[1999] Tulsa Family News, November 1999; Volume 6, Issue 11

[1999] Tulsa Family News, November 1999; Volume 6, 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 1999

James Christjohn
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Bob Rounsavell
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers

Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News

Tulsa Family News, October 1999; Volume 6, Issue 10

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PDF
Online text

English

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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/593

Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
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THE NAMES PROJECT
Quilt Tours Black Colleges
Coretta Scott King Slams Homophobia
ATLANTA (AP) - During the AIDS Quilt tour of
historically Black colleges and universities, Coretta
Scott King told those viewing the memorial that
homophobiahas prolonged and worsened the epidemic
within the Black community.
"It is particularly sad tome when I hear Black people,
includiug some in leadership positions, making
homophobic comments and attacking t.he humm] rights
of Gay and Lesbian people," the widow of die Rev.
Martin Luther King Jr. said Monday during the tour’s
opening ceremonies at Clark Atlanta University,
Regardless of sexual orientation or gender, Blacks
have a signiticantly higher risk of becoming infected
with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Stati-stics show
ntost new HIV infections occur among people 25 and
younger. The Black community has been hit particularly
hard. According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Blacks account for about half the new HIV
infections, AIDS cases and AIDS deaths, though they
represent only 13% of the U.S. population,
"With the stigma on homosexual behavior mthe
African-American coxmnunit~¢, ¯ see Ki.,t~, ~9.: 15
Matthew Shepard
Murder Trial Update
LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) - Gay college student Matthew
Shepardwas pumaneled to deathby Aaron McKirmey in
a drunken, drug-induced rage after Shepard made a pass
at him, McKirmey’s attorney Said as: his trial began.
"’Did Matthew Shepard deserve to die? No, that’s
ridiculous-. No manslaughter victim deserved to die,"
Jason Tangeman said in opening statements. "That’s
what Aaron McKirmey is guilty of, manslaughter."
The roofer’s judgment that night Vas affected bv
alcohol, methamphetamines and "~ome sexuall}
traumatic and confusing events in his life," Tangeman
told jurors.
Prosecutor Cal Rerncha said his case against
McKinney will not deal with Shepard’s Gayness. "It
will simply be about the pain, suffering and death of
Matthew Shepard at the hands of the defendant, Aaron
James:McKimaey," he said." The Human Rights
Campaign, a national Gay civil rights organization
strongly condenmed the use of the.’’blame the victim"
defense in the trial.
Shepard, McKinney and Henderson met in a Laramie
bar about a year ago, where Shepard asked McKinney
for a ride home, humiliating him in front of friends
because McKinney believed Shepard was Gay,
Tangeman contended. Tangeman said McKinney, 22,
was confused by three homosexual encounters that
occurred when he was 7, 15 and 20: In one case,
McKinney was forced into an oral sex act with a
neighborhood bully, Tangeman said.
Rerucha said McKirmey and Henderson drove
Shepard, 21, to a remote area, where they robbed, lashed
him to.the fence and pistol-whippinghim into a coma.
Opening statements were made after ajury of 10 men
and:six women, including four alternates, was seated in
McKinney’s trial on charges of first-degree murder,
kidnapping androbbery. Thejury includes three students
at the University of Wyoming, where Shepard was a
freshman. McKinney could receive the.death penalty.
Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
Tulsa’s Largest Circulation Community PaperAvailable In More Than 75 City Locations
World AIDS Day
Memorial Service at Historic Mt. Zion
Baptist Church Dedicated to the
Memory of HIV/AIDS Activist Phil Wiley
TULSA - The 10th annual World AIDS Day Candlelight March
and Memorial Service will be held at one of Tulsa’s most
historical traditionally African-American churches, Mt. Zion
Baptist Church, led b~ the Rev. Calvin McCutcheon. The march
will begin gathering at 6:30 near St. Monica’s Churchjust south
of Carver School east of Greenwood Avenue This is just south
of Pine.
The march will begin about 7pm and will continue about a mile
south on Greenwood to John ttope Franklin Bottlevard which
travels west through the Oklahoma State University at Tulsa
campus to Elgin. Mt. Zion is on FJ~n just across the OSU-Tulsa
parking lots near 1-244.
The theme for the march and memorial is "Fa~d the Silence"
and the service will feature the music of Ernestine Dillard, the
Council Oak Mens Chorale and the Mr. Zion church choir. Tiffs
Tulsa service is dedicated to the memory of 1o"cal ttIV AIDS and
Gay civil rights activist Phil Wiley who died of kidney failure last
summer.
Orgamzers note that all tilnes are approximate aud that lhey
will provide candles and matches but encourage marchers to
bring banners and bells to nng on the march.
For more information, call Interfaith ..\ IDS Mira stries at 438-
2437.
Also on World AIDS Day, an organization called "\Vc The
Peopl.e Li.ving .with AIDS/HIV’" will join with thousm~ds of other
orgmuzatlons m remembering, fiercel3, those the~ lmvc !ost to
the AIDS epidemic.
They will do this through the posting of the manes of their
members, friends and loved ones lost to ,A IDS on the. \ IDS \Vatch
webpage, which will display the .,aan]es of tens of thousands of
people who have died from :kIDS. one at a mnc in the 48 honrs
before and after December ist.
They request that readers consider adding the uames of those
whom they have lost to AIDS to the list. The page is localed m
http:/iwww.aidswatch.org. Click on "’Add a name "’ to include the
name, of~v°ur loved one, friend or colleague to the li st.
Community Center News
All Community Meeting, Nov. 16, 6:30pm
TOHR Meeting, 11/9: Carol Petersen,
Author, Poet + Gay Man in Hitler’s Navy
TULSA - The third all community meeting will be held at the
Communiiy Center on Tues., Nov. 16th at 6:30pm. About 35
individuals attended the last meeting in Sept. and the
representatives of a number of organizations, churches and
businesses decided to convene a community council with TOHR,
Tulsa Oldahomans for Human Rights, the parent organization of
the Tulsa Gay Community Services Center, coordinating the
exchange of information.
Local attorney and original meeting co-convener Dennis Neill
will present a draft contract to clarify the relationship between the
various groups. For more information about the next conmaunitv
meeting, call the Community Center at 743-4297.
On Tues. Nov. 9th at 7:30pro, TOHR will hold its montlflv
membership meeting. The meeting, which is open to the publiC,
will feature remarks by Carol Petersen, a Romanian born poet,
biographer and educator. Petersen, a Gay man.~ even found
lfimself serving in the German Navy during the N~i government
of Adolf Hitler.
Petersen has-published works on Albert Camus, Andre Gide,
John Steinbeck, Goethe, Spanish poet Lorca, Thomas Mann as
wall as works of poetry. He has taught French and German
literature and awarded one of the highest honors in France, the
Chevalier de L’oi’dre des Palmiers Academique de France.
Other News: House of the Holy Spirit Calls Pastor
House of the Holy Spirit Ministries announces that they have
selected a new full-time pastor, Chuck Breckenridge.
Breckenridge served in a pastoral capacity in a Wichita
congregation where he formerly resided. Breckenridge is also
known for having published and edited The Parachute, a now
defunct regional publication. He also started The Triangle Of
which he has recently served as general manager. Breckenridge
was installed as pastor on October 17th. Troy McGoveran,
spokesman for House of the Holy Spirit notes, "the entire
congregation is very excited about the movement going on in our
church.., we.. welcome Pastor Breckemidge to our church.. ?’
Falwell MeetsWith Gays
LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP)-The Rev. Jerry Falwell,
who has denounced homosexuals for years, held an
.unprecedentedmeeting with GayChristians recently
m an attempt to reduce violent acts against Gays
and Christians. Both sides said the gathering was
productive.
Dozens of anti-Gay protesters denmnstrated
outside, yelling at Gay supporters as they entered
the church parking lot. The Rex’. Fred Phelps of
Topeka, Kan.. whose congregafiou also taunted
Gays at the funeral of slain Gay college studcm
Matthew Shepard. said Falwdl is a hypocrite for
ineeting with the Rev. Mel White, a Gay minister
and his followers.
"Falwell used to teach the Bible word for word.
now he’s going off and meeting with these fags and
going against everything he’s ever taught," Phelp,~
said. "He always says ’hate the sin. bnt love the
simmr,’ but it’s ~mpossible to separate the t~o
Does ajudge send the crime or the crintinal tojail’?"
Falwell. who has long believed lha~
homosexuality is a sin, insists he will not change
Iris views, but has agreed to tone down tfis anti
language that Gay civil rights activists
encourages hatred and violence towar~t
homosexuals.
"’We are here because ihnocent people ol vari~
faiths, racial and ethnic groups and sexual
preferences have increasingly had their live~
abruptly mid violently ended by people ~vilh
opposing vie~\s.’" Fah~ell told th~ group of 4
delegates in ~velcomiug then] to the anti "~ml,,ncc
fortun Saturday afternoou
x~q]itc brought 200 Gays mid Lesbians l’rom 3~*
slates to p~ticil)atc in the forum. They were ]t)]ncd
by 2~)evm~gelic~d Chnsfians who supjmrt Fid~ cEstmacc
"q hi s is the first step iu ourjoume3 tm~ auct~
reconciliation." s~d White, who held a pra3 e~ ~ ~gil
Ffida3 mght for 20 Gay men or gm~sgcndcred
people killed because of their sexu~ oneutation.
see Fahvell, p. 10
France OK’s Gay and
Non-Gay Partnerships
The British Broadcasting System (BBC) reported
in October that the French Parlimnent has approved
a controversial bill that gives Gay couples mare of
the rights enjoyed by married people. The NatiOnal
Assmnbly passed the Civil Solidarity Pact (PACS)
by 315 votes to 249.
The PACS allows unmarried couples to register
their umon and enjoy some of the tax, legal and
social welfare benefits associated with marriage. It
is intended to allow Gay and heterosexual couples
who are not married to "’organise their common
life". Partners who want to separate will be able to
do so via a letter of separation. According to Justice
Minister Elisabeth Guigou, the bill will improve
the lives of more than five million people.
Conservative opponents immediately said they
would ask the Constitutional Council to role whether
the law was unconstitutional. Religious leaders
have strongly denounced the law, saying it enables
a form of homosexual marriage.
The PACS wasintroduced by the riding socialists
and the government’s majority made approval
virtually certain. It has been one of themostbitterlycontested
pieces of social legislation for years,
opposed by conservatives and by leaders of the
Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths in France.
see France, p. 15
LI~ DIRECTORY P. 2
EDITORIAL P. 3 ~I~ US & WORLD NEWS P. 4
. HEALTH NEWS P. 6
~ ENTERTAINMENT P. 8 COMMUNITY CALENDAR P. 9
READ ALL ABOUT IT P. 10 Z DO-IT-YOUR-SELF DYKE P. 11
DYKE PSYCHE P. 12
mmm GAY STUDIES
P. 13
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine
*Boston Willy’s Diner, 1742 S. Boston
*Empire Bar, 1516 S: Peoria
*Full Moon Cafe, 1525 E. 15th
*Gold Coast Coffee House; 3509 S. Peoria
*Jason’s Deli, 15th & Peoria
*The Mix, 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, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd
832-1269
592-2143
599-9512
583-6666
749-4511
59%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
*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
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41 665-4580
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 St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700
L:m Daniel. Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
" ~_~eco 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 584-0337, 712,-9379
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Mai~’ 592-0460
*Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria 744-9595
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th P1. 610-0880
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. 628-3709
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E 21st 742-1460
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning 459-9349
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440
*Sandra J. Hill, MS. Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skellv 745-1111
*International Tours 341-6866
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018
David Kanskey, Country Club Barbering 747-0236
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening 582-8460
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15 599-8070
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 747-~-!-66
*Living ArtSpace, 19 E. Brad3,’ 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
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo 838-7626
*Peace Of Mind Bookstore, 1401 E. 15 583-1090
The Pride Store. 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor 743-4297
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101 747-5932
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921, 747-4746
*Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square 749-6301
Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-7829
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 48t-0558
*Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling 743-1733
*W~hittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
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 United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Florence
*Church ofthe Restoration UU, 1314N.Greenwood 587-1314
*Community ofHope United Methodist, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595
Coundl Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888
*Dela}vare Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 7!2-t511
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity!Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free Spirit Women’s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159
e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Neal
Writers + contributors:
James Christjohn, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont
Lindstrom, Bob Rounsavell, Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers
Member of The Associated Press
Issued on Or before the 1st of each month, the entire contents
of this publication are protected by US copyright 1998 by
To],~ ~:~ Now4 and may not be reproduced either in
whole orin partwithoutwritten permission from the publisher.
Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s
sexual orientataon. Correspondence is assumed to be for
publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes
the sole property of Tofl-~ .~€,~.’. N~- Eachreader
is entitled to 4 copies of each edit!on at distribution
points. Additional cop~es are available by calling 583-1248.
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
*HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583-6611
*Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
*Holland Hall School, 5666 E. 81st 481-1111
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
*House of the Holy Spirit Minstries, 3210e So. Norwood
Interfaith AIDS Ministries 438-2437, 800-284-2437
*MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral P1. 748-3111
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
*OSU-TUlsa
PFI~AG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
*R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
O’RYAN, support group for 18-24 LGBT young adults
O’RYAN, Jr. support group for 14-17 LGBT youth
St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincim~ati 425-7882
St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
*St. Jerome’s Parish Church. 205 W. King 582-3088
*Tulsa Area United Wa3,, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
*TNAAPP (Native American men), [udiat~ Health C0a’_¢- _582-7225
Tulsa County Health Department. 4616 E. 15 595-4105
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, cio The Pride Center 743-4297
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*Tulsa Gay Community Center. 1307 E. 38, 74105 743-4297
Unity Church of Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
BARTLESVILLE
*Barflesville Public Library, 600 S. Johi~stone 918-337-5353
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
*Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
*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
Autunm Breeze Restaurant, Hwv. 23
*Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Ma]n
DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St.
MCC of the Living Spring
Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429
Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery
Positive Idea Marketing Plans
Sparky’s, Hwy; 62 East
White Light, 1 Center St.
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
*Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134
501-253-7734
501~253-7457
501-253-6807
501-253-5445
501-253-9337
501-253-2776
501-253-5332
501-624-6646
501-253-6001
501-253-4074
417-623-4696
* is where you can find TFN. Not all are Gay-owned but all are Gay-friendly.
Audra Sommers:
To All .My Friends
Tiff s ruessage brings to youinformation
about my up-coming benefit called
’~onnecting The Hearts of Tulsa" Friday
November 5th, at 10:30 p.m. at the Silver
Star. This eventfocuses onthe Prescription
Assistance Program which as youknow is
very, very important to many.
As a community of caring individuals I
ask all ofyou once again to come together
as compassionate and sympathetic
members of our community and show
your support. Without fai! every year, you
pull out all the stops and arrive in droves.
My heart shines with delight to see all of
your faces as we raise the much needed
money to keep those who can’t afford the
necessary medications alive and well.
Come, meet new people and see some
new faces. Uniting together_we make the
difference.
Please join all my guests:
Miss Gay America
- Catia Lee Love
Miss Gay Oklahoma America
- Bridgett Lee
Miss Gay Oklahoma USofA
- Kris Kohl
Miss Fish-Lake Nevada
- Slutisha Swamppussy
Miss Midwestern Plains USofA
- Victoria Turrell
Miss Tulsa USofA 1998
- Jasmine Turrell
Miss Gay University Of Tulsa
Homecoming Queen 1999
- Audriana Sommers
The Green Country Cloggers
Miss Silver Star USofA 1996
- Tera "T" Neil
Miss Gay Oklahoma At Large USofA 96
- Domonique Daniel’s
Miss Feticia Winters
Miss Ebony Hall
Miss Tabatha Taylor
Miss Gain A Pound
Miss Miranda McMillian
Miss Tore McMillian
Miss Audra Sommers
and her special "Grab Bag Segment"
Mr. Steve Sludder
And Mr. Brock Masters - video star
along with many, maaay others.
I look forward to seeing everyone at the
StarFriday NovemberSthat 10:30p.m. It
is going to be the best show ever!
With love and respect,
- Audra Marie Sommers
Announcements Policy
Tulsa Family News will provide space
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ceremony, birth, adoption and death
announcements on a space available basis.
Photos are welcome, though we cannot
promise placement or return them, so
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Editorial: Singing Those Millennium March Blues
To March or Not March?
That is the question - ok, ok, yes that’s tired and
perhaps, even trite but I couldn’t help it. The millennium
does indeed approach and with it, the next great Gay
march scheduled for next April.
Called by Robin Tyler, Lesbian event organizer par
excellence, taken up by the Gay community’s
organizational 800 pound gorillas, the Metropolitan
Community Church (MCC) and the Human Rights
Campaign(HRC), the Millennium Marchhas beenfraught
with controversy from its beginning.
No one doubts that these events are tremendously
ehapowering for those ofus who attend. I can attest to that
from my experience.at the last march. My long-suffering
ex (just ask him ;-) and I organized a group mostly of
students and others on limited incomes from Texas to
travel bybus to DC. Since this was a budget trip we stayed
about 12 to a room, 3 or 4 to a bed with some on the floor
of a hotel in the Virginia suburbs.
But the moment ofmy epiphany was when weboarded
the Metro (subway) at the 2nd to the last stop that far out
into the suburbs, and everyone waiting, and everyone on
the train but for perhaps one or two per car, w,as Gay, or
Lesbian, or Bi, ornon-Gays whomwe’ddearly welcomed
into our tribe.
For once tobe safe, for once to be inOUR space is a rare
and precious thing. There we could hold hands in the
street without the fear that we Were taking our !ives
literally in our hands. For once, we could say that we
don’t mind "straights" as long as they "behave"
themselves.
Formany this was alife transforming experience¯ From
it, they came back and became active in the organizations
of their hometowns. This clearly is go6~l:
And yet, some questions remain. First of these i.s
whether, this march will even come off at all. Because
MCC and HRC proclaimed that a march was going to
happened before they consulted the many other
organizations which make up the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgendered civil fights and cultural movement,
the March was immediately caught up in controversy.
This "movement" is-tremendously diverse and building
consensus is long hard work. Prior march organizers did
do so through long and sometimes painful (I write this
Do you know where a number of Tulsans have been
during the last 18 months? Buried in trash. We studied
different curbside recycling programs from around the
state and from across the country. About 100 cities were
looked atby theTAREboard’ s subcommittee onrecycling.
Ourmost important discovery: each community is unique
in its requirements for recycling.
In Tulsa, most of the trash we generate is incinerated at
the trash-to-energy plant. The burning process results in
waste by-products that can mad do pollute our air. For
example, some substances like plastic can be harmful
when burned. Recycling will take them out of the trash
collection burned at the Walker Hall recovery plant. The
more Tulsa recycles, the more we improve Tulsa’s air
quality for our young, our elderly, and most significantly,
our chronically ill. And let us not forget that we are
breathing the same air.
Recycling does not ouly helpinmaking the environment
cleaner and healflfier; it also has economic benefits other
than quality of life. Once Tulsa citizens recycle enough
items that can be reused, a recycling industry will be
created an become a viable part of the economy with
added job opportunities,
In the beginning, Tulsans, will be able to recycle four
types of items. Newspapers, includin°g the slick
advertisement sections, compose the first recycling
category. Now you cannotrecyclemagazines and business
forms; these are another category which may be added at
a later date. However, you can still take them to MET
recycling centers.
The second category acceptable for recycling in Tulsa
will be aluminum. Drop all aluminum beverage cans inj
the recycling container; however, you cannot recycle
other forms of aluminum. Please rinse them immediately
after use. Remember that recycling pick up is every other
: from serving as a representative) meetings.
¯ And according to the Nov. 9th i°ssue of The Advocate,
¯ control of the event has _been shifted from Robin Tyler to
~ Malcolm Lazin, interim executive director. Kerry Lobel,
executive director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task
Force (NGLTF), earlier resigned from an oversight board
for the March because of concerns about event
"...the moment of my epiphany was
when we boarded the Metro (subway) at
the gnd to the last stop that far out into
the suburbs, and everyone waltln~, and
everyone on the train but for perhaps one
or two per ear, was
Gay, or Lesl~ian, or Bi, or non-Gays whom
we’d el rly we6om l into our tdl . "
organization and raised the question of whether the event
would need to be rescheduled or dropped.
But another question to ask is this: is this the best use
ofour communities’ resources? NGLTFhas been arguing
that we, as a movement, should be putting more of our
energies into local and state efforts at change. This
doesn’tmean abandoning federal level efforts but working
harder locally.
In Oklahoma, we’ve started to see some results from
just such efforts; the Cimarron Alliance has substantially
changed somelegislative attitudes in theOklahomaHouse.
FundingforHIV/AIDS care andprevenfionhas benefited
from lobbying by Tulsan Steve Eberle. These things
would not have happened unless some Oklahomans
decided to invest in local efforts.
According to Kelly Kirby, former Tulsa Oklahomans
for Human Rights (TOHR) president, longtime activist
and current Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and
Gays (PFLAG) board member, at least 40-50 Tulsans
stopped by a reception Marty Newman gave at the last
march. And likely there were some from the city who did
not attend.
So I have to ask, as another former TOHR president
who begged for money for that organization and for the
community center, what would happen if some of those
week. Besides, you will make it so much easier for those
separating our recyclables.
Plastic is one of the most important things to recycle.
As petroleum-based products, these items release toxins
when burned. You can recycle all plastic beverage bottles
including mostpop, milk, and water containers, as well as
soap and detergent bottles. Rinse our the container to
prepare these items for recycling and dispose of the lids.
It is easy to remember which plastic items are acceptable.
Look for the number "1 "or "2" inside the little triangle on
the bottom of the container.
.The final or fotu:th category for Tulsa’s new recycling
program is glass. Both clear and colored glass bottles and
jars will be accepted. Nounbroken glass will be taken, nor
will the program accept other housewares or plate glass
from windows. Since the glass before putting out for
collection and discard the lid. Because of the once-everytwo-
weeks collection, you may want to rinse after use, if
it contains food.
Curbside recycling is a great addition to Tulsa’s solid
waste disposal program. Now it is up to us to make it
succeed. Begin sign up for this new service. Just call the
Mayor’s Action Center at 596-2100 and tell them that you
wish to sign up for curbside recycling. It is scheduled to
start on Nov. 1st. The cost is only $2/month; it will be
added to your city utility bill. Recycled items will be
collected twice a month on an every other week basis.
Before the program begins, you will be informed about
your curbside pickup days.
You can also sign up by clicking on www
cityoftulsa.org/recycle or www.tulsarecycles.com.
Remember this program can succeed only ifenough ofus
participate. So sign on now!
Bob D. Rounsavell is a freelance Tulsa writer who
specializes in environmental education.
dollars did stay here in Oklahomainstead of adding to the
profits of American Airlines, or United, or Marriott or
Hilton?
Let’s guess that many of those 50 attending spent about
$500 to $1000 for their visit. A few who traveled as I did
with my student group perhaps spent as little as $200-
300¯ One might argue that an average expenditure might
be about $600 for a total of $30,000. But on the other
hand, $30k would pay the current rent on the Community
Center for almost two years !
Now that other TOHR ex-president argues that while
many in our community are willing to spend that money
on whatis in essence an extraQueer vacation, he feels that
few would be willing to mm around and invest that
amount into our community if there’s no immediate gain
for themselves. And sadly, I would like to argue with him
but as a community organizer, I can’t - because I’ve seen
that what he claims is mostly true. What if we did value
our rights and invested in our communities as much as we
did our fabulous vacations, great clothes, stylish homes
and cars?Whatcould we accomplish then? After all, ifwe
don’t take care of ourselves, who is going to? "Straight"
people? - Tom Neal
PS: those of you who’ve already got this message,
thanks! Keep up the good work and drag a friend along.
Tom Neal, publisher & editor ofTulsa Family News,
helped tofound and direct the Coalition of Lesbian/Gay
Student Groups and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation, Dallas Chapter andhelped iofoundGLAAD
National. He also served as co-chair ofthe University of
Oklahoma Gay & Lesbian Association, and helped to
found the Rice University Gay Alumni group as well as
serving on Tulsa’s Pride committeefor several years.
On Nov. 9th, Tulsans will have the opportunity to vote
on a $109 million bond package to invest in the needs of
Tulsa Public Schools and the children of the district. The
Citizens Bond Development Committee has identified
more than $600 million in building, facilities, teaching
materials and transportation needs for the District in a
comprehensive, strategic plan that covers 20 years. The
bond issue to be presented to voters on Nov. 9th will be
m~ important step in adequately addressing the need of the
District and in creating a District ofunparalleled excellence
in the state... - Sincerely, Ruth Ann Fate
President, Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education
Chair, Citizens for Better Education
2121 So, Columbia, Suite 103, Tulsa
: by Tom Neal, editor/publisher
¯ Some Gay readers will likely look at the excerpted
¯ letter above and respond: "yeah right, why should I care
~ - I don’t have kids"and"TPS is ahomophobic institution
¯
which doesn’t deserve my support." Some non-Gay
~ readers will likely read this and also wonder why Gay
people should care about education issues.
But the reality is that many Gay people (using the term
broadly to include LGB and T folk) do have children,
some by marriages to non-Gay folk before coming out,
and some by adoption, and some creative Lesbians and
Gay men are having our own children. Even those of us
who do not have children directly of our own, like me,
have no fewer than eight nephews and nieces about half
of whom were educated in Tulsa Public Schools. And we
have friends with children too.
.My pointis that despite the an.ti-Gay stereotypes which
paint Lesbians and Gay men as anti-family, we have a
strong interest in providing a good educational system to
the children of our community. We also have some selfinterest
in that there tends to be a correlation between
education and the lessening of anti-Gay prejudice. And if
we insist that TPS, an educational system which we help
fund, seek to teach the values of respect and tolerance for
all citizens, to teach that the diversity of our city makes us
stronger, then we, Gay and Lesbian citizens, regardless of
whether we have children who directly benefit from TPS,
will gain. Therefore, on Nov. 9th, please consider voting
yes: do it for kids.
Friends Mourn
Murdered Gay Pastor
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Calling him a "an
oversized angel inhumanform,"mourners andfriendsof
a slain pastor and Gay civil rights activist led
tributes to him. The Rev. Edward R. Sherriff, 68, an
associate pastor at the Cathedral of Promise
MetropolitanCommtmity Churchin Sacramento was
found stabbed to death in his home Oct. 20 in what
police believe was a robbery. More than 300 friends
andfzraily crowded into the church where Sherriff
served as co-pastor for 11 years. Later in the day,
mourners filled the sidew~ilks to "celebrate the
home~zoing" of the slain activist.
A t~ndf-ul.of local religious leaders paid tribute to
Sherriff, including Sister Catherine Connell, director
of the Catholic Wellspring women’s center, and the
Rev. Isaiah Muhammad of the Nation of Islam.
Sherriff’s daughters were als0 among the crowds.
"It’s amazing to me the people who love him, who
truly love him," said Scharlene Sheriff.
Sherriff’s other daughter Marsha Lanier said she
does notbelieve her father’s murder was ahate crime.
Helikely died because he went out ofhis way to help,
Lanier said. ’That’s one thing he would have been
proud of," she said.
Court to Reconsider
Religious Bias Ruling
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The federal appeals court
that allowed religious landlords to deny rentals to
unmarried couples agreed to reconsider recently at
therequest of states, cities andcivil rights groups. The
9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said an 11-judge
panel will decide whether property owners with
religious objections to certain types of tenants are
entitled to exemptions from housing discrimination
laws. The case involves state and local laws in
Anchorage prohibiting housing discrimination based
on marital status. The ruling would also al’fect
discrimination based on sexual orientation, where
barred by law, and possibly other categories covered
by laws in the nine states of the nation’s largest
federal circuit.
A panel of the court ruled 2-1 in January that
enforcement of the discriminationlaws would violate
the rdigious freedom of two Anchorage landlords
who had religious objections to providing homes for
unmarried couples. With no compelling state interest
at Stake, the landlords could not be forced to choose
between their businesses and their religious beliefs,
the courtmajority said. The court said a majority ofits
21 activejudges had voted to set the January decision
aside and order a new hearing before the 11-judge
panel, at a date not yet scheduled.
Requests by Alaska and Anchorage for a reheating
were supported by national civil liberties and Gay
civil-rights orgamzations, cities including Los_Angeles
and San Francisco, and the states of California,
Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Montana and Hawaii.
California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who
enlisted his counterparts in the other states, said
discrimination laws would be affected in every state.
"q’here’s no inherent conflict between state antidiscrimination
laws and the private religious view s of
a landlord," he said. "Fhe issue is whether they can
discriminate in their commercial and business
activities."
Kevin G. Clarkson, lawyer for the Anchorage
landlords, said he wasn’t surprised by the rehearing,
but argued that his clients’ ’interests were more
important than those of the state or would-be tenants.
’%Vhat’s at stake is the First Amendment right of
property owners to manage their property consistent
with their religious beliefs," Clarkson said. He said
there was no evidence that unmarried couples in any
state have had trouble finding housing because of the
religious objections of a small number of landlords.
Conservative religious organizations such as Focus
on the Family and the American Center for Law and
Justice, as well as the more liberal National Council
of Churches, have filed arguments supporting the
landlords.
The Supreme Courts of Alaska and Californiahave
upheld their state discrimination laws against
challenges .by religious landlords. But if the federal
appeals court sides with thelandlords, property owners
throughout the circuitcould sidestep statecourtrulings
and go into federal court for religious exemptions.
The suit was filedby KevinThomas and Joyce Baker,
who each own several rental properties in Anchorage
and said they had consistently refused to rent to
unmarried cohabitants because of their Christian
beliefs. They have not been accused of violating the
state or local laws but asked the court to bar" their
enforcement.
In the January ruling, Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain
said the law not only placed an unconstitutional
burden on landlords’ religious practices but also
violated freedom of speech, by prohibiting owners
from asking about a tenant’s marital status, States can
imposesuchrestrictions onbusinesses for compelling
reasons, such as preventing discrimination based on
race or sex, O’Scannlain said. But he said
discrimination on the basis of marital status isn’t
banned by the Constitution, federal law or the laws of
many states, and no compelling interest has. been
shown for its elimination. The case is Thomas vs.
Anchorage Equal Rights Commission, 97-35220.
Methodists Attack Boy
Scouts’ Anti-Gay Policy
tIACKENSACK, N.J. (AP) - The Boy Scouts of
America could lose an important ally as it prepares to
appeal a New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that the
group couldnotremove aNew Jersey manbecausehe
is Gay.
The United Methodist Church, which sponsors
about 15% of the 3.3 million Scouts in the United
States, has scolded the group and is threatening to halt
its sponsorship if things don’t change. Although the
church "would like to enthusiastically affirm and
encourage this continuing partnership of the church
and Scouting, we cannot due to the Boy Scouts of
America s discnmanat~on agmnstGays; the Gener
Board of Church and Society said earlier this month.
The board is a top policy-making body of the
Methodists. It also encouraged the Boy Scouts to stop
the policy barring homosexuals. ’"We further, for the
sake of our continmng partnership, call upon the Boy
Scouts of America to discontinue this exclusion of
Gays," the board concluded in the Oct. 10 statement.
The Methodists earlier had said the church wanted to
triple the number of Scouts it sponsors.
But the Boy Scouts say the threat won’t dissuade
themfrom appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court. Greg
Shields, a spokesman for the Boy Scouts, said the
organization hopes the case will be heard before next
year’s summer recess. Shields also said he believes
the Boy Scouts’ longtime relationship with the
Methodists will endure. "We feel like we have a
¯ strong base of support within the congregations,"
¯ Shields told The Record of Hackensack.
¯ The appeal plan follows aunanimous Augustruling
: by the state Supreme Court that says the policy of
keeping out homosex~mls violates the state’s anti-
" discrimination law. The court said the Boy Scouts
¯ organization constitutes a "place of public
accommodation" because it has a broad-based
membership and forms partnerships with public
¯ entities such as police and fire departments.
¯ James Dale, 29, ofMatawan inMomnouth County,
¯ was an assistant scoutmaster whe was kicked out of
the Boy Scouts nine years ago whenleaders found out
¯ he is Gay. He sued., seeking reinstatement. Dale
¯ earned 30 merit badges, seven achievement honors
¯ and other awards, and became an Eagle Scout during ¯
his 12 years in the organization. He was expelled by
¯ theMoumouthCouncilin 1990 after the group leamed
from a newspaper article that he was Gay. The Irving,
¯
Texas-based organization has said if forced to accept
¯
Gays, the organization would not be able to build
¯ moral character in boys.
The New Jersey ruling contrasted with a March
¯
1998 decision by the California Supreme Court inthe
¯ Boy Scouts’ favor. In that ruling, alsounammous, the
¯ court said the organization was not abusiness and was
: therefore free to exclude Gays, as well as atheists and
¯ agnostics. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an
: appeal of that decision.
Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC
Certified Public Accountant
a professional corporation
747-5466
4021 S. Harvard, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135
MCC-United
formerly Family of Faith & Greater Tulsa MCC
Joined as one body of believers.
Come celebrate with us,
Sunday Services, 11 am
1623 North Maplewood, 838-1715
HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm
3210b S. Norwood, Info: 224-4754, Chris or Sharon
Sandra Hill M.s.
Licensed Professional & National Certified
Counselor, Certified Hypnotherapist
Psychotherapy & Clinical Consultation
After Hours Appointments AvailabIe
2865 E. Skelly Drive, Suite 215,745-1111
Community Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
at Communi~. ofHope
2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595
A Welcoming Congregation
Mingo Valley Flowers
9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145
918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800rdA.4-5934
Family Owned & Operated
Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW
Ghild, Family, Individual & Gouplo Psychotherapy
(918) 743-9559
2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518
Cathy Fur g, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist
1980 Utica Square Medical Center
Tulsa, Oklahbma 74114
voice: 628-3709, fax: 712-9854
Adults, Children, Couples, and Families
OK~HOMA COMMUNICATIONS
Local- Long Distance
Cellular- Paging
747-1508
Free Car Adaptor &
Leather Case with New Cell Phone
The Pride Store
1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor
¯in Tulsa’s Gay Community Services Center
743-GAYS (743-4297)
6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday
12-9 pm, Saturday, all’ales benefit the Center
KEVIN BURLESO N
Keller Williams Realty
712-2252
Burleson@kw.com
2651 East 21st Street, Ste. 100, Tulsa 74114
An Independent Member Broker
Housekeeping &
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Contact Paul on: (918) 582 8460
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OPENARMS,OPENMINDS,OPENHEARTS ]
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4045 N. Cincinnati. 425-7882
Saint John
4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381
Saint Dunstan
5635 East 71st, 492-7140
Trinity
501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128
The Episcopal Church Welcomes You
Boeing ExtendsBenefits
to Same-Sex Partners
SEATTLE (AP) - The Boeing Co., citing the need to
maintain a quality work force and the benefits of
diversity, plans-to extend health-care benefits next
year to same-sex domestic partners of salaried nonumon
employees. The decision, announced to
company managers by electronic mail, was praised
by Gay civil rights advocatesl It was criticized by
unionleaders, however, for leaving outtheirmembers
and nnmarried heterosexual partners. Company
officials did not say how many employees would be
affected. RoughlyhalfofBoeing’s 202,000 employees
worldwide are salaried and non-union.
A recent Forbes Magazine survey indicated
unmarried partners are covered by health benefits in
10% of the businesses with at least 200 employees.
Companies that provide same-sex-partner benefits
include Lotus Development Corp., Microsoft Corp.,
IBM, Walt Disney Co., U S West, Honeywell and
Xerox.
In the e-mail, James B. Dagnon, Boeing’s senior
vice president for personnel, said the move was made
for two reasons: ’~First to attract and retain talented
employees, and second to walk the talk on diversity.
"Diversity, with a capital D, means acknowledging
employees have different backgrounds, preferences
and interests."
A task force of personnd managers and minority
employees w.asformedto study theissue last year, bu.t
consii~eration of an initial proposal was stalled until
the company’s financial performance improved in
recent months, Boeing spokesman Peter Conte said.
The decision is long overdue, said Charles Fay,
chairman of Hands-Off Washington in Snohomish
County€ and Dennis Rybicki, a spokesman for the
SnohomishCountyElections Committee., which,r~an~__. s
political candidates on Gay and Lesbian xssues, q’his
should send a signal to other employers, large and
small, that it’s goodbusiness to recognize the value of
all families," Fay said.
Charles Bofferding, executive directorof the Society
ofProfesSional Engineering Employees inA.erospa.~,
said the move seemed to be designed to sabotage ,his
group’s contract-negotiations, which begin soon.
SPF.EA, formerly the Seattle Professional Engineering
Employees Association, is the second-largest imion
at Boeing, representing 23,000 scientists, engineers,
manual writers and technical workers. SPEEA
negotiators will seek the benefit but don’t want to
sacrifice other potential contract gains to obtain it,
Bofferding said. ’This attitude, that management
knows best and employees will take whatever is
dished, out, this is outrageous ,"he said. "Is the Boeing
Co. going to discriminate againstheterosexuals now?"
Conte said health-care benefits will not be offered
tO unmarried heterosexual partners because they can
get married, an option from which same-sex parmers
are barred by law.
Tim Flynn, a spokesman for the International
Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers,
which r~ep~resents hourly producuon workers and is
Boeings largest union, said Machinist leaders may
discuss same-sex benefits before expiration of the
three-year contract that was ratified in September.
Annetta Small, director of the West Coast office of
Kerusso Ministries, which seeks to persuade Gays
and Lesbians to become heterosexual through
Chrsfianity, said she opposes any extension ofbenefits
to non-married partners. "We are giving benefits to a
behavior that I believe is wrong and that I believe is
immoral," she said. "I don’t believe that we should
extend these benefits to people who are not married."
Hate Letters Sent to
Rhode Island Politicos
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Threatening letters with
anti-Gay sentiments have been sent to the Providence
mayor, the city’s liaison to the Gay community and
two men who were recently assaulted in a Gaybashing
attack.
One letter, which Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr.
received, described Providence as a ’Tag lovin’ city".
Leaflets that said "Fake Action Against Queer’s,
¯ were also scattered downtown and placed on cars.
¯¯ City and police officials said they are taking the
threats very seriously because they appear to be part
¯ ofan organized effort. Inresponse, thepolice assigned
¯ extra officers downtown. "In this day and age, this
’- should not be. We’re not going to tolerate it," Cianci
~ told The Providence Journal.
¯ W. Fitzgerald Himmelsbach, the city’s liaison to
the Gay and Lesbian community, also received a
" death threat over the telephone. He received a call at
¯ his business from aman who said, "Die, you fagg.ot .
~ All the letters said ’~omosexuality is a sin against
¯ humankind and God," and all were signed "The
¯ Trench Coat Mafia" - the name used by a group of
"- students at Columbine High School, in I.ittleton,
¯
Colo., that .included the two gnmmen who killed 13
¯ people there last spring. -
Himmelsbach saidletters receivedby the twoassault
". victims threatened that they would"endup inhell like
[ Matthew Shepard," the Wyoming college student
¯ who was beaten to deathlast fall because he was Gay.
¯ The letters were sent to Ed Webb, 34, and Noah
] Schwartz, 41, both of Providence. On Sept. 19 in
: downtownProvidence, themensaid about20college-
" aged men yelled "faggots" and then five of the men
¯ beat them up.
¯ Both Himmelsbaeh, who has been the liaison for
~ two years,and Cianci saidreceiving threats is nothing
¯ new but both are worried that this is part of an
~ organized effort. ’~Eianci vowedto fred the "cowards"
.. who are the perpetrators and then prosecute them for
. hate crimes. Police do not have any suspects yet.
: Denver Considers
:: Couples Registry
¯ DENVER (AP) - City Council members are
: considering a proposal that would create a registry to
~ record the relationships of Gay and Lesbian partners
and other committed but unmarried couples. The
¯ proposal, heard by the city council, would allow
Denverites to officially record their partnerships to
¯
qualify for insurance benefits some companies offer
¯ to the "domestic partners" of their workers. And, for
¯ same-sex couples, it would allow their unions to be
: acknowledg?,.d,, if only nominally, by local
" government. It sfinallytimeforthecitytorecognize
." committed relationships," said Councilman Ed
¯ Thomas, who, along with Councilwoman Cathy ¯
Reynolds, has beenplanning such aregistry for several
¯ years. .
¯ To qualify, both members of a couple would have
¯ to be unmarried, 18 years or older and sharing the ¯
¯ same household with a partner who is not a blood
relative. A filing fee at the city’s clerk and recorder’s
¯ office is expected to be about $20. Couples would be ¯
¯ required to notify that office if their relationships
dissolve. The plan had tentative approval by most
members ofthe city s Safety and Personnel Commatt
¯ except council member Ted Hackworth, who said it
¯ "doesn’t make sense." ¯ Itis slated for further discussionby council members
¯
in the coming weeks. Advocates hope to have the
registry in place by Valentin~ s Day. If approved,
¯ filing with the registry wouldn t constitute amarriage
or common-law marriage, nor would it affect
¯ inheritance rights.
¯ Still, advocates say itwouldprovide documentation ¯
¯ for couples seeking benefits from United Airlines,
Coors, Denver city government and other employers
¯ who insure domestic partners of workers. Proponents
¯ also hope it would help advance rights whenit comes
¯ to visiting partners in the hospital ormaking medical ¯
decisions on their behalf. Theregistry would similarly
¯ benefit seniorcouples who choosenot to marry because
¯ they would lose Social Security or other benefits.
~ Boulder has a similar registry program, as do the state
¯ of California and 35 cities in 25 states nationwide.
¯ Irish Jury Convicts
Writer’s Assailants
: PHILADELPHIA (AP)- Ajury in Irdand convicted
¯ two men in the near-fatal beating of a well-known ¯
Philadelphia writer of Gay-themed books who was
¯ overseas researching a novel see News, p. 13
Magic Johnson
Plays in Sweden
BORAS, Sweden (AP) - Magic Johnson
entertained a sellout crowdTuesday night
with some of the trademark skills he used
to help the Los Angeles Lakers win five
NBA rifles.
The 40-year-old star, 10 years older
than the second oldest player on the court,
had 14 points and 11 rebounds as Magic
M7 beat Sallen 84-60 in.the Swedish
basketball league.
"The first half was a little tough, but the
second was easier.,"Johnson told the 3,319
spectators after,the game, his first nonexlfihition
contest since leaving the NBA
for good in 1996.
Johnson missed some easy layup
attempts. "That’s easy when the
atmosphere was as charged and the
euphoria as high as it was tonight," he
said. After a standing ovation before the
game, Johnson drew further cheers when
he promised to return to play more games
for Magic MT.
MT, which missed the playoffs last
season, is 7-0 this season,.with Johnson’s
appearance generating great interest in
the sport in Boras, a city of 110,000 in
western Sweden.
Johnson, who led Michigan State to the
1979 U.S. National Collegiate Athletic
Association rifle, learned he had tested
positive for the HIV virus that can cause
AIDS in 1991. He retired for the first rime
justbefore the startof the 1991-92 season.
After returning to play on the U.S.
Dream Team that won the gold medal in
the 1992 Olympics, he made a brief
comeback before the !992-93 season, but
quit again after several players expressed
concerns about playing against him.
In January 1996, he returned to the
Lakers and played the remaining half of
the season, retiring again, at age 37, after
the Lakers were eliminated from the
playoffs.
Louganis in
Nun-Drag?
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP) - Greg
Louganis has picked up a new habit. The
Olympxc gold medal-winning diver is
starring in the musical comedy, ’~lunsense
A-Men," which runs through Dec. 5 at the
Hollywood Playhouse.
Lougams, who wonfour gold medals in
two Olympics and later disclosed he was
Gayand HIV-positive, will pull on a habit
six rimes a week for his role as Sister
Robert Ann, a streetwise nun who always
wanted to be a star. All the nuns in this
production are men.
The former diver, author and
motivational speaker says he likes working
in an ensemble cast. "There’s always
someone there to hold your hand," said
I_ouganis, 39. "It feels more supportive, I
guess.’"
Thou.gh Louganis now has AIDS, he
looks and feels healthy. He says he does
not think aboutbeing arole model. "We’re
all haman. We all make mistakes," he
said "Role model, in my mind, is
perfection and one can’t be that. I try to
encourage young people to be their own
heroes and their own role models."
AIDS & So. Africa
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -
After the end of apartheid, South Africa
pushed to get patients out of overcroWded
hospitals and into preventive care clinics.
But as fast as the country has built 700
¯
new clinics since 1994, traditional state
¯¯ hospitalshavefilledupwithAIDS patients
who occupy up to 60% of the beds, South
: African Health Minister Manto
¯ Tshabalala-Msimang said recently.
¯ ’’We expected the demand for hospital
¯ caretodrop,"shesaidatanews conference
; at theheadquarters oftheAfrican National
¯ Congress. "But the HIV and AIDS
¯ epidemic has increased the burden." The
¯ briefingwas one ofa series by theANCon
¯ its progress in ruling the country.
¯ Tshabalala-Msimang chairs the party’s
¯ health committee.
-" Some 3.6 million South Africans are
¯ infected with AIDS, roughly one in eight
." adults, and the government says 1,500
¯ new :infections occur every day in one of
." the world’s fastest rates of infection. A
¯ narionalAIDS councilwillbefunctioning
: by year’s end, Tshabalala-Msimang said.
¯ ’’We should have had the council in place
: already," she said.
: Controversial proposals, such treating
: pregnant women with HIV with a drug
¯ therapy to prevent transmission of the
¯ virus to infants, will be discussed next
¯ month at a meeting of regional health ¯
ministers, she said. The government so far
: has rejected the proposal as too expensive
: and possibly even dangerous in terms of
¯ long-term side effects.
¯ The healthministers fromthe Southern ¯
African Development Community will
¯ also discuss blood safety anddevelopment
¯ of an HIV vaccine.
: AIDS Threatens
Asia’s Prosperity
KUALALUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -The
AIDS epidemic in Asia could erase the
region’s economic gains over the last two
decades unless governments maintain
funding for social programs, aWorldBank
expert warned late last month.
In Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia,
Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam and
Southern China, AIDS had gained a
"strong foothold," even before the
economiccrisis struckin 1997, saidMartha
Ainsworth, a senior World Bank
economist.
The dreaded virus "threatens to slowly
unravel the progress in improving the
human condition.and to diminate if not
reverse the benefits of the economic
miracle,’’ Ainsworth told the 5th
International Congress on AIDS in Asia
and the Pacific.
The region’s two-year economic crisis
may have further hurt Asia’s fight against
AIDS, said Ainsworth. Cash-strapped
governments wereforced to slash budgets
and lower wages. The crisis also pushed
thousands of families into poverty and
many women into prostitution.
"’Even before the crisis, political
commitment to AIDS prevention in the
region was weak," said Ainsworth. "Many
policy makers are still in denial."
Development policies before the crisis
channeled funds into education and health
¯ care budgets, resulting in higher life
expectancies and reduced poverty:
¯ "The full impact of the crisis on HIV
: depends critically on how well
~ governments and households succeeded
¯ .in maintaining socialsafety nets," said
: AJnsworth, an expert on the effect of
¯ AIDS on households. Ainsworth said
: AIDS hadalready subtracted several years
¯
offtheaveragelifeexpectancies ofcertain
¯ countries.
A U.N report released at the four-day
¯ conference esrimates that by 2010, the ¯
overall death rate will be 20% higher in
OECE~%
WorldAIDS Day 1999
Candlelight March & Memorial Service
sponsored by Interfaith AIDS Ministries
Wednesday, December 1st
End the Silence
Mount Zion Baptist Church
419 North Elgin (next to OSU-Tulsa)
Gather 6:30 at St. Monica’s, Marshall Place at
Greenwood (just south of Pine), March at 7pm,
Service at 7:30, all times approximate! Bring
banners & bells; candles provided. Info: 438-2437.
Are You Gay or Bisexual?
Are You Native American~.~
Tulsa s Two-Spirited Indian Men s
¯
Support Group ~s here for you!
¯ Evening support group meetings
¯ Relationship workshops
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HIV testing
For information call Tulsa Native.American AIDS Prevention Project
at 582-7225 Ext, 208 or 218
Dial-Up Accounts
Dedicated ISDN
Connections
Virtual Hosting
Visit our web page
"www.igisweb.net"
(918) 622-4965
Internet Marketing
E-Commerce
Web Page Design
On-Site Setup Available
Oklahoma NARAL cordially invites you
to a chocOlate and champagne fete in
support of abortion and reproductive
rights in Oklahoma.
Celebrating 26 Yedrs.of Choice
Sunday, November 7, 1999, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
to be held at Resonance
1608 S. Elwood, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Champagne, Coffee, Chocolates
$25 per individual
Please R.S.V.P. to the NARAL Office: 494-9585
Stay Healthy Naturally
Wellness
Rejuvenation
Longevity
Dr. Terrance L. Sullivan
Doctor ofNaturopathy
Certified Colonic Hygenist
Certified Reflexologist
Certified Herbalist
Certified Accupressurist
provides consultations by appointment
Iridology- Hair Analysis - Herbal Supplements
Pain Control - Nutritional Analysis
4520 So. Peoria, Brookside, 712-1400
Myanmar due to AIDS fatalities. In
Cambodia and Thailand, it may rise 15%
because of AIDS. The United Nations
estimates that 7 million people in Asia are
infected with the HIV virus or AIDS.
Speakers at the conference, which ends
Wednesday, have urged Asia to act fast to
curb the epidemic or risk the devastation
now facedby Africa, which has 21 million
AIDS-related cases.
Experts areparticularlyconcemedabout
the effects of AIDS on Indonesia, the
world’s fourth largest country, where the
regional economiccrisis was compounded
by political upheaval. It diverted attention
and funding from the AIDS epidemic,
Aiusworth said. ’~olitical turmoil nodoubt
increased risky behavior for the spread of
HIV," Ainsworth said.
She said countries such as Thailand
one of the high-risk areas in Asia, had
proved that maintaining commitment to
AIDS -prevention programs paid
dividends. HIV cases dropped among
prostitutes,menwith sexually-transmitted
diseases and blood donors in Thailand
despite the economic crisis, she said.
"Many governments in this region have
a window of opportunity to act early and
prevent an epidemic," Ainsworth said.
Children at Risk
in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -
Seeking to help young children deal with
a soanng number of sexual assaults,
national health and education officials are
considering an education program for
primary students to teach about rape and
HIV infections, a newspaper reported
Sunday.
A pilot program was tested in the
Nor~ern and F~ee State provinces, where
about 700 children received the lessons,
the Sunday Times of Johannesburg
reported. About 14,000 children are
sexually violated every year, police reports
say, but a large number of rapes go
unreported, anti-rape activists say.
About 8% of the adult population is
HIV positive. One factor that experts
belie,ve has contributed to child rape is the
persxstent myth that sex with a virgin can
cure the disease.
Abraham Seckle, an Education
Department official, was quoted assaying
the program would "empower learners to
protect themselves." A consultantinvolved
in the project, Darleen Edwards,
said that children are taught to "run, yell
and tell" in the program.
PLWA to Race in
Iditarod Next Year
MESA, Ariz. (AP)-The first Arizonan to
enter Alaska’s most grueling sled dog
race faces two major obstacles before he
even steps to the starting line. Chuck
Kin.g, 39, of Tempe, has no experience
racang. He has only 100 miles actually
riding a dog sled. And King is. HIV
positive. Every day, he takes fisffuls of
anti-viral pills just to stay alive.
But he doesn’t see this as a setback. He
views his illness and the March 4 Iditarod
sled-dog race as a chance to prove that
people with AIDS don’t have to
concentrate on survival alone. "In the last
seven years, I was supposed to have died
three times and I made it through all of
that," King said in a telephone interview
from Wasilla, Alaska.
The Iditarod this year will stretch 1,152
miles fromWasilla to Nome, takingracers
" at least 10 days to complete. And that’s
: only if the expected 80 participants keep
up a good pace. The snow layers the trail
¯ in multiple feet, not mere inches.
¯" Temperatures dip deep into thenegatives,
numbing hands and lungs. At night;
¯ Sections of the woods-darkened course
." are lit only by the aurora borealis, which
¯ crackle and cast shadows in the trees and
: snow. Switchbacks get so steep in some
¯ areasthatdrivers can’tseetheleadoftheir
¯¯ 16-dogpack.A driver unlucky enough to
fall off gets left in a cloud of snow and
¯
regret. ’q~here ain’t no waitin’ in this
." race," said Raymond "Raymie"
¯ Redington, King’s sled-dog trainer. ’q’he
¯" huskies are bred to go. They’ll bolt off the
." starting line even if you say halt."
." Redington should know. The 54-year-
. old Alaska native’s father founded the
¯ racein 1973. He has been in 111ditarods;
: his highest placing was seventh. Since
: September, Redington has trained King
¯ on a four-wheeler that simulates a sled-
: dog team. King will work with the dogs as
¯ the snow starts to fall.
¯ King began training last year, gaining ¯
¯ about 100 miles of mushing experience.
Oddly, being a native Arizonan could
give him a boost: King was trained as a
bo.y to handle amule drawn wagon, which
¯ ~mrrors mushing techniques, Redington
¯ said. King will have to be up to speed by
: Jan. 1, whenthelditarod’sfirstqualifying
race, the Knik 200, takes place. The 2nd
~ qualifier is a week later.
¯ Only after the 500 miles of racing will
’ Redington know whether King is ready
: for the Iditarod. "I don’t know how he’s
¯" going to do when it gets real freezing,"
¯ said Redington, who remembers the 38-
below zero wind chill he endured in the
¯ 1974Iditarod. "Buthelooks healthynow. "" ¯
That hasn’t always been the case for
¯ King. Six years ago, the 6-foot man had
¯ wastedto 118pounds. Doctors gav,eKing, ¯
a former respiratory physician, 90 days to
live after diagnosing him with multidrug
¯ resistant tuberculosis. At one point, his Tcell
count, a measure of the body’s
¯ resistance to disease, bottomed out at 40;
~ a virus-free, healthy person’s T-cell coun!
usually reaches 1,000.
Kinghad one wish: to see Alaska before
¯ he died. Two years ago he took a cruise
." there, and he caught another bug. This
time, it was mushing. "That’s all he could
¯ talk about," said his father, Dick King.
¯ "He was suicidal, depressed at times. BUt
this brought him out."
Science lent a hand, too. Strong anti¯
viral drugs called protease inhibitors
became available. King was soon on a
¯ five-drug ’.’cocktail"prescribed to him by
Scottsdale’s Dr. Thanes Vanig. He began
¯ popping about 26 pills a day. He said he ¯
has to smoke marijuana to beat down the
¯ nausea caused by themedieation. He also
,- has to take percocet, and even morphine,
¯ to numb the neurological pain to his lower
¯ legs that was caused by the tuberculosis
¯ and AIDS drugs. His T-cell count has
¯ jumped to 560, the lower side of normal.
¯ He’s also gained 44 pounds, thanks in
¯ large part to injections of human growth
: hormone, a $4,000-a-month drug that he
; said was donated by a pharmaceutical
¯ company.
¯ WhenKingrecentlyreturned to Alaska,
¯
his spirits were high, His po~c,k,etbook is
¯ - the opposite. King is feveris!!) lining up
¯ sponsors, such as Tempe Mayor Neil
¯ Giuliano, to make it through the race and
¯ bring AIDS awareness to a new level,
¯ "It’s not just for people with AIDS," he
¯
s.aid. ’q~hemessageis for everyone: Don’t
¯ g~ve up. Don’t ever give up."
L
by James Christjohn
Upon viewing the PBS production of
"Spirit: A Journey in Dance, Drum, and
Song" on PBS, I contacted Peter Buffett,
the composer and creator. Upon learning
that there would be a National Tour with
a stop in Tulsa at the Brady
Theatre on January 3,
2000; I had the opportunity
to askafew questions. You
can get the video of the
production that originally
aired on PBS, as well as
theCDat areamusic/video
stores. It’s powerful in
those mediums (reviewed
previously), and one can
only imagine the impact of
the piece live.
JC: Hello, Peter!
PB: Hello! Well...
finally I’m answering your
questions. I was frantically
finishing a record for a
friend. It had to be done by
yesterday (which it was)
so I can go to New York
today to start all the
mechanics it’s going to take to get the
"Spirit" showon the road by the Fall. At
somepoint, you’11 have to get the’’making
of" part of the video. I think you’ll really
enjoy it. "(Note: The "Making of..." is
included on the retail vide~’Of the show.)
JC: It’s such an amazing piece that
works on so many diffdrent levels, l was
wondering whatinspired the idea to bring
together the different elements - dance.
song, etc. - to create the show?
PB: I wanted to bring all the elements
together for two main reasons. One,
"A hundred years ago
people sang
the Ghost Dance
songs in the hopes
that the world would
return to the way
it once was,
Now, the choir in
some of the Spirit
songs are singing those
very same words in
hopes that the world
can become
what it could be. ""
- Peter Buffett
because in Native cultures, song anddance
are usually linked. You can’t have one
without the other. They both contribute to
the telling ofthe story. Andthe projections
help bring the natural (or unnatural.., or
supernatural) worldinto the theatre. That’s
the "art" reason.
The "commerce" reasonis
that I knew my show
would be competing with
larger and larger events.
Not only theatrical, but
lmaxmovies,hugebudget
movies and all sorts of
entertainment that tugs at
the consumer. I wanted to
try and create something
thatpeople could honestly
say they hadn’ t seenbefore
(no small feat). So this was
my attempt..
JC: Well,judgingfrom
the response at the taping
from the audience, and the
incredible response I’ve
seen to the video, l’d say
you achieved your goal.
PB: It’s important to
note that I’m not in the "bigger is better"
: camp (as it may sound) but people want
and deserve their money’s worth. Andit’s
getting harder to "outdo" the last thing ~n
[ terms ofp0werful soundandimagery. My
[ hope is that the message of the show has
as much effect on people as anything else.
JC: I can only speak from my own
¯. experience, and that oflistening to others
¯ who have seen the video, to say that it was
very powerful in that regard, and
¯ communicated its message wonderfully.
see Buffett, p. 14
couNciL
Is proud to present
gie Hall veteran soprano, Floxane La Combe.
nature "COMC Sound" has attracted sold out audiences.
Order your tickets in advance.
November 19 & 20
JOHN WILLIAMS THEATRE
TULSA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Call 596-7111 for tickets
www.counciloak.org
~’~#Made possible in part oy a grant from the Tulsa Pedorming Arts Center Trust.
by That Entertainment Guy
Livin La Vida Loca Tour, the Divine
king, Ricky Martin appears in Dallas al
Reunion Arena, Dallas, Thursday, Nov
4, 1999, at 8:00PM. Now this would be
the concert to take binocnlars to - and the
telephoto mini-camera. Ticket prices for
the Prince ofPop: $35.00- $75.00 Charge-
By-Phone #: 214-373-8000.
The Divine Queen of All Things is also
performing in Dallas in November. No,
not Stevie, although she is the otherQueen
of All T’nings Divine; but the Divine Ms.
Millennium Tour: Bette Midler in Concert,
A Beaver Production takes place Sunday,
Nov128,1999 at8:00prn at ReunionArena.
As she said in one early concert tour,
’qTais ain’t no cheap meat you’re lookin’
at!": Ticket prices run $50.50 - $150.50,
Charge-By-Phone at 214-373-8000.
Peter Buffett’s "Spirit - A Journey in
Dance, Drums and Song" is a music,
dance and percussion spectacle that
combines the power of contemporary
music with the songs, chants and dances
of Native American culture. The release
of the CD coincides with the PBS
Broadcast ofthe live show of Spirit, which
features over 80 performers - including
twenty dancers with both modem and
traditional training, an orchestra withboth
modem and ancient tribal instruments, a
flits choir and percussionists pounding
outheart-stopping rhythms on a variety of
drums.
The show runs in Tulsa, January 4-9, at
the Brady Theatre; and if you miss that,
then you can catch "Spirit" in Dallas,
March 7-12 at the Majestic Theatre.
You really didn’t think I’d let you get
away without the obligatory mention of
Stevie Nicks herself, did you? Yes, La
Diva nicks is performing three shows:
Two in California’s HOuse of Biues in
December, and one in Las Vegas HOB on
New Year’s eve. Tickets went for an
outrageous $127 (balcony seating) and
$227 (Orchestra - STANDING!). There
only a few floor spaces left for the New
Year’s show.. All others sold out. Believe
it or not.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the
"Send the obsessed reviewer to see S tevie
and not come back fund" can send
contributions to TFN. Just make sure my
name’s in big letters on the envelope, or
I’ll never see the money. It’ll end up in the
"buy the publisher new household
gimmicks" fund.
The Divine Ms. Nick’s new album
should be out the 1st of the year, if not
sooner. And hopefully, with a more
affordable tour. Apparently the cost of
chiffon has risen - a lot.
Fight Clubis.amovie that under ordinary
circumstances, I would have never gone
to see. However, I was not under ordinary
circumstances, and was swept along to
see it. I thought I’d hate it. After seeing it,
I think everyone should see it. The acting
is dynamic, the pace is breathless, and the
intellect behind it is tremendous. The
violence is not that bad, one scene aside,
and the points the movie makes are well
worth the viewing. The humor is well
done, and the homoeroticism between Ed
Norton and Brad Pittmakes it worthwhile.
see Fight, p. 15
.Parade of Ligh! s.
Come celebrate the spirit of the holiday season
at the PSO Christmas Parade of Lights.
Saturday, December 11, Downtown Tulsa at 6 p.m.
View parade floats up close, Friday, December 10,
at the HolidayFest (Brady Arts Distriot) fl om 6-9 p.m.
Pubfic Service Company of Oklahoma
A Central and South West Company
I B B (I T Z
"emotionally and visually rich ..."
-Performing Arts Review, Taiwan
"unforgettable scenes of disparate beauty"
-Davar
"intense in feeling ...
deep in intellectual content"
-The Plain Dealer
"bold, flLnging athleticism"
-The Kansas City Star
November 16 at 8 p.m.
Chapman Music Hall
Tulsa Performing Arts Center
3rd & Cincinnati
Tickets: $15, $22, $25
Call: (918) 596-7111
Outside Tulsa: 1-800-364-7111
Online: www.tulsapac.com
Presenting
by Rami Be’er
Co-presented bj,:
Oklahoma Israel Exchange
"Dazzling," "Pounding," "Unsettling," "Erotic"
"The dancing--real, vital dancing--of these 18 people
becomes a dyfiamo for transforming experience and
recharging the spirit." The Village Voice
Sponsored in part by:
"You don’t
have to know
ballet to
love ballet.
You just have
to try it."
-- MARCELLO ANGELINI
ART ST C D RECTOR
:Mixed Repertory includes two Oklahoma premieres
FRIDAY 8 PM
NOVEMBER 5
SATURDAY 8 PM "
NOVEMBER 6
SUNDAY 3 PM
NOVEMBER 7
Be one of the first anywhere to witness Tulsa Ballet’s first commissioned
piece. Tailored to the strengths of the Company by an international
genius. Classical ’roots, contemporary movements A prime-time
performance of2Oth-century choreography. The way people dance today.
Andwili tom0rrow: "
Tickets start at $8.
THE 199.9 - 2000 SEASON IS SPONSORED IN PART BY:
Order tickets,by calling The Tulsa Ballet Ticket Office at 749-6006, PAC at 596-7111
or Carson Attractions at 584~2000 * 4512 S. Peoria Ave. ¯ Tulsa, OK 74105-4563
Visit our web site at www.webtek.€omitulsaballet
~ SUNDAYS
Bless the Lord At All Times Christian Center
Sunday School - 9:45am, Service - 11 am, 2207 E. 6th, 583-7815
Community of Hope (Welcoming), Service - 6pro, 2545 S. Yale, 585-1800
Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Service - 1 lain, 2545 S. Yale, 749-0595 (Welcoming)
Church of the Restoration Unitarian Universalist
Service - 1 lam, 1314 No. Greenwood, 587-1314
Metropolitan Community Church United
Service, 1 lain, 1623 North Maplewood, Info: 838-1715
House of the Holy Spirit Ministries, Inc.
Sunday School - 9:45am, Service - 10:45am, 3210b So. Norwood
Parish Church of St. Jerome (Evangdical Anglican Church in America)
Mass - 1 lam, 205 W. King (east of N. Denver), Info: 582-3088
Unity Church of Christianity
Services: 9:15 & 11:00 am, 3355 S. Jamestown, 749-8833
University of Tulsa Bisexuai/Lesbian/Gay/Transgendered Alliance
6:30 pm, Meets at the United Ministry Cir., 5th & Evanston, 583-9780
~ MONDAYS
Mixed Volleyball, Helmerich Park, 71st & Riverside, 6pm, call Shawn at 243-5190.
HIV 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 Mordeach mo. 6:30pro, Fellowship Congregational Church, 2900 S. Harvard
Women/Children & AIDS Committee, call for meeting date, noon, 585-5551
Council Oak Men’s Chorale, rehearsals - call for thnes, info: 748-3888.
~ TUESDAYS
AIDS Coalition of Tulsa, call, for next meeting date. 1430 S. Boulder, 585-5551
Live And Let Live, Community of Hope U~fited Methodist, 7:30pm, 2545 S. Yale
Multicultural AIDS Coalition, call for next meeting date.
Urban League, 240 East Apache, 584-0001
PrimeTimers, mens group, Pride Center, 1307 E. 38th
Coming Out Support Group (TOHR/HOPE)
Tuesdays, 6 pm, Pride Center, 1307 E 38th, info: 743-4297
~ WEDNESDAYS
Bless The Lord At All Times Christian Center
Prayer & Bible Study, 7:30 pm 2207 E. 6th, 583-7815
House of the Holy Spirit Ministries,. Inc. Service - Vpm, 3210b 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
~ FRIDAYS
SafeHaven, Young Adults Social Group, l st Fri/each mo. 8pm, Pride Ctr., 1307 E. 38th
~ SATURDAYS
Narcotics Anonymous, I 1 pm, Community o!~ Hope, 1703 E. 2nd, Info: 585;-1800
Lambda A-A, 6.pm, Pride Center, 1307 E. 38th, 2nd fl.
~ OTHER GROUPS
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform & Leather Seekers Association, info: 298-0827
Gal-A-Vanting, Womens Social & Cultural Group
Call for info: Kathy at 322-6322, or Barb at 459-6825.
OK Spoke Club, Gay & Lesbian Bike Organization. Long rides & short rides from
Zcigler Park. Long & short rides from Tulsa Gay Community Center. Write for info:
POB 9165, Tulsa, OK 74157
Ifyour organization is not listed, please let us know. Call 583-1248 orfax 583-4615.
reviewed by Barry Hensley : substanceabuse and, now, a sympathetic
Tulsa City-County Library : wife with a decidedly un-Christian like
Whathappens whena"radical Lesbian" ¯ penchant for screaming and yelling. The
goes undercover to infiltrate the " author’s interaction with this member of
organizations of the religious Focus on the Family is most
right? She writes a book, of
course! Fortunately, this isn’t
"jnstaanotherChristianbashing
book, as Minkowitz is able to
see past her obvious
disagreements with these
groups and find some real,
human common ground. Life
is full ofgray area, as this book
shows.
Ferocious Romance is a
humorous but serious lookinto
religious fight organizations,
such as Promise Keepers and
Focus on the Family.
Minkowitz dons a fake
monstachc and lowers her
voice to attend a Promise
Keepers weekend that really
opens her eyes. In addition to
experiencing the fully
expected propaganda of men
itaking charge of the familyi
and making women submissive, she al~o
witnesses burly mencrying,hugging each
other andexpressing words offorgiveness.
She enjoys discussing this absurdity of
the feminization of the Christian Men’s
movement~
Her discussions with James Dobson’s
Focus on the Family are of more concern.
She has long conversations with a cute
voung man named Bobby, who is an
~tthappy "ex-Gay." It becomes evident
that Bobby’ s life is in a shambles due to
the cumulative effects ofchildhood abuse,
"The a.thor’s
interaetion with
this member of
Focus on the
Family is most
;nsi~htful. She
also meets with
several high level
exeeutlves in the
or~anlzatlon
whose arguments
t~t they are not
homophone are
astoundln~ in
their h~oe~sy."
insightful. Shealso meets with
several high level executives
in the organization whose
arguments that they are not
homophobicareastoundingin
their hypocrisy.
After these encounters with
the religious right, the author
inexplicably dives into an
account ofthe International S/
M Leather Fetish Celebration
that she attended inNew York
City to-celebrate the twentyfifth
anniversary of the
Stonewall Riots. We really
learn more than we ever
wanted to know about her
involvement in S/M. This
topic surfaces occasionally
throughout the book and her
comparison of conservative
Christians and S/M
practitioners is humorously
¯¯ enlightening.
As the 2000 elections approach, the
: religions right will undoubtedly take center
.. stage to promote their candidates and
, agenda. It is in everyone’s best interest to
: understand what these groups have in
¯ store for the country, should their ¯
candidates be elected. This book gives a
: bit ofinsightinto what’ s going onin these
¯ organizations. Check out Ferocious
Romance at your local branch library or
¯
call the Reader’s Services department at
: Central library, at 596-7966.
Members of each group were paired
together at the tables and encouraged to
gettoknow each other. Before the meeting,
the groups agreed to disagree on whether
Gays can be Christians and to focus on
ways to deter violence against Gays and
Christians, Falwell cited the September
shootings at a Texas church and recent
school shootings inwhichChristians were
targeted.
At a news conference following the
meeting, Falwell andWhite apologized to
each other for harsh words they have said
about the other’s groups over the years.
"I’ve been a preacher for 47 years, a
preacher of the gospel.., but in the end
homosexuality is. wrong," Falwell said.
’’It is my hope that evangelicals might
build a bridge of friendship -to Gays and
Lesbians as we have to alcoholics and
unwed mothers."
White, an author and minister with the
Metropolitan Community Churches, was
the ghost writerofFalwell’s autobiography
before White acknowledged being Gay.
Delegates from both groups thought the
meeting was good.
The same weekend, many of Mel
White’s groups listened to Falwell’s
Sunday sermon. Falwell, 66, began the
serviceby welcoming White andhis guests
and briefing his congregation on the antiviolence
forum conducted at the church
the day before. At that meeting, both sides
apologized for harsh words said over the
years and discussed ways to reduce
vio~lence against homosexualS.
¯" ’His sermon was amazang, said David
¯ Chandler, 36, a Gay man from San
: Francisco and one of the more than 4,000
: worshippers who jammed into Thomas
¯ Roads BaptistChurch. "Hesentamessage
: to parents to love their children no matter
." what.... I admire and respect Falwell for
¯ taking that stand." In his sermon, Falwell
¯
stressed that he will hot change his belief
¯ that homosexuality is a sin. But he added, ¯
"That has nothing to do with the love
: factor involved. We are to be lovers of all
menand women."Falwell’ s sermon came
¯" from Proverbs 13, which offers advice on
¯ successful living in the eyes of God. He
¯ spoke on the importance of working hard,
¯ living with integrity and not focusing on ¯
material things. He also talked at length
: about the importance of parents loving
: their children unconditionally.
¯ "For him to invite these fags here and
¯
into his church is an abomination,"Phelps
: said outside the church. "Now, Jerry
¯ Falwell is just as much a sinner as Mel ¯
White and both will bum in hell."
: Theservice endedwiththe congregation,
." singing the hymn "Only Trust Him.
¯ Falwell interrupted the song to reiterate to
: worshippers that what he or anyone else
: thought of them did not matter, but what
¯ was important is their relationship with
¯ God. White said it was "a shame" that
: protesters like Phelps brought hostility to
¯
aplace of worship. "What we have hereis
¯ a great moment for our country, Gays and
¯ Falwell worshipping together," White ¯
said. "It’s a small start, but it’s a start."
The Gift of Pride
In Honor of...
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Someone Special to You.
For a small gift of $25.00, you can donate a beautiful Christmas poinsettia
to a local AIDS hospice. Your gifts will adorn the stage at"
"A Council Oak Christmas," November 19-20.
Call Today for COMC Carolers at Your Holiday Party!
To Order: Call COMC at (918) 748-3888
Medical
Excellence And
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Care Since
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¯ ST. JOHN MEDICAL CENTER
WJj Medical Excdlence ’ Compassionate Care
Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for
justice & equality for
Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury,
Criminal La w & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
Weekend and evening appointments are available.
RESTAURANT AT PHILBROOK
TUES-SUN, I I-2
$13.95 ¯ Sunday, II to2 ¯ Reservations, 748-5367
TOHR
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
Home Holiday Tour
Saturday, December 11,noon- five o’clock
Several homes in historic Tulsa. Reception at the
Center tofollow. More info. after Dec. 1st. 743-4297
by Mary Schepers, Do-It- Yourself-Dyke
Hey, baby, it’ s coldoutside. Andbefore
you start heating it up in front of the
fireplace, take some precautions. Notjust
theustml ones, ducklings! Thehouseneeds
some love and attention,
too. And by attending to a
few simple details, not
only will your house o’
love be snug, but safer,
too. You know what a
raving bitch your DIYD
is about safety, but she
does it out of a place of
love. Which place, she
demurs to answer..
The first order of
business is to keep the
winter winds and drafts
outdoors where they
belong. Inthe oftrepeated
words of the Oracle, ’We
don’t have a heating
contract with the great
outdoors,’ although you
may feel that way when
you get the first heating
bill for the winter. And
the side benefit is that if
you can keep the house
warm, you won’t have to
bundle up, and neither
will your schnookie,
unless,ofcourse, youfred
the layers of sweats and
sweaters an erotic
challenge. From thereon,
you’re on your own!
Try to take care of your outside heat
sinks (places you lose heat) before the
weather dips to 45 degrees during the day.
Mostofthematerials you will useperform
better when it’s warm - that’s a life
philosophy worth adopting! Checkaround
windows and doors for loose or cracked
caulking and replace where needed.
Around pipes or conduits that enter the
house, use an expanding foam product
like Good Stuff or better yet, Daptex,
which can be tooled, painted and cleaned
up with water, It costs a little more but is
worth it. Use this also to seal any gaps
between your foundation and the siding of
your house. It’ s like mousse with attitude.
Work it, girl[ If you’re really hard core,
make a trip under the house and seM up
around the pipes coming up into your
house, and the same from the garage. This
also discourages unwanted visits from
mice, who use pipe and conduit holes like
a superhighway to the supermarket. And
darlings, there’s no way to make trapping
mice attractive. Think about it.
It is also a good idea to insulate behind
switch and wall outlet plates. Special foam.
cutouts can be bought at your local home
repair store, so that all you have to do is
unscrew the plate, fit the cutout in and
replace the plate. It is amazing how much
cold air leaks in that way, especially in
older houses. Occasionally, thefitbetween
the plate is too tight, but not often. The
foam cutouts are cheap and it takes little
time to do this.
Before firing up the furnace for the first
time, it is advisable to have a contractor
come and give it a gogd cleaning and
inspection - the older your unit, the more
important this step is. Most heating and
cooling contractors will do a combined
winterandsummerservice forareasonable
sum, resulting in increased efficiency and
¯ reduced chance of injury. Heater
¯ malfunctions can result in explosions or
¯
fires, and sweeties, we have worked so
¯¯ hard to make your house into a fabulous
home.- It’s worth your peace of mind and
personal safety. If you
have a fireplace, 6all a
licensed sweep to clean
thechimneyandto inspect
and repair the firebox and
flue: Your DIYD prefers
to do this in the spring,
when scheduling is less
hectic for the sweep, and
then the fireplace is ready
togo as soonas inspiration
and a little cool weather
hits. This should be an
annual event for masonry
fireplaces, and every two
years if you have a metal
flue.
If you’re the intrepid
sort who doesn’t mind
scampering out on the
roof like a rabid squirrel,
get a good extension
ladder and do some
maintenance and cleaning
on the roof..Be sure that
the ladder has firm, steady
footing and is not placed
near any powerlines. Get
a hose with a power
nozzle or a blower and
blast those gutters clean,
especially at the
downspouts. Clean any
; leaves, sticks or debris offthe valleys and
¯ gables of the roof, and look for any loose ¯
shingles. Use an appropriate kind of roof
¯ goo or caulking to repair, and use this also
¯ around any flueflashings thatmightbenefit
¯ from some extra sealant. This is a good
¯ time to evaluate if you will need to repair
¯ or replace your roof in the spring. Be
: careful up there, and never crawl around
¯ on the roof without having someone at
¯ home in case you need help or get hurt.
Make sure she or he is not glued to a ball
¯ game or otherwise out of contact. At a
¯ time like that, you deserve the extra ¯
attention, pookie!
~" This is a good time of year for a lube
¯ job, or perhaps several. No, we’re not
back in front of the fireplace with Baby
¯ justyet-patience,my impetuous darlings !
¯ Borrow Dorothy’ s oil can and put a drop
on door hinges and garage door chain
¯ drives to keep things smoothly operating
¯ and silent in the winter, when the metal ¯
¯ contracts and squeaks. You know your
DIYD considers the aesthetics as well as
¯ the practical matters.
If you have storm windows, give them
¯ a good cleaning to let in as much winter ¯
sunlight as possible, and check for any
necessary repairs. Ifyoudon’ t haveenergy
¯ efficient windows,consider getting ~torms
¯ or even using the heat shrink film to
¯
provide some dead air spacq on your
¯ windows and to keep your house toastier.
0 : Now that the DIYD has planned your
: social life for the next couple of weekends,
¯ you can get busy making your nest cozy
¯. and snuggly for the winter: And if you’re
¯ very lucky, perhaps you will get yourjust ¯
reward- and we’re not only talking about
." a lower bill! Why don’t you go get a
; couple pairs of silk boxer shorts,just to be
¯ prepared? Be hot, not frigid, this winter! ¯
Ciao, ducklings!
"This is a good tlme of
year for a lube job, or
perhaps several. No,
we’re not back in front
of the fireplace with
Baby just yet -
patience,
my impetuous darlings!
Borrow Dorothy’s oll
can and put a drop on
door hinges and garage
door ehaln drives to
keep things smoothly
operating and silent in
the wlnter, when the
metal contracts and
squeaks. You know
your DIYD eonslders "
the aesthetles as well as
the practleal matters."
by Esther Rothblum, Ph.D.
Coming out as a Lesbian is difficult
enough, but is even more stressful when
the woman is an
immigrant and is
struggling to come out in
anew countryand using a
new language.
For several years now,
Dr. Oliva Espin, a
professor of women’s
studies at SanDiego State
University, has been
studying the lives of
immigrant and refugee
Lesbians. The topic had
to do with her own life
experience as an.,
immigrant and with the
imm.!granteli.ents she was
seeing m her
psychotherapy practice
for over twenty years.
"I saw that there were
some experiences that
.were common to
immigrant women," Dr:
Espin .told me. "A major
theme I found most
interestingwashow often
the woman would be
talking to me in Spanish~
for example, and then
switch to English when
she began talking about
being a Lesbian. There
seemed to be something
about using a second
language that helped
distance Lesbians from
whatever they had been
told was bad in their
i also think that
women who have come
outas Lesbians when they
were still children, may
have more disruptions
about theirownidentity,"
Dr. Espin said. ’q’hey
ask ’who am I?’ or ’What is wrong with
me?’ For .them, coming out so young gets
mixedup with other issues ofidentity. For
girls who also fecl that they are not ’rexd
Americans,’ or who as immigrants are
different in color or in language or in
cultural traditions - being Lesbian is one
more thing that strains their relationship
with their parents."
Furthermore, the parents may feel that
their daughter’s Lesbianism is something
she has "caught from those Americans."
When immigrant Lesbians come out as
adults, they have a stronger sense of
identity and coming outdoes not getmixed
up with the turmoil of adolescence
although it may get mixed up with the
turmoil of migration if they are recent
immigrants.
Dr. Espin has been conducting research
and interviewing immigrant women. She
found two types of immigration
experiences. Some women were Lesbian
before the migration, or else where
somewhatdissatisfied with what they were
even if they had no language for this.
’~2oming to anew countrymadeitpossible
for them to come out. This is true for
women from all countries, not just those
from traditional cultures. Being awayfrom
the familiar environment gave them
permission to come out; being I_~sbian
Dr. Espln has
been.., interviewing
immigrant women...
"Coming to a new
country made it
possible [or them to
come out.
This is true for
women from all
countries, not just
those from
traditional cultures.
Being away from the
familiar environment
gave them
permission
to come out;
being Lesbian was
very freeing
in this way.
I’ve even spohen with
Lesbians born in the
U.S. who have told
me that they had to
move all the way
across the country in
order to come out."
was very freeing in this way. I’ve even
spoken with Lesbians born in the U.S.
who have told me that
they had to move all the
way across the country in
order to come out."
The other group of
women Dr. Espin
interviewed was actively
Lesbian in their home
country, immigrated to
the U.S., and found that
the U.S. Lesbian culture
was different and had to
adjust their way of being
to the new culture. That
was sometimes very
difficult. "Some women
who were used to playing
roles very actively," Dr.
Espin continued, "if they
were used to being ’the
man,’, they couldn’t
understand why their
partner did not want to
cook their meals, for
example. Or, vice versa,
women who lived lives
that were ve~ closeted in
their home countries,
foundit terribly offensive
when I would use the
word ’Lesbian’ and were
threatened by not having
a cover-up."
In general, Dr. Espin
has found that immigrant
communities focus very
much on the "decency"
and "purit.y" of the
women in their
community. "Because the
communities are
experiencing difficulty
adjusting to the U.S., they
want to prove that they
are good people. It is the
behavior of women that
describes the family. So
: when you have a Lesbian daughter, how
¯ are you going to explain that to yourself
: andto your community? They may think
: , that this is what happens to all women
¯ when they come to America."
Dr. Espin has also found that Lesbian
: daughters tend to be more educated than
: their parents or their heterosexual sisters.
¯ As a result, the Lesbian daughters tend to
: bemaking more money andin many cases
: runmng the community centers and
¯ activities. "So coming out is also difficult
: for the Lesbian immigrant in terms of the
: community losing their mast in her. The
community doesn’t have the language
skills, the education, and the access to the
dominant culture that she does."
Dr. Espin has written about her
experiences intwo recent books. Formore
information, see Women Crossing
Bbundaries: The Psychology of
Immigration and the Transformation of
Sexuality (Routledge, 1999) and Latina
Realities: Essays on Healing Migration
and Sexualities (Westview, 1997).
Esther Rothblum is Professor of
Psychology at the University of Vermont
and Editor of the Journal of Lesbian
Studies. She can be reached at Dewey
Hall, Univ. of Vermont, Burlington, VT,
email: esther.rothblum@uvm.edu.
Red Rock Tulsa
Free Confidential
HIV Testing
Walk-in Clinics
Tuesday Testing, 5 -8 pm
Pride Center, 1307 East 38th
Wednesday Testing, 5-8 pm
Red Rock, 1724 East 8th
Daytime appointments available.
Call for more information:
918-584-2325
Church
of the Restoration
Unitarian Universalist
11 am, Sunday
1314 North Greenwood
587-1314
We knowyou’re
going to love this[
Restaurant & Cabaret
3 i 0 East First Street
918-599-9949
Massage Therapy Services
Edgar O. Cruz, L.M.T.
Pager: 918-889-5255
Voice Mail: 918-697-9282
Lic. #C4133
Want to get involved?
Need to get
tested for HIV?
Need a
Coming Out Support
Group?
Call
743-GAYS (4297)
Tulsa Gay
Community
Services
Center
i307 E. 38th
at Peoria, 2nd floor
Country Club
Barbering
Custom Styling
for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236
Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm
IGTA member
Call 341.6866
International
Toursformoreinformation.
Red Rock Tulsa
O’RYAN
Oklahoma Rainbow
Young Adult Network
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
’ Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
918-584-2325
AUTHENTIC FRESH
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Gay Owned, Operated & Rainbow Proud
Gay Mecca of the Ozarks
Beautiful Eureka Springs, Arkansas
at the time of the assault. A Circuit Court
jury in northwestIreland deliberated about
two hours before finding 20-year-old Ian
Monaghan and 21-year-old Glen Mahon,
both ofSligo, guilty of "recklessly causing
serious harm" in the Jan. 31 attack on
Robert Drake, at his apartment. The
defendants were convicP,xlofIrishcharges
equivalent to aggravated assault in the
U.S.
Barely conscious, Drake lay for more
than 12 hours in a pool of blood before a
friend, Ciaran Slevin, discovered him. A
police officerwhorecordedDrake’s words
as he lay motionless inhis blood-spattered
kitchen with a severe head injury told the
jury that he believed he was recording
Drake’s "dying declaration."
Thedefensecontended thatDrakemade
acrudehomosexual pass atone ofthemen
and that the other then struck Drake in the
face to make him stop.
Doctors had to open a hole in his
windpipe to ease his breathing; he also
experienced pneumonia, kidney failure
and other complications. Drake returned
to Philadelphia by medical transport in
March to undergo five months of
rehabilitation to learn to walk and speak
again. Though he was released from the
hospital two weeks ago, his speech and
mobility remain seriously impaired. He
uses a wheelchair to get around, and a
letter board to assist in communicating.
Drake was in the middle of a speechtherapy
session at his Center City
apartment when word of the verdict
reached him. Through a friend, he said
that he was pleased with the verdict, ’"out
not surprised."
Monaghan and Mahon are free on bail
awaiting sentencing Jan. 10, when they
could get up to 10 years in jail. "It speaks
volumes that Robert, eight months after
¯ theincident, needs round-the-clock care,"
said Slevin, an Irish physician now living
with Drake in philadelphia. "I hope the
severity of the punishment meets the
severity of the crime."
Brattleboro Offers
Partners Benefits
BRATI’LEBORO, Vt. (AP) - Selectmen
have voted to extend health benefits to
same-sex domestic partners of town
employees. TownAttorney Robert Fisher
said the decision to extend the privileges
to same-sex parmers, but not unmarried
partners of the opposite sex, followed the
trend of law in Vermont and other states.
The University of Vermont extends
benefits to same-sex couples, Fisher said.
The city of Winooski is planning to as
well after an employee filed a complaint
with the Vermont Labor Relations Board.
"Winooski hasn’t come out with a policy
just yet," Fisher added. "They’re still
researching insurance issues. But if they
don’t follow the arbitrator’s decision,
they’ll likely wind up back in court."
He said Burlington, Vermont’s largest
city, extends health benefits to all the
domestic partners of city employees,
whether the rdationship is same-sex or
opposite sex. The town of Middlebury
also offers benefits to same-sex couples,
said Steve Jeffrey, the executive director
of- the Vermont League of Cities and
Towns.
TheVermontSupremeCourtis deciding
whether to legalize same-sex marriages in
Vermont. If it does, the towns’ policies
: will be irrelevant, Fisher said. The policy
: passed tmanimously. The issue wasn’t
¯¯ controversial, Fisher said. "It’s one of
these things where they’re wiseenough to
¯ realize that if there were a grievance with
¯ respect to this sort of an issue, that based
: on the case law both around the country
¯ -and the Labor Relations Board here in
¯ Vermont, that they would be fighting an
: uphill legal battle," Fisher said of the
: select board. "I think they look at it as an
¯ opportunity to perhaps steer clear of
¯ possible legal pitfalls in the future."
" Blue Cross-Blue Shidd of Vermont,
: which supplies health insurance to most
Vermont municipalities through the
¯ VermontLeagueofCities andTowns,has
: offered domestic partner benefits to large
¯ groups for a few years now, said Leigh
Tofferi, a company spokesman. Those
benefits were available to same-sex and
different-sex partners.
Lesbian & Gay
Seniors Sought
: BOSTON (AP) - Targeting an older
: generation open about its sexuality and
¯ thinking about its golden years, some
developer~ are looking to build Gay-
" friendly retirement communities.
: "We want to create something that
¯ mirrors the life they’re living now," said
¯ BoSton real estate agent John Goode, part
¯ of9gr°up planning .an urban homosexual
¯ reUrement commumty in Boston.
~ In generations past, societal pressures
¯ forced many Gays and Lesbians to keep ¯
their sexual orientations under wraps.
: Today,developers think those who helped
¯ pave the wayfor vibrantGay communities
¯ will want to continue living in Gay
¯ communities after retirement.
¯ "In the mainstream aging community,
there is the assumption that everyone is
¯ straight," said Terry Kaelber, executive
¯ director of the New York-based Seniors
Active in a Gay Environment. ’’We have
: a place that does not assume that. In fact,
¯ it assumes that old people can be attracted
: to old people of the same gender."
¯ Kaelber’s group is working with a real
estate development company to locate a
¯ site and investors for a 100-unit, mixed-
: income assisted living facility. Current
options for Gay- and Lesbian-themed
¯ retirement housing consist primarily of a
¯ handful of mobile home parks and small
¯ resorts in Florida and Arizona.
Goode’s group of seven partners wants
¯ to build a 75- to 100-unit retirement
community somewhere in Boston. The
project, called Stonewall Communities,
¯ is named after aGay bar inNew York City
¯ where a 1969 police raid sparked what
many say is the begimfing of the modem
¯ Gay civil rights movement. ¯
Other entrepreneurs across the country
¯ also have begun thinking about how the
¯ Gay and Lesbian baby boomers pushing
¯ into their 50s will want to spend their ¯
retirement years. "I’m looking for the
¯ active retirement market," said Peter
Lundberg of San Francisco, who is trying
to round up capital to build a Gay
¯ retirement community in California.
¯ Gay retirement housing options will
: likelyincreasedramaticallyinthecoming
¯ years, said Laura Connolly, who chairs
¯ theLesbianandGayAgingIssues Network
¯ for the San Francisco-based American
¯ Society on Aging. "I think it will grow ¯
over the years," slie said. "They will be in
¯ a variety ofconfigurations, from the more
: affordable trailer park options on upto the
¯ more upscale and expensive models."
How did the story develop?
PB: Many years ago whilereading "Son
of the Morning Start’ I was struck by what
we all may have lost by the greed and ego
of relatively few men. I wasn’t so much
taken by Native history as I was the belief
system behind the firstpeople of.this land.
JC: One of the things that struck me
while viewing the show was that this was
much more than a show, this was a ritual,
what theatre started out as. And ritual
that worked successfully to bridge past
andpresent.
PB: I alsoknew thatmostpeople (myself
included) thought of Indian history asjust
that.., history, museum pieces etc. So it
was important to do a couple of things.
Bring the culture into the present and
future tense. And incorporate a mythical
story about aman"sjourney tofindhimself.
By understanding his past - better
understanding his role in this life. I was
hoping to bridge worlds for people on
both sides. Wemight be able to accept, as
_ opposed to feel guilty or angry. And if we
can get to acceptance, we can progress to
learning.
JC: I like that philosophy
PB: A hundred years ago people sang
the Ghost Dance songs in the hopes that
the world would return to the way it once
was. Now, the choir in some of the Spirit
songs are singing those very same words
in hopes that the world can become, what
it could be.
JC: What a lovely vtsion.
PB: Pretty lofty goals., but hey,
somebody’s got to try.
JC: !’d say, from what l’ve seen and
heard, you’ve succeeded admirably.
Before I wear out my welcome, one last
question: What inspired you to utilize
Native American music in 3,our works ?
PB: To me, almost all Native tribes on
may land have the true connection and
understanding of that land. Here, not only
can we learn things about how we fit into
the fabric of the physical world through
Native American culture. But we can also
learn a thing or two about the spiritual
world.
PB: I’m really glad that you hear the
music staying true to the ancient as well as
the modem. The show (and the music)
can’t work any other way. It’s where the
two worlds combine that the magic
happens.
JC: That is so true. in more ways than
one. It’s a dzfficult balance, and rarely
have I heard it done so well.
PB: If you liked the video, I’m sure
you’ll love the live version!
JC: Having seen the video and the
impact it had on people, 1 can barely
begin to imagine the effect ofseeing it live.
I can’t wait. Thank you, Mr. Buffett.
© 1999J. Christjohn, all fights reserved
A unique opportunity to view and
purchase art works and hand crafts from
local women artists occurs Nov. 5 - 6.
Hosted by local artists Kathleen
Pendergrass andMary Schepers, the show
and sale will also highlight works by
Susan Norris, Robin Dunn, Donna
Richardson, Cara Liggett, Nicolasa
Kuster, Gayla Norman and others.
"We want to showcase the incredible
talent that we have in the Tulsa area,"
Schepers said. "There ’are a lot of very
talented artisans here who are not
represented in galleries or who are just
starting their careers. We’re having the
show at my house and studio to keep the
whole setting fun and relaxed, as well as
making these exciting works accessible to
a broad audience.
’~lt’s a good time to consider buying a
special gift for the significant people in
~our life, or for adding an original piece of
art to your own home, or even for buying
something practical likehath salts, candles,
display cases or smudges. Prices are
reasonable, especially compared to the
premiums paid for works shown in
galleries or higher priced venues such as
Eureka Springs. We’ll have clayworks
and sculptures, paintings, etchings, and
many other fun items."
The preview for the show is Friday,
Nov. 5 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The
show and sale continues Saturday Nov. 6 .
from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 pro. The address
is2727E. 56thSt. (51sttoColumbiaAve,
South on Columbia to 56th St) in Tulsa.
For details or directions, please call Mary
at 743-6740.
The Kibbutz Contemporary Dance
Company, an Israeli arts group will present
....Aide Memoire"," a full-length
contemporary dance by renowned
choreographer and KCDC Artistic
Director Rami Be’er at the at Tulsa
Performing Arts Center’ s Chapman Music
Hall on November 16 at 8 pm. Tickets are
$15, $22, and $25 with discoants for
groups of 10 ormore and student discounts
at the door (call (918) 596-711 lot order
online: www.tulsapac.com).
Choreographer Rami Be’er states that
....Aide Memoire.... is not about the
Holocaust nor does it describe the
Holocaust; it deals neither with
documentation nor a historical account.
Rather, "Aide Memoire" introduces the
maaner in which the remembrance of the
Holocaust can be approfiched and
expressed in an inspired, artistic medimn.
The subject of Holocaust remembrance is
relevant to present-day life and reality as
it lurks in the background of mundane
existence, penetrates deep
subconsciousness, and dwells forever in
personal and collective memories.
"’Aide Memoire" presents the audience
with a sequence of scenes moving about
the stage just like a cinematic flashback.
Theproduction conveys afleeting glimpse
of images which.the audience must face in
a lfighly personal manner. The audience
has ne alternative but to use its senses to
impart meaning to the images. "Aide
Memoire" has no central narrative, nor do
two opposing sides face each other.
Cruel stormtroopers are absent, yet there
exists a reminder of the struggle by those
who were there and experienced those
atrocities firsthand. Within this conflict,
we observe their efforts to continue the
fabric of human relationships, whether as
: individuals, couples or xn groups, and to
express the fundamental right of every
¯ person to continue to dream.
Be’er joined Kibbutz Contemporary
: Dance Company in 1981 as a dancer and
¯ choreographer. His works have won
¯ several international awards and have
~-become the trademark of KCDC’s
: repertoire. He became the company’s
Artistic Director in 1996.
¯ The Kibbutz Contemporary Dance
: Company was founded in 1970 by
_" Holocaust survivor Yehudit Arnon.
: Although based in Kibbutz Ga’aton near
¯ the Lebanese border, see Dance, p. 15
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Lis n
it’s not surprising that this is the case,"
said Dr. Helene Gayle, director of the
CDC’s National CenterforHIV, STDand
TB Prevention.
AIDS experts say injection drug use is
commonly perceived as a major factor in
the spread ofAIDS among Blacks, but sex
is the primary method of transmission.
They say bisexual behavior among Gay
Black men who feel pressured to have sex
with women accounts for a significant
number of the infections among
heterosexuals.
Black preachers and politicians have
been criticized for letting the problem go
unaddressed. "Black communities have
been so overburdened that the idea of
adopting another burden is not appealing,"
said Cornelius Baker, executive director
of the National Association of People
with AIDS.
Slowly, leaders say, more attention is
being focused on the issue. Earlier this
month, Black churches in Atlantagathered
for the first National Black Church HIV/
AIDS Institute. Thegathering was an effort
to help pastors learn how to deal with the
disease.
Last Thursday, faith leaders, policy
makers, commumty activists and AIDS
researchers met in Atlanta to discuss
combating AIDS among Blacks. On the
same day, the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People,
announced a series of educational films
aimed at raising HIV awareness.
The CDC has also awarded $39 million
in federal funds to 100 national, state and
local organizations to help prevent HIV
infections in minority communities. "We
must mount prevention and treatment
strategies that deal with people where
they are now, not where we want them to
be or where we imagine them to be," said
Phill Wilson, director of the AIDS Social
Policy Archive.
Nonetheless, the statistics continue to
upset AIDS activist Denise Stokes, who
has been HIV-positive fo~ 17 years. "One
day, this is ultimately where I’m going to
end up," she said pointing to the quilt.
"I’m going to be a panel on some wall in
some library. "I just hope the library isn’t
full of people with AIDS."
A lot of straight folk are going to go into
this thinking it’s aboutbeating otherpeople
up, and come out thinking about a lot of
things.
Some of you, due to the timing of the
paper will have seen it - don’t ruin the
ending for those that haven’t. And if you
haven’t seen it because you don’t think
it"s your kind of movie, go see it. You’ll
be surprised. Brad Pitt’s bod is well worth
seeing. Amd since I work in a football
sized building filled with cubicles, I could
relate well to Ed Norton’s plight in the
beginning of the film- living life to support
things he’s bought, working in a mindless
dronin.gnumbness of cubicality. Anyway,
go see It.
Oh yeah, Helena Bonham Carter turns
in a magnificent performance as well. I
kept wondering why her character was
sleeping with guys, though.
In the interest of a public service
announcement, I will pass this along:
Warrior Way Martial Arts is offering a 3
hour class on selfdefense againstpunches,
kicks, and grab attacks; knife and gun
attacks; and club attacks. This takes place
on Saturday, November 13 from 12 - 3
PM at Warrior Way martial Arts, 2717 S.
Memorial. The cost is $25 in advance;
$35 after Nov. 6. Call to register at 664-
9100.
These guys are serious and know their
stuff, and with the violence against Gay
folk on the rise, I think everyone should
make an investment in something like
this. Knowledge is power, and in this case
could mean the difference between life
and death. Literally. Learn, and practice
what you learn, and stay safe.
And my final words for this column:
life is notabout surviving orjobs orl’mding
love, although it’s nice if it happens. It’s
about facing fears and making dreams
come true, struggling against yourselfand
others to find your strength and make
things happen. Being ready, and in the
right place and time for opportunity to
strike is important. Butifyou’re notready,
or are afraid, it will pass youby before you
know it, and that’s when regret sets in,
which leads to bitterness. So try all the
things you can, and do all the things you
wanted to do - and it’s never too late.
- James Christjohn
its members come from settlements all
over Israel. The dancers rehearse five
days a week at Ga’aton Studio, but on
weekends return home to work on their
various kibbutzim. Not only is KCDCone
of Israel’s foremost companies, it has also
earned an international reputation of
renown and is invited to perform at
numerous festivals worldwide.
Kibbutz Contemporary Dance is copresented
by the Oklahoma Israel
Exchange. Sponsors for this event include
the Oklahoma Arts Council, Heartland
Arts Fund. The National Endowment for
the Arts, Schustennan Family Foundation,
KCFM 94.1 and ONEOK Foundation.
Opponents fear it will eventually lead to
Gay couples being able to adopt children,
although the government has opposed any
such move.
Last November, parliament rejected a
conservative bid to sink the controversial
bill. At the time, left-wingers said PACS
was needed to adapt outdated laws to the
evolution of French society, where
marriage is on the decline.
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