[1998] Tulsa Family News, November 1998; Volume 5, Issue 11

[1998] Tulsa Family News, November 1998; Volume 5, Issue 11

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

November 1998

James Christjohn
Jean-Claude de Flambeauchaud
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
MAry Schepers
Adam West

Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News

Tulsa Family News, October 1998; Volume 5, Issue 10

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PDF
Online text

English

newspaper
periodical

https://history.okeq.org/items/show/553

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

Wisconsin Lesbian Elected
To United States House
WASHINGTON (AP) - Wisconsin voters elected the
first opeuly Lesbian woman member of Congress on
Tuesday. But an acknowledged Lesbian House challenger
lost in Washington state and another was behind
in California. In Wisconsin’ s open 2nd District, Democratic
state Rep. Tammy Baldwin defeated Republican
Josephine Musser, the former state insurance commissioner,
to replace retiring GOP Rep. Scott Klug.
Baldwin, 36, made healtheare a cornerstone of her
campaign, saying the United States should adopt a
~national, publicly funded system like that in Canada.
’°Tammy Baldwin is a solid representative who happens
to be a Lesbian," said Elizabeth Birch, executive
director of the Washington-based Human Rights Campaign,
a Gay civil rights group that helped bankroll the
Baldwin campaign. "She has broken down a very large
door," Birch added.
see Baldwin, p. 10
Hawaii.+Alaska Voters
Reject Gay. Marriage
’Th~As;oc;’atedPress ~Stri~ggiingt; satisf~y~l~ot~.~0ei-al
conservatives and the law of the land, Hawaii on Tuesday
took another step toward banning same-gender
marriage, giving its Legislature the go-ahead to write a
new law. Elsewhere, Alaskans voted a Gay-marriage
ban into their constitution, and voters in Fort Collins,
Colo., defeated a measure to protect Gays and Lesbians
from discrimination.
News was more hopeful for Gay civil rights advocates
in Maine, whereindividual communities are fielding
anti-discrimination bills to circumvent this year’s
statewide vote that overturned protections on the basis
of sexual orientation. South Portland approved a Gay
rights initiative; Ogunqult’s vote on a similar proposal
was too close to call early Wednesday.
The Hawaii initiative was lawmakers" latest try to
sidestep the state Supreme Court’s 1993 ruling that the
state had no constitutional right to ban same-gender
marriages because that would deny some citizens the
rights provided to others. Because the U.S. Constitution’ s
Full Faith and Credit .Clause requires states to honor
each other’ s statutes and legal bonds, the 1993 ruling set
off some furious preemptive legislating around the
country. At least 30 states have now banned Gay marnage,
and Congress passtd the Defense of Marriage
Act, which denied federal recognition ofGay marriage
and allowed states to ignore same-sex tmions licensed
elsewhere.
The two sides in Hawaii spent millions of dollars in a
relendess media campaign. "It’s really sending aclear
message, a strong message, that the people of this
community will not allow homosexual marriages;" said
Mike Gabbard, a leader of the Save Traditional Marriage
group, seeVote, p. 10
UJ DIRECTORY/LETTERS P, 2/3
US & WORLD NEWS P. 4 ~ HEALTH NEWS P. 6
ENTERTAINMENT NOTES P. 8
~ COMMUNITY CALENDAR P. 8
BOOK REVIEW P. I 0
DO-IT-YOURSELF P. 11
DYKE PSYCHE/GAY STUDIES P. 12/13
~ CLASSIFIEDS + WEERWOLF P. 14
¯
200 Attend Tulsa Vigil
For Hate Crime Victim
Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
Tulsa’s Largest Circulation CommunityPaper Available In More Than 75 City Locations
¯ The Associated Press & TFN- Matthew Shepard, a 21 year old
¯ Gay University of Wyoming freshman, was found severely
¯ beaten Oct. 7. He died Oct. 12 in a Fort Collins, Colo., hospital.
¯
His deathsparkedanintemational
"[your vi$11 represents]
a eommhment to an
end of vlolenee and
[to] appropriate
proteetlon under the
law... Matthew
Shepard’s death was
horrible and senseless;
it would be more so if
it. was in vain."
- Drew Edmondson
OkLaltom Attorney General
. .," outpouring of sympathy for vic-
¯ ¯ tims of hate crimes and calls for
~: a-federal hate crime law from
Clinton.
All across the US, communities
heldvigils andrallies tohonor
and mourn the slain student. In
¯
Tulsa, a group of about 150-200
¯ persons gathered at the Civic
Center Plaza. Anumberofclergy
¯ spoke, including the Rev. Father
: Rick Hollingsworth of the Parish
¯ Church of SaintJerome, the Rev.
¯ Leslie Penrose of Community of
: HopeUnited Methodist, the Rev.
¯ Helen Calloway of the Unity
: Church and the Rev. Russell Bennett of Fellowship Congrega-
¯ tional Church.
: Oklahoma’ s Attorney General, Drew Edmondson, sent a state-
: ment which was read by Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
vice president, Greg Gatewood: "[your vigil represents] a commitment
to an end of violence and [to] appropriate protection
¯ under the law.. see Hate, p. 11
:
- Fayetteville Civil Rights
¯ Measure Overturned
FAYEFFEVILLE, Ark. (AP) -.Voters here rejected a resolution
: that backers said would have protected Gay people against job
¯ discrimination in city government. Final but unofficial results
¯ from Tuesday’. s .balloting 8howed7~811" v_otes against the measure,
6r58pe~-cent~ whil~ 5,731,or_42 percenL.we~_e cast in favor.
Known as the human-dignity resolution, the measure was passed
¯ by the Fayetteville City Council earlier this year, vetoed by the
¯ mayor, then passed by the council again in overriding the veto.
: It wouldhave required that all applicants for city staffpositions
¯ have equal access to employment, regardless of race, sex, reli-
: gion, color, national origin, age, ancestry, familial statUS, disabil-
¯ ity or sexual orientation, A group opposed to including "sexual
¯ orientation" on the list successfully petitioned to get the resolu-
¯ tion.on the ballot. ¯
Claudette’s Leaving!
Longtime AIDS Activist
Moving to Aggieland
¯
TULSA - For half a decade, anyone seriously involved with
¯ HIV/AIDS, knew Claudette Peterson. For a nu~nber of years, a
¯ Tulsan being tested for HIV anti-bodies likely had their blood
¯ sample taken taken and results given by her when she ran Tulsa
¯ Oklahomans for Human Rights HIV Testing Clinic.
¯ More recently, Persons Living with AIDS (PLWA’s) have
¯ benefited fromher tireless (and initially unpaid) efforts to establish
Food Chain, a food pantry and more. However, since her
¯
spouse, Tim Peterson has recently been taken a teaching job at
¯ TexasA&Mwherehe received his ph.D, Tulsa is losing Peterson
¯ to College Station.
Another prominent figure amongTulsaHIV/AIDS fundraisers
¯ and caregivers, Janice Nicklas, bemoaned Peterson’ s departure.
¯ "It’ s a major loss for our community.., she has tireless energy for
¯ developing resources for HIV prevention and care and we owe ¯
her a lot . . . anyone’s fortunate to have her living in their
community."
¯ Peterson noted that her work has been a labor of love, and is ¯
proud of the fact that she and Foo~t Chain have never had to turn
; away a client and they are now. serving over 100 PLWA’s a
¯ month. She notes that donating food has brought very diverse
: people together- drag queens working right next to conservative
church people. Peterson also recognizbA Audra Sommers for her
¯ very generous support ofFood Chain and other care programs as
¯ wall as support from the National AIDS fund, Tulsa Comm
¯ AIDS Partnership, the Rath Foundation, &Philip Morris Co. Inc.
: Tulsa Library Rever,s,es
Anti-Gay Paper Poltcy
¯ TULSA- Fornearlyfiveyears,Tulsa’sCity/County
¯ Library System (TCCLS) had refused to allow the ¯
distributionofGaynewspapers,TulsaFamilyNews
¯
in particular, in its lobbies. Early in October, TFN
¯ received a letter inviting the newspaper to provide
¯ copies to be distributed at the Central and each of
¯
the four regional libraries. Tulsa Family News is
¯ now found in those locations.
¯ The dispute over distribution privileges began ¯
when TFN publisher, Tom Neal, was representing
_" a now defunct out-of-town Gay paper and re-
" quested equal distribution access as magazines like
¯ TulsaKids, TulsaPeople and Urban Tulsa enjoyed ¯
a number of library lobbies. The response of the
." then TCCLS director, Pat Woodrum and the
¯ library’.s board of trustees was to change the rules
; to ban "out of town" publications.
Shortly after that decision, Neal began Tulsa
¯ Family News and reapplied as a local publication.
¯ Once again, TCCLS changed the rules to continue
to grant access to non-Gay publications and not to
." aGay one. Thesenew rules required that50% ofthe
¯ content of the publication be "local."
¯ TFN challenged TCCLS to clarify how it was ¯
defining and connting local content. Neal notes,
¯
"we had issues where it appeared that we met the
~ 50% standard as we understood it and yet we were
¯ told we didn’ t have enough local content. Further-
." more, we documented multiple violations of that
: rule by other publications but the library administration
refused to respond to our requests to clarify
the policies and to explain their seeming tolerance
¯ for rule-breaking by other publications."
see Library, p. 12
World AIDS ¯ IAM Director Decides to Step Down ¯
TULSA~interfaithAIDS Ministries is sponsoring
¯
its annual World AIDS Day Candlelight March.&
¯ Memorial Service. As is customary, the event is on
¯ December 1 st,Tuesday andwill beginat 6:30 at the
parkinglot of Centenary United Methodist Church
¯
(631 North Denver) just north of downtown. The
¯" march begins to the Parish Church of Saint Jerome
(205 West King) at about 7pro and the memorial
service will start about 7:30. There is a reception
¯
following the service. Marchers are asked to bring
: banners & bells, but candles & matches will be
¯ provided. St. Jerome will be accessible to the
disabled at the east entrance.
¯ Also, this will be the last World AIDS Day for
which ]AM’ s executive director ofmany years will
¯ serve. Diane Zike, who helped found the organiza- ¯
fion when it was part of the Episcopal Diocese of
¯ Oklahoma’s AIDS care, will be stepping down at
¯ the end of the yearforpersonal reasons. Zike stated,
"my work in AIDS ministry has been a very impor-
¯
taut and meaningful part ofmy life fore the past 12
years. I regret the need to step down now from my
role as director but I will continue to be active and
supportive in any way I can."
TFN publisher, Tom Neal, noted, "Diane is one
of the unsungheroes of the TulsaAIDS community
- she has worked long and hard at great personal
cost." Info: 438-2437 or 800-284-2437.
: Blues Concert for AIDS
¯ TULSA-Walkfor Life will presentits 2ndannual
." blues concert later this year (the date will be an-
¯ nounced). Last year’s event was held at at
¯" Streamroller Blues and featured a surprise visit
from Hanson. The tickets to the event will be $5 at
~ the door and will benefit local AIDS care organizations.
For info., call 918-579-9593.
see Editorial, p. 3
Tul;a C~ubs & Restaurants
*Bmnboo Lom~ge, 7204 E. Pine
*Boston Willy’s Diner, 1742 S. Boston
*Concessions, 3340 S. Peoria
*Empire Bar, 1516 S. Peoria
*Full Moon Care, 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
*Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*Silver Star Saloon, 1565 Sheridan
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’s, 2114S. Memorial
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd
832-1269
592-2143
744-0896
599-9512
583-6666
749-4511
585-3134
599-7777
749-1563
744-4280
745-9998
834-4234
585-3405
660-0856
584-1308
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
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale 494-2665
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria 743-5272
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S.-Peoria
746-0313
Cherry Sf. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742:9468
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620
*Devena’ s Gallery, 13 Brady .
587-2611
Doghouse 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
*Iqoral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria 744-9595
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq: Med. Ctr. 628-3709
Gloria Jean s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st 742-1460
Learme M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning
459-9349
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney.
744-7440
*Sandra J. I-Iill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly 745-1111
341-6866
*International Tours
Jacox ~rtimal Clinic; 2732 E. 15th
712-2750
-~*Jared s Antiquesi i602 El 15th
’ - - ’ 582-3018
David Kanskey, Country Club Barbering
747-0236
~Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. i5
599-8070
Kelly Kirby CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 747-5466
*Living ArtSpace, 19 E. Brady
585-1234
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd
584-3112
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31
663-5934
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place
664-2951
Novel Idea Bookstore, 51 st & 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, 2rid floor
743-4297
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74t01
747-5932
Richard’ s Carpet Cleaning
834-Q617
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
*Tickled Pink, 3340 S. Peoria
697-0017
*Tulsa Book Exchange, 3749 S. Peoria
742-2007
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis
481-0558
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling
743-1733
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
592-0767
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & U niversities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101
579-9593
*All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria
743-2363
Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159
587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6
583-7815
*B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa Canterbury Ctr. 583-9780
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Florence
*Church of the RestorationUU, 1314N.Greenw°°d 587-1314
*Commlmity ofHope United Methodist, 2545 S. Yale 747:6300
*Commumty Unitarian-Universalist Congregation
749-0595
*Council Oak Men’ s Chorale
743-4297
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S Delaware
712-1511
*Democratic Headqtmrters, 3930 E. 31
742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475
355-3140
*Family of Faith MCC, 5451-E So. Mingo
622-1441
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free Svirit Women’ s Center, call for l°cati°n &inf°: 587-4669
747-6827
918.583.1248, fax: 583.46 15, POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159
e-mai!: TNsaNews@earthlinl~net
website: http:Husers.aol.com/TulsaNewst
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Neal
Writers + contributors:
James Chfistjohn, Jean-Claude de Flambeauchaud
Balry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Adam West
Member of The Associated Press
Issued on or before the 1st of each month, the entire contents of this
oublication are protected by US copyright 1998 byT~ J::.~. ¢L~
~€and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without
written permission from the publisher. Publication of a r~ame 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 prope,rty of, T,~.~. /:.~Lg,’...ff.*~.*"
Each reader is entitled to 4 copies o~ each eoition at msmouuon
points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
*HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583-6611
*HIV Resource Consortium, 3507 E. Admiral
834-4194
*Holland Hall SchOol, 5666 E. 81st 481-1111
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education
834-8378
HIV Testing, Mon/Thurs. 7-9pm, daytime by appt. only
*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, 3507 E. Admiral Pi. 748-3111
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 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., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 74%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 ~ i~co ~1 ChurCh "4045NCineinnat4
p P , ¯ 425~7882
*SL Dunstan’ s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71St"
492-7140
*St. Jerome’s Parish Church; 205 W. King
582-3088
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S Boulder
583-7171
TNAAPP (Native American men) Indian Health Care
582-7225
¯ Tulsa Cbunty Health Department, 46 16 E. 15 595-4105
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/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. Jolmstbne - 918-33%5353
OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN
*Borders Books &Music, 3209NWExpressway 405-848-2667
*Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
TAHLEQUAH
* Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
*Talilequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-4.56-7900
*Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360
NSU School of Optometry, 1001 N. Grand
HIVtesting every other Tues. 5:30-8:30. call for dates
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
*Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734
*Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main
501-253-7457
DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
501-253-6807
*Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445
MCC of the Living Spring
501-253-9337
¯ Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429
501-253-2776
¯ Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery
501-253-5332
Positive Idea Marketing Plans 501-624-6646
¯
Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East
501-253-6001
¯ *V~qfite Light, 1 Center St.
501-253-4074
¯ FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS5
~ *Edna’s, 9 S. School Ave.
501-442-2845
¯ JOPLIN, MISSOURI
: *Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696
* is where you can findTFN¯ NotallareGaY"ownedbutallareGay"friendly"
Coors Donation Condemned
Imagine a Lesbian or Gay activist who
left the country a few years ago and just
recently returned back to our community.
Talk about culture shock! She or he would
witness a brave new’queer world, one in
which GLAAD has accepted $110,000
from Coors, theHumanRights Campaign
(a Lesbian and Gay PAC) has endorsed
D’Amato for Senator in New York, and a
young Gay man was tortured and murdered
in Wyoming. Importantly for us,
these three things are not unrdated -
appeasement comes at a price - and that
price is not acceptable to us.
Weare writing (respectively) as aformer
taffer and former board member of
GLAAD/SFBA. Therefore we will focus
rathe GLAAD-Coors connection.
GLAAD (the Gay and Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation) has accepted
$110,000 from the Coors Brewing company
to support its new "sexual orientation
in the workplace" training effort.
GLAAD was founded by activists such as
Vito Russo (author of The Celluloid
Closet) with a single, very spedfic rmssion:
to watchdog and critique the media’ s
coverage of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgendered issues.
It has strayed from that mission often to
deal with the substance of issues rather
than how they are covered. We believe
that conducting sexual orientation in the
workplace trainings is outside GLAAD’ s
niche.
No other organization in our community
focuses on anti-defamation. There is
plenty of defamation (some have lately
taken to calling it hate speech) runmng
around loose these days. GLAAD has
plenty enoughmediaanalysis andresponse
to do and litde enough money to do th.at
vital work, without implementing a new
: project with dirty money.
Much has already been said about the
politics of Coors and the politics of accepting
money from Coors. We would
like to emphasize our dismay thatGLAAD
would accept money from such a source.
When we were with GLAAD, RJR
Reynolds (Big Tobacco, a key backer of
powerful, homophobic North Carolina
Senator Jesse Helms) was also offering
the community money and some were
considering taking it!
So, we in GLAAD/SFBA back then
"did the math" and realized that taking
money from people trying to kill youjust
doesn’t add up to anything that makes
sense. Same for Coors once removed -
that is the Coors Foundations.
- Tom di Maria, Exec. Director, 1993-95
- Jessea Greenman, Co-Chair, 1990-94
GLAAD/San Francisco Bay Area
[Editor’s note: the Coors family wealth
has been closely associated with a number
of the most ultra rtght wing and anti-
Gaypolitical causes. Coors Brewing Company
was once the target ofa boycott due
to anti-Gay company policies. Coors
Brewing now boasts a non-discrimination
policy that includes sexual orientation
and. supports Gay organizations.
Coors Brewing has supported the Tulsa
Pride Picnic for a number ofyears.]
Letters Policy
Tulsa Family News welcomes letters on
issues which we’ ve covered or on issues
you think need to be considered. Youmay
request that your name be withheld but
letters mustbe signed &have phonenumbers,
or be hand delivered. 200 word letters
are preferred. Letters to other publi-
-- cations will be printed as is appropriate.
At the present time. there are only 25 states that have laws against
homoffexuals, most nbted are; Alabama 20 years, Georgia 20 years, l~hode
Is and ant ess than 7 years nor more than 20 years, Oklahoma 10 years. The
homosexuals are working hard to get these laws changed to permit their
perversion ofour country, and it appears they are successfuq at it. "
A great many laws have been changed. Until 1990
our country. In 1986the U.S. SupremeCourtuph,
(in a 5 to 4 vote), noting that "prohibitions again
jurisprudence since the colonization of the countr
the laws of’he original thirteen states when they r~
outlawed sodomy. Noah Carolina’s original sodl
the abonimable and detestable crime against natur
adjudged guilty of a felony and SHALL SOl:
CLERGY".
the U.S. barred admission ofsexual deviants into
d the constitutionality of Georgia’s sodomy law
homosexuality have been a part of Ainerlcan
" Sodomy was a criminal offense forbidden by
fiodtheBillofRights. Until 1961, allb0states
ay statute nut: "Any person who shall commit
not fit tb be named among Christians... Shall be
ER DEATH WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF
Without proper punishment of these, perveRs, u( great comitxy has become like Sodom &
Gomorrah. It’s gotten pretty sad when we allo’~ mmosexuals to teach our children that there is
nothing wrong with being *gay".- ttawthome I ementary public school, Madison, Wisconsin,
where lesbian TummY" Boldwln is Distriet Cotmty ~upcwisor, bes just one ofmany pilot programs
to teach against homophobia, At the direction of~[hoir teachers, Ist and 2nd graders made a book
titled "Everybody is Equal, A Book About Gay &. Lesbian." The book teaches our very young
chiltlrcn respect for homos, a.s well as the Ga~ Pride chant’Hay-Hay-Ho-Ho-Homophobia’s got to
go’and"Wewant rigbl,~tao*: 1ST&2..NDGRADERS!!! OneolderstudenL whenaskedwhatshe
had learned, statedshe’loaksatitlnadifferentlight. Toknowwhatbeinggay isallabout, it’snot
actually diffcrent from anybody else".
Cambridge Mass. schools hold functions like a Gay Family Photo Exhibit on school grounds, and
another celebrates Gay Pride Day as a holiday. Third graders n New York earn tolerance for
borons, tlomosexuals argue that wbat consenting adults do in the privacy oftbeir home is protectod
under lhe tight to privacy. Vsctlmless crimes, sucKas the possession and distribution ofillegal drugs
do not escape the law where they are committed at home; right to privacy in no way allows one to
break the law. Not State law and not God’s !aw...sodomy is a crime and must be prosecuted. By
dolng nothing and allowing sodomites to run amuck, just look around and see where our morals are
today. Prison terms for sodomy are designed to punish persons who undertake by unatural and
indecent methods to gratify a perverted and depraved sexual appetite which is an offence against
public dccancy and morality. To i mprison a conlinnod homosexual is like throwing Brer Rabbit i nto
the briar patch To ~ve our nation we need the DEATII PENALTY to put an end to the sodomites
~erverslon ofour country.
Can honmsexuals repent and be saved I I Corinthians 6:1 I)? A few are, but this still
does not mean society eannol INSTITUTETHE DEATI I PENALTY for this crime, just
as it has for the crime of murder. No one says a murderer cannot repent and come to
Christ, nor does society allow such a conv~’sion to stop the death penalty from being
carried out. Lev. 20:13: "Ira man lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman both of
.them have committed an abominatiott. They shall surely be put to death".
Asa did that which was right in the eyes ofthe I.ord, and hc tookaway the sodimites out
of the hind (IKings 15:12). ]-lad Asa execu~.d these sexual deviants, Jehnsaphat
wouldn’t have had to remove the remaining sodomites out ofthe land (I Kings22: 46).
The Death Penalty is our only answer to ensure these pe~’erts are out ofour contr~’ and
stay out for good. ]
But God is love, oh yes, God is love ~nd if you love God, you will keep his
commandment {Matt 22:37 and Jol~ 14:15). So for our people to keep the
commandment of l.ev. 20:13 is tO love Grd. Romans 1:2~-32: :,re have changed.the .
troth ofGod into a lie. worshippingand se~ing the creature more than the Creatbr. God
has given us up to qle afflictions, even our woman go against nature, ~nd likewise also
the men burned in their lust one toward another, They \vhich commit such things arc
worthyofdeath, SodomandGomorrahwcredestro.vedforsuchthings. Ourendcould
be #n uch worse ifwe don’t follow God’s law’.and uphold the Death Panahy forsodom):
Pastor Pete Peters points out in his book,"Death Panalty for Homosexuals" that the top
6 leading scrialki||ers in the U.S- are: Donald | larvt:y - 37 killed. John \Vay’ne Gaq." - 23
killed. Patrick Keamev - 32 killed, Bruce Davis - 28 killed. Core Henley Brooks - 27
killed. Juan Corona -’25 killed, al! of which were homosexuals; add to that Jeffrey
Dahalcr.
In closing. I would like to poinrout that God has the answer to all our problems. God
has Ills law and the law is good tfa man use it lawfully( I Timothy 1 :g-I 0).
Help spread ti~is message, support the ministr) of Reverend Jon’ny Lee Clear,.. To
reorder copies scud a $12.50 donation fi~r 100 copies to P.O. BOX 702631; Tulsa, OK
74170.
T s tact sponsored by the American Patriot !lotline {918) 494-0004. Call for a free
recorded message.
by Tom Neal, publisher & editor
"To save our nation, we need the DEATH PENALTY t~
put an end to the sodomites perversion of our country." No
doubt, your reaction is much like mine was - this is ludicrous,
almostlaughable! Andthatreactionis increasedwhen
we note the source: the extremely disreputable, publicityhungry
ex-Klansman, the "Reverend" Jonny Lee.Cleary.
But just as the extremist rhetoric of anti-abortiomsts has
created a climate in which extremists murder in order to
"save lives," this adds to a climate in which Lesbian and Gay
lives .(and those of our non-Gay friends who shand by us) are
already devalued and at risk.
Though ultra conservative political groups, like the Family
Research Council, Focus on the Family and the Republican
Party now distance themsdves from recent violence
against Lesbians and Gay men, their systematic attacks onus
and their exploitation of anti-Gay fear for political gain also
have helped create a climate ripe for violence.
Murdered University of Wyoming student Matthew
Shepard’ s death was horrible but it was not the only one of
its type, nationally or even locally. According to Kelly
Kirby, 1ongtimeTulsacivilrights activist, therewas one Gay
man murdered each .year from 1991 to 1996. And yet when
Tulsans held a public vigil for Shepard, not one elected
official came or sent a representative. Mayor Savage was out
of town but surely some one member of her staff could have
shown up? What about the district attorney? Only former
DA Bill LaFortune came and that reflects not only on his
decency and compassion see Penalty, p.14
Ray of Light Campaign Invites Gay People To Tellof Experiences With Ex-Gay Ministries
by Wayne Besen . Of course, you would never see a cover story about a
HRC Associate Director of Communications ".
It is morning once again, and as you rub your tired
eyes and peer into the unforgiving bathroom mirror, the "
shiny reflection of your head is a painful reminder that
you look just as much like Kojac as the day before.
Although your friends say you should learn
to accept your baldness, you desperately
want to change and have spent years pursu-
: ing the latest hair growth remedies to no
: avail. But today is your lucky day. While
: sipping the morning coffee, you pick-up a
¯¯ copy of a respected news magazine and a
bold, splashy headline proclaims: BALD
: FOR LIFE? Underneath the headline, two
¯ smiling, bushy haired people, who look en-
~ thralledby their new hair-dos, claim to have
: been "cured" by a miracle hair tome, corn-
: blued with bible study.
Ecstatic, you excitedly turn the pages un-
: til youf’md the story about this new "miracle
." cure." But as you read on, your enthusiasm
¯ quickly begins to diminish. First, you find
that the smiling mop-tops on the cover-page
: are full-time, paid employees for acompany
: marketing this product. Next, even the most
: fervent supporters claim that the success
¯ rate of this so-called panacea is a paltry
:
Currently, ~alse
notions about
Gay Amerleans
are beln~
perpetuated hy a
media whleh
erroneously
believes it is
honorable
journalism to
simply
regurgitate
sound bltes rom
both sides in the
name of bahnee.
30%. What about the other70%? According
to the company, the hair tonic is not working for these
folks because they are "not praying hard enough."
As you skim down the page, you perkup because you
read there is still hope! A competing company claims
that their hair tonic has a miraculous success rate of
71.6%. But when asked by the magazine reporter for
hard data to corroborate the claim, the company spokes-
person gli"bly repli¯es,. "I don’t have time to conduct
follow-up studies." How then, you wonder, does the
¯ company come up with a specific number like 71.6%
without ~’011ow-ti~ studies to document whether or not
: the patients sprouted hair?
~ The article then points out that the two scientists who
¯ founded the hair tonic formula have feverishly traveled
" to science conventions around the world to declare that
~ their invention.does not work as they once said it did.
~ They say that many people would he harmed psycho-
. logically if they pinned all ,of,their ho.p~,s a~,d dream~,on~
what they now Call a"fraud. The article atso states mat
"- all respected medical and mental health organizations
agreed with the inventors that the hair tonic was no more
i likely to help one grow hair than dipping ones head in
~ a vat of Ben and Jerry’ s ice cream.
¯ If that isn’ tbad enough, the companies promoting the
¯ hair tonic have taken out full page ads in major newspa-
: pers which have distorted a baldness study by one of the
¯ premier hair loss specialists in the nation. The ac-
"_ claimed expert retorted acrimoniously to the lies by
¯ saying, "It was a complete misrepresentation of what
~ the research actually said. It was taken completely out
~ of context. I am horrified and angry and they are
¯ spreading an awful and destructive message."
¯ Your dreams of looking like Fabio are dashed for ¯
good when you read that of the people lumped in the
¯ 30% success rate category, the majority believed that if
~ thehairtonicdidnot work, biologicalbaldness couidbe
¯ overcome bywearing atoupee. The article ends with the ¯
testimony of angry ex-ex bald people who claim that
] they were misled and cheated by the hair tonic compa-
¯ rues. One company’s spokesperson dismisses the in-
] convenient complaints of the ex-ex-bald people by
~ saying: "Some p~.ople fall of the wagon."
~ You now sit m your living room, enraged by the
¯ misleading story, wondering how a respected news
~ outlet would g~ve this "snake oil" that has been so
~ thoroughly discredited, the slightest bit of legitimacy,
~ no less a cover story. Shouldn’t the ex-ex-bald people
~ have been on the cover, or at least been the focus of the
¯ story instead because their experiences are a more
~ representative of the vast majority who took the tomc?
~ Dojournalistic ethics and standards exist anymore, you
¯ wonder? Whoops, you almost forgot, it is 1998, ’‘The
: Year of the Journalist."
discredited, unsubstantiated, cure for baldness, or anything
rise for that matter.., except homosexuality.
When it comes to a so-called cure for Gay people, (as if
one were wanted or needed) veracity does not seem to
be of much importance to the media. In the following
passa~, all of the shenanigans attributed to
the ex-bald movement actually occurred in
the so-called ex-Gay ministries, from the
bogus statistics to the distortion of scientific
research, to the founders of the ex-Gay ministries
marrying each other and repudiating
these "cures." Yet, despite these gross irregularities,
the media still unwittingly legitimizes
"ex-Gay" ministries by not holding
them to the same standard of scientific
proof that they would demand from any
other group.
Advocates for Gay equality believe
these ministries should have an opportunity
to voice their opinions. However, the media
has a duty to research the accuracy of statements
made or statistics reported. Currently,
false notions about Gay Americans are being
perpetuated by a media which erroneously
believes it is honorable journalism to
simply regurgitate sound bites from both
sides in the name of balance. While balance
is important, it is not an excuse to eschew
accuracy and tough, fact checking. All statements are
not equally valid and it is the media’ s responsibility, to
distinguish factfrom fiction. Inmost of the news stones
about the "ex-Gay" mimstries or the Right wing ad
campaign in which these mimstries are highlighted,
fiction has been the norm and the truth has been a
For example, ex-Gay leader Anthony Falzarano recently
said dn television that nearly 80% of Gay people
were:molested as children. This is factually incorrec~by
any objective standards, withGaypeoplenomorelikely
to be molested as children than heterosexuals. Unfortunately;
because he is talking about Gay people, the
lethargicmediafelt there was noneed to hold Falzarano
¯ iecountableforhis lie. IfFalzaranowouldhave mad.e .a9
outrageous claim about any other minority group, ~t ~s
guaranteed the media would have followed-up and
excoriated him for his hysterical statement.
At the Human rights Campaign, our biggest challengeis
not countering political religious activist ~oups
whoexistmdeny us equal rights. The toughest battle we
face is getting the media to accurately follow-up on
outrageous statements made by these groups. As it
stands, our opponents can say anything they want about
Gay people, no matter how despicable, and they never
. havemanswer for it~Through lazy reporting, the media
has becomean accomphcemthe Right s discnnnnalao
campaign against Gay Americans by giving bald faced
lies equal stature to documentedfacts. It is our hope that
as the news media begins to evaluate some of their
glaring ethical lapses in 1998, they will consider stopping
the harmful practice of printing false information
about Gay people perpetuated by the Right without first
verifying the outrageous claims.
This perpetuation of myths by the media has forced
the Human Rights Campaign to start the Ray Of Light
(ROL) project. TheROLseeks to shine the spotlight on
these ministries so people can see beyond the rhetoric
andhearfromthe vast majority ofpeoplewhohave been
through these ministries and now call their techniques
psychological terrorism. This project will invite former
¯
ex-Gays from around the nation to share their stories
¯ with the Human Rights Campaign and lift the veil of
¯ secrecy surrounding these mimstries. The Ray of Light
¯ will:
¯ *Seek and chronicle the stories of former ex-Gays;
¯ *Share these smiles with the public and the media; ¯
*Compile information by leading mental health and
¯ medical experts on the most recent studies; and
¯ *Examine the literature of the ex-Gay ministries to
¯ look for flagrant abuses and fraudulent claims.
If you have been through these ministries, please
¯
submit your story so we can share it and help others.
~ Stories can be submitted, to: www.hrc.org/ncop/rol
Churches Create Hate
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Mainstream Christian denominations
are to blame for a climate of hate and
bigotry that fostered the fatal beating of a Gay University
of Wyoming student, a United Methodist
Church pastor says. "It’s not just the fight-wing
conservatives" who are teaching that homosexuality
is a sin and that Christian churches should shun Gays
and Lesbians, the Rev. Jimmy Creech said while in
Minneapolis recently. "I hold the church accountable
for helping to create a culture that allows violence
against Gays and Lesbians," he said. "Churches don’ t
intend for the violence to happen, but they lay the
groundwork for it."
Creech gained national notoriety" for officiating at
a same-sex covenant ceremony in his Omaha, Neb.,
congregation. In August, he was narrowly acquitted
of violating church law. He subsequently resigned
from his Nebraska congregation.
Creech argues that when the church denies clergy
members the right to perform same-sex ceremonies,
it is preventing them from "being a pastor to all
members of the congregation.r’ For him, "’This is the
denial ofmy freedom to be a pastor to everyone, and
that’s very offensive."
Crecch was in Minneapolis to preach at two services
at All God’s Children Metropolitan Church.
Theday before, hemetwith several Minnesota United
Methodistclergy andlaity. Recently,22United Methodist
members from Minnesota joined 344 other
Methodists around the country in asking the national
bishops to address the issues of treatment ofGays and
Lesbians in the church.
Non-Biological L sbian
Mom Shares Custody
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - A woman who stayed home
[o raise a 2-year-old boy while her Lesbian partner
earned a living can share custody of the child, even
though she isn’ t the biological mother, a judge has
ruled. The partner, identified only as R.E.M., stayed
home to take care of the boy while herpartngr, S.L..y.,
worked at a hospital. The Lakewood couple decided .
to have the child together, chose a sperm donor to
inseminate S.L.V. and sent out birth announcements "
with both women’ s fingerprints on them.
Experts who follow Lesbian custody battles say the ¯
decision goes further than any other in granting bro,a,d ,"
custodial rights to a woman who is not the child s
birth mother. "-
"The court is satisfied that R.E.M. has been able to ¯
show that she stands in the shoes of a parent to the
child and should be accorded the status of parent in "
parity with S.L.V.,’7 Superior Court Judge Vincent ¯
Grasso wrote inhis decision issued Monday in Ocean
County.
Kate Kendell, who heads the National Center for
Gay and Lesbian Rights in San Francisco, called the
decision "an enormous victory ." "Our children have
as much right to a continuing relationship with both
parents as any other child of two parents," she said
Tuesday,
Thejudge’ s declsxon, however, lsn t binding stat -
wide and is inconsistent with an opinion issued in
Essex County in September. Two other similar cases
have yet to be decided in Mercer and Union counties.
"Right now, you have a situation that really cries out
for an appeal," said Paul Urbania, S:L.V:’s attorney.
’q’he law in New Jersey shouldn’t depend on where
geographically you’ re located."
One woman in Essex County, who said she helped
raise 4-year-old twins with her ex-partner, lost custody
of the children and vowed to appeal. Attorney
Robin Wernik said the woman will use the Ocean
County opinion to bolster her case.
Lawyers are stillformalizing thedetails, butR.E.M.
will likely be able to care for the boy for three or four
12-hour days each week while S.L.V. isat work, as
well as on alternate weekends, said her attorney,
Bettina Munson. R.E.M., a former bartender, does
notworkbecause ofapermanentdisability toher arm.
Both women must share the cost of supporting the
boy, identified only as A.J.M.V., thejudge said. The
boy, who was born on March 2, 1996, goes by the
surname of both women.
The couple, who met in 1989 and moved in to-
¯
gether in 1991, chose a sperm donor together with a
¯ geneticprofilethatwas compatible to theirs once they
decided to have a child. S.L.V. was inseminated
¯
because R.E.M. had had a hysterectomy, the opinion
¯ satd. The women went by mommy and mamere,
¯¯ and drew up respective, detailed family trees for the
baby. The relationship ended in November 1996,
¯
although S.LV. remained in the home until Septem-
¯ ber 1997, the opinion said. R.E.M. sued for castody a
¯ month later.
"BBC Apologizes For
¯ Calling Politician Gay
LONDON (AP)-TheBritish Broadcasting Corp. has
apologized to a Cabinet minister who was described
as Gay during a news program. Aides to Trade Secretary
Peter Mandelson said Monday he had received
~ a letter of apology from BBC chairman Sir Christo-
¯ pher Bland. Mandelson, who prefers not to make an
¯ issue of his sexual orientation, planned no comment
: on the letter, the aides said.
The controversy beganwhen newspaper columnist
Matthew Pards saidonalate-nightBBCprogram that
¯ Mandelson was "certainly, Gay. The remark came ¯
during speculation about the sexuality of another
¯ Cabinetminister, RonDavies, whoresigned as Welsh
¯ Secretary last weekbecause ofwhathe called a"lapse
¯ of judgment" with a stranger who robbed him after
the two met at London’ s Clapham Common, a popu-
: lar Gay hangout, and left together. Davies has given
: no clear explanation of what happened. But he has
¯ denied he was seeking Gay sex or drugs, even after
days of banner headlines and tabloid stories.
: Meanwhile, the BBC added to the controversy by
¯ ordering staffmembers never to repeat the remark by
¯ Parris, who is openly Gay, on any of its programs.
¯
That move provoked charges of clumsy censorship
¯
and of giving special treatment to Mandelson, a close
¯ adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair and among the
¯" country’ s most influential politicians.
¯
Protesters included the opposition Conservative
~arty., severa! 9f whose.politicians were pursu.,e,d.by
the media over extramarital affairs when the party
was ~n power.
Also opposed to the BBCrs move was Northern
Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam, also a leading member
of the Blair Cabinet. Ms. Mowlam said she and
other panelists on a Friday nightBBCradio talk show
were told not to mention Mandelson and the Gay
remark. "I’m not about to be unfair or unjust to
colleagues, but we’ve all state~,,very clearly that to be
given guidelines is insulfing~ she said during the
show.
The BBC altered.anews quiz program last week to
remove a running joke about Mandelson, but the TV
¯ satare program .Ha. e I Got Ne~ws For You.’?" was
¯ allowed to broadcast a Clip of the Parris comment.
i Schools LawSuits Help
"Prevent Gay-Bashings
¯ OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - In the wake of the recent
~ death ofaGay collegestudeut, administrators, teach-
¯ ers and students methere this weekend to diSCUSS Gay
~ bashingin schools. They say lawsuits are a powerful
¯ weapon in the ending name:calling, harassment and
: violence agMnst young Gay people. S.chool districts
¯
that have ignored the problem are being held liable.
¯ No federal anti-discrimination laws cover sexual
: orientation, and Massachusetts is the only state to
¯ mandate such protection. But officials-fro_re, the U~S.
¯ Department of Education saidthat under T~tle IX of
theCivil RightsAct,new legal groundis being carved
; out to help Gay youth.
¯" For instance, a boy who is harassed by other boys
¯ because he is.effeminate may have a valid claim that
¯ he’ s being discriminated against because of his gen- ¯
der. Agency officials said they werelooking into such
¯
a case at a private school in the San Francisco Bay
; area. ’Tm n0t saying we came to tell you we’ve got
¯ all the magic bullets and fight answers," said Art
i¯ CCiovlielmRanighotfs.,,D’F~rpa~narktmlye,ntwoef.aErdeusctarutigognl’isngOfwfiicthe aosf
; many questions as you have."
¯ The issue has taken on new urgency since the Oct.
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References MasterCard- & Visa Herman "Ton~’ Becket
12 death of Matthew Shepard, a Gay University of
Wyoming student who was beaten and left tied to a
fence to die, officials said. "When you don’t deal with ¯
sexual harassment, it leads to society accepting it, and
that leads to tragedies like that," said Gloria Estolano, "
who works in the agency’s San Francisco office.
Those attending the second annual conference hosted
by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network "
said lawsuits should be a last resort. "The last time "
students needed lawyers ,to g~t them through high
school was in the ’50s and 60s’ during the civil rights
movement, said Kate Frankfurt, an organizer of the ¯
gathering. What’s needed instead, she said, is organiza- ¯
tions that can stimulate dialogue on the issue.
Learning how to better run her own such group ¯
brought Veronica Lopez, 22, from Stockton to the ¯
conference. Lopez, a college student who works full
time in a day care center, said homophobia starts early.
She said a 4-year-old boy recently came to her in tears .
because a 5-year-old had just called him an anti-Gay "
epithet. "It shows the parents are talking about it, ."
because kids don’t even know what (Gay) is," Lopez ¯
said. "I thinkit’ s important that people realize we’re not "
sick people... I consider myself pretty normal."
Gay Man in NY SenateI
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Thomas Duane, openly Gay ¯
and HIV-positive, describes himself as "distinctly "
progressive." TheDemocraticNew YorkCity Council- "
man is running for a seat m the state Senate that has ¯
rarely, if ever, been described in those terms. If Duane ¯
is elected - and the heavy Democratic makeup of his "
Manhattan district makes that very likely - he will ¯
become the state Senate’s first openly Gay member and
only the second openly Gay member of the state Legis- ¯
lature.-"I’m hoping to add something that has been "
missing from the debate in Albany," Duane said.
He runs as the recent beating death of Gay University ¯
of Wyoming student Matthew Shepherd focuses national
attentiononhatecrimes legislation, one of Duane’ s "
key issugs. Known for his outspoken support of issues ¯
relating to Gays, women and the disabled in.the rough ¯
and tumble city council, Duanehas said that the absence ¯
of hate crime statutes permits and, ina sense, encour- "
ages violence against homosexuals. This-year, he called
for can-cellation-of the annual GreenwiEii Village Halloween
Parade, clting rising anti-Gay violence in the "
traditionally tolerant New York City enclave. "
Such abate crimes law has been blockedinNew York ¯
by the very Republican-controlled state Senate Duane ¯
hopes to take a seat in. Senate Majority Leader Joseph ¯
Bruno opposes the law, saying it creates a special class "
of victim. "
’‘The state Senate has been absolutely backward,"
Matt Foreman, executive director ofEmpire State Pride ¯
Agenda, New York’s largest Gay advocacy group. ¯
"Someone like Tom is desperately needed there."
It is highly unlikely that Duane he will have any luck "
pushing legislation through the highly-regimented Senate
from the Democratic side of the aisle. Still, support- ¯
ers say his status is likely to hold sway in debates. "To ¯
have someone who lives with HIV talking about HIV- :
related bills will be quite powerful and I think his "
opinion willcarry real weight," said state Sen. Catherine ¯
Abate.
Duane is running for Abate’ s seat after she vacated it "
to nm unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination ¯
for state attorney general. The district winds from the ¯
Upper West Side through Times Square downtown to
Greenwich Village and the Financial District. Voter
registration is 67 percent Democrat and only about 11 "
percent GOP. His opponent, Republican Karol Murov, ¯
has failed to mount mu’ch of a challenge, observers said.
Bruno spokesman John McArdle refused to discuss
Duane’ s candidacy. But in response.to criticisms about "
the chamber’s attention to Gay issues he said "the ..
Senate has responded to concerns of New Yorkers as a
whole." ."
Duane’s election would bring New York even with ¯
Arizona and California, which both have two Gay ¯
members in their state Legislature. Only Oregon and "
Maine have more. ."
AssemblywomanDe_borah Glick, the-New York’s
first openly Gay legislator, points to legislation r~quiring
AIDs testing for newborns and this year’ s mandate :
that people who test positive for HIV notify their "
: partners as si.gns that New York’ s Legislature is ill-
" informed on issues important to Gay groups. Yet
she sounds a cautionary note for Duane, saying to
expect at least some hostility. "I’m sure he will
encounter homophobia. I did and still do," Glick
said.
Gay MayorforWinnipeg
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) - A city councilman
once featured in a documentary about Gay foster
fathers has won the mayoral race in Winnipeg,
becoming the first openly Gay mayor of a major
Canadian city. "It was a history-making night,"
said Glen Murray after returns showed him winning
easily over six other candidates. Winnipeg is
Manitoba’s capital and, with 667,000 residents, is
the largest Canadian city between Toronto and
Calgary, Alberta.
Murray, 41, became one of Canada’s betterknown
Gay politicians six years ago when, with his
troubled foster son Michael Curtis, he was featured
in a film documentary called "A Kind of Family."
Murray did not make his sexual orientation a focus
of the campaign, concentrating instead on economic
issues and moderating some of the left-ofcenter
positions he espoused during three terms on
the city council.
His main opponent, grocery-store executive
Philip Kaufman, did not raise the homosexuality
issue explicidy, thoughhe made references early in
the campaign to family values. Late in the campaign,
a local minister organized a prayer vigil and
urged voters to oppose Murray. "This is not a
matter ofhating anyone," said Bruce Martin, pastor
of Calvary Temple Pentecostal Church. "It’s a
matter of biblical interpretation."
Murray’s victory was celebrated by Gays in
Winnipeg. "It’ s apotent symbol that an openly Gay
person should be elected to a high post like this,"
said Chris Vogel, a Gay rights activist. "It contributes
to the growing sense that there’s nothing
wrong with being homosexual."
Murray, seeking to portray himself as mainstream,
said he would follow the practice of previous
Winnipeg mayors and refuse .to officially proclaim
a Gay Pride week in the city. In fact, he said
he _will try to avoid issuing such proclamations on
behalf of any group or cause. "We’re a city of such
diversity, of so many cultures," he said. "We’re a
city of great tolerance, ofhope and Ijust think all of
those values were reaffirmed tonight." There are
only a couple of dozen openly Gay politicians in
Canada, including two members of the federal
Parliament.
Bishop in Bind
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A bishop who performed
two same-sex ceremonies when he was a
Columbus pastor said it was an agonizing decision
for him to file a complaint against a minister for
performing a Gay ceremony. Bishop Joseph
Sprague, head of the Chicago United Methodist
Church, said he performed services for two men
and two women.
Sprague charged Rev. Gregory Dell, pastor of
Broadway United Methodist Church in Chicago,
with "failure to uphold the order and discipline of
the United Methodist Church." Sprague said he
:’ chose to write the complaint to avoid inflammatory
language he expected others might use.
Dell will be tried before a 13-person jury of his
peers. Dell said he didn’ t talk with Sprague before
conducting the recent service, but knew the bishop
would be required to file charges.
Sprague said before he performed the Gay ceremonies
he first discussed it with Bishop Judith
Craig of the West Ohio Conference, which has
jurisdiction over Columbus. "I told him he could
not use the marriage ceremony in that setting... I
toldhim that in terms of any ceremony he designed,
I wouldleave it to his pastoral discretion to do what
was necessary to providepastoral care," Craig said.
Sprague has refused to remove Dell from his
duties pending the trial, and said he isn’ t sure what
he will do if the jury votes to oust Dell.
Jocelyn Elders:
No Regrets
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Jocelyn Elders,
who lost her job as U.S. surgeon
general four years ago, says she does not
regret taking such controversial stands as
advocating se~x education for kindergartners
and conitoms in teen-agers’ pockets.
"You look back on things like that more
than once, and I have tried to think how I
would have said things differently or
should I have said those things, and I have
to say I have no regrets," she said at an
annual state conference on sexually transfnitted
diseases and HIV, the AIDS virus.
Even the invitation for her to speak
stirred controversy. The state Department
of Health and Environmental Control last
month withdrew its sponsorship and
$40,000 in funding, saying Elders’ presence
would distract from the issues. That
left AIDS service organizations as the
primary sponsors, with funding frompharmaceutical
companies.
Eiders, who drew bursts of applause
and cheers from the audience of nearly
650, said she advocates explaining sex to
youngsters so they can protect themselves
from abuse. "We want tO teach our children
early that there are places that people
should not touch," she said in an interview.
What about leaving sex education to
parents? "We don’t let the parents teach
physics," Eiders said. "Your health is far
more important than physics." And if site
had a teen-age daughter? "I would never
want my teen-ager to go out on a date
without a condom in her purse," Elders
said, saying vows ofabstinence"are easier
to break than a latex condom.’"
Elders, the first black woman to be
surgeon general, held the job 15 months
until she was forced to resign in December
;t-994: ~Her downfall came. when she
said Gays and Lesbians must help save
children from the un-Christian religious
right.
Needle Exchange
Program Prevails
WASHINGTON (AP) -Even before a
congressonal bahon funds for needleexchange
programs became law, anAIDS
clinic in the nation’ s capital had set up a
private group to supply drug addicts with
clean needles. "This law is intrusive,"
said Jim Graham, executive director of
the Whitman-Walker Clinic. "It not only
tells D.C. how we can spend ourownlocal
tax dollars, but it tells charities like
Whitman-Walker how we can spend pri:
rate funds."
Congress, as part of the $520 billion
spendingpackage signedintolaw Wednesday,
banned use of local and federal funding
for any needle-exchange program in
the District of Columbia. That was on top
of a permanent ban on federal funding of
needle exchanges anywhere in the country.
The Whitman-Walker Clinic, one of
the nation’ s largest, has created a private,
nonprofit group to run theprogram, transferring
equipment, supplies and $50,000
in private funds to the new operation. The
Washington-based Drug Policy Fotmdation
gave the new group, Prevention
Works, an additional $25,000. "Sounds
like they’ ve. got some pretty sharp lawyers,"
said Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan.,
who sponsored the ban.
The clinic gets $7 million a year in
federal and local government dollars and
has operated a clean-needle exchange for
three years. It got $210,000 from the dis- -
trict last year for the effort and raised
$50,000 from private donors. Last month,
its van disU-ibuted 17,000 needles. Prevention
Works should have. enough resources
to keep the needle-exchange van
rnnning for four or fivemoremonths, said
Graham, who is running for City Council.
Needle exchanges are operatingin about
100 U.S. cities. Supporters say such programs
help prevent the spread ofAIDS by
allowing addicts to exchange contamimated
needles for dean ones. Opponents
contend the programs encourage drug
abuse.
Eleanor Holmes Norton, the distriCt’ s
delegate to Congress, called the provision
"callous... (and) ignorant, because the
entire scientific establishmenthas reached
the same conclusion: Needle exchange
markedly reduces AIDS infection and
deaths without spreading drug abuse." Its
racial implications are inescapable, she
said, because AIDS is hitting black and
Hispanic populations the hardest. Last
year, she said, the District’s AIDS rate
was nine times the national average.
Tiahrt and Sen. Jolm Ashcroft, R-Mo.,
the Senate sponsor of the ban, cite Canadian
studies they say demonstrate that
. clean needle programs have failed to reduce
the spread of HIV. "’Wherever the
needle exchange programs took place,
theybecame hubs for drug activity," Tiahrt
said. Addicts~ need "help ~o get off drugs,
not help to get new needles." A possible
White House contender, Ashcrofl likens
needle exchange programs to the idea
"that providing bulletproof vests to bark
robbers would make it safer for them to
rob banks."
The authors of the Canadian studies
have said congressional leaders misinterpreted
their report. Because the programs
served inner-tory neighborhoods, they
served users.already at the.greatest risk of
infection, they said, and the programs did
not provide enough syringes to be effecfive.
Investors Suing
¯ PLWA’s Not Dying
: wEsT PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A
¯ group of mvestors has sued two compa-
¯¯ nies that buy and sell life insurance policies
ofterminallyill patients, saying medi-
¯ cal advances are keeping AIDS patients
¯ alive longer. ¯
¯ The two companies targeted in the lawsuits
broker what arb known as viatical
¯ settlements. A terminally ill person, usu-
¯ ally an AIDS patient, sells his life insur-
¯ ance policy for less than the death benefit
to get the cash. The person who buys the
¯ policy becomes the policy’s owner and
¯ beneficiary and collects the full benefit ¯
when the patient dies.
¯ The deals were invented in the 1980s as
¯ thenumberofAIDS cases exploded. They
¯ have been controversial since their incep- ¯
lion because, in .crass terms, they are an
: investment in someone else’ s death. But
: the deals are touted as making the best of
¯ a bad situation. They often help AIDS ¯
patients pay for treatment and live out
¯ their final days in relative comfort.
¯ However, the lawsuits filed recently in ¯
Palm Beach County Circuit Court con-
" tends the system is falling apart. Medical
¯ progress means AIDS patients whomight
_- have expected to live only for another
¯ year are living for three, four or five years.
¯ Thelonger a patient lives, the lower the
¯ return. If an investor buys a $110,.000
: policy for $100,000, and the patient dies
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in a year, that’ s a $10,000 or 10% return.
If the patient lives two years, the annual
return falls to 5%, in uncompounded interest.
At three years, it’ s 3.3%.
So for the investor, the deals are no
longer viable, said Mitchell L. Perlstein, a
Boca Raton attorney who is representing
the investors. The deals now amount to
deception on the ,part of the two companies
in the lawsuits, he said P6rlstein said
there’ s no longer areasonable certainty as
to the projeqti~n Of life expectancy. The
lawsuits seek a~jury trial and unspecified
damages. A Judge must certify them if
they are to become class actaon.
Officials at Accelerated Benefits in
Orlando and Dedicated Resources Inc. of
Delray Beach said they had not seen the
lawsuits and could not comment on the
Specific charges. "It’ll be interesting to
see what they have to say," said Michael
Zadoff, presidentofDedicated Resources.
HIV & Elder, Sex
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Sue Saunders is 65
and has AIDS. As far as she’ s concerned,
the more people who know it the better.
Saunders pioneered aproject in herhometown
of Fort Lauderdale to educate Flori~
ans over age 50 about therisk ofde¯eloplng
acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
Her first challenge was getting the
attention of an age group largely ignored
when it comes to AIDS education.
"Yes, there is sex after 50. After 60.
After 70. People think after 50 we die
from the neck down," Ms. Saunders said.
"People look at you like you’re crazy.
What?You mean, Grandma and Grandpa
are still having sex?"
Ten% of all AIDS cases in the country
are people over age 50, according to the
Florida Department of Elder Affairs. In
Florida, the figure is higher - ranging
between 12% and 14%. One in eight Floridians
living with AIDS is 50 or older,
state health officials said. Yetwhengroups
are addressed that are considered.at risk of
contracting the virus that causes AIDs,
older Americans are often left out.
Eighteen months ago, Ms. Saunders
began inviting herself to small South
Florida groups to discuss prevention, promote
education and warn seniors to abstain
from sex or use condoms. "You’ re
telling people 50 to 90 years old: ’You are
at risk for a fatal disease. Youjust went to
bed with aguy and y,oudon’ tknow where’ s
he’ s been.’"
Ms. Saunders was healthy and active.
She was divorced, in love and in a longlime
relationship. HerBahamianboyfriend
was the spark of her life. They spent lazy
days on the water, fishing. Life was good.
That was in 1990: Suddenly, her boyfriend
was diagnosed HIV positive. Nine
months later, he was dead. She feared the
same thing would happen to her and began
saying goodbye to her four grown
children.
A son took herto an HIV-infected doctor
in Laguna Beach, Calif. That visit
helped change her life. She dropped the
self-pity and went to the Broward County
Health Department but found little informarion.
After six months doing research,
she went to Bentley Lipscomb, elder affairs
secretary, who found $170,000 to
fund SHIP, the Senior. HIV Intervention
Project.
Ms. Saunders worked long and hard
getting into the crowded retirement condominiums
along Florida’ s Gold Coast to
give her message. In these building complexes,
women outnumber men seven-toone,
she said. "The women are starved for
affection. The men are having a ball. They"
can have all the women they want. "Ev~
erybody says ’it can’t happen to me. I’m
uot aprostitute. I don’ t fool around,’" she
said. "You’ie never too old. And all it
takes xs one partner - if he or she is
infected.’"
Older people are rarely targeted for
prevention. The health care system, including
doctors, often is reluctant or uneasy
about discussing AIDS and sex with
them, said Dave Bruns, elder affairs
spokesman. "Not only is it an insult, it’ s
rampant ageism," Bruns said. "Just who
do they think is buying all this Viagra?"
There are 67,282 cases of AIDS cases
statewide and 8,400 of those infected are
age 50 or older, according to the Florida
Department of Health.
When Ms. Saunders left the SHIP program
recently, the demand for lectures
was enormous. "Everybody wanted us to
come talk to them," she said. They were
scheduling 20to30 presentations amonth.
The project was so successful, a second
program was launched in the Tampa Bay
area under Edith Ellerson in June. She
encountered similar apprehension as she
started talking at senior centers, assistedliving
residences, senior nutritional programs.
Gradually, the audiences became more
receptive and willing to listen. She brings
condoms, urges listeners to be tested and
find out firstabout themselves, then question
their partners. "You’ re not only sleeping
with your partner, but with whomever
your partner slept with for the past five
years, and whoever they slept with - like
a pyramid or domino effect," she said.
Hemophiliacs to
Get Compensation
WASHINGTON (AP) - Last-minute lobbying
led to deceptively easy approval of
a plan to allow the government to compensate
hemophiliacs infected with HIV
during the early days of the AIDS epidemic.
The bill, passed by the Senate on a
voice vote, authorizes payments of
$100,000 apiece to compensate hemophiliacs
or their survivors for the
government’s failure to aggressively
screen tainted blood products.
The measure, which President Clinton
is expected to sign, does not put the checks
in the mail, though, because it does not
allocate any money. However, with the
authorization in hand, the bill’s backers
can lobby Congress to appropriate the
estimated $750 million it would cost.
The bill, named after Ricky Ray, a 15-
year-old hemophiliac from Florida who
died from AIDS in 1992, became controversial
late in the legislativeprocess, when
others who contracted the .disease from
tainted bloodtransfusions argued thatthey
deserved to be included.
Sen. James Jeffords, R-Vt., took up the
cause of the transfusion victims, and at
one point blocked consideration of the
Ricky Ray bill in an effort to force action
on a more encompassing authorization.
Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, said he
spent the weekend on the phone pressing
Senate leaders to move the bill to the floor
and dealing with the last-minute objections
of other senators.
Jeffords’ spokesmanJoe Karpinski said
he never planned to hold up the legislation
altogether, and dropped his objections to
the House bill after it became clear thathe
could not develop consensus to include
the.transfusion victims, potentially dou-
\
¯
b.ling the cost. Hemophiliac,~ m~d tra:>/;usxon
recipients were infected wifl~.~~,--,.,.,~.,..~.
¯
donated by people who carried th6 AIDS
¯ virus.
The Institute of Medicine, a scientific
¯ organizationthatadvises the government,
¯
later concluded that government caution.
¯ fear of criticism and inadequate leadership
delayed effective screening of donors
and proper blood testing.
¯
Hemophiliacs already have won
: $100,000 each from the blood industry
¯ through the settlement of a class action
lawsuit. Transfusion court victories have
¯
been more sporadic.
¯ Karpinski said Jeffords will try again
¯ next year toinclude transfusion victims, a ¯
move DeWine backs. "We should work to
¯ see that justice is done for this group of
¯ victims as well," said DeWine. "Wemade
¯ the decision that it was better to deal with
part of the problem than none of the prob-
" lem." "I think the precedent of this bill
¯ willmakeit easier to address the concerns ¯
ofthosewhohaveAIDS because oftrans-
¯ fusions."
School NamedAfter
Boy with AIDS
WESTMINSTER,Colo. (AP)-Ten years
¯¯ ago, a little boy from Broomfield began
first grade while 30 children stayed home
¯
in protest. Threatening statements and
¯ letters from parents demanded a separate
: bathroom and eating area for Ryan
¯ Sheridan, who was infected with HIV. He
¯ died ofcomplications fromAIDS in 1993.
Public perception of the disease has
¯ changed since 1988, but misunderstand-
, ings still exist. Reminding students, teach-
¯ - ers and admimstrators ol~the hard lessons
¯ learned about Ryan is a school named
¯ after him: Ryan Elementary School in
¯
Westminster. His picture, a plaque and a
¯ red ribbon hangin thelobby of the school.
"It’s tough to remember. People were
¯ backed in a corner and forced to deal with
¯
something they didn’ t want to deal with,"
¯ said Tim Sheridan, recalling the events
¯ leading up to his son’s first day in first ¯
grade. When the Shefidans, now divorced
¯
and bothlivingin ~Ihornton, told adminis-
: trators Ryan was infected, the Jefferson
¯ County school boarddecided to inform all
parents by letter that a student with HIV
¯
would attendJuchem Elementary School.
¯. Juchem closed in 1994 after being replaced
by a new school named Ryan Elementary.
¯ The letter caused a firestorm of controversy
that forced the school board to have
¯ a number of secret meetings with Ryan’ s
¯
teacher and publicmeetings to discuss the
¯
issue. Throughout, Ryanremained anony-
¯ mous to everyone but his teacher, the
principal and the school board.
¯
Ryan contracted HIV when he was 2
¯ years old from a blood transfusion during
¯ 9Pen-heart surgery. Teachers and admin-
¯ lstrators say Ryan taught everyone at the
¯
school difficult lessons about tolerance
; and courage, but AIDS educators say the
public still has a long way to go in understanding
the disease. "in my opinion, we
¯ haven’t gone all that far in 10 years. Our
¯ homophobia is what gets in the way of
¯ hearing about HIV," said Katy Fleming,
education director at the Boulder County
; AIDS Project. "Studies have shown that
¯ manytimes peoples’ attitudes towardchildren
(with AIDS) have been negative
¯
because of issues of sexual orientation "
¯ Although HIV and AIDS education is
¯ better today, moral issues still need to be
¯ separated from medical issues, Fleming
¯ said.
by James Christjohn : they would get the in-jokes peppered
ff there is a movie that I would heartily ¯ throughout the film.
recommend to all folks this Halloween,,it ; And speaking of magic, The Divine
is Practical Magic. It has something for ¯ Miss M’ s new release, "Bathhouse Betty"
everyone: laughter, tears, sus- is a must-have for any gifting
pense, horror, magic, and
Stevie Nicks (betcha were
wondering how I’d work her
in, huh?). A comedy about a
family of hereditary witches -
that actually gets the gist of
Wicca correct for a change,
even if adding a few "eyes of
newt and a liberal dose of
frogs" - and romance, the favorite
line will be the one
where one of the townsfolk
says of one of the witches
"Goodnews - she’ s come out!"
And, tomy delight, Stevie~ s
reworked "Crystal" is a major
theme in the film in the score
as well as sung. The advice
given in the film to those considering
or afraid of relationships
is well worth the price of
admission. Stockard Channing
and Diane Weist are absolute magic as the
Annties who pass on the family traditions
with liberal doses of love and laughter.
One of the lovely things about the film
is .that it deals with being perceived as
different, inhuman, "other" in the ’~mainstream"
world, and being a magical film,
how the wOmen of this family transcend
that difficulty. It very much has a Gay
sensibility to it and thus would be enjoyed
by those in our community especially, for
"I’m Beautiful,
Dammlt"
[Bette Midler’s
new recording]
is a standout
track that
should he a hit
in the dance
clubs, being an
anthem to
being-different
and eelebratln~
that dlfferenee
in .spite of the
flak it brin~s.
this season. It is Bette at her
best, full of everything from
tearful ballads ("One True
Friend") to bawdy blues (my
personal favorite, and new
theme song, "One Monkey
Don’t Stop No Show"), to
comedic with a message (another
theme song, a hiphoppin’
’Tm Beautiful,
Dammit!").
It marks a return to the
eclecticism that was one of
Bette’ s most delightful qualities,
whereyoumightdiscover
songs you’ d never find otherwiseifyouhadn’
t been liste~ning
to her albums. ’Tm Beautiful,
Dammit" is a standout
track that shouldbe a hit in the
dance clubs, being an anthem
to being differentand celebrat-
¯ ing that difference in spite of the flak it
¯ brings.
¯ Know someone that Loves Bette
¯ Midler? Perfect gift. Know someone that
has never heard of Bette? Perfect intro-
¯¯ duction.
James Christjohn, actor, writer, poet
¯ and Mac-guru extraordinaire provides
¯ TFN with entertainment news, commen-
~ tary and can be counted on for regular
¯ Stevie Nicks updates.
Gal-A-Vanting, Tulsa’ s new
tivities network specializing
in Ms-adventures for women,
kicked off its program with a
WomenIn the Arts nightat the
Pride Center on October 23.
While attendance was somewhat
thin, with approximately
20 women in the audience,
Gal-A-Vanting founders Joan
and Mary were still quite
happy with the event.
"Wedidn’ t takeinto account
Oktoberfest," Mary explains,
"And we are still developing
our mailing list and contacts.
The artists were really outstanding,
each with a style and
media that was quite unique~
We’re hoping to do a week
long show in the spring so that
the art exhibits can be stationary
and serve as an anchor for
performing arts such as readings,
music and so forth. And
this will give people a better
chance to see the works of
these fine women artists, and
support them by purchasing
their worl~ You don’ t have to
go to Eureka Springs or to Ptown
to find exceptional artwork
for your home."
social ac-
The
long-awalted
dance will be
held at the
Pride Center
on Saturday
November 14
from eight
p.m. tll ??? and
will be D.J.’d
by
Sue Knause,
who promises
to play a wide
array of tunes
for the
danelng
pleasure of
Tulsa’s
" play a wide array of tunes for the dancing
pleasure of Tulsa’s women.
With the smaller lounges in
the Pride center, opportunities
for a quiet conversation are
also available. Light refreshments
will be available and
the entry fee is $3 for singles
and $5 for couples.
"We’ ve had a lot of interest
in this dance, because somany
women like to dance but for
whatever reason don’ t care to
be arbund smoking or drinking.
It will also provide a nice
venue for women to meet new
friends and make new contacts."
says Mary.
The December Gal-AVanting
event will be a movie
night on December 16 at the
Pride Center, beginning at6:30
p.m. A feature film and a
couple of documentaries will
be shown.
We’re getting ready to prepare
our schedule of events
for the first of the year and
we’ d really like some ideas
from the women in the Tulsa
area of what they’d like to
do," explains Mary. "Please
feel free to call me with your
The long-awaited dance will be held at : wish list of activities at 743-6740. And if
the pride center on Saturday November . you’re not on our mailing/call list, please
14 from eight p.m. til ??? and will be : let us know, This information is strictly
D.J.’ d by Sue Knause, who promises to ¯ confidential and will not be shared."
Humperdinck’s
nse
rete
Parade of Lights.
Come celebrate the spirit of the holiday season
at the PSO Christmas Parade of Lights.
Saturday, December 12. Downtown Tulsa at 6 p.m.
View parade floats up close, Friday, December 11,
at the HolidayFest.(Brady Arts DistriCt) from 6-9 p.m.
Public Service Company of Oklahoma
A Central and South West Company
World AIDS Day 1998
Candlelight March & Memorial Service
sponsored by
Interfaith AIDS Ministries
Tuesday, December 1st
6:30, Gather at
Centenary United Methodist Church Parking Lot
631 North Denver
7:00", March Begins to Saint Jerome
7:30*, Memorial Service at the
Parish Church of Saint Jerome. 205 West King
Reception following seine.ice. *time approximate
Bring banners & bells~ candles & matches provided
st. Jerome will be accessible to the
disabled at the east entrance.
Into: 438-2437 or 800-284-2437
THE NOON NEWS NEVER
LOOKED SO TASTY.
The big news is Warren Duck Club’s new lunch menu. And the Horseradish Orange
Crusted Halibut with Apricot Basil Sauce is just one of the tastiest stories. From familiar
favorites, to late-breaking dishes hot from Chef Dan Broyles’ creative kitchen,
this is news to truly savor. Call 495-1000 for the whole story and for reservations.
Wari’enOu~kCh-d)
In the Doubletree Hotel At Warren Place
6110 S. Yale / Tulsa OK / 918-495-1000
~ SUNDAYS
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 - 6pro, 2545 S. Yale, 585-1800
Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Service - 1 lam, 2545 S. Yale, 749-0595
Church of the Restoration Unitarian Universalist
Service - 1 lam, 1314 No. Greenwood, 587-1314
Family of Faith Metropolitan Community Church
Service - 1 lam, Childrens Ministry also, 5451-E S. Mingo, 622-1441
House of the Holy Spirit Ministries, Inc.
Sunday School - 9:45am, Service - 10:45am, 3210e 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 - 1 lam, 205 W. King (east of No. Denver), Info: 582-3088
University of Tulsa Bisexual/Lesbian/Gay/Transgendered Alliance
6:30 pm, Meets at the Canterbury Ctr., 5th & Evanston, 583-9780
Council Oak Men’s Chorale, rehearsals at 5pm, Info: 743-4297
~" MONDAYS
nIV Testing Clinic, Free & anonymous testing. No appointment required.
Walk in testing: 7-8:30pm, 834-TEST (8378) 3501 E. Admiral (east of Harvard)
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 Monicach too. 6:30pro, Fellovcship Congregational Church, 2900 S. Harvard
Mixed Volleyball, Helmerich Park, 71st & Riverside, 7pro, call Shawn 491-2036.
Women/Children & AIDS Committee, call for meeting date, noon, 585-5551
~ TUESDAYS
AIDS Coalition of Tulsa, 11 i 10, noon, United Way Bldg. 1430 S. Boulder
H!V+ Support Group, HIV Resource Consortium l:30pm
3507 E. Admiral (east of Harvard), lnf6: Wanda @ 834-4194
Multicultural AIDS Coalition, 11/3, 12:30pm, Urban League, 240 East Apache
Rainbow Business Guild, Business & prof. networking group, Info: 743-4297
PrimeTimers, mens group, 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 pm, 1307 E. 38th, 2nd ft.
~ THURSDAYS
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education
Anonymous HIV Testing, Testing: 7 - 8:30pm 834-8378, 3507 E. Admiral
Oklahoma Rainbow Young Adult Network (O’RYAN)
Support/social group for 18-24’ s, call Red Rock Mental Health at 584-2325
Substance Abuse Support Group for persons with HIV/AIDS, Info: 834-4194
I~" FRIDAYS
SafeHaven, Young Adults Social Group, 1st Fri/each mo. 8pm, Pride Ctr., 1307 E. 38th
~" SATURDAYS
Narcotics Anonymous, 11 pro, Community of Hope,1703 E. 2nd, Info: 585-1800
Lambda A-A, 6 pm, Pride Center, 1307 E. 38th, 2rid 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 Organization. Info: POB 9165, Tulsa 74157,
Short rides, 6:30pro, Long rides, 7am: Meet at Z~igler Park,.3903 West 4th. Pride
Rides from the Pride Center, 3749 S. Peorial Write for dates.
Ifyour organization is not listed~ please let us know. Call 583-1248 orfax 583-4615.
Barry Hensley
~sa City-CountyLibrary
~lany Gay and Lesbian families have
rallies finding materials for children
h depict their family sire-
... In the past few years,
., has been a slow change
te publishing world and
re beginning to see a few
~ for children, early school
and .under, which depict
and Lesbian families.
ae trailblazer ~as Heather
Two Mommies, by Leslea
€man, which stimulated
di "~
8t~’~
the
in
we
tifl
ag~
Ne
dis~ usslons across the country
and ’opened a new line of attad
~.on theGay community by
the Religious Right. A simple,
short book, it depicts a young
girl and her family: two pets
and two mommies. Heather
suddenly realizes that she
doesn’t have a daddy and becomes
upset. She is gently
shown other children who, for
a variety ofreasons, don’thave
fathers. Heather realizes that
there are many different family
situations and that she is
lucky to have two mothers.,
A companion book "i§
Daddy’s Roomate,by Michael
Wi!lhoite, depicting a boy
Willholte has a
third,
hilarious book,
Uncle What-ls-h
Is Comln~
To V;s;t.
It concerns a
youn~ brother
and sister who
.have just learned
that their Gay
uncle, whom they
have never met,
is eomln~ to visit.
They ask older
kids what it
means to be
Gay and are
horrified as the
stereotypes of
leather queens
and Carmen
Miranda look~alikes
spew forth.
Uncle What-Is-It Is Coming To Visit. It
¯ concerns a young brother and sister who
¯ have just learned that their Gay uncle,
¯ whom they have never met, ts coming to
visit. They ask older kids what
it means to be Gay and are
horrified as the stereotypes of
leather queens and Carmen
Miranda look-a-likes spew
forth. Their fears are shattered
when Uncle Brett shows up
and tunas out to be a normal,
everyday kind of guy.
Other appropriate books for
young children include The
Duke Who Outlawed Jelly
Beans, a satire on today’s polirical
scene. In it, the Duke
issues a proclamation: "I had
exactly one mother and one
father, and I turned out so well,
I thinkall children shouldhave
exactly one mother and one
father. Any that don’t- why,
we’ll throw ’em in the dungeon."
Fortunately, the Duke
learns the error of his ways.
For slightly older children,
ages 6-12, tryHow Would You
Feel If Your Dad Was Gay?
by A~n Heron and Meredith
Maran. Written by two Lesbian
mothers with help from
their sons,it depicts three chilwho’s
divorced father is in a long term,
canng Gaymlationship. AnotherWillhoite
rifle, not owned by the public library, is
Daddy’s Wedding, which continues the
saga of Daddy’s Roomate. Ask your librarian
to interlibrary loan Daddy’s Wedding
for you from another library system.
Willhoite .has a third, hilarious book,
"She has created an arch of hope that
future Gay and Lesbian candidates will be--
able to walk through." Baldwinis also the
firstwomanever elected to Congress from
Wisconsin.
Another openly Lesbian Democrat,
former Army colonel Grethe
Cammeremeyer, was defeated by incumbent
Republican Rep. Jack Metcalf in
Washington state. A third, Democrat
Chrisline Kehoe, was trailing in her bid to
upset California Republican Rep. Brian
Bilbray.
Gay Republican Rep. Jim Kolbe of
Arizona, bidding for an eighth term, held
a solid l(ad with more than three-quarters
of the votes counted in his race against
Democrat Tom Volgy.
In an Oklahoma rematch, Republican
Rep. Frank Lucas easily won. a fourth
term against Democrat Patti Barby, an
openly Gay OklahomaCity businessman.
Another openly Gay member of Congress,
Democratic Rep. Barney Frank of
Massachusetts, was unopposed for a 10th
term. Frank is an outspoken member of
the House Judiciary Committee, which
will consider impeachment charges
against President Bill Clinton.
In most cases, the Gay candidates and
their opponents kept sexual orientation
out of the campaigns. But 6ational Gay
civil rights organizations poured money
into the races, notably $1 million spent t~y
the Human Rights Camp~gn.
: drenwithGayparents.Ithasmulticultural
¯ characters andcompassionately shows the
¯ reality of different types of families.
¯¯ Don’t forget to check your local library
for information regarding Gay and Les-
¯ bianfamilies. Also youmay call the Read-
. ers Services department of the Central
¯ Library at 596-7966.
"People are taking a stand for traditional
mamage." Not surprisingly, Joseph
Mdillo, who with his partner and two
Lesbian couples sued the state when they
were denied marriage licenses in 1990,
felt differently. "It’ s putting into our state
constitutaon a discriminatory clause that
will distinguish us from other people," he
said.
Alaska’s constxtutional amendment
defines marriage as the union of one man
and one woman. The Legislature put the
question on the ballot after a Superior
Courtjudge ruled infavor oftwo Gay men
who challenged the state ban on same-sex
marriage. The judge said choosing a life
partner was a fundamental right and the
state had to prove a compelling reason to
regulate it.
In Fort Collins, a civil rights proposed
had become especially emotional since
the beating death of Matthew Shepard, a
Gay student from the University of Wyoming
who died in a Fort Collins hospital.
Ordinance 22 would have prohibited discrimination
in housing, employment and
public accommodations on the basis of
sexual orientation.
"National Gay civil rights advocacy
groups built this up as an important watershed
and I think it was," said Fort Collins
lawyer Jon-Mark Patterson, an opponent
of the ordinance. "I ~hink tonightitshowed
most people here don’t want the government
to take a side in a controversial
Kelly Kirby CPA, PC
Certified Public Accountant, a professional corporation
Lesbians and Gay men face many special tax
situations whether single.or as couples.
Call us for help with your year round tax needs.
747-5466
4021 S. Harvard, Suite 210, Tulsa 7d135
IGTA member
Call 341.6866
International
TourS /ormorein!o mation.
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News
Better Than
Ever, Pride
Merchandise,
Magazines &
More
610-8510
8120 East 21st
, (21 st+Memorial,
next to Boot City)
We buy back good
u(ed adult magazines.
Country .Club
Barbering
Custom Styling
for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236
Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm
by Mary Schepers, DIYD
Your.DIYD is fired and cranky, so let’s
snap to xt, get this fence up and get it over
with. After all, you’ve been waiting three
months to finish this project and it is
getting sooo tiresome. You’ve bought all
of your materials, put
up your posts and assembled
all your tools.
Your beverages have
been cooling and
you’ve got a pile of
pickets stacked in the
yard, and the neighbors,
the Nosey Parkers, are
still muchtoo interested
in your private life. So
put on that toolbelt
you’ve been breaking
in, and let’s work it.
The fence stringers
are the backbone of
your fence. If they are
on the inside of the
fence, you’ll want to
channel" your anal retentive
side and take
Your DIYD is
tired and cranky,
so let’s snap to it, get
this fence ~p and get
it over with.
After all, you’ve been
waitin~ three months
to finish this project
and it is getting sooo
tiresome... So put
on that toolbelt
y.ou’ve been breaking
m, and let’s work it!
particular pains to get everything level
and true. If your neighbors are getting that
side of the fence, one can be somewhat
more cavalier, though not messy, about
stringer placement.
For the perfect stringer array, you will
need enough string to stretch from one
end of the fence to the other, a spare body
for help, and a level. A chalk line won’t
hurt, either. There are small levels that
attach to your string and they are not
expensive; but if you’re tired of waiting,
we’ll make do with a regular level. Measurefrom
the groundup abouteightinches
and make a mark on the fence post on
either end. This will be where the bottom
edge of your bottom stringer will go.
Don’t worry, the tops (and the middies)
will get their chance momentarily. You
can no either stretch and attach a string
line from end to end, using a level to
ensure eveness, and mark the other posts,
or you can use a chalk line and snap the
mark across the posts. This saves time, if
you know how to use one. Attach your
bottom stringers withNo-Co-Rode screws.
drilling a pilot hole slightly smaller than
the diameter of the screw.
You will need help with this if you are
going for the perfect look. ff not, then you
can attach a 1x4 so that the top is even with
your bottom line. Do this on both posts
and use them to support your board while
you drive the two screws into each end of
the stringers. You can remove and reuse
the lx4’s as you go down the fence. The
stringers will meet in the middie of each
post, so if you’re over the length a bit,
measure carefully (twice!) and remove
whatever is necessary; if it isn’t long
enough, have you got trouble! The only
solution-is to b.uy a board two feet longer
and saw off the extra, and darling, that is
going to hurt.
Once your swingers are all attached,
you are ready to start putting up your
pickets, ff you are using Cedar pickets, the
wood is soft enough that drilling pilot
holes are not necessary, but they will be
for any other type of wood; otherwise, it
will split your pickets, and the possibility
of screw head cam-out is very much enhanced.
News Flash: your pickets will not
be even, square, or straight. Sorry, but this
would actually be desirablein wood. Keep
that level handy and use it when setting
each picket unless you want your fence to
develop a curious slant in a hurry.
Set up your first picket so that it is about
1/4 to 1/2" off the ground; put the square
in the middie of one side and move it
gently until the bubble is between the two
middie lines. Attach picket with the first
screw, in the middie.
This frees up your
hands,for attaching the
top and bottom screws.
Put two screws into the
picket at the top and
bottom stringer, about
3/4" from each outer
edge. Do the same for
the remaining pickets,
leveling each as best
you can.
As you approach the
end of your fence, you
will, unless most fortunate,
discover that the
last picket will not fit
perfectly, being either
too wide or too narrow.
Start paying attention
to this about a half
dozen pickets from the end. If you will not
be off by much, you can adjust the spacing
between the last few pickets so they come
out fine, otherwise, you’ll have to find a
way to np cnt an end picket, or to get
sneaky. You know what the DIYD prefers:
sneaky ways are deliciously evil and
always appeal, especially if they equate
with less work. On the DIYD’s last fence
project ( which is also the current fence
project...), a lx4" picket was used in the
last space, and the other pickets were
spaced ever so slightly wider apart without
being the least bit obvious. You’ll
have to play around with it, but if vou
haven’ t got access to a table saw to rip’cut
a picket, it is well worth it, and safer as
well. Rip cuts have a nasty reputation.
Now youare asking yourself what there
was about this project that took so long,
and the answer is the same as so many
others - prep work makes the difference
in any home project. It is well worth the
investment of your ume to measure, level
mad true up any part of your fence before
it becomes regrettably permanent. And it
looks so much more beautiful - mad darlings,
you are worth it!
There. Your DIYD is less cranky now
that you’ve built your privacy fence so
well. Rest up. We’ll have more fun next
month when we freShen up those fired old
kitchen cabinets with a bit of sanding,
some paint, and some more stylish pulls.
Matthew Shepard’s death was horrible
and senseless; it would be more so if
it was in vain."
Kelly Kirby, longtime civil rights activist
and Gay community leader spoke of
his family’s direct experiences with hate
crimes, including an assaultonhis spouse,
Ric, which resulted in over 100 stitches
being required. Kirby also claimed that
each year from 1991 to 1996, a Gay man
was murdered in Tulsa.
In New York City, participants of the
recent Fifth Avenue rally to remember
Shepard alleged that police beat them
with batons and ran into them with mopeds
and that police horses kicked them
because they had no permit for the event.
Police were dispatched to themarch when
about 4,000 people flocked to the event.
see Hate, p. 14
by Esther Rothblum
At a time when sexual orientation and
gender are being viewed as more continuous
categories, there is renewed interest
in the fluidity of who is a "woman" and
whois a"Lesbian." InmanyNativeAmerican
cultures, gender and sexuality have
not been as fixed as in western
cultures.
Recently, a number of
books have appeared on
"two-spirit¯ people," a term
coinedby Native Americans
for individuals in their cultttres
who are Gay or Lesbian,
or who are transgendered,
or who have multiple
gender identities. The term
"two-spirit" is an attempt by
Native American commttnities
to re-define their past
from the way in which it has
been depicted by white male
anthropologists,and also to
distinguishNativeAmerican
concepts ofgenderandsexuality
from those of the.western
Gay and Lesbian communities.
I recendy spoke with Sue-
Ellen Jacobs, one of the coeditors
of the book, Two-
SpiritPeople: NativeAmerican
GendertIdentity, Sexuality
and Spirituality. She
-said: ’¢Fhere are a number of instances
where there are Native women, living on
reservations, who don’t stand out, who.
don’t come forward. The Gay white men
who are out there studying Native American
men don’t see the women because
these.researchers don’ t recognize, these
Women as Who they are with~n their cul~
ture. Not many Native women use the
words ’Lesbian’ or ’dyke’ to describe
themselves. The researchers didn’t realize
that there was a movement going on
within the Native American communities,
the two-spirit movement."
Sue-Ellen Jacobs described instances
of"male-bodiedwomen"or "female-bodied
men" who took on the roles and became
known as being of the "other" genderin
NativeAmericancultures. AsJacobs
and the other editors state in the introduction
to their book: "Using the word ’two-
Spirit’ emphasizes the spiritual aspect of
one’ s life and downplays the homosexual
persona."
After experiencing several years of "discriminatory
treatment," and many efforts
to work out the differences with TCCLS,
Neal contacted Tulsa County Commissioner
John Selph to discuss what Neal
called"theseblatant violations ofthe First
Amendment" and his intention to file a
lawsuit to resolve the matter.
While Neal neverreceived any response
fromhis letter to Selph, shordy afterward,
TCCLS banned all free publications from
its lobbies- withthe exceptionofaLatino
publication, Imagen in the 3rd Street Library
which serves an increasingly Spanish-
spealdng neighborhood.
According to Neal; lmagen blatenfly
violated the 50% local content nile but
said he was told that TCCLS director,
Linda Saferite, approved that violation
because having the publication helped to
traditions
acknowledge that
the he-shes
and she-hes
. . . were amon~
the ~reatest
eontrlhutors to the
well-heln, and
advancement of
their eommunltles.
They were
(and we are)
the Sreatest probers
into the ways of the
future, and they
qulekly assimilated
the lessons of
ehan~in~ times
.... and people..."
." In the chapter "I am a Lakota womyn,"
¯ Beverly Little Thunder writes: "Most
¯
tribes that I have had the honor of know-
" ing have specificnames formenwholove
¯ men and women who love women... I
¯" can understand that theremay be a need
¯ by some to findapan-Native term that can
be used as a marker for the
general population of Native
Lesbians and Gays. We
are all so different in somany
ways, however. Culturally
and physically, we are all
different. Each tribe has its
own name, its own structure.
How canwe all even be
called ’Natives’?... The
words I would like to see
written about me and read
fifty years from now should
be words that reflect who I
am as an individual.’"
Came House, of Navajo!
Oneida descent, writes: "Our
oral traditions acknowledge
that the he-shes and she-hes
(those who hold in balance
the male and female, female
and male aspects of themselves
and theuniverse) were
among the greatest contributors
to the well-being and
advancement of their communities.
They were (andwe
are) the greatest probers into
¯ the ways of the future, and they quickly
¯ assimilated the lessons of changing times
and people. Recent studies into the lives
¯ of she-hes and she-hes have recovered
¯ models or near models of this rich, inven-
¯ tive, reverential, and highly productive
¯ approach t.o k.eg,ping balance within a s~-
¯ ciet~ viewed as an extension of nature."
Further reading, see: Sue-Ellen Jacobs,
¯
Wesley Thomas & Sabine l_xtng (’97).
¯ Two-SpiritPeople: NativeAmerican Gen-
: der Identity, Sexuality and Spirituality.
¯ Urbana, IL: Univ. of Blinois Press. Will
: Roscoe (’98). Changing Ones: Third and
¯ FourthGendersinNativeNorthArnerica.
¯- NY: St. Martin’s Press. Lester Brown
" (’98). Two-Spirit People. NY: Haworth
: Press.
: Esther Rothblum teaches Psychology
¯ at the Univ. of Vermont and edits the
: Journal of Lesbian Studies. She can be
¯ reached at John Dewey. Hall,Univ. of
: Vermont," Burlington, VT, email:-
¯ esther.rothblum@uvm.edu.
¯" serve a special needs population. Neal
¯ said his arguments about the Lesbian and
: Gay communities’ special needs were ig-
¯ nored.
¯
Neal adds, "I have no illusion that
¯ TCCLS made this change to accomodate
¯ Tulsa Family News. It’ s likely that given"
¯
the’society’ make-upoftheTCCLSboard,
¯ that the rifles were changed to keep Tulsa ¯
People happy rather than to be fair -
¯
however, I’m pleased with the result. I
: guess it means if you wait long enough
¯ andarepersistentenough, youwillacheive ¯
fairness."
¯ PFLAG - Parents, Family &
." Friends of Lesbians & Gays
¯ Tulsa Area Chapter
: POB 52800, Tulsa 74152
¯ 749-4901
Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for
justice & equality for
Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury,
Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
~Neekend and evening appoinlmenls are available.
Are.You Gay or Bisexual?
Are You NativeAmerican?/.
¯
Tulsa s Two-Spirited Indian Men s /,¢\~
Support Group is here for you!
¯ Evening support gc’oup~-~eetings
¯ Relationship worksho ps
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HIVtesting
For ir~formation call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
at 582-7225 Ext. 208 or 218
Council Oak
Mens Chorale
Winter Concert
November 22, 3pm
All Souls Unitarian Church
Tickets: $10, POB 2550, 74101
or by phone: Aleta at Cityvest Financial, 583-3443
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by Lament Lindstrom. Ph.D. : wise debilitate men and masculine activi-
A Lesbian friend recently complained ¯ .ties. Women may not touch men’s bows
about the organizational shortcomings of " or arrows. Few women anywhere in
"Gay boys - They’re hopeless!" she ¯ Vanuatu drive vehicles. The night before
fumed. That same day, an- any important event, such as
other friend griped about A Lesblan a dance performance or socpacks
of Lesbians invading 17rlend recently cergame, menleavewomen
his favorite bar, poisoning
its atmosphere. Pleas for eomplalned about
behind in the village to sleep
by themselves. TheTaunese
Gay/Lesbian unity ("why the orffanlzatlonal practice the samesex taboos
can’t we all just get along")
shorteomln~s ot7
demanded by many Ameriare
perhaps as common as can football coaches: No sex
jokes that poke fun at this "Gay boys - before the big game! Every
continental divide in our They’re
. hopeless!" evening, men also go off by
commumty, themselves to prepare and
Public constemation about she ~ttumed. That drink kava (Piper
relations between women same day, another methysticum) - the traditional
South Pacific drug
differemntaennd -_good,evokedbad,memoi_nO-r t~rlend gaped substance that is becoming
ries ofmy years in Vanuatu. about pael~s o17 increasing popular in the
ThiSlocatedtropictahline archipelagOsouthwespta-iS Lesbians invadln~ U.S. as a natural relaxant.
Men assert that women can
cific-aculturalregioncalled h~.s 17avor~.te bar, strip away the potency of
Mdanesiathat also includes polsonln~ its kavamerely by touching the
the islands of New
atmosphere,
plant before it is prepared;
Caledonia, the Solomons, and drinkers bitterly blame
and New Guinea. RitualiZed hostility be- ¯ women, talking too loud back in the viltween
men and women is a cultural curi- " lage, for spoiling their kava high.
osity of much of Melanesia. Anthropolo- " Women endanger men notjust because
gists who first analyzed the phenomenon ¯ of their polluting vaginal fluids. Men are
labeled it "sexual antagonism," though " also threatened by naturally female crenowadays
we’d more likely call it"cross- " ative powers. Women are mothers. The
gender opposition" or the like. ¯ children they bear sustain the cycle of
Full-fledged sexual antagonism exists " human life and death. Women’s vaginas
notably in the highland valleys of New " are powerfully dangerous openings back
Guinea. My village neighbors on an is- " into the spiritual world inhabited both by
land called Tanna, on the eastern edge of ¯ the ancestors and the unborn. Men per-
~ Mdanesia, practice only an attenuated " haps fear the vagina as muelx for its lifeversionofgenderopposition.
Still,likeall ". giving as for its deadly powers. It’s a
Melanesians, they have’great ~ear and ¯ psychological commonplace that men are
suspicion of the body fluids of the oppo- ¯ jealous of natural female creativity. This
site sex. Men believe that contact with drives us, so the story goes, to various
menstrual blood and other vaginal fluids " sorts of "cultural creativity" - art, literacan
make them seriously ill. An anthro- ¯ ture, politics, business - as a sort of corn-
" pologistlonceknew, who worked among pensation for our inability to bear chil-
- the Enga of Papua New Guinea, attracted dren. .
much attention with his magnificent and ¯ Throughout much of Melanesia, along
luxuriant red beard, much admired by all. ¯ theselines,meniusistthatalthoughwomen
When people asked for hair-growing ad- ¯ give birth, only men can make boys into
vice, he liked to disgust and appall them men. On Tanna, fathers arrange male iniby
claiming that the secret was to rub ° tiation ceremonies for their sons. They
menstrual blood on his face. : circumcise these boys who then spend six
In many Melanesian cultures, women ¯ Weeks in the bush, isolated from all conretii’etomenstrualhutslocatedinthebush
" tactwithwomen.ElsewhereinMelanesia~
(outside the Village) during their periods. ¯ people believe that precious semen itself
One can imagine that many women look ¯ transforms boys into men. Male initiaforward
eagerly to these monthly vaca- ¯ dons include practices of ritual fellatio -
dons from thedailydrudgeryofcooking, ." young .boys masculinize themselves by
childcare, and farming. Nomenstrual huts : consnm|ug the semen of older, already
exist on Tanna, though men and women ¯ initiated youths. (Gil Herdt describes one
here rarely share the same sleeping mat. " such societyin his book The Sambia:
And a menstruating woman stops prepar- ° Ritual and Gender in New Guinea.)
ing her husband’s dinners. Men, particu- : So, next time those Lesbians (or, alterlarlythosewithrockymarriages,
aresome- ¯ natively, those Gay boys) invade your
times suspicious that angry wives may be " favoriteclub, whatis that sudden chill you
poisoning themby dripping bloodinto the ¯ feel -- is this the "death threat of sexual
cooking pots. : pollution," or a contentiousjealousy over
And if vaginal fluids don’t kill you, sex ¯ human creativity?
itselfmay. Melanesians also shareabelief " Lament Lindstrom teaches anthropol-
- one that reaches back into Asia - that ¯ ogy at the University of Tulsa.
men are born with a finite amount of ¯
semen. Worse, the faster one uses up his " NOW NOV, Meeting lifetime supply of semen, the faster he
ages and dies. Have too many girlfdends : at Pride Center
or too .much masturbatory fun, and you
die young! Fathers warn their sons about " The Tulsa Chapter of the National Orthe
deadly dangers of sex. Dry, flaky skin " ganization for Women will feature Lucy
Tamayo of DVIS, Domestic Violence
~s an early sign of semen depletion, and . Intervention Services, speaking about
those teenagers withunforttmate skinprob- ¯ methods of empowering women at its
lems get teased mercilessly for messing ¯ Nov. meeting, 12:30 pm at The Pride
around. ¯ Center, 1307 E. 38th St. 2rid floor. NOW
Men (and women, too) believe that ¯¯ will .also hold elections for its executive .
female substances may pollute, or other- : board at the meeting. Info: 365-5658.
MY KITTY
but also his leadership on Tulsa’ s Say No
to Hate Coalition. Nor have any other
officials ofOklahoma’ s establishment spoken
out. Our governor says our "hate
crimes" law doesn’t need to address violence
agai.’nst Gay people, though note
that he hasn’t suggested removing it for
Oklahoma Jews or Blacks 7,,.or Catholics
like him.
None of our congressional delegation
has exemplified the compassion which if
they were the Christians they claim to be,
they might show. For example, a few
months ago, I askedPam Pryor, JC Watts,
Jr.’ s press secretaryhow many Gaypeople
needed to die before JC would speak out
against, anti-Gay violence? Obviously,
Shepardi~not enough. Maybeifone ofus
were crucified on the South Oval of the
OU campus, Watts (and that other disappointing
Oklahoma politician, David
Boren) might take the issue seriously.
Butat least withWatts, I still believehis
spokesperson’s claims of some decency
in the man to bother to ask. With The Evil
Steve and his good buddy and roommate,
Tom Cobum, there’s no point in wasting
my breath.
However, given the desire of Matthew
Shepard’s family and friends that some
bit of good come out of the horror of his
tormentand death,let us resolveto change
our state to reduce the chance that this will
happen here.
Passing an amendment to our hate
crimes (Oklahoma statutes, 21:850, Malicious
intimidation...) has got to be the top
priority for Lesbian and Gay Oklahoroans,
our families and friends. Find out
who your representatives are and talk to
them now.
Furthermore, we must demand that all
those groups that claim to be working for
justice andfairness, must end their convenient
silences. For example, if the Methodist
Bishop of Oklahoma can work so
hard to ban same-gender marriage ceremonies,
surely he can finally open his
mouth to say something against anti-Gay
violence. But he must be joined by OklahomaPresbyterians,
theOklahomaCouncil
of Churches, Tulsa Metropolitan Ministries,
our Catholic bishops and all others
who claim to value human life. Imagine,
maybe even human rights groups like the
National Conference for Community and
Justice, and others, like the Jewish Fed:
eration and African-American organizations
will standup to say that Gay Oklahomans
have a right to live too. Imagine.
8LAH BLAH
: police arrived, organizers said scores of
¯ arrestsbegan.Mostoftheorganizers were
taken away first, leaving the marchers
: adrift, participants said.
¯ And at the University of Wyoming, a
¯¯ visiting professorwhois teaching acourse on hate crime received a first hand view.
¯ "I reacted with shock-and disbelief," said
¯ Graham Baxendale, a Ph.D. student at ¯
England’ s Reading University. "I certMnly
¯ was not prepared for such an event here.
¯ One can read many textbooks and the
: academic literature, but until you are ac-
¯
tually confronted by something like this
¯ within your own community, you recog-
¯ nize that you really don~t understand this
¯
Baxendale said hate Crimes rarely end
Only 500 people were expected. Once
¯ in murder and usuallyinvolve low-level
¯ violence or intimidation. The victims of
¯ such crimes typically are selected at ran-
" dom because they represent a particular
¯ group. "Gay males are one of the largest
¯ victim catego.rie,s. for thrill hate crimes,
but ethnic rmnonty groups such as His-
" panics, Blacks, and Jews also are tar-
" geted," he said. The perpetrators of such
¯ crimes againstGays,Baxendale said, typi- ¯
cally are young male adults or youths who
¯ are experiencing the emotions that come
¯ with emerging sexuality. To demonstrate
: to theirpe~rs that they are wholly hetero-
¯
sexual, these people may express vie-
¯ lance and hatred toward Gays.
.. Hate crime victims,’he said, usually are
¯ chosen because they are available, not
¯ because of any individual characteristics
¯ or actions, and because of what they rep-
¯ resent to the perpetrators. Hatred towards ¯
the victim’s group is often manifested in
¯ exceptignal violence. "The perpetrators
: often despise and de-humanize their vic-
¯ rims, so such crimes typically are more ¯
violent than corresponding crimes that
¯ are not hate-inspired," he said. "Displayr
¯ ing the victim (Shepard) by tying him to a
fence is amanifestation ofsuch dehuman-
¯
ization."
¯ Baxendale, who has studied violence
¯ perpetrated by groups, such as the Irish
Republican Army, said it is important that
: the university, Laramie and Wyoming
¯ communities continue to be vocal in their
¯ condemnation of the crime and to show ¯
that the community fosters diversity and
¯
understanding, rather than intimidation
¯ and discrimination.
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’~18526
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’~10895
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’~10962
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GETrlNG A~~23~ 5"10".
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’~19613
RUGGED AND RANDY Tills good looking,
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"~’14467
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someone to give me 110 10m=,~,; of
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BLUE COLLAR BUSlNES~ ~
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~’17350
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