology, immunology; molecular genetics
and vaccine development.
The building, looking out on a reflecting
pool, will be crescent-shaped and
mostly one story. Administration offices
and exhibit and meeting space will be
housed in a three-story wing at one end.
New York City and state are contributing
nearly $20 million to the project and the
rest is being raised privately. Queens is a
senior college in the City University with
18,000 students.
Supplement May
Stop Muscle Loss
AMES, Iowa (AP) - An Iowa State University
professor’s discovery of a supplement
that AIDS patients can take to fight
deadly muscle loss will be unveiledThursday
at the World AIDS Conference in
Switzerland. Steven Nissen, a professor
of animal science and chief executive
officer of MTIBiotech Inc. in Ames, invented
Juven, a dietary supplement that
Nissen says helps AIDS patients gain
muscle mass.
Juven’s main ingredient is HMB (betahydroxy-
beta-methylbutyrate), which is
producedin small amounts in the body as
it breaks down amino acids. The professor
discovered the substance while doing
research at Iowa State in 1988, and he
turned it into a supplement used mainly
by athletes. However, his hopes for its
benefits to AIDS patients weren’t confirmed
until April, when he received final
results of a study done in New York.
"Every time you go into this, you hope for
the best, but this time it actually worked,"
Nissen said.
Juven, a powder that when mixed with
water tastes like Tang, is created in a
laboratory using a chemical reaction.
During the eight-week study, AIDS patients
who had been wasting away from
the disease gained an average of 6 1/2
pounds,including 51/2 pounds ofmuscle.
The group of AIDS patients who took a
placebo lost an average of 1 1/2 pounds of
muscle during the study.
One way AIDS devastates its victims is
by accderadng muscle breakdown to the
point where people do not have enough
energy for day-to-day activities. Muscle
loss can be deadly when it leaves so litde
strength that victims can’t even cough,
and they develop pneumonia.
While HMBhas been a popular musclebooster
with bodybuilders and athletes
for several years, Nissen said he is glad
attention to it is being gained in the medical
field.
In the fall, he will begin researching
how Juven can help victims suffering
muscle loss because of cancer, muscular
dystrophy, Lou Gehrig’s disease, trauma
and aging. One cancer victim has already
benefited from Juven. "My mother was
the first gmnea pig," Nissen said. When
his mother, Audrey Nissen, was diagnosed
with a severe form of ovarian cancer
in April 1997, she agreed to use Juven.
Throughout two exploratory surgeries and
chemotherapy, she did not lose any weight
and is now in r~mission,he Said.
Before Juven, AIDS patients could use
anabolic steroids or human growth hormone
as muscle-loss therapies, both of
which have proven side effects. Because
Juven is composed of amino acids found
in the hmnan body, it does not cause side
effects, Nissen said. To prove it, study
coordinators conducted repeated blood
tests and had padents fill out questionnaires
and under go psychological tests.
Mother-Child HIV
Transfer Reduced
CHICAGO (AP) - French researchers
say using Caesarean sections during birth,
coupled with the HIV-fighting drug AZT, :
could nearly eliminate transmission ofthe ¯
AIDS virus from mother .to child. As "
recently as 1994, a baby born to an HIV- "
posit.ire mother had about a 25% chance °
of contracting the virus. AZT alone ¯
dropped that rate to less than 8%. Two "
new studies show the rate of mother-to- °
infant transmission plummeting to 2% ."
and, in some cases, lower than 1% when ¯
the C-section is used with AZT therapy. :
"The goal was to have the rate of trans- "
mission below 1% by the end of the century,
and I think we’re really getting there,’" ¯
said Dr. Laurent Mandelbrot, leader of a °
French study that will be published in the "
HIV/AIDS-themed edition of the Journal ¯
of the American Medical Association. ¯
The study, which included 2,834 "
mother-infant pairs in France, found that ¯
of the 1,917 mothers who did not receive ¯
AZT, 17.2% transmitted HIV to their in- ¯
fants. Of those who received AZT, "
the%age dropped to 6.6%. Of the mothers ¯
who took AZT before delivery and also
elected to have a C-section, only 0.8%
transmitted the AIDS virus.
A study-by the Nadonal Institute of
Child Health and Human Developmentm
Washington combined the findings of that
study with several others in Europe and
North America and found that C-sections
reduced transmission by half and, when
combined with AZT treatment, cut transmission
to just 2%.
Dr. John Flaherty, an infectious disease
specialist at the University of Chicago,
also has seen a drmnatic drop in motherto-
infant transmissions among his patients
- in large part because of treatment wilh
"cocktails" ofAIDS drugs, includingAZT.
But he wonders if it’s worth the risk of
complications and even death for the
mothers to add C-sections to the process.
’Tin kind of on the fence on it," Flahertv
said. "You have to ask, "Is it worth it to d~
C-sections on 100 women to prevent one
transmission?’ "
Dr. Patricia Garcia, an assistant professor
ofobstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern
University, is even more wary of
routinely using an invasive procedure.
"There isn’t a woman alive who wouldn’t
do anything to reduce the risk of transmission
to her child," Garcia said of pregnaut
women who are HIV-positive. "’But until
we sit down and so carefully go over thc
implications of this, I’m very concerned
about implementing it."
Prevention Effort
Targets Blacks
BOSTON (AP) - In response to a growing
AIDS problem among blacks statewide,
the Department of Public Health
launched an AIDS treatment and prevention.
campaign targeting blacks.
While new cases ofHIV/AIDS are down
about 50% from last 3’ear, Commissioner
of Public Health Howard Koh said the
state has fallen short in reaching the black
conununity. Blacks make up 5% of the
state’s population but comprise23% of
HIV cases in the state. They also make up
32% of those cases reported in the last
year, according to a recently released report.
The state will begin an advertising cmnpaigu
in four cides with the highest rates
of AIDS cases among blacks: Boston,
Springfield, Brockton and Cambridge.
. Ads depicting black campaigu volunteers
and emblazoned with the slogan - Free
Testing. Free Treatment. Free Yourself. -
will appear on commuter buses and trains
and conventional posters. Theposters also
advertise a special, toll-free hotline, 1-
888-I-ACT-NOW.
Callers of the toll-free hofline will be
directed to free testing and treatment programs.
Workers will also distribute 10,000
wallet information cards across the state.
"The bottom line is that we want to promote
a message of hope, that this ~s a
treatable epidemic and a preventable epidemic,"
said Koh.
The launch of the campaign was timed
to correspond with National HIV Testing
Day in which testing centers across the
state will make a special push for people
to find out if they are carrying the virus
that causes AIDS. The Supreme Court
this week rnled people with HIV are protected
from discrimination under the
Americans with Disabilities Act. "There’ s
never been a better time to be tested," said
Larry Kessler of the AIDS Action Committee
of Massachusetts. "The sooner your
know you are infected, the better your
chances for staying healthy.’"
by James Christjohn
TFN Entertainment Writer
To those who skipped the picnic fearing
a fierce confrontation with a mob of ravenous
homophobes, well. fear caused you
to miss out onlotsa fun. About 12 anti-gay
protesters appeared (victims of inbreed- "o
lng one and all), and
were kept at bay way
across the field by about
as many mounted police.
OK, now that’s
fodder for obvious
jokes, but I’ve promised
to be good. And I
alIL
So, back to the subject...
I almost felt
sorry for the poorfools.
They tried to broadcast
hatefulness through
their bullhorn, but the
music drowned them
out. What a pathetic
way to spend your life.
Council Oak Men’s
Chorale performed to
standing ovations at
both their premier concert
at A!l Sonl’~ Unitari~an - standing
room only, and also to a warm,response at
the National Organization for’Women’ s
annual awards banquet. A fall concert is
in the planning stages, in which choreography
was promised (yay!). The Chorale
performed as part of Follies Revue, June.
25-28, at the PAC. The variet5~ show benefit~
various AIDS charities° as most of
"¢ot~ know.
I am in a show to be performed in
August, entitled "Tight Quarters". No,
not hind quarters, "’Tight Qnarters", to be
performed August 27-30, 8pro, at the Performing
Arts Center. It is an old fashioned
screwball comedy - melodrama - musical
in which I get to play (fanfare, please) a
villain. Yes, a good, old fashioned, scenery
chewing villain. And to those of you
mhttefing "’surprise, surprise’", I will get
you, my pretties, and vour little...
~vhatevers, too. It should be a blast. Oh
yes, and for the audience, too. There are
~everal moments in the show of relevance
Tulsa Family News Entertainment
Writer. James Christjohn.
to our conm~unity, to detail them would
be to rnin the ending, but trust me, this is
amust-see! The performances benefit the
"MakeAWish" Foundation, which grants
terminally ill children their dream wishes.
For yours trnly, it marks a remm to the
stage after a ten year absence. And as my
friends have noted in
various ~vavs (editor’s
note: notal~vays in nice
ways ;-), "You can take
the actor oul of the theatre,
but you can’ t take
.the theat]e out of the
actor". We just had
our first run-through,
and the show will be
good. It is a new musical,
and the producer &
director, Hilary Genga
-(a Tulsa native) &
Teresa Bringle,respectively,
hope to take it to
New York eventually.
The cast includes, in
no particular order:
Kristina Van Dyne,
James Chase, James
ChriStjohn (told ya 1
was in it!), Cvndi Caldwell (last seen in
TU’s excelle~t "Colnpany’" playing the
Elaine Stritch role), Kevin Re3aaard, Kailee
Mclntosh, Simon Plohocky (last seen in
TU’s "Falsettoland’" as Marvin’s son),
Scott Gaffen (also a TU alumni and an
excellent actor), Brad Gillespie, Martha
Barth, David Hubbard, Je~my Buchanan,
mad Adeena Nayfa. For ticket information,
call the Performing Arts Center Box
Office at 596-’7111.
Stevie Nicks performs in Dallas July
17. This ~s a must see, since she will be
performing material never before heard in
concert. Many selections won’t be heard
live .again, most likely. Not 3our typical
"greatest hits" show, the reviews I’ve seen
have been all raves, and the performances
have been consistently praised. The "En- "
chanted" tour tix are available through
Ticketmaster. for up to date info, and to
see that someone actually likes her as
much if not more than I do, check out
www.mcksfix.com.
Tulsa Morgan Horse Show .Extravaganza
TULSA -Organizers of Tulsa Morgan " National Anthem will be sung by lomn
HorseShow Extravaganzahave dedicated
tiffs year’s event to the memory of Gary
Wayne Walters;a greathorseman and one
of the founders of the
event. Waiters was
46 years old.
,~ portion of the
profits from the event
as well as all the gate
admission ($3) will
benefit Tulsa
C/A.R.E.S., formerly
"known as the HIV
Resource Consortium.
The Show, which
is Oklahoma’s only
all Morgan Breed event and a qualifier for
October’s Morgan Grand National and
World Show, will be held from July 30 to
August 2 at the Bedrock Arena, 1901
West 171 st Street South in Glenpool. The
arena is at the corner of 171st Street and 1-
75 (the Beeline) and is visible from 1-75.
Sessions will be held at 7pro onJuly 30,
8:30am & 7pro on July 31 & August 1,
and at 9am & lpm on August 2. The
Ric Poston, Tulsa Morgan Horse Show
Gwinup of Evans Training Stables from
Sapulpa, and Debbie SeyboldofEspanola,
New Mexico will serve as judge.
Two pro’ties will
occur during the extravaganza.
TRIAD
Morgan Farm of
Jenks will host the
first after the In-Hand
Championships on
Thursday evening.
The second will take
placeon Sat. evening
after the last class.
The "progressive"
dinner will also feature
a dance andlight
¯ show by "Thunder-N-Lightening".
~ The extravaganza will also have a silent
~ auction with items totalling $10,000 in
¯ value. Items include stallion breedings,
: 0figinai paintings, dinners, anautographed
." guitarfromDiamondReo, andmuchmore-
¯ Distinguished Oklahoma artists, Dana
: & Lisa Tiger also will have booths at the
] show as will other artists andvendors. For
] more information, call 299-6442.
Tulsa
Morgan Horse
Show -Extravaganza
July 30 - August 2
Bedro.ck Arena
1901 West 171st Street South
Oklahoma’s only all Morgan Breed Show
Qualifier for the upcoming October Morgan
Grand National and World Show
$3 admission & portion of profits benefits
Tulsa C.A.R.E.S.
(formerly the HIV Resource Consortium of Tulsa)
17us adverti~emerd dtxaated by Tulsa Fatmly Ne~s.
PHILBROOK
Visit Tuesday- Sunday
Adults $5, Seniors & Students $3
749.794-1
Timothy W.
Attorney at
Daniel
Law
An Attorney who will fight for
justice & equality for
Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury,
Criminal Law & Bankrul)lC~"
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drtlmright, Oklaholna
weekend and e\’ening appoinlmenls are available.
Home Repair Service
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Painting- Interior/Exterior
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*~" SUNDAYS
Bless the Lord At All Times Christian Center
Sunday Schoo! - 9:45am, Service - 11 am. 2207 E. 6th. 583-7815
Community of Hope ~United Methodist), Service - 6pro. 2545 S. Yale, 585-1800
Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Service - ! lain. 2545 S. Yale, 749-0595
Church of the Restoration Unitarian Universalist
Service - 11am. 1314 No. Greenwood, 587-1314
Family of Faith Metropolitan Community Church
Service - 5pm, Childrens Ministry - 5pm. 5451-E S. Mingo, 622-1441
House of the Holy Spirit Ministries, Inc.
Sunday School - 9:45am, Ser~qce - 10:45am, 3210e So. Norwood
Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Tulsa
Service. 10:4Aam, 1623 North Maplewood, Info: 838-1715
Parish Church of St. Jerome (Evangelical Anglican Church in America)
Mass - 1 lani, 205 W. King (east of No Denver), Info: 582-3088
University of Tulsa BisexuaL/Lesbian/Gay/Transgendered Alliance
6:30 pro. Meets at the Canterbury Ctr., 5th & Evanston, 583-9780
~" MONDAYS
Council Oak Men’s Chorale, 7 pm, leave message for more information: 743-4297
HIV Testing Clinic, Free & anon.vmous testing. No appointment required.
Walk in testing: 7-8:30pm, 834-TEST (8378) 3501 E. Admiral (east of Harvard)
HIV Rap Sessions at Bless theLord At All Times Christian Center
7:30pro, 2207 E. 6th, 583-7815
PFLAG, Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays
2nd Mon each too. 6:30pro, Fellowship Congregational Church, 2900 S. Harvard
Juue 8th. Pic~tic at Wlfiteside Park, 41st & Pittsbttrgh
Mixed Volleyball, Helmerich P~k, -71 st & Riverside. 7pro, call Shawn 491-2036.
Women/Children & AIDS Committee, 7 6, noon, United \Va) Bldg. 1430 S. Bonlder
~" TUESDAYS
AIDS Coalition of Tulsa, 7 14. noom [~fited Way Btdg. 1430 S. Boulder
HIV+ Suppor~ Group, HIV Rbsource Consortium l:30pm
3507 t’i..-\dmiral (east of Harvard), hffo: Wanda ~’ 834-4194
:~lulticnltural AIDS Coalition. 7 7, 12:30pro, Urban League. 240 East Apache
Rainbow Business Guild. Business & prof. networking gronp, Info: 743-4297
Prin~eTimers, mens group, 3rd Tues each mo.. 7pro, Pride Center, 1307 E. 38th
Coming Out Support Group (TOHR/HOPE)
Tuesdays. 6 pro, Pride Center. 1307 E. 38th, info: 743-4297
~ WEDNESDAYS
Bless The Lord At All Times Christian Center
Prayer & Bible Study, 7:30 pm 2207 E. 6th, 583-7815
Family Of Faith MCC Praise Prayer - 6:30pm, 5451-E S. Mingo. 622-1441
House of the Holy Spirit Ministries, Inc. Service - 7pm, 3210e So. Norwood
Tulsa Native American Mens Support Group, more information, call 582-7225
TCC Gay & Lesbian Association of Students (GLAS), Call for info: 595-7632.
Lambda A-A, 7 pro, 1307 E. 38th, 2nd ft.
m,- THURSDAYS
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education
Anou3mous HIV Testing, Testing: 7 - 8:30pm 834-8378, 3507 E. Admiral
Oklahoma Rainbow Young Adult Network (O’RYAN)
Supportsocial group for 18-24"s, call Red Rock Mental Health at 584-2325
From Our Hearts to Our House, 1 lpm, 3rd Thursieach mo. l.ola’s, 2630 E. 15th
Substance Abuse Support Group for persons with HIViAIDS, Info: 834-4194
(~" FRIDAYS
Safe Haven, Young Adults Social Group, I st Fri/each mo. 8pm, Pride Ctr., 1307 E. 38th
m,’. SATURDAYS
Narcotics Anonymous, 11 pm, Community of Hope,IT03 E. 2nd, Info: 585-1800
Lambda A-A, 6 pm, Pride Center, 1307 E. 38th, 2nd ft.
I~’ 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 Orgamzation. Info: POB 9165, Tulsa 74157,
Short rides, 6:30pm,.Long rides, 7am. Meet at Zeigler Park, 3903 West 4th. Pride
Rides from the Pride Center, 3749 S. Peoria. Write for dates.
lfyour organization is not listed, please let us know.
Call orfax 583-4615.
Reviewed by Barry Hensley
Tulsa City-County Library
Almost thirty years afterher death, Judy
Garland’ s popularity continues: Formany
years, there has been much interest in the
relationship between Gay men and Judy
Garland as a performer. This
book, writtenbyJudy’ s middle
child, Loma Luft, addresses
the mother and human being
as wall as the performer, and
also offers some insight into
the life of Lorna’ s sister, Liza
M_innelli - and juicy gossip it
is!
By the time Luft was born in
1952, Judy Garland had finished
her career as a movie
star after being firedbyMGM.
Her insulated world had vanished
andherpersonal andprofessional
life was beginning a
frantic roller coaster ride from
which she would not survive.
Luft fondly remember~ her
early years as relatively stable
and it was only after Judy divorced
Lorna’s father, Sid
Ll~ts comments
regarding the
Gay community
are troubling.
While insisting
that she has
many Gay
friends and she
supports them
unconditionally,
she also blasts
those Gay guys
who tried to help
her mother in her
later years. Luft
believes, not that
these guys were
helping and
hermother’ s memoryinto apositive thing,
and feels that when she hears Judy’s recordings,
she is being watched over by a
guardian angel
As with many children from dysfunctional
families, Luft has had her share of
broken relationships, and became
addicted to recreational
drugs, in a vain effort to shed
her sweet, innocent image. She
seems inexplicably proud of
turning her sister on to cocame.
Now happily married
with children, Luft seems comfortable
with her life, past mid
present, and she lambastes
Lizafor continuing, in Lorna" s
eyes, down the path of destruction.
Luffs comments regarding
the Gay community are troubling.
"While insisting that she
has man)’ Gay friends and she
supports them unconditionall3’,
she also blasts those Gay
guys who tried to hdp her
mother in her later years. Luft
believes, not that these guys
Luft, that Judy’s inevitable eneouraglng Judy
decline would impact Lorna, when nobody else
Liza and brother Joe.
Luft is not bitter about her
mother’s erratic behavior of
the time. She understands that
when a person is severely addicted
tomind~numbingmedication,
they donotalways have
the ability to control their actions.
At about age twelve,
would, but that
their sup_port was
harmful and
their enthusiastic
devotion was. and
is, unhealthy.
Lorna and Judy, in effect, changed roles.
Lorna began taking care ofhermother and
learned how to manipulate her mother’s
environment so that Judy could continue
to work. Finally, the stress and sleepless
nights caught up with her, and Lorna had
a nervous breakdown. She went to live
with her father, never to see her mother
alive again.
Judy’s death, in 1969, was; of course, a
major turning point in Luft’s personal and
professional life. The second half of the
book details her efforts to emerge from
her mother and sister’s shadows, with
mixed success. She has managed to turn
from infected mothers to their babies during
birth. Already,researchers have shown
that brief treatment with the drug AZT
cuts this hazard in half, while longer use
coupled with a Caesarean delivery virtually
eliminates the risk. Despite such
progress, "there is news so devastating
that few in this roomcouldhave predicted
or imagined it a decade ago," Dr. Peter
Plot, head of the United Nations AIDS
program, told the opening session.
His organization estimates that 12 million
people around the world have already
died of AIDS, and another 31 million are
alive but infected. Each day, 16,000 more
people catch the virus. Since the last international
AIDS conference in Vancouver
two years ago, 10 million people have
contracted HIV, said Piot. "That represents
a collective failure of the world."
The opening ceremonies were briefly
disruptedby chanting, horn-blowing demonstrators
protesting the high cost ofAIDS
were helping and encouraging
Judy when nobody else
would, but that their s~pport
was harmful and their enthusiastic
devotion was, and is,
unhealthy. Of course; as a
child, she welcomed these
guys because they were often
the only ones who could get
Judy b~ck on track, and Lorna
cotmted on some of Judy’s
¯ Gay fans for information When writing
¯ this book.
; Putting aside this hypocrisy mid the
." poor editing job, Me mid .My Shadows is
an entertaining and lively bio~aphy, full
; of fun name-dropping. Luft has survived.
¯ a stressful early life, not unlike many
other kids, except that her fanfily turmo;l
was played Out in public. This is a fun and
." amusing book, mid provides a first person
account of the tribulations of one of our
: favorite show biz families.
~ Check for .Me and My Shadows at your
local branch library, or ~call the Readers
Services at 596-7966.
¯ I ¯
drugs. A year’s treatment with protease
: inhibitors and other drugs can cost S 10,000
or more. More than 90% of HIV-infected
¯
people live in parts of the world where
¯° these medicines are too expensive to be
widely used. "We forget that of the millions
ofpeople living withAIDS,most are
¯ condemned to death because of the ab-
." sence of care," said Peter Lamptey of
¯ FamilyHealth International, an anti-AIDS
group in Research Triangle Park, N.C.
." In the United States, Europe and other
." wealthy parts of the world, the epidemic
¯ has leveled off or is declining. After ex-
¯
plosive spread, it is also beginning to
¯ abate in some poorer areas, such as
¯ Uganda, Senegal, Brazil andparts ofTan-
¯ zama. However, Plot noted that"this epi-
¯
demic is truly out of control in many
¯ COuntn’es," i"ncludi"ng some parts ofAsi"a,
¯ Africa and Eastern Europe. One-quarter ¯
of the population is infected in Botswana
¯ and Zimbabwe. Four million people have
¯ HIV in India and 3 million in So. Africa.
¯ Strategies that helped tame AIDS in ¯
some places see HIV, page 13
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We buy back good
used adult magazines,
by Mary Schepers, poet divine! : have to carefully remove the old putty and
(and do it yourselfmaven) ¯ replace it with new. The glazing com-
Whodoesn’twantaDivineExterior(as :. pound that comes in a tube like caulk
opposed to an exterior like Divine’s, or a : works well and is worth the extra cost if
posterior...)? Even though we know that ¯ you can spare it. Masking off the window
it’swhat’sinsidethatcounts, makes the job easier and
let’s face it: people are so First, hose crisper looking, and you
judgmental about the supertidal.
Your neighbors and
potential dates may be no
different, so the DIYD genfly
suggests sprucing up your
home’s image with a paint
job. It’ s amazing what a little
eyewash will do, and it has
the added benefit of protecting
your home from the ravages
of time and weather.
Yes, you can be as one w_ith
your house - but the paint
washes off eventually.
As with all projects, there
is quite a bit of tedious prep
work. to do before you can be
rewarded with the exciting
new look 3,our house ~vill be
wearing, but it is time well
spent. Why be superficial
with anything? First, hose
down the house to get any
loose paint, and dirt off. The
DIYD has strong opinions
about power washing and
frowns upon it; yes, it is like
a huge Water Pic and takes
less time than scraping, but it
,also has a tendency to work
moisture into the cracks and
joints, which ?-ou will seal in
with paint. It is a recipe for
disaster, and you can leave
those to She’lley Winters.
There is a time and a place
for wetness, but honey, it’s
not in 3our woodwork!
Put tarps or drop cloths
over any shrubs or plants you
want to protect and tie back.
any that wil! get in ?’our way.
Scrape any loose or bubbled
paint. Alternatives to scraping
are a hot air gtm, which is
essentially a hair drier on
Viagra; the DIYD urges you
to be cautious, since the hot
air will char mad bubble paint
and also ?our wood, if you
don’t keep moving witl~ it.
This tool is ~eat for removing 01d caulk
as well, and costs about $25. There is also
an abrasive wheel that fits on a drill that is
made of a thick ScotchBrite pad impregnated
with aluminum oxide abrasive. This
works well; it is not as aggressive as a wire
wheel and you have a good working surface
throughout, so that you can use it
effectively down to a wee nubbin. You
can’t say that about much these days.
Clean off the loose paint, pry out any
old caulk and refill those cracks and any
new ones with a bead of new caulk. This
keeps out the elements; drafts, insects,
etc. Smooth the caulk bead with a wet
finger. The DIYD uses a latex glove for
this, but you can use anything else that
you might have at hand. Window can
present an additional problem if you have
the older wooden windows; the glazing
compound gets old, wizened and crusty
and doesn’t give you a good seal. Now is
the time to replace that. The DIYD will
explore thi s process morefully nextmonth,
acknowledging that she has once more
put the cart before the horse. You will
down the house
to ~et any loose
paint and
dirt off.
The DIYD has
stron~ opinions
about power
washln~ and
huge Water Pi~
and takes less
time than
scraping,
but it also has a
tendency to
work moisture
into the cracks
and joints,
whleh you will
seal in
with pMnt.
It is a recipe for
disaster, and
~you can leave
those to
Shelley ~qnters.
There is a time
and a place for
wetness, but
honey, it’s not in
won’t need to mask off for
painting later.
For those of you who
just need to mask off the
area before painting, thereis
a product by Wagner called
Glass Mask (this works well
inside, too). It looks like an
industrial underarm deodorant
stick; you run a band of
the goop around the glass
right next to the window
frame. You may paint with
impunity ouly a few moments
later and scrape off
¯ the film and paint quite easily
a day or so later. It still
pays to be as careful as possible,
but the cleanup is almost
ecstatically easy.
Anyexposed wood will
need to be primed with an
oil-based exterior primer;
water-based is for new wood
only. The oils in the oilbased
primer help nourish
and protect your wood, so
don’t cheat on this one..
Besides, you rememberhow
to clean a brush with paint
thi~mer from that earlier column,
don’t you? Kilz is a
goodprimer, andit dries very
quickly, plus it doesn’t form
a scum at the top like other
primers, which means you,
~ can use the rest of the can at
a later date and on other
projects.
Select a good quality
paint. Flats are usually good
for exterior surfaces, with
low-luster satins foremphasizing
trim and doors if you
want that little something
extra. Paint frown the top
dmvn, so you can pick up
any spills along the way,
and paint in the direction of
the wood, keeping your
brush loaded to ensure a
smooth coat of paint. Exterior paints are
thicker and creamier, So if you don’ t try to
scrape it on in a miserly fastfion, you
won’t need a second coat. Whether you
paint your windows before or after you do
the walls is up to you; conventional wisdom
says before, but I save them for last,
but the DIYD has never been quite conventional,
and you don’t have to be either.
So don’t live in fear of bringing the
gorgeous out in your house’s exterior- be
out there with it, you divine creatures!
Written reports of progress will be provided
to the civil rights office through
June 1999, Lambda said. School district
officials declined comment.
Mrs. Wagner said she welcomed the
agreement. "My heart broke whenmy son
was so terribly abused, just for being
himself," she said. "This agreement...
hopefully, will safeguard many parents’
dreams and protect their kids?’
by Esther Rothblum " part of the message too; it’s not filler,"
When Dee Mosbacher completed the ¯ explained Sylvia"because even when we
film STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART " play the film to people who are resistant to
(for which she received
an Oscar
no|ninarion) she was
told that a film about
Lesbians and their
patents needed to be
more communityspecific.
The Washlngton
Sisters, African
American Lesbian
musicians who
appear in the film
with their mother,
told Dee that Lesbians
faced different
issues around homophobia
in the African
American
church-going community.
Dee decided
to collaborate with Sylvia Rhue and
Frances Reid to co-produce a film about
Black churches and the Gay/Lesbian ex-
Professor Esther Rothblum
perience.
Sylvia Rhue came up
with the new film’s rifle,
ALLGOD’ S CHILDREN,
a phrase that was used so
often by the people they
interviewed. As Jesse Jackson
says in the film, "In the
larger civil rights movement,
we must see all
people as God’ s children."
The Reverend Dr. Cecil
Murray of the First AMC
ChU-rch~-. the oldest Black:
church in Los Angeles de=
dares: ’q’he church exists
for all God’ s children."
ALL GOD’S CHILDREN
is a 25-minute
documentary that explores
issues of the African
American church and
congregants in that church
about homosexuality and
homophobia. As Sylvia
told me: "It was important
to get church leaders that
our parents respect, the seniorpastors.
Marjorie Hill,
Ph.D. from the National
Boad Unity Fellowship
Church says in the film:
"Gay and Lesbian African
Americans are intertwined
with our community, and
we need the church."
ALL GOD’S CHILDREN
also includes wellknown
people from the
Black community such as
Congresswoman Maxine
Waters, Linda Villarosa,
Sylvia Rhue
cahae up with the
new film’s title,
ALL GOD’S
CHILDREN,
a phrase that was
use,t so o~en by
the people they
interviewed.
As Jesse Jackson
says in the film,
"In the larger elvil
rights movement,
we must see all
people as God’s
children."
The Reverend Dr.
Ceell Murray of
the First AMC
Church, the oldest
Black church in
Los Afigeles
declares: "The
church exists for
all God’s
children."
Executive Editor of Essence Magazine,
and Cornel West, Professor of Harvard
Divinity School. U.S. Senator Carol
Mosely-Brown states: "... our diversity is
after all a strength and not a weakness."
The film also includes Black families
discussing having a Gay or Lesbian family
member. Finally, music plays an important
role in the film as background and
foreground. Lavender Light: The Black
and People ofAll Colors Lesbian and Gay
Gospel Choir performs gospel music with
which Black churchgoers are so familar.
"You have to understand that music is
the message they
can’t resist the music."
The daree co-producers
all have prior
film-making experience
(Frances Reid.
in fact, was nominated
for two Oscars
in one year) but that’ s
where the similarities
end. Deeis a psychiatrist.
Sylvia has
a Ph.D. in human
sexuality and is also
a Bible scholar!student.
She says:
"Western society has
kept sex and reli~on
very separate and
that shouldn’t be." Frances xs a professional
film- maker.
The co-producers are now involved in
getting the film shown across the country.
"’The bottom line is that
Lesbian, G~, and Bisexual
people should see the film
and feel better about themselves,
too see people, including
leaders in the Black
community, support them
as heterosexual allies, and
also to see the pioneers of
the current Black Gay
movement on fihn" said
S.ylvia "’This is the first
txme that Black Gay and
heterosexual people have
goue on record to this degree
for an absolutely pro-
Gay stance. Since the
Bla’ck church is the strongest
iusrituriou in the Black
community, to have the
ministers talk xs very unportant."
The film includes
interviews with six Black
ministers.
Dee explained "We really
try to use the film as an
orgamzing tool. Ourefforts
have been trying to get the
film to as many people as
possible who would take it
to their community--
whether the church community,
the educational
commtmity, PFLAG (Parents
and Friends of Lesbians
and Gays), etc. We’ ve
tried to act creatively and
gotten a number of people
to subsidize copies of the
videos and accompanying
materials so that the film
can get out to communities." They wrote
ajoint letter with Phil Wilson, the founder
of the Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership
Forum, to get the film out. Sylvia now
travels all over the country to show the
film. As she says: "The project itself, I
think, was divinely led." The film ALL
GOD’ S CHILDREN can be obtained from
WomanVision Productions.
Esther Rothblum is Professor of Psychology
at the University of Vermont and
Editor of the Journal of Lesbian Studies.
DYKE PSYCHE is a monthly column.
© Esther Rothblum
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Lamont Lindstrom : -much of the world, including large parts
bYI went to a party the other day at the of rural Utah, a man may have more than
house of two new friends. Recently come " one wife.
to Tulsa, these witty and cheerful women ¯ In other places, such as the Himalayan
had already made a comfortable home " highlands, three or four men (often brothtogether,
complete with soulers)
will together be married
to one woman. Nuer women
M-eyedbeagle. Twowomen
and a dog - it looked like a
mamage to me.
Despite such personal arrangements
made between
lovers, "’real" mamage is a
legal contract conferred by
the state. The right to marry
has emerged as a key demand
of man3’ Gay and Lesbian
political activists. Marriage
is also the place where
many straight peop!e draw
the line. Real mamage, so
they say, requires a man and
a wbman. Dogs are optional.
This growing dispute over
marriage, many have noted,
reflects the noisy rhetoric of
I went to a party
the other day at the
house of
two new friends.
Recently come to
Tulsa. these
witty and cheerful
women had already
made a
eomfortab]te home
to~ether, complete
with
soulful-eyed hea~le.
Two women and a
do~ - it looked llke
a marrla~e to me.
"family values" that has
dominated much of Ameflcan
politics for the last two
decades. One can draw easy
connections between an mcreasing
instability’ of .the
American nuclear fmnily mid
pamcky public evocatio.ns of
family values. Nowadays,
half of married people get
themselves unmarri ed.
[but] ¯ ¯ ¯
marrla~e is also
the place where
man)’
straio_~’ht PeoPle
draw the llne.
Real marrla~e,
so they say,
requires
rhis recent collapse of a man and a wonaan.
American marriage ~s Do~s are optional.
nobodv’s fault in particular.
Rather’, it is an effect of the
ekpanding labor mad other demands of our
.post_industrial_e~gg/]~,s~.z.te.m-tha~.~ucks
hp f&fi51’e’,XG~i~’~’r-~. Perplexed and worfled,
those of ns who find it harder mad
harder anymore to stay roamed respond
emotionally to fearful" media-hyped stories
of abt~sed and abandoned children,
and to blustery Sunday sermons about
Adam and Eve’, not Adam and Steve.
Clearly, it’s already too late to save
much of American mamage (as this existed
up to the 1970s) even if all the rifty
states outlaw tmions between homosexuals
And one might ask those Gay activists
who are struggling to gain the right to
marry (and the legal and economic benefits
and respectability marriage offers) to
also prepare us for the divorces that are
sure to follow. At least my ex-boyfriend
hasn’t cost me any alimony - unlike my.
mercenary ex-wife who spends my salary
in Honolulu.
As human societies go, divorce, rate.s in
United States are recently creeping into
the upper range. Still, in some societies,
almost everyone marries and divorces at
least once and a 100% divorce rate in no
way threatens the general social fabric.
Anthropologists call the marital pattern
now emerging in the US "serial po- ¯
lygamy." Most of us will have more than ;
one spouse during, our lifetimes, just not
all at the same ume. Why even Frank "
Sinatra, that all-around American guy, ¯
good buddy of Jane and Nancy and Ron,
had made i’t to wife number four.
When I took my first anthropology "
course in 1971, my professor impressed ]
on me the difficulty in coming up with a ¯
umversal definition of marriage. The "
multiple and complicated ways that hu- "
roans around the world unite themselves ]
are exceedingly difficult to encapsulate ¯
within a single label like "marriage." In "
(of the southern Sudan)
sometimes are married to
dead men. Their children (go
figure how!.) become the legal
offspring of this ghost.
The Nayar of Kerala, southwestern
India, were famously
difficult for anthropologists
trying to classify
human marriage. Nayar
women do go fiarough a ritual
umon with a man. They
might never sleep with him,
though. Instead, they remmn
in their mother’ s home merrily
having sex and children
with whomever they please.
The term "marriage". accurately
describes various
sorts of gay or lesbian relationships
in societies around
the globe. Some Nucr
woman, by exchanging
cattle, marry another
younger woman. Her chil-
~tren are socially recognized
as the children of the female
"husband" who provided the
bovine bride wealth.
The glossary of that 19"71
anthropology text, politicall3
CO~Xect qvant la lettre,
defined mamage m a way
that omitted our AdmniEg’e presumptions.
uman marriage is "tan. ix~tstimtiorta~ized .
form of relatmnship m which sexum re~ -
tionships and parentage legitimately take
place." This definition would cover my
Tulsa friends, except for the fact that their
umonis illegitimate as defined by State of
Oklahoma law.
11acre are other sources of legitimacy
beyond the state, though. My two new
friends, and anyone else who wants to be
joined, can establish a "domestic partnership"
recognized by increasing nmnbers
of communities and compani,e,s, and tl}.ey
may arrange for themselves a holy umon
ceremony," offered by various churches,
temples, and other religious groups.
This begs the question why Gays and
Lesbians aredemanding state-legitim!."zed
marriage just at the point in American
history when straight marriage is in such
deep hot water (we might call it). Wall,
there’ s respect, of course. And there’s the
kids. You wouldn’t want that innocent
beagle to be illegitimate, would you?
have included government-sponsored
safe-sex campaigns, an increased availability
of condoms and better treatment
for other sexually transmitted disease:
Many experts believe that developmg
an AIDS vaccine i.s key to controlh.’ng the
epidemic. Thefirst large-scale testtng of a
possible vaccine began last week. The
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, a
nonprofit group, announced a plan to try
to focus spending of betweenS350 million
and $500 millibnonvaccine development
over the next nine years. The group
said Microsoft founder Bill Gates had
contributed $1.5 million to its effort.
the vehement, negative reaction of my
very straight but very cool next neighbor
is probably typical. Whether or not he
thinks being Gay is sinful, he rejects the
notion of a God that hates like Phelps
promotes.
It also probably helped that Phelps also
intended to picket a number of Tulsa’s
most established churches. One does. wonderhow
he came up with his list ofchurches
though. Although Triztity mad St. John
Episcopal are mostly Gay-friendly, All
Souls Unitarian is very, and First Lutheran
is mostly neutral but ironically, First Methodist
is known as one of the ~nost
homophobic mainline congregations m
Tulsa.
But then this was the man who x~-as
going to picket Oral Roberts University
because Richard Roberts has had a di’-
vorce. Actually, Roberts, like a certain
former Oklahoma US senator, seems to
be dogged by the most curious allegations
about their lives when out of state. Maybe
it’s just as wall that Phelps hadn’t heard
those yet or he’d be in Palm Springs and
Norman next.
Regardless, I encourage all to thank
Steve Horn, Rick Martin, Greg Gatewood
and the other volunteers who put our
Pride events together. It’s a lot of hard
work and they deserve our recognition.
(Equality for Gays and-Lesbians Everywhere).
The British Columbia move and recent
courtrulings are positive changes for samesex
couples, he said, because private employers
and Ottawa will no longer be able
to use courts to deny pension benefits.
"The B.C. government will be a strong
example for other employers in the province,"
Aronovitch said.
A spokesmanfor afamily support organization
saidhe wasn’t as concerned about
pensionbenefits as the government’s definition
of a spouse and family. "We obviously
have a government here that really
desires to be seen to be out in front of
.everybody in terms of redefining spouse,
marriage and family," said John Sclater,
spokesman for Focus on the Family
Canada. "’.. LWe think there’s something
rooted in the biology and dynamic of a
heterosexual couple. We have to uphold
the ideal that most people say works best."
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MAN OF ACTION This good looking,
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RUGGED AND RANDY This good looking,
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THE WOMAN IN ME I’m a 40 year old,
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~1616"~
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GE’R’ING A LITTLE NASTY 23.5’10",
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