[2000] Tulsa Family News, March 2000; Volume 7, Issue 3

[2000] Tulsa Family News, March 2000; Volume 7, Issue 3

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

March 2000

James Christjohn
Barry Hens;ey
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers

Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News

Tulsa Family News, February 2000; Volume 7, Issue 2

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PDF
Online text

English

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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/598

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

Bomber of London
Gay Pub Pleads Guilty
LONDON (AP) - A man accused of setting off~in~bs
i Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulaans, Our Families + Friends
: Tulsa’s Largest Circulation CommunityPaperAvailable In More Than 75 City Locations
Louganis to Lead Pride 2000
¯ Olympic Champion Will Be Parade Grand
¯ Marsha|l and Black Tie Dinner Speaker
The Rev. Mel Whiteto Begin Week’s Events
TULSA - Some Gay community observers might have thought Rights, the parent
apparently targetedatracial minorities andGays pleaded "
guilty to three counts of manslaughter late in February "
and admitted causing three explosions thatinjuredmore
than a hundred people. David Copeland, 23, admitted "
planting the bomb that killed three people on April 30,- "
at the Admiral Duncan, a Gay pub in central London. "
Prosecutors did not immediately accept the ¯
manslaughter pleas, and a further hearing was set for "
sometime in March. Copeland also admitted ¯
responsibility for explosions .on April 17 in Brixton, a :
south London neighborhood with a large black ¯
population; and April 24in Brick Lane, an east London "
neighborhood with a large Banglades.~ population. "
NY State’s 1st Gay Mayor "
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (AP)-. Dan Stewart, New
York’s first openly Gay mayor, is intimately acquainted ."
with Gay-bashing bigots..AYter all he used to beone.."
"When I was in high school, two boys went to court over .
the right to go to the prom together," Stewart said. "I ¯
spoke out loudly against them on TV, on the steps of the
RhodeIsland Supreme Court. Imade amockery ofthem
- because I knew who I was, and I was scared ~to. death
people would find me out." ¯
Two decades later, Stewart has no such fears. He was "
open about his homosexuality when he ran for mayor of ¯
this lakeside city near the Canadian border last fall. "I
told the people,’Iam what ! am- Takeme or leaveme,"’ :
Stewart said."Itold them, ’Ifyouchooseto takeme, I’m "
going to do one hell of ajob for you. But if you choose ¯
not tO take me because I’m Gay, I understand. I used to :
be prejudiced too." :
Asittumedout, his sexualitywasn’tanissue. Perhaps ¯
it would have been, had hebronght a male partner to a :
political event during his,six years on the City Council. ¯
But Stewart keeps his personal life out of the public eye :
~- mostly 60 miles away in Montreal, where his partner ¯
lives. It also helped that his opponent, the five-term "
Democratieincumbent, was knOWn for supporting Gay ."
and Lesbian issues such as nondiscrimination statutes, ¯
and had long enjoyed the endorsement of Gay lobby ."
groups. "The.race was on community issues," Stewart "
said. "My opponent never used the words ’sexual ¯
orientation. ’" ¯
Buoyed by endorsements from Republican Gov. ¯
George Pataki and the city police union, the former Air °
Force sergeant and long-haul trucker won by a narrow ¯
margin, becoming one of five openly Gay city mayors ¯
in the country. "
In some ways, Stewart has taken more heat for being "
GOP than for being Gay. The Empire State Pride :
Agenda didn’t endorse him until the llth hour - and
then, he insisted that part of the Gay lobby group’s "
$1,000 campaign donation go to the Republican Party. :
"I always get thesame thing (from Gays) wherever I
go: How canyon be Gay and be a Repubhcan. What as
wrong with you?Are you insane?,’"- said Stewart, a tall, "
dapper man with an enthusiastic manner and a dimpled :
grin. "But there’s a change going on. In exit polls over ¯
the past 10 years, consistently ~a third of people who ¯
identified themselves as Gay have said they voted "
Republican." :
In a recent interview in his second-floor City Hall ¯
office, see Mayor, p. 7 "
that the annual pride festival organizers would be hard pressed to
top their accomplishments of 1999 withUS Congressman Barney
Frank, Democrat from Massachnsetts, serving as grand marshall
of Tulsa’s first Gay Pride Parade.
However, event organizers fromTulsa Oklahomans for Human
Rights, have, at the very least, matched the stature of last year’s
speaker with US Olympic champion, Greg Louganis, to se’ive as
Grand Mhrshall for the Millennium Pride Parade this June.
Louganis’ appearance will cap a week of Pride events which
will begin with aninterfaithworship service featuring the Reverend
Dr. MelWhite. White is known as an author, forhis autobiography,
"’Stranger at the Gate," and formerly as a ghostwriter for right
wing religious leaders like Jerry Falwell. White more recently
has been leading a social change organization, Soul Force,
modeled on the ideas of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mohatmas
Ghandi.
Like White, Louganis is also an anthor and an actor as wall as
an athlete. His autobiography, "Breaking the Surface" topped the
New York Times bestseller list, and as a lecturer, he has spoken
about his chall~nges with a difficult childhood, his struggles in
coming out and with dyslexia, his experience with domestic
violence and with being HIV positive.
Louganis wonhis first Olympicmedal, a silver, at age 16 in the
1976 Games. In 1984, at age 24, he won two gold medals, one for
the platform and one for the springboard - the first man in 56
years to accomplish this feat. In 1986, he again won awards the
same events in the World Championships, and then in 1988, won
double gold medals for diving in two consecutive Olympics.
Louganis will speak at a black fie optional dinner to be held at
the prestigious Summit Club on Friday, June 9th. Tickets for th,e,
event are $75/person and there will be a VIP reception at $50~
person. These events will benefit Tulsa Oklahomans for Human
: Vermont:Married or Partners?
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Lawmakers debated last ~nonth
whether to limit aproposed domesticpartnership system to stonesex
couples or to allow opposite-sex and blood-relative couples
to qualify, also. There are some in the Legislature who believe
that broadening the proposal might make it more politically
palatable to a greaternumber ofpeople, improving its d~ances of
passing. But others argue that such a revision would diminish the
central aimofthelegislation beingdraftedby theHouse Judiciary
Committee: providing therights andprotections ofeivil marriage
to Gay and Lesbian couples.
As the Judiciary Committee prepares to finish its work on the
bill,that debate is coming into sharper relief. Members of the
committee faced the issue, along with the potential political
implications. "Iunderstand that there are people who see expanding
this ... enhances the attractiveness of the legislation," said
Committee Chairman Thomas Little, R-Shelburue. "’But I’m not
sure we have the time to expl.ore all that stuff." "I support that in
prineiple, but it’s a significant diversion from what we’ve been
working on," said Rep. Steve Hintgen, P-Burlington. "q hope it
doesn’t drive this to a halt." "ff you don’t do it you might drive
it to a halt," said Rep. Michael Vinton, D-Colchester.
In sum, that’s what the comunttee faces. In recognition of that,
Little has been trying to develop a companion to the domestic
partnership systemknown as reciprocal benefits, that falls short
of the marriage-like benefits that would be provided to Gay and
Lesbiancouples. Thereciprocal benefits,.however, might include
workers’ compensation benefits that could flow to a reciprocal
benefits partner, certain inheritance and real estate and other
property benefits.
Althouglino votes have been taken,noconsensus has developed
in the Judiciary Committee that opposite-sex couple should be
included in the domestic partnership system, which the panel has
taken to calling "civil domestic unions." There also has not been
a lot of discussion in the committee about permitting blood
relatives- such as two brothers, two sisters, a brother and a sister,
or a daughter and her elderly mother - to become domestic
partnerships.
¯ But such expansions have been discussed down th~hall in the
Ways and Means Committee, the tax-writing panel that will have
to review the tax implications of the bill Rep. Albert Perry, DRichford,
see Vermont, p. 5
orgamzation of the
Gay Community
Center and
Oklahoma’s oldest
Lesbian and Gay
non-religious
organization.
Organizers
anticipate that the Greg Lougams
parade will follow
the stone route as last year, beginning at the Ga~’
Community Center.at 37th and Peoria and ending.
at Veterans Park at 18th and Boulder. The parade
will begin at llam. The Pride Festival will also
begin at Veterans Park at 1 lain and will continue
till about 7 or 8pro, finishing off the week’s events.
TOI-IR organizers include Kerry Lewis as
chairperson of the overall effort, "Htunanity United
for Human Rights - Diversity Celebration 2000,"
Greg Gatewood,TOHR presidentandfestival chair.
Audra Sommers, parade chair, Lynn Moesteller,
sponsor chair, Mitchell Savage, media chair, Kris
Kohl, festival entertainment chair and Ned Bruha,
in charge of festival booths and beverages.
Other Pride events include a Soul Force workshop,
led by the Rev. Mel White, to be held in the
Performing Arts Center (PAC) LowerLevelTheatre
onJune3, Saturday,from 2-5pro (free). That evening
also at thePACDoenges Theatre,theTOHRFollies,
not seen for a number of years, will reprise, 100
Years of Broadway with tickets available through
the PAC. see Pride, p. 11
:
Gordmans recently invited diva Audra Sommers
to try shopping with them again after shefirst
receivedpoor treatment atthe Yale Ave. store.
Sommers praised the Corporate and store
managementfor their.responsiveness,
Gay Men’s Chorale to
¯ Hold Spring Concert
¯ TULSA- Council Oak Men’s Chorale will present
¯ two concerts on Friday and Saturday, April 7 & 8
¯¯ at 8pm in the John Williams Theatre of Tulsa’s
¯ Performing Arts Center. The concerts, entitled
"’Harmonic Diversity" will feature music from
~ Broadway tunes, 5O’s & 60’s pop songs, "sea
¯ chanteys," a Welsh lullaby, and a baroque piece.
-" The Green Country Cloggers will perform a cameo
¯ number.
: The Council Oak Men’s Chorale is a fellowship
of Gay men dedicated to musical excellence who
: seek to provide a source ofpride, unity and support
," and to present a positive image for themselves, the
¯ Gay community and to society, as a whole. The
¯ group is a chapter of the Tulsa-baSed Vocal Pride
Foundation, and a member of GALA: the Gay and
" Lesbian Association of Choruses.

Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Full Moon Cafe, 1525 E. 15th
*Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. 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
*The Storm, 2182 S. Sheridan
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’s, 21145. Memorial
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd
712-2324
610-5323
583~6666
749-4511
749-1563
744-4280
745-9998
83~ ~234
835-2376
585-3405
660-0856
584-1308
Tulsa,Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Advanced Wireless & PCS, Digital Cellular
*Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard
Kent Balch & Associates, Health & Life Insurance
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 523 1 E. 41
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21
*.Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria
*CD Warehouse, 3807e S. Peoria
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
74%1508
743-1000
747-9506
250-5034
665-4580
712-1122
712-9955
494-2665
743-5272
746-0313
581-0902, 743-4117
622-0700
749-3620
58%2611
744-5556
838-8503
712-9379
592-0460
744-9595
610-0880
628-3709
808-8026
742-1460
459-9349
744-7440
745-1111
341-6866
712-2750
582-3018
747-0236
582-8460
599-8070
747-5466
585-1234
584-3112
663-5934
664-2951
838-7626
743-4297
747-5932
834-0617
,747-4746
’749-6301
260-7829
481-0558
835-5563
743- 1733
665-2222
592-0767
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th
*Devena’s Gallery, 13 Brady
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan
*Ross Edward Salon 584-0337,
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main ""-
*Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E 55th H.
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr.
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance &financial planning
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly
*International Tours
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210
*Living ArtSpace, 19 E. Brady
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd
Mingo Valley Howers, 9720c E. 31
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo
*The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2rid floor
Rainbowzon the River B+B, PUB 696, 74101
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921
*Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square
Paul Fay, Car Salesman
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counsding
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, PUB 4337, 74101 579-9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black & White, Inc. PUB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center. 2207 E. 6 583-7815
*B/L!G/T Alliance, Univ. ofTulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th PI. & Florence
*ChurchoftheRestorationUU, 1314N.Greenwood 587-1314
*CommunityofHope United Methodist, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595
Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888
*Ddaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, PUB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free Spirit Women’s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, PUB 52344, 74152 747-6827
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
PUB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159
o-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Neal
Writers + contributors: ~-
James Christjohn, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche,
Lamont Lindstrom, 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
Td~ /:~.,,.z~ N~, and may not be reproduced either in
wholeorin partwithout writtenpermissionfromthepublisher.
Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s
sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for
publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes
the sole property of T~€~ ~:~ Ntau¢, Each reader
is entitled to 4 copies of each edition at distribution
points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
Friends in Unity Social Org., PUB 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 H01y 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 H.. 748-3111
NOW, Nat’l Org. forWomen, PUB 14068,74159 365-5658
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), PUB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tulsa
PFLAG, PUB 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. Cincinnati 425-7882
St. Dtmstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
*St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
*TNAAPP (Native American men). Indian Health Care 582-7225
Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. forHuman Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297
T.U.LS.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
UnityChurch ofChristianity,3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
BARTLESVILLE
*Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 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
*Tablequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
*Green Country AIDS Coalition, PUB 1570 918-453-9360
NSU School of Optometry, 1001 N. Grand
HIVtesting every other Tues. 5:30-8:30, call for dates
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23
*Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main
DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
Emerald Rainbow, 45 &1/2 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. U 134
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 lind TFN. Notall areGay-owned but all are Gay-friendly.
by Michael Kuchwara
DENVER (AP) -The audience is greeted
by a bare, black brick wall, a single light
and a row of wooden chairs and desks.
Later, a few video screens and film clips
are added.
¯ Still, nothing else is reallyneeded to tell
¯ the story of Matthew Shepard and the
effect his-murder had on the town-of
¯ Laramie, Wyo. It is a spartan, yet
¯ appropn,’,ate setting for "The Laramie
Project, astirring, emotional tale, almost
¯ epicinscaleas itswirls through thedetails
of this young gay man’s brutal death and
¯ how the residents ofLaramiedealtwithit.
The-play, which had its world premiere
¯ in February at the DenverTheater Center,
¯ presents a cavalcade of characters
¯ portrayedby eightactors from theTectonic
TheaterProject, aNewYork-based troupe.
¯ They even play themselves.
"TheLaramie Project," writtenby these
¯ actors as well as otherTectonicmembers
including founder Moises Kaufman, was
drawn from their interviews with more
than 200 people. Yet it is more than just
,docudrama. It is a story of feeling as well
¯
as fact. Each gets its fair share of stage
¯ time, grounding the evening in reality
¯ without sacrificing the emotional intensity
of people trying to deal with their hopes,
¯ fears and prejudices.
¯ What makes "The Laramie Project" so
¯ intriguing are its shades of gray. Nothing
is simple. There are no easy answers in
coming to terms with Shepard’s death.
¯ Kaufmanandctmpanypresenta variety
¯ of memorable portraits culled from their
taped interviews. There’s Reggie Fluty,
¯ thepolicewomanwhountied Shepardfrom
¯ the fence post. As vividly portrayed by
¯ Mercedes Herrero, Fluty is a vibrant
¯ woman, confronted with something so
¯ horrific that she says, at one point, "They
¯ show showed me a picture.., days later
I saw a picture of Matthew... I would
¯ have never recognized him."
¯ Equally unnerving are comments from
Rulon Stacey, spokesman at the hospital
where Shepard died. In Greg Pierotti’s
intense performance, Stacey breaks down,
¯ watclfingthecourageofShepard’sparents
¯ as they confront their son’s death. Pierotti
also gives weightandan emotional honesty
: to the commonsense statements from a
¯ priest, Father Roger, who decides to get
¯ involved in leading a vigil for Shepard.
What ties the townspeople together are
¯ their efforts to understand. As the doctor
¯ who first treated Shepard when he was
¯ broughtintoaLaramiehospital emergency
¯ room says,"This is something thatoffends
us. I used that word a little earlier and I
¯ think that’s a good word. It offends us!"
Stephen Belber excels at two of the
¯ showier roles in the play - particularly a
¯ tough-talking taxicab driver who
¯ epitomizes the "live and let live"
¯ .philosophy that threads its way through
." the speeches of many of the many of
¯ people interviewed.
¯ Right now, "The Laramie Project" is
¯ still undergoing changes. Thirty minutes
; were cut from the play after the .first
¯ preview. Even now at two hours and 45
minutes, it could use more of a trim.
: Shepard himself is not a character in
¯ "The Laramie Project," but his presence
¯ haunts the play. It hovers sweetly yet
sadly over the entire proceedings, as well
¯
as the town he loved so much.
That is only appropriate. As one of the
residents says at the end of the evening,
’¢I’he last thing Matthew Shepard saw on
¯ this Earth were the sparkling lights of
Laramie, Wyo."
Lesbian Survey Results
In the past two years, you may have seen an
amlouncement about a study on how "Lesbians and thei?
sisters are similar or different." This mmouncement
appeared in 200 Lesbian mad Gay/Lesbian periodicals
(including Tulsa Family News). It was also sent to 614
Lesbian/Gay religious orgamzations; 105 Lesbian bars:
54 women’s bookstores; 346 cmnpus Lesbian/Gay
Bisexual/Transgender groups; and 83 groups listed as
"’etlltlicimttlticul tural."
Tiffs research was conducted by Esther Rothblum, a
liprofessor
of psychology
at the University
of Ver-mont, who
studies Lesbi~m igsue~.
She was interested~in
how Lesbians mid their
heterosexual sisters
differ on demographic
factors.
For exanlple, manv
studies about Lesbimas
have found them to be
highly educated, not
very religi,ous, and
livi~’lg in l:u’ge cities.
Obviou_’~ly, this does
not describe all
Lcsbia~, but there
mav be reasons why
Lesbimls are differeut
flom women iu the
general U.S.
population.
.... eontrlbutes
to [Lesbian]
demoSraphle
factors?
¯ .. }-][ere are some
speeulatlons:
- Hi her
education
may result in
beeomln
Lesbian . . Y
For example, Lesbians may move to large cities to find
other Lesbians, to moveaw@froth their parents and their
politically conservative home town, or to be more
anonwnous. Similarly, Lesbians nmy have high levels of
education bccanse they didn’t get married innnediately
after lugh school, or didn’t have clfildren at a you age.
In this study, Rothblunt conipared Lesbians’~vith thei?~
sisters. Unlike members of other minority groups (e.g.,
African-Americans, Jews, inunigrants), Lesbians (mad
Gay men) differ m one importm~ respect in that their
sibhngs me generally members ofthe domimmt gr0tq~
(hctcrosexnalsL In the case of biological sisters, thex
would share the stone race m~d etlmicitv, and have had th~
s~une parents. The\ mav also bc close in age. So tiffs
method would allo~, vou’to exmnine the lives of Lesbimls
side by side with sistel.s who m-e not Lesbian.
A total of 1,2(~- questiotmmres were requested bx
email, telephouc, or mail. mad 762 of these were retullmd.
Ilcrc are the results of the 184 sister pairs iu which one
was Lesbim] mid the other \vas heterosexual:
- Lvsbians arc older thm] their heterosexual sisters.
- Lesbiaus are also more likely to be first-bores when
looking at ages of all l)rother’s mad sisters. (This is
interesting, because research on Gay men has sho~vn
thcnt to be younger sons.)
- Lesbians have higher levels of education th,’m do diet r
heterog~’,~Ual sisters.
- Heterosexual women are more likely to be
homemakers than their Lesbian sisters. There ,are no
differences in other types of employment status, or on
occupational level.
- Because Lesbians have higher educationM levels,
they would be expected to have a higher individual
income. Still, Lesbians mad dleir heterosexual sisters had
similar individual mid fanlily incomes.
- Heterosexual women were part of formal religions iu
adulthood, whd’~as L~lSfan~ Were mtte likely to endorse
altenmtive spiritual beliefs.
- Lesbians were more likely to be living with a female
partner or living alone. Heterosexual sisters were more
likely to be married, li vh~g with:a,~ale p.,?r,mer, m~d living
with children
- For those wonlen . in a relationslfip
with a partner (121 Lesbians ,and 149 heterosexual
women), heterosexual women have been in this
relationsltip for a longer time period ( 11.4 years) than
Lesbians (6.87 years).
- Lesbians were more likely to be"]iving in a large city
than their heterosexual sisters.
- There is no sig~fificant difference in how many years
sister pairs have been living in their current location.
- But Lesbians live further from their previous location
than do heterosexual sisters.
¯ by Dave Fleischer
: Senior Fellow, Policy Institute
¯ National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
¯ As ourcommunity faces anew wave of Millennial anti-
" Gay ballot measures, it would be easy to be fearful about
¯ our prospects. After all, eight out of twelve votes on
¯ homophobic referenda went against us in 1998 and 1999
¯ alone. Yet the shocking thing about our cotmnumty
¯
losing so many elections is that we actually "know how to
¯ win them.
What effective strategy
¯ persuades voters to stand
:-, with-us? After six years
¯ training Gay, lesbian,
¯ bisexual and transgender
¯ (GLBT) leaders around the
¯ country to run for office and
¯ manage campaigns, I know
¯ it’ s when we "come out mad ¯
talk" - engage voters one-
¯
on-one and ask them what
¯ they think.
¯ Vehen we do, the fuzz)’,
unflattering image of us as
¯ oddities from an X-Files episode dissolvcs._ Voters
¯ reconsider who we are and are much less likely m fall
¯ for propaganda that makes us out to be something we’re
¯ not.
Just as importantly, what proven strategy identifies
¯ voters who are already supportive? The very stone
¯ conversation. Because when we do "voter I.D.’" -askiug
¯ each voter "Can we count on your vote’?" - we build a
¯ reliable list of Gay and pro-Gay voters to whom ~ve can
¯ return, to turn out our vote, election after election. Since
¯ many of our strongest supporters often miss clectious, ~vc
_. lose without this kind of follow-up.
Making a voter I.D. list isn’ t glamorous, but it makes or
¯" breaks our campaigns across the country. Maine offers a
useful case study. In February 1998, fineGLBTconmlunit3
¯ lost Maine’s state-wide law bmnung discrinlination ou
the basis Of sexual onentation. It had taken Maine leaders
ten years to pass the law: die Christian.C.oalition erased it
ten months after it passed, despite a vali-anl battle bv our
How did we lose? The New York Times post-electiou
analysis was ~ shockingly clear. It quoted a Bowdoin
.: College professor with 25 years, of Maine polling
¯ experience, who said, "Maine is no more mtolcrmn than
¯
other states, and given a well-lq_ln "gay;-rights- c&mpatgn,
would likely split into tw.o canlps, with 55%. supporting
’Gay rights’ mad 45% against." A well-rim cmnpaign is
built on turmng out its base. The low turnont of pro-Gay
voters cost us the election.
How did the Christian Coalition tuna out ~ ts supporters.
¯ when we couldn’t? They prepared for the election by
starting tQ identify their voters well m ad\m~ce. Eigl~t
months before electiol~ day, the Cln’istian Coalitiou
gathered 58,000 petition si~latures to call the February
1998 election. They began the cmnpaign With the name,
address and phone number of 58.000 voters who they
could turn out to vote.
Pro-Gay activists started withno sitnilar list. We cotfld
have- m November 1995. voters across Maine defeated
ml m~ti-Gay measttre. But the "95 cmnpaign didn’t talk
with voters oue-on-ouc to idenlify our supporter,s. Of the
221.562 people who voted with us, our comnmnity eudcd
"... eight out of twelve votes on
homophoble re~erencla went-a.~M~nst
us in 1998 and 1999 alone.
Yet the shoekin$ thln$ about our
eommunlty losln$ so many eleetlons
is that we actually
hnow how to win them . . 7’
the canlpaign -l~aowing the
nmnc. address and phone
number of fewer than 3000
Gav.and pro.Gay,voters. - -.
X\~ began the" 98 cmnpmgn
with 30(~) on our list..versus
58,000 on theirs. Whc~
e]ectiou day ’98 crone, wc
lost by 7.299 votes, bccansc
83,409 who voted wiOa us in
"95 didn’t ttma out to vote
again in "98. We lost Ihal
election, but we shouldnt
lose [le~’l - so long as
lcmn from theexpencucc.
For cxmnple, wc will likely fnce an anti-’Gay repeal
vote just like Maine’s m *’liami-Dade Couutx The
upconm~g cmnpmgl~ is hatmtcd bx the one wc losl [111977
It Anita Brvaut"s "’Save timChildren" cauapai~n
Fortunatel y, key leaders in SA VI ~ Dade, the local lmlnan
rights group, Jorge Murstfli. Shcila O’Fmlell, Gcore
Kctclholm. mid Griscl R~xlrigncz, have begun to bnihl
their list. By lcachiug lcssous flom other canq)aigus, thcx
have motivated their vohmtccrs to talk face-to-face
VOleI’S.
On July 29. SAVI~ l)adc had its biggest voter I
success v~t. In twelve hours. 300 volunteers had facc-tofacc
couversations with 4.909 voters. SAVE Dadc has
~dreadv built its list to iududc 15.000 Gay and pro-(~a
vol~rs.
Ofcourse. 15.0(~) i s not cu~)n~ h. ’l’bc Chfis finn ( ~o~ d i u
will begiu their cmnpmgn with a lisl of 33,000 SUpl)ortcr~
of their own. Ihe number ol l)ClH~on ~igllaturc~ Ihc~
to put lhc issue on lhc ballot
Butdm SAVE l)adc strategy to invite our fi’icnds to Ihi
election ~s a winning one. On July 29, as they realized
what they had done and bcguu, Shcila O’ Farrell c-nmilcd
me: "’Well. Dave. you szfid 6.000 and I laughed. You ~aid
30 phonc bm~k~ with 10+ vohmtccrs m~d I rolled m~ c~
And tomght we exceeded any expectations I ever had
do you kuow what? 1 guess that trap we teach rcall’
woi:ks~ I think 1 had quit bclicvmg thal Thanks
cliallenging mc "
In tough elections, there is uo SmUt Claus. XVc have
~lOW who our friends ;u’c if we xv~uit to win:’]’o klloXv xx
they ~u-c, wc have lo ask. onc-oll-OllC. Then wc C~l~
thai List mid check il twice - and win the Iougla election.
that lic almad
- Lesbimls live flirther from their lnother :rod from thcilfather
than do their heterosexual sisters
- l~sbim~s have moved to fl]cir CUlTent locatiou because
of their oxvn cducatiou. I [ctm’oscxtud women have movcd
to their cu~ent location because of their partuer’s job.
- Lesbians have higher self-esteem titan do their
beterosexuM sisters
-There are at differences bet~veen sister pmrs ou any
measure of mentM health (such as depression, m~xietv.
etc,)
z Lesbians and their hEterosexnalsigters ~e 6x~ctlx the
san~e average height (5 feet 5 inches) but Lesbians w~igh
more (161 lbs on average) than do hctcroscxn~d sisters
(143 lbs). -Lcsbimis are more likel~ to have been in
l)sychotherapy than their heterosextu~ sisters.
- Both sisters tend to have heMth insurance, but
heterosexual sisters are more likely to have health
insurance through their parmer, and to have dental
lnstlr~lce,
hnplications:
HeterosexuM women ~e more like census data of U.S
women than are Lesbians on: m~age, living wifl~ rome
pm’tner Ctfildren Religion ~ucation Population density
Convelfience smnples of~sbim~ flint fiud that I ~sbim~s
live in l~ge cities, ~e lfighly educated, have a lo~v
income relative to education, and may not be religious,
may~morerepresentative ofthe ~sbians who p~ficipate
m Lesbian communily organizatious ~md c\cnt.s
What is it about being a Lesbian that contributes to
dcmoglaphic factors? llcrc arc some speculations:
13cing older and firsl boru may result in Increased
education.
- Not bciug mmTied or havi~ tg children at a yotmg age,
living Mone and/or not beiug in a long-term rclationslfip
umv. result iu highcr education and geographic mobility.
tli~hcr education may result iu becoming I.csbimi
- Liging in l~ge cities nmy expose women to l.esbian
" d0nmlfinifies. ............
Wlmt is it abont being a Lesbian that contribntcs
mental health and other factors’? Ilelc arc some
specu.lati ous:
- Do l.esbians reln~fin<~m~l:byedin order to mmff}ain
hcMth insurance whereas liet:~ro~eXnM lnm’ried
can become homenmkers due to their husbands’ 6cncfits?
- Are Lesbiaus less focused ou weight and appearance?
Or do heavier young women become ~sbians m~d!or
increase edncadon becanse of fewer dating or relatiouship
options?
- Does Lesbians" greater use of psychotherapy account
for dmlack ofmentM hemth differences between ~sbians
(a stiglnatized group) and their heterosexnM sisters?
- Does belonging to a supportive conmm~fity account
for Lesbians’ higher self-esteem
A
Newspapers Refuse to
Print PFLAG .Listing
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A family of weekly
newspapers distributed free to 126,000 Central Coast
households and businesses has created an outcry over
its refusal to publish news deemed favorable to Gay
orpro-choice viewpoints. More than adozeneditorial
employees of tWO of ~he papers have quit since the
policy came to ,light last week.
The papers, which circulate in San Luis Obispo,
Paso Robles andAtascadero, have beenhit with about
400 cancellation-requests. Earlier this week, about
100 people protested outside the County courthouse
in San Luis Obispo, some carrying signs that read,
"No Bigotry. in My ~owa,’:
: The c~rttro~er~y:ste:r0s from:a ¢:ommuuity calendar
listing; for~ Parents, Friends and ~Eamily~0f Lesbians
ahd ~ays~ Bisexuals .and Transgendered Persons,
which ran in the’Atascadero Gazette from Nov. 25
until Feb..17.~’=That’ s whe,n the paper’s editor, Ron
Bast, wa~ ioid tlie chain S owner had 6rdered the
listing pulled.Bast-said he was told there were to be
no storie~ tli~ ~lit~ed Gays or abortioninafavorable
light. He has since quit, saying he believes the paper
has failed in its mission to provide unbiased coverage
of the community.
Civil rights acavists, meanwhile, said theywere
appalled at the action ofcompany owners Mary and
DavidWeyrich."Hehas th~ fight todothi~ofcourse,
¯ incorporating as a nonprofit organization, outlining
: possible programs and figuring outhow to pay for the
¯ gathering place.
: Travis Blackwell, 33, co-chairman of the planning
~ committee, said he hoped the center would be a place
¯¯ for anyone to getin touch with the Gay community.
"And I hope it will raise asvareness, understanding
: and tolerance for the lesbian, Gay, bisexual and
transgender community," Blackwell said. "That’s.
one aspect. Theotheris actually having a central place.
where we cau all be safe and meet and take part in
programming and workshops and things that better
each of us as well as our community as a whole.’"
Gay centers across the country offer everything
from soccer leagnes to medical services, counseling
-and day.care. Although cities nationwide of about the
same size as-Charlotte have had. them.for years, no
other North Carolina city has a center, qocai ;Gay
leaders ,said.
In 1996, Mecklenburg County commissioners cut
arts funding after a local production of the Pulitzer
prize-winning play "Angels in America," because of
its homosexual content. And last year, Samantha
Gellar won a contest for young playwrights in 1999
with her story of two women who meet on a bus, fall
in love and share a kiss. The contest sponsors would
not allow it to be performed, saying its subject matter
was not appropriate for the festival’ s middle and high
school audience. .
United in
God’s Love
MCC-United
Sunday Worship Reverend Cathy Elliot
11=00 am Pastor
623 N. Maplewood 9181838-1715
" ~ i" f"~ .........
Community Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
at Community ofHope
2~Lg South Yale, Sundays at llam, "/49-0595
A Welcoming Congregation
hnttheparttliatupsetmepers°nallyisthathehadaI MiSSiSsippi Lawmakers
representing this as atmecommuuity .newspap~," Move to Bar Adopbons said Robyn Murphy, past president ~of.the central, i
Coast Gay and.L~bian Alliance. . .... i , , . . ; JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi lawmakers
The vtfeytichs m-owned billlioard giant Martin.i moved, to bar Gay couples from adbpting children
Mediabefoxe thecompany wassold fo~$610 mi’llion, with a Tuesday debate about morality and the fea~ of
great deal of support starting out because he was
HOUSE OFTHE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
t... ,~,~,~ ~,,. :rt..,~..,, u~,~. ~ \Ve~,~,~ : e~ag homosexuality. The executive director Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm
Wim,~v Tlu~_v mtMi~ho~l a ~lat~mt~.nt ~,i Ihe~r ° Of~Misst$$1[~!. ~list Cofl¥1~aUon Boald teld a
p.mt.os.op.n.~.tn..re.ce.nt.e.m.uoUS.. .t.n..c. issu~c ~nas ¯. ~Hou.s~e su.b..c-m.n.:m.m.ee..th.at.e.h¯iidr©n rinsed
~,:~z,’~n~’~’~ ~1~ U~ith ;nt,~orilW mtt4 ~ih0 tnd~ Wifl~ - ¯ Ilomosexuals 0~i10,1~ more mt~v to ue troy.
.... ~:~..~.~ .... ............. ¯....-, ..... ~ ...... Opponentssmdtheyfeareddieadoptionbanwould ’ ~ " [
....=~,, v~v,,-- " ¯ ’ ** * " ..... " ...... v....................... Licensed Professional & National Certified
~ ~ .... ° " ....¯ "- -;: = ;’d -~ ; onentauon =s irrele ant m adopttons; .... ......
uast ann omer mrmer stm;ers Sma mey m not , ¯ ,~,~-~; t,^^,,_:,,= ~:=,~:.....
editorial content of the publicattons when theylbegan ¯ . _~ :_ ,t.~. r... u..... ~. a:.~. -
m.~t.rj.ous, xnep,a~e,rs,ue~g~o:p~p~nexntgmt~t~.um ~r,: Barber said he eame to the Capitol on behalf of a Aft~l"Hours AppointmerltsAvailabl~
wire iwo more scneameo . . . , , .
................. s saidthe : Gaycoupletrymgtoadoptachild ‘They re upstanding 2865 E. Skelly Drive, Suite 21.5, 745-1111
Wevrichs ar~ notdictatino content. iuSt our ¯. etuzens~ ~neynappentouenomosexna~ -notrelevant.
philosophy, which has ~. d~ from day one."
"The staff onboard has a dear understanding of the
Weyrichfamilyandtheirvalues," he said. "Inpublisher
meetings throughout the pastmonths,wehave covered
these topics in depth."
He said-the Gazette papers, which promote
themselves with the slogan "Hometown Journalism
at its Best" on the bottom of each front page, also
refuse advertisin,g from nightclubs and tobacco
companies. ~’We ve picked.up 13 new advertisers
because of this," Hansen said. "We’ve received 400
e-mails this week that arejustpo,sitive mid supportive.
Pemple resiXct,,us for’what ~ve ve Said ~and that we
stand up for it.
One observer says the debaie has at least one upside
- forcing residents to discuss the meaning of the First
Amendment. ’YI’he idea that free speech and a free
press is being discussed is extremely healthy,!’ said
Randall Murray,a California Polytechnic,,U,niversity,.
San Luis Obispo, journalism professor¯ While not
embracing~Weydchor..his,views, ~ereali~.Lhat he is
peffecdy secure to set editorial policy. Rather than
impose on him ,o,ur editorial policing, the remedy is
coUnter-speech. " i ’ ~: "
Charlotte Gays Plan
Community Center
CHARLOTTE (AP) - Charlotte, the city that has
drawn national attention in recent years for its anti-
Gay atmbsphere, could have its first-ever community
center for Gays as early as 2002.
The Community Center Planning Committee will
spend the next six months scouting for a location,
¯ They would make good parents," Barber said.
" The Rev. Jim Futral, the Baptist leader, said by
~ allowing Gays to adop,t., the state would encourage
¯ homosexual lifestyles. These kids will be influenced
¯" in a way wedon’ t want them tO beinfluenced," he said
: during the hour-long meeting. Rep. John Reeves, RJac.
kson, the subcommittee chairman, said the bill
was not meant to punish Gay people but was "trying
to do what’s right by the children." Rep.. Gary
Chism, R-Columbus, said legislators should be
concerned about children and "we shouldn’t place
them. in a lifestyle that’s unnatural." "It gives an
indication to thatchild that this is aproperrelationship,"
Chism said.
Mississippi is among five states this year debating
legislation over adoptions, by Gays, according to
Hector Vargas,’a lawyer for the Washington-based
National Gay and Lesbian TaskForce~o,The others.are
. Hawaii, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah: vargas
said judges’ rtmin consideration "should be whether
or not the parents are a loving couple and can provide
for the child." "
The bill also says that the state will not recognize
¯ adoptions by Gay couples in other states. That
: provision could be unconstitutional, Vargas ~id.
"_ Several states have been sued over policies banning
¯ Gays from adopting.. Only Horida statutorily bars
" Gay couples from adopting.
~ Robin Lemer, staff attorney for the American Civil
¯ Liberties Union in Mississippi, said state lawmakers
: shouldbe worried about crime committed by children
¯ who grow up without families. ’‘The greater issue is
" how can we best raise children to be good adults," she
said.
Red Rock Tulsa. O’RYAN
Oklahoma Rainbow Young Adult Network
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting limes and place:
918-584-2325
Mingo Valley Flowers
.... . 9413E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145
¯ 918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-A.A..A-5934
Family Owned & Operated
Trinna L. W. Burrows,.LSW, ACSW
Child, Family, Individual & Couple Psychotherapy
(918) 743-9559
2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518
The Pride StoreV
1307 E. 38th, 2nd.floor
Tulsa Gay Cornmfini.ty Services Center
743.GAY S (743-4297)
6-D prn; Sunday ~ Friday
12-D pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center
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Local- Long Distance
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747’ 1508
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Daytime appointments available.
Call for more ilffonnation:
918-584-2325
KEVIN
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The Episcopal Church Welcomes You
Georgia Hate Crimes Bill
ATLANTA (AP)- Several hours after Palm Sunday
seryices ended at Red Oak United Methodist Church,
parishioners found themsdves watching from the
cemetery outside as the ehnrch was Consumed by fire
set by monists. "I stood there in the graveyard with
mymembers, singing while it burned down," saidthe
.Rev. John W: Pace, pastor of the black church in
Stoekbridge. ’ It was hopeless. We could not stop the
fire."
Pace says his congregation was victimized by a
hate crime. And he wasn’t alone in asking the Hons~
~ J~.di~ary C0mmitte,elo appr~ove stiffer penalties.for
cn.mes .~lotivated by race, religion, gender or sexnal
onentataon.
Committeemembers also hear~~rom arabbi whose
-synagogue was vandalized and a Gay mm~ who was
assaulted with a knife at his throat. "Terrorism has an
impact both on the victims and an .impact on the
community at !arge," said Sen. Vincent Fort, DAtlanta,
~e bill s author. "Hate crimds are terrorism
because of that fear."
Barron Segar,.a professional fund-raiser, told the
committeehow he was~surrounded by eight menafter
-leaving aGay nightclub in Atlanta:in 1992. One ofthe
men grabbed Segar from behind and helda knife to
¯ But Rep. Dan Grossman, D-Denver, and other
: oppo.nents said the Vermont Legislature appears to be
¯¯ moving towardrecognitionof ’~domesticparmerships’’ rather,than same-sex marriages. The final vote came
¯ after opponents argued it was a simple attack on ¯
homosexuals. "Thebillis nothingmore than something
: based on fear and I think it is an irrational fear,’"
: Grossman said. "What horrible thing would happen
: to us. It s gratmtous and mearisspirited:’" ~, - :
¯ Supporters denied that. "It’s based oh the
¯ accumulated wisdom and experience of cultures for
¯ 7,000 years," said Rep. Shawn Mitchell, RBroomfield.
"We alwayshave i:ecognfized as-self-
!eviklent that marriage i~s~joinih~dfopt~site m~mbers
:~ .,o~ the human species." Pas~hail !said ~h~ Offered the
measnre as a reiriforcement OP’gootl publicpolicy."
Gay Teens Ask.
,Peers For Tolerance
MIDDLETON, Wis. (AP) - Cal!ing.for an end to
harassment and narrow-mindedeess, a group of Gay
and Lesbian teen-agers and their friends,is trying to
¯ persuade a majority of teachersand students to sign a
p edge ..calling for tolerance_ 9.f ~students of all
hi.s .thro.at. "This is what we do to (Gays)," the man i b~k.:grounds and persuasions..! .... : - . . .
,:v, s;xtut.d~,:~uxs~i;n~g:;.a~n.~,=e.~.p,i.,t.~h.e=t..f~o.r~~=h2o~~.a,:,;o,_s~.e:.x-~u..a.l.s....~~:.e.~a.~l’,t.~~k.e.r...¯ , ~ndse,y.Clough., one of t.he s.~,d.e.nts o~g.amzang the - ~.,.~.~.~;mto ~g~uuuu mau-m¢ men scattere~; u o pma- ge0~,o~ nve.~ stud _s_he. ~dent.do.;~~ es-w...i.m... the GaY
hves-w~th;’me~erV day: tstilt~liaTe=iti!~h~es,’’ ¯ coun~.l!mty m. part tw.eause a €~e friend of her
;Sdgari~"dt~B~ifhly~~ttaek~dis d0h; ( Tli~se~’~r~ed tw~ : family lost a partner to AIDS.. 8hedeS..eti’bed, her
" W~eks mtail ...... ..... " ,, ~. childhood as extremely difficiilt~ .r and said she has
:: :;~ Rabbi;,TS.= ¯Robert Iehay of ~-Coni~te~ati~ix:,or: found. ,Goys and.lesbians to be’,~’0_~e.~0f the most
: VeShalrmre~lled:h0w ~e synagog~e.~ ~D~I~alb. ¯ und..d.~smnd.ingpe°ple I’ve met in.~y~|ifei:r .
"- C0tmtv ~ag vandalizex~1~4,e~;ffi-th~ag~iV",~ai~t’~ " ] ne stug~nt ~oup says its goalis to get most of the ¯d .. - , .r..’~ ¯ M ~1-~ ¯ " ,-~ " ¯ ::Nl~ri:sw~ligas~dthewords~bloodsuek~r~~ ot~b~t~ " : school s 1,600 students and 200. teachers.to s~gn a
,~Sihee’thetL~I~l~ysaid,:the c0n~i~galion ~~-had:a ."-pled~e’.~f!~lerance andinthe.p~to~e~at the
police.om~atev~’serv~ce~unetion=indMing_ i s¢.h~l a~qepts a!l students.....
weddings .iWe~sleepat¯ni~ht;’;hesaid::"Bat~livavs ~. :rng~schoolisoftenaprimepla~efor~a.ystudents
" t~i.tll;an.e~ie :6~,, .in case~°omea,~,;; k~,,,~a,,~ ,,,-: -~ : ¯ to be dbused, accordimz to a reoort last. Year bv the
" Fort~s bill ¯passed -the Senate,bv~jttst’two~rtes ~ Gay,...L~,~fib!an and Strmght Educatto.n Network. The
-. ~arlier thi’s m~nth, Thebi!t~,a!lr~S.~n~es to ii~se -. gr°up~,~9_Yed teens in32 states imd f~un~ that 91
percent of Gay and lesbian teens reported
up to five years in cases Where.~ey determine the : "homo.phobic" remarks at school and 69perccnt said
victims were chosen because of race, color, religion,
national origin, ancestry, ei’hnicity, gendei, disiibility
or s~xiial 0dentationl ...... .
COlorado -Ban-on
Gay Marriage Advances
DENVER, (AP) - A marriage.between, one man and
one woman would be the 0uly uniOn r~cogni2ed as
.legally validby the state under a’bill approved by
House lawmakers. The House,-which approved the
.measureon a 36-29 vote; sent it to-the-Senate, where
-it- probabl.y wDuld :pass,.,according to Sen. Mark
Hillman, R-Burliugton. Senators approved a shnilar
proposal earlier this inonth. Gov. Bill Owens has said
he.would sign the bill if approved by the I eegislature.
In its original version, House Bill 1249 would have
authorized courts to enforcenbnee0n0~nic provigions
of prenuptial ¯contracts Spousoring Rep; "Mark
Paschall, R-Arvada, succeeded Monday in.stfippi.ng
all language from the bill-and substituting it with
provisions to ban same-sex.marriages and to ensiire
the state, would not recognize S,’une-sex marriages
,pefformedJoutside~tsbordet~: :=:~ ,:, ~,,
As it did Moilday, the Hbuse on :ruesda) .rejected
a motiOn ,to~ send the bill to- the:House~:Jddiciary
Committeeforapublic hearing. Moderate~Republieans
_. on.. that, com~ttee.lastl v~ab joined.~t~b~rats in
kiliing a-’.similar;bill2 Coni~nitteemeinb~sargued~hat
they should be allowed.to, giv~ ~the-bill a(public~
hearing; but Paschall and other supporte,,r.s~ said¯ the~
-concept l~as :had extensive public input.
obvious, transparent attempt to kill the bill, said
House Majority Leader Doug Dean; R-Colorado
Springs.
He and other supporters said the measure is
necess.ary to avoid forcing Colorado to officially
re¢ogmze same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.
Supporters said a recent ruling by the Vermont
Supreme.Court called for legislative action on samesex
mamages, and that action could mean official
recognition of such unions.
¯ theyexperieneedsomeformofharassmentorviolence.
" Patrick Kelly, an openly Gay freshman, said that
while Middleton tends to be more accepting of Gay
: students,thanmany otherhigh schools, there is always
¯ room forJmprovement.
¯ "’ LisaAarli, a teacher who advises the student group,
says she has seen great enthnsiasm over the pledge
¯ event. "It’ s given a lot of kids someflfiug to Nab onto
for a lot of different reasons," she,said. :’The kids on
¯ the margins ,are being pulled into something big m~d
¯ prayerful in tke school." . ....
¯
said he beieved the l~gislature sliotfld be.as.inclusive
¯ as possible in the bill nmv, rather th,-m have to face
~ such questio~m agMn some other, time. "My persom~
¯ opimon is I don?t wm~t to have to.go t~ough ins for
" another reason. I don’ t want another ~gislature to go
" tl~ough ~s," he said.
Little wo~d prefer to keep tfie_~co~.e:.’of the bill
focused on the Gay and ~sbi~conples who sued for
" the fight tomTy in the fi~st place..~at’s ~vhy the
qivii d0m~l[¢.u~on bill~so~eloselyznfi~ors~age
¯ statutes. ?We haven’t seen ~y, eviOence that people
¯ that ~e.bro~ers and sisters, bro~ers ~d ’bro~ers,
" sisters: ~d sisters seek to eslablishthe:s~e,.Nnd of
" : inti~m~ -~i!~~:ha~e~felt~th~
discfi~fio~~their efforts toestablis~$~ly
: u~," ~tfle sMd. ’~e desi~ of the ~iIl, we hope, is
" to ereate~ a NNo~on" ~vherN~e~ ~ n6-~:~ateriM
¯ ~ ~, 7 " -~ ~’ ¯ ~:,..~ =~ .: ~:.~;,~ ~,,,~ : ~. ~:~.~ . ¯ff~en~ between ~fir~age-~fl domeshc"umons)
~d t-herefore no consti~utionM differe-n~’~between
" ~€ tWO."
. However at a r~ent Repub]i~ S~te Co--tree
: meet~g, Ve~ont Republic.s rejected, at least
¯ tempos]y, a push by the p~ty’s state chM~,
" Pa~ck G~, for a ConsdmdonM ~en~ent
" supporting opposite-gender m~fiage o~y, The
¯ pro~sM stated ~atbemuse ~e state Supreme Court’ s
: derision in B~er v. State open~ ~e door for s~e-
. gender m~age, ~e OenerM Assembly shoedbe~
¯e pro~ss of ~en~ng ~e constitution.
’4,
JeSSeJackson
Get H!Y Test
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Rev. Jesse :
Jackson stuck a cotton swab between his ."
cheek and gums Thursday to demonstrate :
how easy it is to take an oral test for the ¯
virus that causes AIDS and to encourage ."
other black Americans to be tested. "
’q’he crisis has not left. It is no longer "
fron.t-page. It’s not gunfire. It’s not ."
cocame, crack or heroine. It:s not gang ¯
warfare," said the civil rights leader, "
speaking at the Max Robinson Center of "
the Whitman-Walker Clinic, in one of the ¯
capital’s poorest neighborhoods. "But
nobody is safe," Jackson said. "I want to "
send amessage to everyAfrican-American :
that does not know his or her HIV/AIDS ¯
status to get tested." ."
Jackson, who said he had taken a blood "
test for the virus years ago, took the newe~ ]
oral test to draw attention to the issue as ¯
hundreds of people gathered in ¯
Washington for the Johns Hopkins "
University 2000 National Conference on
African-Americans and AIDS¯ ¯
Theresults ofJackson’s testate expected "
to be ready Saturday but, as is common :
practice, they will remain confidential. It ¯
was-not immediately clear if Jackson "
would release results of his test. "
Blacks make up 13% of the U.S. ;
population, but they account for 57% of ¯
all new HIV infections detected and nearly’,.:
half of all cases of full-blown AIDS, "
according to the Centers for Disease ;
Control and Prevention. Additionally, ¯
more treatments have become available, ¯
but AIDS deaths among blacks increased ¯
45% between 1991 and 1996, even as ¯
mortalityamongwhites decreasedby24%, "
statistics show. "
Jackson .called on the president, first :~
lady and leading presidential candidates
to set an example by submitting to testing,
noting, "The first issue is to remove the
taboo and reststance to testing."
Patent Could Block
AIDS Research
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A feud between
two groups of researchers over who owns
the rights to a gene helpful inAIDS therapy
threatens to slow the development ofnew
drugs and treatment, The Los Angeles
Times has reported. Maryland-based
HumanGenomeSciences securedapatent
earlier in February ~hat gives it a 17-year
claim on a gene that apparently controls
how AIDS begins infecting its victims.
However, thebiotechfirm only isolated
and decoded the gene. Company officials
acknowledge they had no knowledge of
its use when they applied.for a patent in
June 1995. Agroup ofacademic scientists
say they were the ones who proved the
gene could be used tO explain why. some
people repeatedly exposed t6 HIV never
develop the disease.
Meantime, the patent, gives Human
Genome Sciences control over who can
use the gene in commercial,devel’0p~ient
of new AIDS drugs, potentially limiting
the practical use ofthe academic research.
The ownership decisionby the U.S. Patent
andTrademark Office outraged the group
ofacademic scientists whosay thebiotech
firm co-opted their discovery.
"If the patent office awards a patent to
someone who clones a gene, even though
they have no notion of its function and no
real idea of its use, that would be like
saying, ’I found a fungus, therefore I
should get credit for penicillin,"’ said the
University of Maryland’s Dr. Robert
:Gallo, Whoheaded the group,of academic
researeher~ studying HIV infection.
That group and several other
independent researchers learned in late
1995 that the gene is a so-called "viral
receptor" that the HtV virus attaches to.
They also discovered that defective
versions of the gene generate a protein
that suppresses infection by preventing
HIV from attaching to cells. "The
likelihood is that this is the molecule that
needs to be used for the virus to go from
one person to another," said New York
University’s Dr. Dan Littman, who also
contributed to the academic study.
William Haseltine, chairman and CEO
of Human Genome Sciences, maintains
companyresearchers did extensive work
isolatingthe gene that justifies the firm’s
ownership of the patent. Haseltine said
thepatentwill notimpede outsid~ research,
adding that the company is making the
gene available to academic researchers at
no cost. He said the patent will only stem
the unauthorized use of the gene for
commercial purposes.
AIDSactivists havereacted withvenom
toward the company, which they accused
of capitalizing on the suffering of others.
"’These guys are the robber barons of the
geneticage," saidGreggGonsalves, policy
director of the Treatment Action Group, a
New York-based AIDS lobbying
organization. ’q’his is not about making
progress on AIDS; its about making
money.’"
Meantime, the U.S. patent office plans
to enforce new guidelines in March that
would require applicants to better
demonstrate the function and usefulness
of discoveries. Officials at the National
Institutes of Health, however, complain
that the new regulations fail to go far
enough.
i Clinton Plan May
¯ Benefit HIV Postive
¯¯ WASHINGTON (AP)- In an experiment
that could significantly, expand federal
¯
benefits to patients with the AIDS virus,
~ the Clinton administration is allowing
.. Maine to provide Medicaid payments to
¯ people are HIV-positive but do not yet
¯ have AIDS. Previously, patients could
; notqualifyuntil theyhadfull-blownAIDS.
¯ Health Secretary Donna Shalala said ¯
Thursday that Maine would be the first
¯ state to offer such a plaff,"whichcan give
." more people living with HIV access to
¯ promising therapies.’" Several other states
: are looking at offering a similar plan,
¯ officials said. "Betterresearch, prevention
¯ and treatment is helping people with this ¯
¯ disease livelonger, healthier lives, even
as.we continue our search fora cure," said
~ Shalala at a conference on black people
¯ with AIDS.
¯: Recentstudies have showfl that the early
use of.AIDS-fighting drugs can slow the
." disease and increase life expectancy.
However, many people with HIV
¯ _generally do not qualify for Medicaid,
¯ which provides health insurance to low-
" income Americans, until they have
¯ symptoms and are considered disabled." ¯
Without the plan, "the Medicaid
¯ program was in the untenable position of
¯ having to wait until someone grew so sick
¯ with AIDS that they became disabled" ¯
before treatment and drugs conld be made
¯ available, said Francis Finnegan, Maine’s
¯ Medicaid director. ¯
¯ The state’s five-year demonstration
projectbeginsinSeptember.Tobeeligible,
¯ a participant must be HIV-positive and
¯ haveanincomeofless thanabout $25,000,
¯Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
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1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
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4021 South Harvard-Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135
Are You Gay or .Bisexual?
Are You Native American?
Tulsa s Two-Spirited Indian Men’s
Support Group is here-for you! ~_~’/,~
’ Evening sup~ group meetings ¯ , ¯ Sho~ trips, outings and retreats
¯ [ Free HIV testing
~or informat~n call Tul~ Native American AIDS Prevention Proj~t
~’:~whlch is three times the federal poverty ,:
level. Before the plan, only children, .:
pregnant women and the elderly or
disabled with incomes below the poverty ! the 37-year-old mayor mused:about
level were eligible for assistance. The surprising twists and turns in his life. "It’s
benefitpackage will indudedrugtherapy,
office visits, lab services, case
management, hospitalizations, mental
health and substance abuse services.
About 1,300 Maine residents are
infected with HIV and 350 have AIDS,
according to the Maine Bureau of Health.
The new waiver will allow the state to
offer treatment to about 300 people who
couldn’ t otherwise afford it. Officials said
the early intervention is expected to reduce
the need for costly hospitalization and
prevent addi tional infections.
Nationally, about 900,000 people are
infected with HIV, a third of those with
full-blown AIDS, said Kathryn Bina, a
spokeswoman for the federal Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. A third
of those whose HIV hasn’t progressed
into AIDS, about 200,000 people, don’t
know they have the disease, she said.
Claudia French, acting executive
director ofAIDS Action, a national AIDS
support group, said more states need to
ad’o~t suchaplan. ’~roday’s announcement
will prolong the lives of low-income
Mainers with HIV, but we want all HIVpositiveAmericans
tohave access to drugs
that could keep them from developing
full-blown AIDS," said French.
’Shooting Gallery’:
to Open in Sydney ¯
SYDNEY, Australia (AP)- This nation’s :
first experimental heroin "shooting ¯
gallery" will open later this year in a "
former pinball parlor in Sydney, the
Uniting Church, which will run the 18- "
month government-approved trial, "
announced at the end of February. "
The Site in Kings Cross, a suburb :
notorious for drug use and prostitution, "
has been approved by New South Wales :
police and the state’s health department. :
It will be run by an expert on AIDS and ¯
aim to provide a clean, safe environment :
for addicts to take their drugs. "Our
primary aim in operating the medically
supervisedinjecting centeris to save lives,"
said Uniting Church spokesman Rev.
Harry Herbert."
New South Wales state premier Bob
Carr said he understood concerns of local
residents who have fought to prevent the
gallery being opened, but said it would
help improve public health. "We think it
mayhelp save lives and get the problems
out of the streets of Kings. Cross into a
medically-supervisedlocation,’? Cartsaid.
Thecenter’ s medical director Dr. Ingrid
van Beck said about 200 addicts would ¯
use the center to shoot up when it opens, :
possibly as early as July,, just weeks "
before Sydney hosts the 2000 Olympic
Games. .
United Nations drugs experts this week "
condemned "shooting galleries" but
authorities in Sydney and two other cities
have said they will forge ahead with plans
to open them.
Want to get involved?
Need to get tested for HIV or
a Coming Out Support Group?
Call 743-GAYS (4297)
Tulsa Gay Community
Services Center
1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor
the
: ~a strangejourney," he said,, shaking
¯ his head. "I started drugand alcohol abuse
: when I was around 10," he said.
¯ The drug and alcohol abuse worsened
when h_e was a teen-ager having conflicts
with his policeman stepfather and
struggling with the emer~ng realization
that .he was Gay.
"I joined the military when I was 18 to
escape a lotof things, and because I wanted
~o be somebody," Stewart said. "And, I
onestly thought that in the military, I d
go straight. It didn’t quite work out that
way. I found more Gay people in the
military than I’d ever known."
His eight years in the Air Force brought
him to this city of 21,000 on the shore of
Lake Champlain. When his tour of duty
ended, he started driving a tractor trailer.
Then came a drug and alcohol relapse.
"I fell flat on my face," Stewart said.
With the help of a network of friends,
Stewart struggled to overcome his
addictions. "I sobered up on Dec. 14,
1988, and I’ve been clean and sober ever
since." It was the recovery process that
led Stewart out of the closet. "I was 26
years old, sitting in the basement of a
church at a recovery meeting at 1 a.m. on
New Year’s Day. I said, ’I can’t stav sober
!,f, I .keep hiding the truth,"’ Stewart said.
It lifted a huge burden. When you live a
lie, you suffer the consequences."
Backin the eabofabigrig, he considered
his furore. "I wanted a sense of inclusion
in the system, having a positive role,"
Stewart said. He got involved with the
AIDS activist group, ACT UP, handing
out condoms on the street. His activism
ultimately led him into mainstream
politics.
Of roughly 500,000 elected officials at
the local and national level across the
country: about 180 are openly Gayand the
vast majority are Democrats, according to
the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a
.Washington-based group flint seeks to
¯ increase the number of Gay and lesbian
¯ public officials. "It’s hard to overstate the
. value of having outstanding opeul3,,’ Gay
~ and lesbian people in public office, said
¯ Sloan Wiesen, a spokesman for the Gay &
: Lesbian Victory Fund. "When Gay and
straight legislators are working together
: on less contentious issues, like education,
; health care, or fixing roads, people are
¯ more inclined to stand up f0rfairness
¯ when a nondiscrimination issue comes
: up," Wiesen said.
Stewart hopes the national attention he "
¯ en.j,,o,ys,by .virtue 0f,,b~,ing aGayRepublican
Will neip the city. I m invited to all these
events - the State of the State address, the
State of the Union. It gives me the
opportunity to get the message out that
Plattsburgh exists, and we need" things
here. A lot of people around the country
want to help, because they want to see me
succeed."
Stewart does have some regrets. 0~e is
that he never worked up the courage:to
talk to his mother about the fact that he’s
Gay before she died in a car acdident four
years ago. "I was making visits to the
White House on Gay issues, but I was
afraid to talk to my own mother about it.
It shouldn’ t have been that way," Stewart
said, his voice trailing off.
Another regret was that he taunted the
boys who wanted to go to the prom at
Cumberland High School.
see Mayor, p. I1
TWO REVIEWS AND A MUSE!
[love John ~Villiams’ film scores. I
really do; they are sweeping, grand things,
alwaySsuitable for driving to, especially
the S~.Wars and Indiana Jones scores¯
Hedidagreatjob.on 1979’s
Draciihi, d~ea~iiig, an
o~atie score that soared
andswooped al,ong with
Dr~c~ffd~tly..It s my all=
score.- too :bad it h~Snot
been reissued comp!etdy
as some of his others have¯
What happened was, way
backwh~,scores were not
released in the version
heardin the film. Williams
was 7::..notorious for
rerecording .chopped up
bits~iof, his: sc0~ds, edited
t6gethdri .....ahogether
diffe~gntly ~ft0ffa~the film,
aadrdea~edas the ori
mdtifnpicture s’dundtrack
qt is a nice thing to
wish for
peace ~ndha~mony
amm~.~p~oipl~
I wonder if it will
’ever kappen. ~
One can, only hope
that. Deganawida
will come along and
help create a world
that engenders
with .a just-too~tight cardboard Slip case
covenng the CD case mid the thick liner
notes abit too tightly, so that getting die
blasted tiring out is enough to prejudice
your listeafing experience (childproofCD
cases?).If you’re a purist
and a Williams collector.,
.this is for you. If not, well,
rent the film.
~ .Jomme~he~mndoahhas
a uewirelease out,and it is
well worth seeking out mid
buying. A member of the
Wolf Clan of the Oneida
(Iroquois) Indians in New
York, Joaame has put out a
:number of bestselling,
award-wi~ufing CDS that
arejustincredible tolisten
to (Orenda, ~Matriarch,
Lifeblood)¯ She_has a
lovely, clear,: bell-like
voice that .Ires an intimate
quality to it that can’t, be
:beat. Sheap,,l~ffed in Peter
Whnt~.y0a ggt Wasnot the laarmony anaong Buffet.t" S y Spirit,:- A
s0u.fidi~,.a~(.~,er~annoying d-f€- ¯ ~,, " 1 ’~.- .- Jotmley in,Dance, Drum,
to~p.ufiS.~!, b.uLa reerea.ted
~re~ng~ peop,es_~. : ~ .-m!d:,~oug",,:-and opened
.~rms.~...ash:..o[~,hat rmght ’ : :.. " :~ :;. ’- ~Wo.odstock ~94. :She:~has
ha~g:~n~n!h9 soundtrack at somepoint~ ;. been€ailed~-aa!~i-ve Ameii.can:yersion of
In!re.a~..~ ca~_e~.,, this was disap~ointing, ~; Enya,:.a.1,.lhough; L.~eall~-!-hiak.,that’s
This,~beguntochange,firstwithpufists ,~ ,c,ompari~g:,oa.pl~e~.:,~,d,+,oranges.
rais~g~:S~jhenwithrecordcompanie,s : Pea~gmai~er,_SJoameyr:i:sanenchanting
,a,ct~[yt,iste~nipg. The score to Williams - r ~lbmn:, wi~h beautiful~melodies. Iti~ sung
Close-Eae0unters of the 3rd Kind".was ~ in her~nativg~Oneida Jaaguage, and- the
one::of .the. first to be remastered and ~ liner;aotes~.~conta_;n the :story. :and a
rel~:witli all cues (music bits) int.act.. ¯ trans!afioa:~into:English of:/he lyrics: It is
~di]s:reallygreat~sincemuchofw.hat , the.p~effeet:~bumt~li-ght~some,oandles,
mad~ the sou~dtrack~so great were ~CU! : and relax -~ith, with-its genre :melodies
¯ ."~" ~. " ’: : "- ’.~ ’ ~ ’6 --~ ....~z ~-~ ~ ,:~-~-~,~,~-,. ,~;’,’::-, ,~:’L~"~’J-~ . ~nta~t. ~twas also great. Then the S-.~y~ i,. mumc,-ofLtl~ ~f~ri~:~ of,~.lroqums
V~$i ~l~gy was. released with:.,t..b.€~;~: Co~f~%~li~x~i~ihg,~t6~er-~ter
sou~atra_~ks"intact. That was beyond"~:~ many.:cemu~eS-ofW-~;-~-tli~M61iav~k,
wonderful. Now, Rhino records has ~ ~Onei~;.Onoiidaga, Cayuga; Seneca; and
released, something score purists have " TuscaroralndianNations.~’Peacemaker’s
desired since-the film came out: The
"Superman". soundtrack, complete, and,
no pun intended, uncut.
Great in that the quality of sound is
incredible for a score recorded in 1978,
great that the record companies are
releasing complete sets ofsoundtrack CDs.
Notso.hot after a listen and the realization
that Williams copying Williams is not
really worth a 2" CD set, because almost
every cue on the two CDs (despite what
the liner notes claim) is almost lifted note
- for.~ note/from Star Wars. Oh a few
sequences are rearranged, but "Luke
Skywa~ker!s~" i.Theme" is clearly
recognizable in one cue, and the original
openingnotesfrom"StarTrek" are audible
in another; in.what one might surmise to
beatributes,Williams borrowing ofthemes
is nothing new;’,many classical references
abound in Star Wars; but to blatantly
borrow so much from oneself is just
lazi~s~’~ ~:of.. li.ke~a~in~;i’~Well, I
don~f~[lik¢i~ri~ti~t,g~~,,w.hat
can r.borrow from the .~,~gltv~l,~ear~
S~n~.~ays,~eco~zes. T0,~,fair,
m~be~h~J~.t d~dd’"~h~,~e-lmucl~ tim.e .~d
that. w~- tiieifio~t practic~i, s01ution~- ai~d
maybe-theirwas why a fully complete
score was never released.
Still, it’ S a pleasant listen, especially if
you recall the thrill of Christopher Reeve
in blue tights and hotpants fondly, as I do.
Who paid attention to the score? I must
say that Rhino has done a fine job on the
remastering; the sound quality is, as I
said, incredible. The packaging is odd,
: Journey isdedicated-to children
¯" everywhere and to th0se striving forpeace
¯¯" betweenpeople andharmonyfor all living things.
¯ Peacemaker’ sJourney tells the storyof
¯ Deganawida and Hiawatha, who smv the
tribes warring ambngst themselVes, and
: sought to bring peace and harmony to the
¯ people~ -Relationships ~etween the tribes
¯" had deteriorated into constant war, blood
: feuds~and revenge killings. In danger of
: self-destruction; the Iroquois were saved
¯ by the sudden appearance ofa Huron h01y
¯" man known as the "Peacemaker."
: Deganawida (Two RiverCurrents Flowing
; TogetheO re.ce~yeda vision from the
¯ Creator of peace’and cooperation among
". all Iroquois.Apparently he was hindered
2 by either.a language or speech difficulty,
:... but :~ganaw,ida~ ~eaxttialty,, w:o~ ~the
¯ support of Hiawatha (.Mionwatha - He ¯
Makes Rivers), an Onondaga who had
~ beeo~n~..~:;Mg~aw.~:~ar~ ~i,ef. With
:: t.h~irfighiiii~Mdjoin i6~th~inale~i~ue.
: ~~end tdiS~fii Degan~widablotted 3ut
: thesun"t;6:~dh~,~il~:tfieS:’,elucima~t;’~,i~oi~r
¯ eclipse, visible ’ih(upstate New York
." occurred in 1451 suggesting another
~ possible¯ d~t~ for these events. The
¯ formalion ofthe League ended the warfare
: between itsmembers bri~ging the Iroquois
: a period of unprecedented peace and
¯ prosperity. It also brought political unity
¯ and military power.
: "Peacemaker’s Journey" will be
~ releasedMarchT, 2000. seeAmuse, p. 11
The University of Tulsa
The Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay & Trans Alliance
presents
ANiOKLAHOMO PROMO 2000
2-’~ightSi.~~di’,~y ~f:C£11~loid Scintillation
B+~n+i’:~,+++~m+~:~+~*~@+~;~;Chi.~olls, and Out of Se~on
Friday, Ma~h 24, 7- I2:0~ midnight
.GOd Shave (he Queen,Watermelon Woman
Indecent Acts: O~car Wilde, Cynam, P~t~ in Motion,
and C~sh
Sunday, March~ 26, 2-7pm
Different for Girls, All Over Me, Under Heal, and
Our Mom’s a Dyke ,.+
Chapman Hall Theater, 2835 East Fifth Street
: -. :’- ~.: (not~the+:Alleri~Chapman~Activity Center)
Eas{ of Delaware Avenue on the University of Tulsa campus.
Please look lL~r rainbow flags to lead you in off Delaxvare Avenue.
¯ Thi+ ex;+fit is offered in +6iijunction withomyn,~&
Hentage-Month. Actlvtt~es.
P!.eg.s,e=,<+c~+ntact,..~g. J~6~s~+~at’ 63.1~:~3 i:!5 to make arrangements
for accessibility, accommodations.
A
Jurnpin ",
Singin " .
Movin"
and Groovin"
Good Time!
Warren Vach4
and the
NEW YORK CITY ALL,STAR BIG BAND
and direct from London!
THE JIVIN’ LINDY HOPPERS
Sunday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Tulsa Performing Arts Center, Chapman Music Hall, 3rd &.Cincinnati
Tickets: $15,-$20, $2S,
*Includes post-performance swing dance
’ Discounts a~aihble ~or~gr6h’p~ and’ ~tudents
Call: 596-7111 or Outside Tulsa:~1-800-364-71il
"Online:.’Rrano.tulsapac.com
Tulsa PerformmgSA~s Center Trust
Holland Hall
SCHOOL
MIDDLE & UPPER SCf-IOOL TESTING (GRADES4 - ll)
PRIMARY SCHOOL TOUR (AC~ 3 - GRADE 3)
PRIMARY SCHOOLTESTING ~qDERGARTEN- GRADE 1)
To reserve your place, please call the
i Admlssi~n Ot~ce at .,t81-1111, exte~i~n 25 t.
5666 E. 8 Ist Stre~J~.~ Bet~eea~le.& Sheridan ~ Tulsa ~ www.hollandhalLorg
HSllatid Hall admits q~lifid’~studm~i ivfit~ ~egard to rat6 sex, religion, national or ethnic origin, or physical disability.
Church,of the Restoration
Unitarian Universalist
11 am, Sunday, 1314 North Greenwood, 587-1314
by Mary Schepers, Do-lt-Yourself-Dyke
There was your DIYD, on her knees,
aching, throbl~ing~-on the verge of tears -
wondering why her mouth says "yes"
when her brain screams "No, no, no!" No,
gentle readers, we are not revie~ving the
DIYD’s-latest forays into courtship, but
~rather her most recent
Volunteereffort to help out
a friend in need. As you
accumulate handy skills
..~and .-become geuerally
perceived as arather useful
indiv:idual, expect to be
asked to help out others.
This is quite fair; after
all, most ofus, your DIYD
included, have accumulated
skills and learned
lessons (someti~nes not
positive ones) from those
who:have helped us on our
ownprojects: Quidpro qu,o
is a conunon currency tn
the world of home
improvement; the student
evolving into the teacher is an apt, and
expected, metaphor. -
" In short,_darlings;give backwhat has so
generously been shared.withyou~Orbegin
ficcumulating favors(that can be repaid
later in yourown moments Ofdire need:It
is common proffer; it is cxpected,~and it’
is honorable, and as sly as your DIYD
may seem, she is absolutely honorable..
Therein lies the.theme; the exemplar.
and the moral of our m0nthlytale. Listen’
closely and ieani from yore DiYD.-And
remember that this is a. cautionary story;
not a vehicle for blame,unlessR is your
poorDIYD’S~ whodidn°taskforsufficient
"There was your
DIYD, on her
knees, aehln~.,
thr0bhi O;on the
ver~e o~ tears -
wonderln$ why
her mouth says
’yes" when her
: infomiation before promising her vast
¯. array ofskills, tools and energy to a friend
: The particulars of die story ,’ire not
~ important. What matters is that a favor
¯¯ was asked of the DIYD - to help lay tile.
¯ Rule number one: if the task at hand is one
that you are not only good at, but have a
particular vanity over,
watch out! You m’e very
susceptible! Alld the
DIYD is the tile and grout
di~’a. Having refitedevery
c6nv~i~tionatstiffaeeinher
liouse, she finds herself
wonderizi~,7 Liii unguarded
moments, whether the
garage or the front porch
could, benefit from the
tasteful application of
ceramic tile. She was, m
fact, ripe for the phscking.
She graciously agreed.
Wlfich brings us to rule
nmnber two: agree on and
set all the parameters
around the proposed
! project befom.taldng it On: For those o,,f
you.whoshudderat theword "bom~dafies,"
¯" find a word thai works, b~t doi t~ al!ddo it
: thoroughly. This not only protec.ts you
~ from unpleasant surPrises, but the party to
i whom you are lending assistance aswelE
Nothing can sour a friendship like an
: ~tmisin4¢rpretedand goneaw.ry. ’
: Both sid~ should knowwhat is expected,
¯ ’ what wil! actually occur, ~hat amount of
¯ dme is involved, how~.much work is
: inv61vht, hoW much each person is.
: responsible for, and~ whatthe fairexchange
will, be. Any changes should be
E comm,tmi.¢ated u~ front:..,., ." _’ .’," "
50 New-Books at the Library
by Barry Hensley
Tulsa City-County Library
Over the last few momhs, .the Tulsa
City-Cotmty Libraryhas acquired dozens
of recent tides of interest to the gay
community. Cheek your local branch
library for these dries, or call the Readers
Services department at 596-7966.
LESBIAN FICTION
Shy Girl by Elizabeth Stark
Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
Hers 3: Brilliant New Fiction by Lesbian
Writers
6th Sense: A Cassidy James Mystery
by Kate Calloway
Bogeywoman: A Novel by Jaimy Gordon
Lost Daughters by J. M. Redmann
November Ever After by Laura Tones
The Other Woman by Ann OiLeary
The Vintage.BookoflnternatiomdLesbian
Fiction
GAY MALE FICTION
Breakfast with Scot by Michae! Downing
Comfort and Joy by Jim Grimsley
Justice at Risk: A Benjamin Justice ~iYnkStSelriypbbyyJoRhintaMCiorregsain,Wilson
Surrender.Dorothy by Meg Wolitzer
Minions of the Moon by Richard Bowes
Capital Queers by Fred Hunter
EveryManfor Himselfby OrlandOudand
His 3: Brilliant New Fiction by Gay
Writers
LESBIAN NONFICTION
The Queen of Whale Cay by Kate
Surmnerscale
TheWhole Truth:A Case ofMurderon the
Appalachian Trail
by H. L. Pohlman
Monologues and Scenes for Lesbian
Actors by CarolynGage-
Janet, My Mother; and Me: A Menloir of
Growing Up by William Murray
Baby Precious Always Shines: Selected
Love Notes by Gertrude Stein
Lesbian Health: Current Assessment and
Directions
My Lesbian Husband: ALandscape ofa
Marriage by Barrie Borich
Hunting the Witch byEllen Hart
ApplesandOranges:MyJourney Through
Sexual Identity I~y Jan Clausen
RestrictedAccess: LeSbians on Disability
To Believe in Womem ’What, Lesbians
Have Done for America by’ Lillian
Faderman
GA~ MALE NONFICTION
How to Survive Your Own Gay L~e
by Pet~ Brass " .
VulgarFavors:Andrew Cunanan,G’ianni "
Versace, and the Largest FailedManhunt
in U S. History by Maureen Orth
Crisis ofDesire by Robin Hardy
Love in A Different Climate
by Jeremy Seabrook
Finding the Boyfriend Within
by Brad Gooch
When It’s Time to Leave Your Lover
by Neil Kaminsky
see Read, p. 1:
by Lamont Lindstrom, Ph.D.
"Faggots !" I was sitting inmy car talking
to my friend Errol when I heard the word.
One of ErroF s cantankerous neighborsno
pal, obviously - had barked at us as he
marched past the car. I didn’t know
whether tO feel outraged or amused. It had
been a long time since anyone "called me a
name, at least publicly. Sticks mad stones,
I thought. And did I really mind being a
faggot anyway?
Still, the hairon my neck Stood up.
Rude slurs are good e~idence of the power
of words. Even-if 0nly symbolic, words
have an ~mpact. Some words ,are deeds.
Linguists study "’speech acts" that shape
or change the world. Utterances like "I
promise, "I apologize," "I resign," or "[I
name you] faggot!" have serious
consequences (as anyone knows who has
been "pronounced" man or wife).
Language can’carry either a positive or
a negative charge. Both sacred speech and
profane speech are dangerous. In many
religions, no one knows the name of god.
Or even where onedo..,e.s; the deity’ s name
is never uttered aloud, Magical words can
change the world. The secret word
"sesame" opens the cave. Abracadabra
pulls the rabbit from the hat. Uttering a
sacred name can have unintended
consequences. You might wake sleeping
gods. It’s safer to steer clear of charged
labels.
A similar sort of ritualized avoidance of
naming characterizes many kinship
systems around the word. Son-in-laws
never pronounce the personal names oftheir
wives’ parents, and .vice versa. In
other societies, brothers and sisters avoid
¯ in public? Who can use which word, and
¯¯ in which context? "Gay" and "Lesbian"
have recently become broadly accepted
¯ terms for homosexuality. Some have also
¯ attempted to revaluate "queer."
Revaluation succeeds when the labeled
¯ themselves embrace a slur as their own,
defusing its negative charge. Thus,"Queer
Theory" is currently being taught in
¯ Ameficau umversities.
Then there’s "faggot." Faggot, as a
negative homos’exual label dates back
¯ onlyto 1910, although it was used as early
¯ as the late 16th century to slur women. In
¯ fact, a number of today’s Gay slurs -
¯ including the term "Gay" itself- were ¯ first applied to women. A "Gay" woman
¯ in 1650 Faagland was a prostitute. Robert
¯ Scott’s Gay Slang Dictionary (online at
http:/!~vww.hurricane.net/.~vizard/
19.htnfl) lists 156 synonyms for"fag" mad
¯ more appear else~vhere in the dictionary.
(Scott also has 37 terms for "Lesbian.")
These include Spmfish-derived’~maricon"
~ and "’pato," French "tapette" (although
¯ pede ~srmss~n~),~dd~sh fe~,ele, and
¯ British/Australian "poofter." Then there
are the more obscure "’cot betty,"
¯ "daffodilly," "fu," "whoopsie boy," and
"uffimay" - "muffie’" in Pig Latin.
~’Faggot,’" unlike "Gay". or "Queer,"
~ still remains impolite. The ~vord is
¯ dangerously profane.. Not many of my
¯ academic colleagues are willing to teach
¯ courses ~in "Faggot Theory." But the profane is always close to the sacred.
." Because of its charge, "faggot" is more
¯ hurtful but also thusmore useful indefining ¯
who and what we are. When we name
¯ each other by the word, we make a strong,
each other’, s names like hot potatoes. ~ pt~blic claim to belong to a shared world
Anthropology suggests" that such ¯ .~oFfaggotry. So, still sitting in ~ny 4,’if; I
"avoidance relations" smooth over areas
of potential social conflict.
Negativel5 charged words are equally
powerful. The profane also carries a
wallop. A curse c,’m kill. The villagers I
lived with in Vanuatu were always fearful
when someone spoke evil of thegn. Even if
someone swore without thinking, in the
heat of an angry moment, the ancestr~fl
ghosts ufight hear and punish the person
who cursed, or the person who ~vas cursed.
or both.
Sociologists of the 1970s formulated
what tlaey called "labeling theory?" They
analyzed the ways in which lal~els, like
faggot, impact both society and the
individual. Socially. an arsenal ofnegative
labels maintains power inequalities. Those
on the bottom of the social ladder shoulder
the brunt of these terms. Individually,
such slurs unavoidably tinge our sense of
who we are. Like muttered curses, they
can harm. Even if we are of the strong,
"words may never hurt us" sort, we still
have to take into account their social
currency:We must respond tO slurs ifonly
to deny their validity and power over us.
Labeling theory in the 1970s particularly
noticed ethnic slurs the N word, the H
word, and all those othe~ lfibels ,that~e
today t66 impolite to say. Dhrin~"~iE last
generation, American speech etiquette
(what socio-linguists call "pragmatics")
has shifted to make use of these labels
hazardous. More recently, the same has
occurred with words like faggot. In a way,
however, new politeness rules give these
words even more power than they once
had, as Errol’ s neighbormay have realized.
There is a politics of labeling here.
Whose words will become the standard
labels - the one everyone safely may use
jnst gave that !@#S% the evil-eye.
But in 1996, at a Gay pride parade in
Providence, R.I., he took the opportunity
to make ,’unends,
"’I stood tip in t¥ont of 3,000 people mad
lnade a public apology to the Gay
couununity aud the two gentlemen who
went to that prom together," Ste~vart said.
"It was very emotional." "
Stewart 1]as been criticized bv some iu
the Gay connnumty for not being more
out froht with his personal relationslfips.
He bristles at that.
"’My personal life is extremely private,"
he said. "People have a lot of gall to
impose their opinions on someone who’ s
trying to make a difference - to tell me
that because I’ ve reached a certain stature,
I have to promote some Gay agenda."
’~¥qaen it comes to being a role model,
Stewart believes it’ s more important to be
a greatmayor than to spotlight his personal
life. "Having-openly Gay elected people
gives us our place at the table mad proves
that we are just as capable as anybody
else," Stewart said. "And it helps change
people’s minds abont how to consider
Gay people in their daily lives. It’s all
about being positive in what you do."
IGTA member
Call341.6866
International
Toursformoreinformation.
Massage Therapy Services
~EdgarO. Cruz, L.M.T.
¯ Pager: 918-889-5255
Voice Mail: 918-697-9282
Lic. #C4133
Country Club Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm
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Tulsa Locatioi~s~ - "
2001 S. Garnett, 437-2~.~.~.
3733 S. Memori.,~ 6600344
1216 S. Harvard, 587-1778
Sapulpa Location:
109 N. Mission, 227-2322
Meet Local
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@Origin. 18+. Additional features from 67
!n April of this year the "Warrior in Two
Worlds" documentary will air nationally
on PBS. Keep an eye open for the exact
time and date in your area. This is a
compelling story of Eli Parker, a Seneca
Chief and a Union general in the Civil
War. Joanne wrote the sound track.
It is a nice thing to wish for peace and
harmony among peoples; I wonder if it
will ever happen. One can only hope thal
_ Deganawida will come alo~ag and help
create a word that engenders harmony
among differing peoples. Maybe then there
will be no more Gay bashing, lynching,
genocide... Sometimes, with news of
another Matthew Shepard-like case
-coming along once a week, it’s hard to
believe any change is occurring. Yet, I
watch TV, and see Will and Grace, and
many other shows that have or feature
Gay/Lesbian characters, I see films that
are about Gay folk even showing here in
the crotch of the bible belt (Beautiful
Thing, for instance) and can see a
difference. Because when I grew up, the
onlyimage I had ofGay folk were the man
mentioned in the book on birds and bees
my parents gave me at 14 - published in
1945 - that stated homosexuals were men
who hung around playgrounds in trench
coats offering you candy. I remember
thinking - in a rare moment when I wasn’t
busy suppressing, repressing and denying
- that that was what I had to look forward
to? That’s what I was? Ick. And the news
at the time, if Gay folk were mentioned at
all, "was nothing but images of the most
whacked out, far out people on the planet.
Lovely.
Now, kids have it much easier. Is it
paradise? No. Obviously not, and there
are people who are very much fighting to
prevent growth and understanding, and
raising monsters all around us. As Melissa
Etheridge wrote in her song "Scarecrow"
on the albttm "Breakdown": "’We all gasp
’this can’t happen here’, we’re all much
too civilized, where can these monsters
hide?’" She answers: "But they are
knocking on our front door, They’re
rocking in our cradles, They" re preadfing
in our churches, And eating at our tables."
And she’s absolutely right; that’s exactly
where they are. The boogeymen are out
there; and occasionally they do get you. In
another song on the same album, she
writes: "There is no marc, There are no
secrets, We all begin this race at the start,
But I have come this farWith a truth of the
heart. Deep down inside I think we’re all
the same. Try not to judge someone And
never shame. I do bdieve that people are
good. They just want hope and respect
And to be understood. Sometimes it hard
sometimes it’s strange But the truth of the
heart is people can change"
And this is true; I’ve seen it happen. Far
too infrequently, but it can happen. And
that’s the hope that can feed the fire of
change, andkeepus going whenit gets too
much. And it does feel that way,
sometimes. I had gotten to that point, after
seeing the internal strife within the
communities, as well as from outside.
How can we hope to change the world
when we can’t even agree amongst
ourselves? I’ d certainly decided it wasn’ t
worth an effort. Butmy best friend Karin,
aftermany years ofcomplainingabout the
world, has finally taken steps. To at least
make an attempt. And her doing so has
reignited a flame within me. And if that
spark might ignite another, then perhaps
the tamers of the world can unite. And
thus is hope reborn, like a phoenix frown
the ashes. And the world has changed; it is
so much easier tocome out earlier. There’ s
less a chance ofsomeone being afraid that
they’re the only one - like I did, There
were no role models. There were no out
Gay folk that I could talk to. There were
few resources available even at.the library,
unless it was reinforcement of the writing
in that booklet morn and dad gave me.
Thanks to the folks who were willing to
come together and fight and be,,,~ocal ~md
out when it was much more dangerous to
do so, the younger Gay folk do have
options we older folk didn~ t have. For thai
reason alone, the fight must continue. So
get involved, even if it’s coming out to
someone youhaven’ t yet. The only way to
dispel the lies and misi~ffonnation of the
radically wgong is to present ourselves as
we are - hmnan beings. That h~s done
more to change folks around me tha_u all
the marching and worn out footwear in
the world. And what is it that we all seek,
really? Not sex; and people who think
that’s what it’s all about are just plain
wrong. Tell them so. It’ s about the right to
love without being discriminated against.
And if they give you guff about that, just
tell them what author Lynn Flewelling
told me: Love is love.
Tuesday, June 6th, an art exhibit,
"United" will openandonThursday, June
8th, there will be a film night. Locations
and times will be announced later.
For more information about these
events, call the Gay Community Services
Center at 743-4297 (Gays). Groups who
want to enter a float in the parade are
encouraged to attend the float clinic on
March 11 from 1-4pro at the Center.
Gay Men’s Friendships: Invincible
Cotnmunities
by Peter Nardi
The Elusive Embrace: Desire and the
Riddle ofldentity
by Daniel Mendelsolm
Prayer Warriors by Stuart Howell Miller
Widescreen Dreaths : Growing Up Gay at
the Movies
by Patrick Horrigan
Victory Deferred: How AIDS Changed
Gay Life in America ¯ by Johi~-Manual Andriote
; OF INTEREST TO EVERYONE
¯ Gay Parents/Straight Schools: Building
¯ Comnfftnication attd Trust
by Virginia Casper
¯ Witness to Revolution: The Advocate
¯ Reports on Gay and Lesbian Politics
¯¯ 4 Steps to Financial Securityfor Gay attd
Lesbian Couples
¯ by Harold Lustig
Multicultural Detective Fiction: Murder
¯ from the Other Side
Outon Stage: Lesbian andGay Theatre in
". the Twentieth Century
¯ by Alan Sin.field ¯
TheQueerSixties by PatriciaJuliana Smith
¯
Gaylaw: Challenging the Apartheid of
¯ the Closet
¯ by William Eskridge
: To Be Continued, Take Two
i by Michele Karlsberg
Disidentifications: Queers of Color and
¯ the Performance ofPolitics ¯
by Jose Munoz
"- SomethingInside: Conversations with Gay
¯ Fiction Writers
CouNCiL oak meN’S c or<aLe
presents
an~eclectic mix.of.choral.literature ranging from Baroque to Broadway,
from pop classics of the ’50s and ’60s to a bawdy sea chantey
aod an American Folk song featuring the Green Country Cloggers.
Friday and Saturday, April 7 & 8, 2000 at 8pm
Williams Theatre, Tulsa Performing Arts Center
(reception following)
Tickets: PAC box office, 596-7111 in Tulsa,
1,800-364-7111 or online at www,tulsapac.com
council oak a fellowship of gay men dedicated to musical excellence in
the performnnce of choral literature:, providing a source ot"
pride, unity, and support, w;h{]e presenting a positive image
for ourselves, our community, and society as a whole.
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the council oak me~’s Cl~oI~aLe and its parent organization,
the non-profit Vocal Pride Foundation,visit our award-winning website at www.counciloak.org.

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