18 20 639 https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/fe478eb503346b76d111ec713654575c.jpg ff08337cc5191cc189c5ab43992f499b https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/09b2986511645c17d24e2596c65e850a.pdf c8ca09acf9a97df515cf3a1f54ee1045 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Berlin Exhibit Looks at Gay Victims of Nazis by Paul Geitner, Associated Press Writer BERLIN (AP) - Focusing attention on along-neglected group of Nazi victims, a two-part exhibition about Gays persecuted under the Nazis opened Sunday at museums m Berlin and in a former concentration camp where many of the victims were killed. The exhibits of documents, photos, drawings and other objects collected during 10 years ofresearchis the largest on the subject ever mountedinGermany, project organizers said. It documents the fate of700individuals who suffered under the Nazis’ draconian anti-Gay laws and tells 60 personal stories. "We want to return to the Gay victims of the Nazis theirnames and to show their lives, as far as possible, so as to.at, least symbolically liberate them.from the dehumamzmg barbarity of the Nazis,’" said Andreas Stemweiler, project director at the Gay Museum in Berlin, where part of the exhibit is being shown. The other half opened at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, where many Gay men - labded with a .pink triangle- ended up because of the camp’s proxim- ,ty to the capital, see Nazis, p.3 Be Counted: Effort to Include Gays in Census SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - A national campaign to include Gays and Lesbians in Census 2000 is urging same-sex couples to check offtheboxindicating they’re unmarried partners. Using e-mail, ads in Gay publications and word-ofmouth, thecampaign is an un0fficial way to get a partial indication of the nation’s Gay and Lesbian population, the San Jose Mercury News reported recently. "We want to make the point that there is such a thing as a Gay or Lesbianfamily,’" said PaulaEttelbrick, family policy director for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. The federal government added the unmarried partners category to the census in 1990, to recognize heterosexual couples who live together without being married. That year, 150,000 same-sex households were identified. "It was a vast undercount,’" said Ann Northrop, board member for the Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies. Those involved in the so-called "Out the Census’" campaign say that even though individual Gays and Lesbians won’t be counted, the number of couples will provide a partial account. And additional information included on U.S. Census forms could provide a valuable snapshot of the community, including income levels, ethnicity and the number of same-sex couples raising children. While the campaign is getting nationwide attention, some Gays and Lesbians are wary ofrevealing toomuch information. Rikki Westerschulte, who is raising a daughterwith herparmer, says sheknows many couples who are nervous about declaring their sexual orientation on an official government form. The recent passage of Proposition 22, which recognizes only marriage between a man and a woman in California, adds to the suspicion. "You walk down the hall at work and wonder, ’Who is it I think I can trust, who really feels I’m immoral?’ "Westerschnlte asked. Other couples are angry they cannot declare themselves as married, see Census, p. 11 Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends Tulsa’s Largest Circulation Community PaperAvailable In More Than 75 City Locations Camme,rmeyer .To Join Lougan s at Pr de 2000 TULSA - Last month, the organizers of Diversity Festival 2000 announced that US Olympic champion, Greg Louganis, would serve as Grand Marshall for the° Millennium Pride Parade this June. This month, organizers confirmed that Dr. Grethe Cammermeyer, distiguished veteran of the United States Armed Forces, will join Louganis as grand marshall. Cammermeyer challenged US anti-Gay/Lesbian policies which forced her out of her nursing positionin the United States Reserve forces. Her lifestory was madeinto a television film produced by Barbra Streisand, starring Glenn Close. Cammermeyerhas come to Tulsa before. She spoke at the Universi ty of Tulsa in the spring of 1995 to an audience of about 300 Tulsa Family New~ writer Lauri Cooper shown in the photo at right interviewed Cammermeyer. The week of Pride events begins with an interfaith worship service to be held at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The Reverend Dr. Mel White, author and civil rights activist, will be the principle speaker at this event. White will lead a workshop also to be held at the PAC on Saturday, June 3, from 2-5pm (free) on the principles of non-violent social change. Lougams will speak at a black tie optional dinner to be held at the prestigious Summi t Club on Friday, June 9th. Tickets for the event are $75/person and there will be a VIP reception at $50/ person. These events will benefit Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights, the parent organization of the Gay Community Center and Oklahoma’ s oldest Lesbian and Gay non-religious organization. Organizers anticipate that the parade will follow the sameroute as last year, Cooper & Cammermeyer SoulForee in Oklahoma Members of Soulforce in Oklahoma Marched at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade in January. TULSA- Oklahoma’s oldest Gay and Lesbian organizataon is a religious one, the congregation now know as MCC United, the Metropolitan Community Church United. So perhaps it is fitting that one of Oklahoma’s newest community organizations also has religious roots. "Soulforce in Oklahoma" is part of an effort begun by the Rev. Mel White and his spouse Gary Nixon. Soulforce is an ecumenical network of volunteers committed to teaching and applying the principles ofnon-violence on behalf ofsexnal minorities. Thename derives from the workofMohandas Karamchand Gandhi, a leader of India’s independence movement. Soulforce or truth force is a translation of "satyagraha" a concept Gandhi began developing as a young lawyer fighting for racial justice in South Africa. Gandhi’s thinking greatly influenced the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his work for civil rights for Black Americans. The goals of Soulforce are to end the suffering ofLesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered persons, to change the minds and hearts of religious leaders whose anti-Gay campaigns lead directly and indirectly to that suffering, to be guided by the principles of "relentless non-violent resistance, and through this, try to bring hope and healing to society. In Tulsa, Soulforce was organized by individuals involved in MCC United and the group has been holding regular meetings at the Gay Community Services Center. see Soul, p. 7 ¯ Tulsan Chosen For HRC Board ¯ Fundraiser Audra Sommers : To Join Marty Newman in DC ¯ TULSA - Audra Sommers, who is planning an ¯¯ AIDS benefit in Tulsa next month, has gained national recognition ¯ forher humanrights - efforts. Sommers ¯ has been named to the Board of Gover- ¯ nors of the Human ¯ Rights Campaign, a ¯ 300,000-member national organlza- ¯ tion that batdes dis- -¯ crimination against sexual minorities. ¯ As a board mere- ¯ ber, Audra will be ¯ responsible for re- . cmiting, promoting ¯ awareness ofhuman rights issues in Oklahoma and ¯ serving as a liaison between Oklahoma and the ¯ national organization in Washington, DC, where ¯ she will be heading for orientation this month. "I’m ¯ really, really happy that I was appointed, to the : Board of Governors," she said. ¯ Sommers joins Tulsan Marty Newman on the ¯ Board of Governors. Newman expressed delight : with Sommers selection. "Audra has a ~roven .. history of work on behalf of the commumty, and ¯ she has an enormous number of people wholook to ¯ her leadership," noted Newman. He added that ." HRC is concentrating its effolas on Tulsa at this ¯ time and he feels Sommers will add immeasurably ¯ to HRC’s strengths. see Audra, p.3 Audra Sommers Pentagon Admits Hate Speech is Widespread by Robert Burns, AP Military Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Anti-Gay speech and harassment is commonplace in the U.S. military, especially among young enlisted troops, according to a Pentagon inspector general’s survey. 85% of those surveyed said they believed that anti-Gay comments are tolerated on their base or aboard their ship, and 37% said they had personally witnessed or been the target of harassment - such as hostile gestures, graffiti or physical assault- based on perceived homosexuality. The survey released last month also found a widespread belief among troops that the Clinton administration’s so-called "don’t ask, don’t tell’" policy on Gays in the military - which Vice President A1 Gore says he would eliminate if he were elected president-is not working. President Clinton himself has said the policy, forged in 1993, is now "’out of whack.’" Defense Secretary William Cohen, responding to theinspector general’ s survey results, announced he was creating a committee of military and civilian officials to draft a plan for measures to improve the policy’s implementation. Cohen put the onus on military chiefs to fix the problem. "The report shows that military leaders must do more to make it clear that harassment based on sexual orientation violates military values,’" Cohen said in a memo to the military chiefs and service secretaries. The administration’s policy, set in law by Congress in 1993 after a heated political battle, says Gays and Lesbians may serve in the military so long as they keep their sexual orientation to themselves. Dubbed "don’t ask, don’t tell,’" the policy still bars openly homosexual people from serving in uniform. Although the policy was designed to make it easier for Gays to serve, an increasing number have been discharged in recent years. see Pentagon, p..10 Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants *Chasers, 4812 E. 33 712-2324 *CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial 610-5323 Full Moon Cafe, 1525 E. 15th 583-6666 *Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria 749-4511 Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square 744-4280 *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st 745-9998 *The Star, 1565 Sheridan 834-4234 *The Storm, 2182:S. Sheridan 835-2376 *Renegi~des/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main 585-3405 *TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial 660-0856 *Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd 584-1308 *The Yellow ~rick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th , 749-15.63 Ailyanced:Wi~el~Ss 8~:PCS; Digital Cellular ~: ’~ 74%1~08) *Assoc.. in- Med. &M~ntal Health, 2325 S I Harvard 743- t000 Kent Balch & Associates, Health & Life Insurance 747-9506 *Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034 Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis *Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 4I 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 : 581-0902,743-4117 ; Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700 ¯ Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 ¯ ¯Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620 " ¯Devena’s Gallery, 13Brady 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. Main 592-0460 " ¯Floral Design Studio, 3404 S,~eoria 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 ¯ Learme M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning 459-9349 " Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440 " ¯Sandra J. Hi~.’.ll, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly 745-1111 "_ ¯International Touts ~ 341-6866 Jacox AnimaiClinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750 ] ¯Jared’~ Antiques,~]602 E. 15th ~ " ~582-30i8 : David Kauskey,. 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, #210 747:5466 ", ¯Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha 585-1234 ¯ ¯Midtown Theater, 319E. 3rd 584-3112 ¯ Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 663-5934 " ¯Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664-2951 ¯ Puppy Pause II, t060 S. Mingo 838-7626 ¯ ¯Thh 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 481-0558 Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563 Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling " 743-1733 " ¯Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222 " ¯Whittier 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 ~tiristian Cdn’t~r, 2207 E~ ~5 ....583-78"15 ¯B/IAG/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 ¯Churchof the RestorationUU~ !3 l~N.Greenwood 587-1314 ¯Comm’~ty ofHope United Methotttst, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300 ¯Communi~ Uniti{rian-Universalist~ongregati0n 749-0595 ,Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888 ¯Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511 ¯Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457 Dignity/Integrity of Tnlsa - 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 Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827 918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615 POB 41413, Tulsa, OK 74159 e-mail: TulsaNews@ ear~hlinlc net Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal Writers + contributors: James Chfistjohn, 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.-.thi’s publ~cati6n are protected byUS copyright 1~98 by i~r~ ~4~ /~1~u4 and may not be reprodu~.d either in whole orin pm:twithout written permission from the publisher. Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes the sole property of T~,~t F¢~.’. N~÷ Each reader is entitled to 4 copies of each editaon at distribution points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248. Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438 HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583-6611 *Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194 Holland Hall School, 5666 E. 81 st 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 *MCt~ 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 PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901 *Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674 Prime-Timers, P.O. Box52118, 74152 R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195 *Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325 O’RYAN, support group:[<~r t8-24 LGBT young adults O’RYAN, Jr. support.group for 14-17 LGBT youth S.t.Aidan. s Eptseop Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425~7882 St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492:7140 *St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088 *Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171 *TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225 Tulsa County Health Deparunent, 4616 E. 15 5954105 Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on.Thursdays only 743-4297 298-0827 Tulsa Okla. for HumanRights, c/o The Pride Center T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. *Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule *Tulsa Community College Campuses *Tulsa Gay Community Center, 1307 E. 38, 74105 Unity Church ofChristianity, 3355 S. Jamestown BARTLESVILLE 743-4297 749-8833 *Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353 OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN Bdtders Books & Music, 3209 NWExpressway 405-848-2667 Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907 TAHLEQUAH Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900 *Tatdequah 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 ":- 32utunui Bi~ceze- ~dstaurant, Hwy. 23 ¯ *1ira & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. ¯ Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. ; MCC of the Living Spnng ¯ 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 f’md TFN. Not all are Gay-owned but all are Gay"friendly. Some 600 homosexuals were killed there between 1939 and mid-1943 alone, according to the researchers. The Nazi anti-Gay law,knownas "Paragraph 175,’" was directly solely against Gay men, since the Nazis were mainly concerned with perceived threats to their ideal of Aryan manhood. Lesbians were generally ignored, although some were arrested as "asocials’" or "prostitutes.’" Few surviving victims ever came forward after World War II because of continning stigmaassociated withhomosexualkty, whicl~remained illegal in West Germfiny ~mder the sam~ Nazi law until 1969: Tens of thousands of men were prosecuted in those postwar years. Historians also generally ignored the Nazi per.s..e~..u;~n of homosexuals until the 1980s, meaning many survivors had’ already passedaway, organizers said. Only a handful are known to still be alive; their stories are told in a U.S.-made documentary," Paragraph 175,’" whichwon awards at film festivals in Berlin and at Sundance this year. Germany’s center-left government introduced a bill last week - 55 years after the end of the war - that would require parliament to officially recognize and apologize to Gay victims. It also calls on the government to study whether a blanket annulment should be issued for convictions under the Nazi anti-Gay law, under which even a glance between men could be cause for prosecution. - Guenter Morsch, director of tli’~ Sachsenhansen memorial, noted that protests erupted after the first plaque dedicated to Gay victims of the Nazis was hung at the Dachau concentration camp outside Munich in the 1980s. Last year, Germany’s national Holocaust memorial day commemorated Gay victims for the first time with .a ceremony at S~lchsenhansen. Events like that and the ¯ new exhibit are important, he said, be- ; cause all groups - not just those that are ¯ "politically correct’" - must be remem- -"- bered if tolerance is to be promoted. : About 200,000 people were interred at Sachsenhausen between 1936 and 1945; : including Jews, Roma, communists ",rod ¯ other political prisoners. More than 1,400 Jews were killed there, thousands more sent off to be killed in Auschwitz. Others were forced to work in adjacent factories. You mayfind the Gay Museum at www.schwulesmuseum.de Audra, who is also a volunteer fund- ¯ raiser, is currently producing her largest ¯ event to date, a three-hourAIDS benefit at Tulsa’s Performing Arts Center that wi’ll ~ feature Thrifty president Don Himelfarb : as keynote speaker. ¯ ThePAC show,"Connecting the Hearts ¯ ofTulsa,"is scheduledforApri120 atTpm ¯ and will benefit Tulsa C.A.R.E.S. Fea- ¯ tured performers include Debbie ¯ Campbell, Rebecca Ungerman and ¯ children’s musical groups from All Souls ¯ Unitarian Church. ¯ The John H. Williams Theater seats 429, andAudrahopes to sellit0ut. Tickets ¯ are $10 general admission, $20 VIP seat.- ," ing, and $5 students. ¯ For more information or tickets, call ~ 832-7919. see Audra, p. 3 by Lamont Lindstrom, Ph.D. : "Unmarried Partner." That’s the U.S. ¯ Census 2000 official term for boyfriends ; and girlfriends. It’s either that or else you " check Husband/Wife, Roomer/Boarder, ¯ Housemate/Roommate, or Other " Nonrelative. ¯ How should I label my live-in? I can’t ¯ call him Husband or Wife. He’s not a : Boarder. He’s much more than a RoOm- " mate. (TheCen~uginfbmas us tha~ Room- ¯ mates "share living quarters primarily to : share expenses.") AndOther Nonrelative; : although correct, is hopelessly inadequate. So, for lack of better alternative, the boyfriend must be an Unmarried Partner. I am pleased to see the Census Bureau demands, rather romantically, that the Unmarried Partnerhave"aclose personal relationship with Person 1" (that is, with me). I know some Unmarried Partners ° whose onetime close personal relations : have aged into an icy and tight-lipped co- ¯ erastence. " The Census, as a condensed.form of " Ameri~anculturalpresumption, thinks that : people really ought tO be related to their - roommates either by blood or by marriage. Anthropologists call such presumptions "residencerules"- expectation about who should live with whom. There are patrilocal and matrilocal societies where children live with either father’s or mother’~ people. In avunculocal situations -the tropical Trobriand Islands - hildren move an with mother s brothers. Where virilocal rules arefollowed, women reside with their new husbands. Or there is theuxorilocal opposite: traditional Hopi Indian grooms, for example, move’ their belongings into their bride’g house. And there isthe "neolocal" U.S. where all couples should establish new, independent households. All these patterns describe the co-residency of kin, and the American situation is no different. Most of us live with relafives as we grow up: "mothers, fathers, sis{~s, and brothers. And most of us live with even more relatives after we marry: husbands, wives, sons, and daughters. There are just two anomalous periods in mostAmericanlife cycles when wemight find ourselves living with non-kin (with "Other Nonrelatives," according to Census language). The first consists of the few years between leaving morn and dad behind and marriage. This typically is the time of higher educalionwhen young twenty-somethings pile up in dormitories, fraternities, sororities, and shared apartments. The second comes with old age. We agomze over the mor~ity of farming mom out to some nursing home ward full of strangers. The experience of life with non-kin and strangers is fraught with aggravations and difficulties. The common bathrooms, those dirty dishes, the housemate’s woeful taste in music. Life with mere friends or roommates is rocky and unstable. My nervous students busy themselves with inventing "fictive kinship" labels for one another. They pretend that the co-residents in their sororities or fraternities are "just like" their sisters and brothers. And they watch a lot of "Friends," relying on Hollywood to romanticize and make fun of the peculiar experience of sharing their toilet seats with the "Other Nonrelated." Weare broughtup to live with relatives. Sbared residence withkin is easier for two reasons. We are morally obliged to forgive the exasperations of our revolting brothers that we would never stand from a friend. And we ablemore easily to take our revenge on our irksome siblings, spouses, orchildren, unconstrainedby the politeness conventions that govern our relations with non-kin. Wash those dishes or you are grounded! Pick up your filthy socks, slob! Gays and Lesbians are in something of a residential quandary: many of us never mo~e beyondthis stageof life with nonkin. Straights leave behind theirfew years of shared apartments and dormitories to ¯ return to new households composed of :. kin. But since Gays and Lesbians cannot ¯ marry, officially at least, we live out our lives with roommates, other nonrelatives, ¯ and unmarried partners. ¯ This perhaps explains some of the fra- ¯ gility ofGay households. "It’sMyWay or the Highway!" is easier to demand when you aren’t shouting at relatives. Many of us havemetguys whowereperfectcouples before they made the fatal mistake of moving m together. And we have other friends who are resigned to living solo. No spare toothbrushes in theirbathrooms. They’ve relied too often on the unkind= hess of strangers. Soyou snoopingFedenumerators, come along and count me. I’m checking the Unmarried Partner box. At the moment at least, I’m happily living with the UP. I realize, given American cultural patterns, that the non-kin structure of our household is anomalous. It will require extra effort and forgiveness to keep it going. Forget or forgive those badly squeezed .toothpaste tubes. TheUPis neitherbrother nor spouse but t still want him arodttfl"to be counted in 2010: ,-:~: LamontLindstrorn teaches anttfOl~lbgy at the University of Tulsa. Among the. survey’s key findings: - 80% of the 71,500 members of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps surveyed said they had heard offensive speech or jokes or derogatory names or remarks about Gays in the past year. The service members were not asked if they had. participated in such behavior. -33% said they heard it often. It was reported most frequently in the Marine Corps and least in the Air Force. Such behavior was reported to be most common among junior enlisted troops. --Of the offensive behaviors or actions reported as directed against Gays, offensive speech was the most common. It was mentioned by 89% of those who reported witnessing or experiencing some form of harassment. Hostile gestures were reported by 35%; threats or intimidation by 20%; graffiti by 15%, vandalism of personal property by 7% and physical assault by 9%. The survey was done on 38 U.S. military bases and aboard 10 Navy ships and one submarine from Jan. 24 to Feb. 11. The spark that caused the Pentagon to take a closer look at how the Gay policy is being implemented - and the extent of anti-Gay behavior in the field - was the bludgeoning death lastJuly ofaGay Army private, Barry Winchell, at FortCampbell, Kentucky. His killer, a fellow Army private, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Medical *Excellence And Compass.ionate ’ Care S nce 1926. ’* ¯ ST. JOHN MEDICAL CENTER q P Medical Excellence ¯ Compassionate Care IGTA member Call 341. 6866 International ToutS formore inyormation. Massage Therapy Services ~!~~gar O. 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. 8-5pro Mississippi House Bans Adoptions by Gays JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi may become the second state with a law banning homosexual couples from adopting children, althoughlawmakers embracing the idea say they are unaware of any cases ofGay adoptive parents. The House approved theban with no debate late in March, nearly a week after a similar proposal died for lack of action. The adoption ban was revived after an orchestrated phone call campaign by supporters. Only Florida has a law forbidding Gay adoptions, but other stateshave policies that keep homosexuals from seeking adoptions. Bill opponents and supporters said they were unaware of adoptions in Mississippi involving Gay couples or any couples hoping to adopt. Mississippi Baptists and the Tupelo-based American Family Association had lined up in support of the proposal. On the other side were the American Civil Liberties Union, which has threatened alawsuit, and homosexual groups. "It’s ridiculous,’" said Eddie Sandifer of Jackson, director of the Mississippi Gay and Lesbian Alliance. "This is going to be in court. It’s just a waste of taxpayers’ money. They know there’s going to be a lawsuit and they’ll lose eventually.’" House Public Health Commi ttee Chairman Bobby Moody, D-Louisville, said, "ff it’s the right thing to do, it doesn’t matter to me if it leads to a lawsuit or not.’" "What constitutes a family is not a homosexual couple,’" s~iid Moody. The bill was approved 107-8. There could be an attempt for a second vote. "That bill is of the assumption that anybody who’s Gay wilt,abuse children. That’ s not a good ~rgument. I can’tjudge one’ s moral turpitude. I’m not qualified to do that,’" said Rep. David Green, D-Gloster. This is the second time in three years that Mississippi lawmakers have gotten involved in Gay issues. In 1997, they banned homosexual marriages. The adoption ban was added to a bill dealing with nurse practitioners. That proposal lets the practitioners prepare paperwork about the physical or mental condi- - tion of a child being put up for adoption. Now doctors must do the paperwork. Moody said the House vote came in response to a public outcry. "There’s been a lot of publicity created around the state. It gave the false impression to some religious groups that it was happening or there was a possibility it could happen,’" he said of adoptions by Gay couples. Rep. Mary Coleman, D-Jackson, said lawmakers "’were infringing on people’s private lives.’" David Ingebretsen, director of theACLU in Mississippi, has said his group may sue on behalf of aGay couple if the bill becomes law. Other states have been sued over their adoption policies. The bill does not ban a Gay individiml from trying to adopt a child. It goes back to the Senate for more consideration. PlanetOut Website and Advocate/Out to Merge SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - PlanetOut, which caters to Gays and Lesbians, has announced plans to acquire Liberation Publications, the largest publisher of Gay and Lesbian periodicals and books in the country. Liberatiofi Publications Inc. produces the Advocate newsmagazine and will soon own Out magazine. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The companies describe the deal as a merger, but the Interact company will be the dominant partner; allowing the magazines "tO continue publishing under their own brand names. "You can characterize it as the AOL-Time Warner in the Gay space,’" said Megan J. Smith,.chief executive of PlanetOut. Her five-year-old company operates the Web site www.planetout.com, along with an online radio and film service and PlanetOut TV, which airs on the site and on Canadian television. In 1996, the San Francisco-based site became the first Gay-oriented enterprise to secure venture capital funding. The company has since established parmerships with AOL, Netscape, Yahoo! and other major Web companies as well as made advertising agreements with Arista Records, Virgin Adantic Airways and Johnson & Johnson. Liberation Publications is based in Los Angeles. It announced Feb. 21 that it. would acquire New Yorkbased Out Publishing Inc., the publisher of Out and HIV+ magazines. The Advocate, a 33-year-old bi-weekly with a circulation of about 88,000, concentrates on news, politics, business and medical information. Out~ a monthly launchedin 1992, has a circulation of 115,000 and focuses on culture, entertainment, fitness and other topics. The Gay marketis considered a prime for Intemet players because a high percentage of Gays and Lesbians use the Internet and because the Intemet )rovides.a level Of anonymity. Dr. Schlessinger’s TV Show Draws Protesters LOS ANGELES (AP) - Paramount Television says it is committed to putting tough-talking Dr. Laura Schlessinger on TV, the tough-talking protests of hundreds of angry Dr. Laura demonstrators notwithstanding. "Shame, shame, shame,’" more than 200 Gay civil rights protesters shouted outside Paramount Pictures, where they demanded the studio drop plans to put the controversial radio host on television this fall. Schlessinger, known to her listeners as Dr. Laura, dispenses relationship advice onher enormously popular radio show. She has called homosexuality a"biological error’" and "deviant.’" "When Paramount bought Laura Schlessinger’s show, they bought abattle withtheGay community,’" said Joan Garry, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "We’re going to do whatever it takes’" to get the ParamOunt Television Group to abandon the syndicated show, Garry said. So far Paramount has stood firm. and none of the stations signed on to air Schlessinger’s show have backed out. In arecent statement, the studio §aidit was committed to presenting moral and ethi’~fl issues without "creating or contributing to an en~cfroimaent of hurt, hate or intolerance.’" One of the signs carried by the demonstrators read "No More Matthew Shepards.’" a reference to the Gay student killed in Wyoming in 1998. Also fueling the protest is anger over the passage last month of Proposition 22, which bans same-sex marriage in California. "We will do whatever it takes to keep the pressure on. The strategies will be about advertisers and the affiliates,’" Garry said, declining to specify whether that meant station or sponsor boycotts. Countering the demonstrators were about 75 Schlessinger supporters organized by Campaign for California Families, a conservauve, nonprofit organization. "We’re the majority Of people who pay to see Paramount films and who tune in to Paramount television shows. We are in support of Dr. Laura being on the air,’" Said Cherri Gardner, a spokeswoman for the group. Conservatives Sue City Over Partners Benefits BOSTON (AP) -A conservativelaw firm is suing the city of Cambridge, claiming that the ordinance that allows homosexual couples to register as domestic partners is illegal and unconstitutionhl. "The ordinance isboth legally and morally wrong. .. This legal action is necessary to defend marriage and the family,’" Vincent P. McCarthy, Northeast counsel for the Virginia-based American Center for Law and Justice, said Tuesday in a statement. In July, the state Suprem,e Judicial Court struck down an executive order issued by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino that was intended to give health insurance coverage to Gay partners of Boston city workers. The ACLJ assisted the Catholic Action League in that case and predicted another legal victory against Cambridge. It also said it planned to file a suit against United in God’s Love MCC-United Sunday Worship Reverend Cathy Elliot 11:00 am Pastor 1623 N. Maplewood 918/838-1715 Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community ofHope 2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595 A Welcoming Congregation 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 Available 2865 E. Skelly Drive, Suite 215,745-1111 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 Mingo Valley Flowers 9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa74145 918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-444=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 Store 1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor Tulsa Gay Community Services Center 743-GAYS (743-4297) 6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday 12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center OKLAHOMA COMMUNICATIONS Local- Long Distance Cellular- Paging 747-1508 Free Car Adaptor & Leather Case with .New Cell Phone TOM NEAL BUILDING & GARDEN DESIGN 583- 1248 Red Rock Tulsa -Free Confidential HIV.Testing Walk-in Clinics Tuesdays, 5 -8 pm, Center, 1307 East 38th Wednesdays, 5-8 pm, Red Rock, 1724 East 8th Daytime appointments available. Call for more information: 918-584-2325 KEVIN BURLESO N Keller Williams Realty 712-2252 Burleson@kw.com 2651 Ea~t 21st Street, Ste. 100, Tulsa 74114:" .~An lndep(ndent Member Broker OPENARMS,OPENMINDS,OPENHEARTS Saint Aidan 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 the city of Springfield. The Catholic Action Leagueis also involved in the Cambridge case. Under the Cambridge ordinance passed in 1992, Gay couples go to City Hall and register as domestic partners. Once registered, partners of a city or school worker are entitled to the same health benefits as spouses of city and school workers. Michael Gardner, Cambridge’s personnel director, who administers the be~lefits, said he felt the ordinance was both legal and constitutional. "It was our view that we should continue to follow the ordinance passed by our legislative body,’" he said. The law firm, which brought the suit onbehalfof 12 Cambridge residents, attacked the ordinance on a number of legal fronts, but one argument was the one that succeeded in the Supreme Judicial Conrt last year. The SJC had rifled that the" Boston executive order was "inconsistent’" with a decades-old state law that granted cities the authority to provide health insurance to workers, their spouses and dependents. Gary Buseck, executive director of Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, said he would be happy if Cambridge fought the case vigorously. But he also called on the Legislature to pass a bill designed to grant cities and towns the power to extend the benefits if they chose. The bill has passed the Senate but is pending in the House, he said. "The Legislature can put an end to all of this and ~make sure cities and towns have an option of extending health insurance to all their employees,’" Buseck said. Georgia Hate Crimes Bill Gets Final Passage ATLA~’qTA (AP) - The Georgia Senate gave final passage to a bill allowing stiffer penalties for hate crimes. Gov. Roy Barnes will have to sign off on it before it can become law. ~ The. origii~ Version of the bill specified which types ofbigo.try warranted a hate crime, but the House amended the: measure to be more vague. It now mentions only.crimes motivated by "bias or preju- Sen. Vincent D. Fort, D-Atlanta, said he would have preferred the.originalianguage but was willing to accept the ctian~e~. .A jury would, declare defendants guilty of a hate crime after they were convicted ofanother crime such as vandalism, arson, assault or murder. The initial bill would have allowed the judge to make that decision. That changeprompted Sen. Clay Land, R-Columbus, to reverse his original vote and support the measure. ~At that time,.I felt the legislation was unconstitutional because it did not provide the accused with a ¯ jury trial,’" he said. Under the bill, sentences and fines for misdemeanors would be increased by half, up to the maximum allowed, for hate crimes. Felony prison sentences ¯ would be increased byfive years up to the maximum sentence. Defendants convicted ofhate crimes would have to serve at least 90 percent of their sentences. Women Lawmakers Key To Civil Unions Win MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - A greater percentage of women than menin the Vermont House of Representatives voted in favor of the civil unions bill that passed in the House last week. Female representatives approved by a wide margin granting same-sex couples tile benefits of marriage through civil unions while their male counterparts turned it down. The women voted for the bill 35-9 while the men voted against it 60-41. All but one of 32 female Democrats voted in favor of the bill, while four of 12 Republican women voted for it. Although women make up relatively smaller proportions of each caucus, more than half of the Democrats voting yes were women, and more than a quarter of the Republicans voting yes were women. Rep. Anne Pugh, D-South Burlington, said female constituents in general asked her to support the bill, while men asked her [o oppose it. "It may have m do with the fact that women traditionally focus on family, and nurturing and relationships - that women’s identity comes from connecting,’" Pugh said. Rep. Michael Vinton, D-C01chester, a retired state trooper who has been outspoken in his criticisms of anti-Gay arguments, said he bdieved women felt less threatened by homosexuality. "For whatever reason, I feel there’s more fear among the male gender,’" Vinton said. "Men seem to be more crfical of people -it’s just our species, probably."" The trend reflects women’s greater receptiveness to homosexuals across the country, according to national policy experts. "Women overwhelnfingly support Gay aud Lesbian civil rights more than ~nen, generally speaking,’" said Paula Ettelbrick, director ofthe National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute. "’Women identify more because, like Gays and Lesbians, they have not been part of the system as a group, and theymaderstand the need and desire to be a full citizen,’" she said. However, she said the fact that the Vermont House had passed a civil unions bill at all "shows that mendike everybody else have the capacity to change on issues involving their own communities.’" The bill passed on a final margin of76 to 69. Voting yes were 57 Democrats, 14 Republicans, four Progressives mad one Independent. Voting no were 50 Republicans, 18 Democrats, and one Independent. N.M. Christian Coalition Files Phone Co. Benefits ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - The New Mexico branch of the Christian Coalition is accusing U S West of abusing public trust by providing employee benefits to homosexuals and other umnarried workers. In a document filed with the state Public RegulationCommission, theNew Mexico Christian Coalition says the policy is "offensive to decent, moral subscribers who want phone service.’" Edward Lopez Jr., U S West’s vice president in New Mexico, said he is disgusted to "see-this kind of hate and intolerance’" in a state as diverse as New Mexico. Lopez says. the policy is good business. "We believe our work force mirrors that of our. custom- : ers,’" he said. "We’ve better able to understand .our. customers needs and respond to.them.’" ¯ In its one-page filing, theChristian group contends U S West’s benefits policy promotes the spread of ¯ AIDS and other sexually transmitteddiseases. "We’re ¯ saying there’s a moral issue of unmarried people that ¯ donot deserve benefits. If there is any way to prevent ¯ that from happening, we’ll do that,’" said Mark Bur- " ton, executive director of the Albuquerque-based ¯ group. The group, affiliated with Pat Robertson’s Christian Coalition of America, also contends in the ¯ filing that homosexuals are prone to violence and ¯ child molestation. ¯ Linda Siegle, alobbyist for theCoalition forEquality, called the group’s statements "ludicrous and ¯ absurd, based on every lie and stereotype perpetrated ¯ on people who are Gay.’" About 2,500 private corporations, universities and other organizations across the nation provide domes- " tic partnership benefits, she said. ¯ In its Mar~h i0 filing,’ the New Mexico Christian ¯ Coalition requested the PRC investigate "the social ¯ implications of this heinous U S West policy.’" "The partners of homosexuals .shouldn’t have the right to ¯ get benefits fromamonopoly when I have no other choice (for servic£),’" Burton said. " " The Public Regulation Commission currently as investigating U S West’s customer rates. Commission chairman Bill Pope said he couldn’t comment on anything contained in the filing because the panel has yet to hear the rate case. South African Gays May Give Blood JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) - Gay men have a constitutional right to donate blood, the South African Human Rights Commission has ruled. The commission said it was no longer Gays who were most at risk for HIV in South Africa, but people in their early 20s. The commi ssiondemandedthat ablood bank in Western Cape change its practice of not accepting blood from homosexual men. Western Cape Blood Transfusion Service director Arthur Bird on Friday said he disagreed with the decision and was seeking legal advice. The case came about after Andrew Barnes, a public relations manager, responded to an urgent plea for new donors in the midst of a severe blood shortage last year. A nurse at Western Cape Blood Transfusion Service declined Barnes’ blood afterhemarked "yes’" ontheform’ s question of whether he had had sex with a man. Barnes had been in a r~lationship with anothermanformore than two years. The commission said the decision to reject Barnes’ blood was ’~discrimination in terms of the Constitution." It said it would take the blood bank to court unless it explains what changes it will make to avoid breaching people’s constitutional right to equality before April 3. Teacher With AIDS LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) - HIV/AIDS activist Cathy Robinson was a teacher in 1991, living a storybook life with her husband, pregnant with their second child. She and her husband, Dan, went to the doctor for what was supposed to be a routine physical for life insurance and learned theunimaginable: They both Were infected with the virus that causes AIDS. Three years later, she developed AIDS. "My first instinct was, ’I know where I’ve been. Where have you been?’ " Robinson said. Then headlines flashed through her head declaring Belle Glade - where she had worked with children- the AIDS capital of the state. She wondered if she had contracted the deadly virus there. Buttwomonths later, Robinson, 34, found out she had contracted HIV from a man who died from AIDS complications in prison while doing time for raping her July 4, 1984, at a Tallalaassee convenience store where she worked. Privacy laws prohibited the prison from disclosing to Robinson that he had AIDS. She went seven years without finding out she had HIV. She gave it to her husband during that time, but her children, Garrett and Lyndsy, are HIV-free. There is only about a 20% chance a pregnant mother will pass onHIV to her baby. With medicine, the chances drop to 4%. Robinson, who also wasdiagnosed with breast cancer two year~s ago, is coping with her own mortality by spending the time she has left to promote safe sex and persuade people to get tested. Her efforts includ~lhe NAMES Project AIDS Memoria~: Quilt display, which is being displayed this month in the Hollis Wellness Center at Florida Southern College. Robinson. travels throughout Florida talking with students, sheriffs’ deputies and commumty groups about HIV and AIDS, defying stereotypes of the "typical’" AIDS victim, as a mamed, white, middle-class mother of two. Laws about HIV status disclosure vary by state. In Florida, it takes a court order to have someone convicted of sexual assault tested. "We don’t as a state mandate testing, and emergency rooms don’t have time to doit,’" Robinson said. "They (tell) victims of sexual as sault, ’In afew weeks, you should get tested.’ " Assistant State Attorney Sherri Scarborough, who handles many of the criminal sexual assault cases in Polk County, said state statutes allow the court to order HIV tests of anyone accused of a crime where bodily fluids are exchanged. But the victim has to request the tests and ask that the health department notify them of the results. Scarborough said she only remembered two cases in the past six years when a victim wanted to have his or her attacker tested. One whs aT0-year-old woman. The other was a college student. Robinson was a student at Florida State University when she was raped. Two of her attackers were convicted, but a third man never was arrested. She testified in the two trials but did not ask that her attacker be tested because there was no HIV test at the time. "In 1985, there was a test. I called right away, but they said, ~Cathy, you don’t need to worry. The only people who get HIV are Gays and drug users,’ " she said. Meanwhile, her attacker was being treated for AIDS in prison. WhenRobinson foundout she was HIVpositive, she said she didn’t tell anyone for amonth. Thev. two months passed, and she was about to give bir~ to her son, Garrett, now 8. "Three nurses refused to give us care. One, not knowing anything about me, assumed we decided to have children even though we had AIDS. She called (the Department of Children and Families) to try to get them to take our kids away,’" Robinson said. ThenRobinsonmadea choice she could never take back. She decided to talk about her story in schools and churches to raise public awareness. "By going public, there was no way I could ever teach again, which was fine,’" she said. "Then they wiped my husband’s job out of his company. We paid tbr groceries with credit cards for a while... Thenwerealized they were going to turn our lights out. We moved in with my parents in Clewiston." Cathy and Dan since have moved to Fort Myers with her best friend, a nurse. But they decided five years ago to have Garrett and Lyndsy, 9, continue to live with her parents, to ease the transition on the day the~ know will come. The Robinsons see their childrenon weekends and holidays. They write in journals and make tapes to record memories they want the kids to remember. "We knew ultimately we were going to die,’" Cathy said. "We thought it was importantfor them to transilion. Wenever thought we’d still be transitioning five years later. Our biggest fear was dying before Lyndsy and Garr’ett were old enough to remember us.’" Bill Gregory, an advertising professor at Florida Southern, fellow AIDS activist and friend, said Cathy hves to spread the message. But radiation therapy has made it more difficult in recent months. Cathy travels to Miami for radiation treatments because she can get them free in exchange for leading educational programs. She puts about 1,500 miles a week on her leased Ford Explorer traveling throughout the state for AIDS education, stressing safer sex and HIV testing. "You have to be tested,’" she said. "No. 1, you don’t want others to get infected. No. 2, they can treat you. If you are negative, you have a chance to rethink your activities that got you there.’" Timothy W. Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partnership Planning, Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma Weekend and evening appointments are available. January April July October December Even Out Your Monthly Electric Bills. At WoO, we know that changing weather conditions throughout the year can cause your monthly electric bills to rise and fall dramatically. Which can make it tmrd to plan your household budget. That’s why~ our Average Monthly Payment plan, could be your budgeting solution. With~you pay about the same each month, because ifs based on your previous 12 months usage. That makes budgeting a breeze. And best of all, ifs free. AMPis}ust one of several flemq~le payment options PSO offers you. For more information, we’re available 24 hours a da~. Or s’tgn up forAMP on our website at www.csw.corm PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF OKLAHOMA A Central and South Weat Company Kelly Kirby,. CPA, PC Certified Public Accountant a professional corporation Lesbians and Gay men face many special tax situations whether single or as couples. Electronic filing is’available for faster refunds. 747-5466 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~. ¯ E~ening support group meetings ¯ Relationship workshops ¯ Short trips, outings and retreats ¯ Free HIV testing For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project beginning at the Gay 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 about7 or8pm, finishing off the week’s events. TOHR organizers include Kerry Lewis as chairperson of the overall effort. "Humanity United for Haman Rights -Diversity Celebration 2000," Greg Gatewood, TOI-IR president and festival chair,Audra Sommers,parade chair, Lynn Moesteller, sponsor chair, Mitchell Savage, media chair, Ktis Kohl, festival entertainmentchair andNedBruha, incharge of festival booths and beverages. On June 3, Saturday, That evening also at the PAC Doenges Theatre, the TOHR Follies, not seen for a namber of years, will reprise, 100 Years of Broadway with tickets available through the PAC. Tuesday, June 6th, an art exhibit, "United" will open and on Thursday, 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). And while the organization has not been in Tulsa for long, already it’s become active and visible. Soulforce members along withTOHR, Tul sa Oklahomans for Haman Rights, marched in the M.L.King, Jr. Day parade, marking the first time openly Gay people and groups have partidipated. And for the kick-off for this year’s Gay Pride events, Diversity Celebration 2000, Soulforceis bringing Mel WhiteandGary Nixonback to Tulsafor aninterfaith workshop and to lead a Soulforce workshop. White and Nixon were in Tulsa several years ago for a regional conference of i~FLAG, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, held at All Souls Unitarian Church. Also on May 6-12, in Cleveland, Ohio, at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Soulforce will hold Soulforce University (SFU) SFU is arare, one-week opportunity for people offaith to learn and apply the principles of nonviolence. SFU is being held in conjunction with the world congress of the United Methodist denomination of Chris-. tianity, General Conference 2000 which will also be in Cleveland, on May 2-12. Historically, Methodists have cared about the poor, the homeless, and the outcast. Soulforce organizers state, "sadly, decisions made by their [United Methodist] General Conferences over the past three decades have ended that tradition of caring and made outcasts of God’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered children. We hope to help end those unjust and discriminatory policies. For thirty-t~vo years United Methodist leaders have debated the issue of homosexuality. Too many of" their delegates have ignored the historic, scientific, psychological, pastoral and even biblical evidence thathomosexuality is neither a sickness nor a sin. As a result, with almost every General Conference the U.M.C. has hardened its anti-homosexual position. That position leads to discrimination, snffeting, and death.’" Several Tulsans involved in Soulforce will participate in the Cleveland events. HEAR the Quilt The NAMES Project Tulsa Area Chapter is proud to announce the return of the Quilt to Tulsa for a major display at the Maxwell Convention Center December1 through 3, 2000. The success of a major Quilt display is dependent on volunteers from our community. To develop interest and support for this major World AIDS Day event, the Tulsa Area Chapter will host a reception on Thursday evening, April 27 at 7: 00pm at Fellowship Congregational Church, 2900 South Harvard, Tulsa. Please join us as we bring together the community in preparation for "HEAR the Quilt." We’ll have sections of the Quilt on display and lots of information about upcoming events Refreshments will be served and it will be a great opportunity to renew old friendships andmake new ones. For more information you can contact us at (918) 748-.~1 ll or at TulsaQuilt@go.com OK Spoke Club The OK Spoke Club is begimfing its tides again. A long ride (20 miles plus) will begin at Ziegler Park at 7:30am on April 8th & 15th. Water and helmet are required. A short tide (5 miles) along the Katy Bicycle path in Sand Springs will begin at 6:30 pm on April 19th. Water and helmet are strongly reconnnended. At 9am, a long ride will begin at the Pride Center, 3749 S. Peoria, rear parking lot on April 22th. Water and helmet are required. A short ride will leave from there at 6:30 pm on April 26th. Water and helmet are strongly recommended. For more information, contact the club at POB 9165, Tulsa, Ok 74157, or emaii to: Okiebicycle@prodigy.net Texas Lesbian Conference For 13 years now, Texas Lesbians have presented one of the best conferences in the US. This year’ s event, to be held at the Renaissance Hotel, Greenway Plaza on May 19-21 in Houston. The conference will feature Urvashi Vaid, former executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, cartoonist/cormnentator, Alison Bechdal, creator of"Dykes to WatchOut For," poet and author Ntozake Shange and Lesbian comic Marga Gomez. Andifthese were not enough of a draw, TLC offers a variety of workshops on legal, financial, spiritual and other issues. TLC is awoman only event for which you must be 18 to attend. For more information, write POB 66012, Houston 77266. Or "call 713-460-3435 for a registration form. . Living ArtSpace New Show Tul’sa’s contemporary art gall~ery~: Living Ai~tSpace, now located at 308 South Kenosha will present exhibition opening & gallery talk by artist, John Hitchcoek, on Thursday, April 6, 5:30-8pm. Hitchcock invites the viewer tobecome a participant in his installation by encouraging them to "play games" and receive a silk screened pnnt or an object. Using games derived from Native American traditions, the artist challenges the participant to make the comparison between traditional culture and the artwork. Once upon a time, there was a teenager named, for lack of a better moniker, Jim. He was teased most of his school life for being gay, name calling and threats of physical violencebeing the chief tactics deployed by most of the other kids -the mainstays of which were the dreaded "jocks." He had few friends, but one of the few he considered a friend happened to be Shaun. Shatm was in choir and on the football team, and Jim had known him for a few years, since Jr High. What Jim repressed and suppressed was his physical and emotional attraction for Shann. Shaun wasn’t classically handsome, but something about him was incredibly attractive to Jim. Maybe it was just that, unlike the other jocks, who singled Jim out for particular torment, Shaun always had treated him with kindness " ~roadway Damage’ is another little sleeper, low budget movie that is actually quite wonderful... The film is a ~ood old-fashloned romantle eornedy, kind of llke the old screwballs eomedles of the 30’s... It’s a well-wrltten, well-fihned, well-acted " story that is sure to brin~ a smile to anyone’s face..." and yes, even friendline,ss. This was !lJghly unusual. Jim and Shaun s friendship~ew, and they hung out a bit together. Jim continued suppressing, and just enjoyed Shaun’s company, basking in the glow of their friendship. At one point, they went to a film together. Shaun sat with legs spread wide, his leg touching Jim’ s. Wall, all Jim could focus on throughout the film was the sensfition of Shaun s leg against his; the bea~from the other boy’s body flowing in~d~s, the fact that he was really uncomfortable due to the fact that certain feelingSwere rising., feelings he’d been hiding from everyone, including himself. 0~things w~re rising too, and he had no!~deahow tohandle this. He wasn’t sure ifShaun was doing this deliberately or by accident. In ~_ospect, it had to be on purpose. Shfiuns leg never left contact wi~Jim’s tmtil the film was over. Jim wasi:terrified.~Did he dare move, and cut off~ie contact which he really so desperatdy Wanted?Or should he re~pond?Was thi~ ~test? Surely Shaun was aware of the comments and teasing; he’d seen it happen, To this day, Jim has no memory of that film or what it was. Just the sensation of Shaun’s leg and the accompanying delight/fear. Jim’s fervent yet deeply hidden desire was for Shaun and he to bein love. Yet, of course this could never be. Shaun was straight-Jim thought. Andhe was ever so aware of the fragility of friendship- he’d ~aot had many, ai~d would do nothing to jeopardize this one. One time, Shaun asked Jim to join he and some friends for a swim. When Jim got to Shaun’s house, he discovere~...that the friends.~were other members of the football team - the ones who so delighted inmakinglife aliving hell for Jim. "Well", he thought,"This should be ablast. NOT!" To his surprise, they all got along. Jim did feel incredibly out of place and utterly self-conscious the whole time they were around. Had to be careful not to slip up and steal a glance at the wrong moment, not that he could see anything without his coke-bottle glasses anyway. During the swim day, Shann told an interesting story: He had entered a bar on a certain street in. Arlington, Texas, and thought it was a real cool place - until he began to notice all the other patrons were men - and looking at him. Then he left in a hurry. You can imagine thecomments this brought on from the jocksters. It was all Jim could do not to ask WHERE. In fact, Jim did devote a considerable amount of time to thoughts onhow to get the desired information without giving myself away, but never could figure out a foolproofmethod. Some years later, Jim did go in search of the aforementioned place - and discovered it was in a shopping center with no sign age or indications of any sort that there was anything in the shopping center. You had to know where and what it was to get there and find the place. Interesting... Later that day, Shaun and I found ourselves alone in his parent’s house. He excused himself to take a shower, and was in there along time. A really long time. Jim began to wonder if he should just go home, Shaun was in there so long. Then, out he popped, completely nude - and Jim with no glasses on! (He was near blind without them.) It took a lot of control not to look down, whichhe recalls doing anyway, for a split second. Shaun probably caught it. He paused, saying, "Sorry, forgot to take my clothes i.n with me." Then went into his room. Jim was nonplused. Here Shaun is, withakidheknew was teased for being Gay, exposing himself. He spent along time inhis room, too,by the way Jimwas certain this was all atest, and the slightest wrong move would end the friendship - after all, Shaun was a good Southern Baptist boy, going to a church that literally preached coercion to get new members. Yes, Jim knows better now. There were signals being sent, Jimjust misinterpreted them. Jim wished he hadn’t, even though that would have ted to heartbreak. Jim really was in love with Shaun. Last Jim heard, Shaun was married, with kids. Sad thing is, that all Jim had to go on were negative images of Gayness. That’s all that was out there in the world then. There was no "Will and Grace", no positive movie role models. And All he knew was that one wrong step could end a friendship, Or even get him beaten - or, in one case he read about, killed. Whichleads me to aDVD review:_"Get Real". The story is pretty much the same as above, withnerdy schoNboyfallingfor upperclassmanjock. Except in the case of "Get Real", the relationship is consummated when schoolboy finds out that the jockster is indeed, homoerotically inclined. Of course, Mr. Jock is severely suppressing, and holding on to his straight identity with every’ fiber of his being. The film played Tulsa for about a week in ’96 or ’97. I’m sure not everyone got to see it, so I won’t spoil the ending. Let’s just say schoolboy .comes out publicly and discovers his inner strength. He’s accompanied by a female friend, who remindedme ofmyfriend Karin, who is now a Lesbian! More on that later, see Amuse, p. 9 GILCREASE MUSEUM April 29, May 5 & 7, 2000 Call 587-4811 Church of the Restoration Unitarian Universalist 11 am, Sunday, 1314 North Greenwood, 587-1314 EUREKASPRINGS DIVERSITYCELEBRATION -Friday, April 7 - 8:30pm to 12:30am,Dancing in the Ozark Room at the Basin Park Hotel (12 Spring Street) with DJ Jon Caswell. Sponsored by theMCC of the Living Spring. Cover: $5 per person. Cash Bar. Must be 21. - 9pm to 12:30am, Karaoke at Shaw’s Tavern (37 Spring Street) - 10pm to 2am, Breakfast at thenew Eureka House of Blues (in the basement of the x’~ :w Orleans hotel at 63 Spring Street) or, - 1 lpm to 2am, Breakfast at the Eureka Food Court (37 Spring Street) Saturday, April 8 10am to Noon, Canoe float on the White River. $25 per canoe. Singles welcome- r reservations and info, call theBeaver Dam Store at 501-253-6154. 10:30am. to Noon, Learn a littl6 of Eureka S prings’ history on a guided walking to, the Historic District. Meet at Sweet Spnngs next to Rogue’s Manor on upper !: Street. For further information, call 501-253-0070 or e-mail walking@nwaft.com. - Noon to 3:30pm "Go Fly a Kite!" Weather permitting, bring your kites and your cameras.at the beautiful Pond Mountain Lodge and Resort (two miles south on HighWay 23). For more information, contact Judy Jones at 800-583-8043. - lpm to 2:30pro Head out to Lake Leatherwood Park (off Highway 62 West) for an informative, guided trail hike. Get there a few minutes early and bring some water; some walking sticks will be provided. You can also hike on your own on one of the various trails in Eureka Springs’ "City Park". To obtain a trail map or for further information about the park, please e-mail lthrwood@ipa.net. For further information about the hike, call Steve at 501-253-9380 or 9384 or e-mail gands@ipa.net. - Please visit the unique shops and restaurants in the Eureka Springs Diversity Cooperative. Let them know you’re here for Diversity Weekend! - 3:30pm to 9pm,Check outThe Holein the Wall (191/2 Spring Street) forKaraokewith Lita! Lunch and dinner will also be served. For further information, call 501-253-8361. - 9pm to lain; Dance to the high,energy club ttmes of DJ Jon Caswdl at Center Stage (37 Spring Street). Must be 21. Cover: $5 per person. Sponsored by The Emerald Rainbow, Mark E. Cook Properties and Center Street Bar & Grill. - 9pmto 12:30am, Belt out your favorite tunes as Shaw’s Tavern (37 Spring Street) once again hosts a Karaoke night for "family" and friends. - 10pm to 2am, Brealffast at thenew Eureka House of Blues (in the basement of the New Orleans hotel at 63 Spring Street) or, - 1 lpm to 2am, Breakfast at the Eureka Food Court (37 Spring Street) Sunday, April 9 - 2pm to 6pm, Join us again at Center Stage (37 Spring Street) for a tea dance and drag show, with performances by the "girls from Tulsa" and music by DJ Jon Caswell. Must be 21. Cover: $5 per person. Sponsored by The Emerald Rainbow, Ermilio’s Restaurant and Center Street Bar & Grill. - 7pm, MCC of the Living Spring (17 Elk Street) will hold a service. Call 501-253-9337 for information. All are welcome! For a listing of businesses supporting this and similar events, check out the Eureka Springs Diversity Cooperative website at www.shimaka.coln/eureka/diversity or drop by The Emerald Rainbow at 45 1/2 Spring Street for a printed copy. Oklahoma Repertory Theatre Opens TULS A-Theatreleaders from twoTulsa : and the Boys" by So. African playwright organizations, Tulsa Repertory Theatre and Wayward Theatre Co. have joined together to create the Oklahoma Repertory Theatre (also known as OK REP). Catherine Adkins, Skip suraci. Christopher Ferguson-Long and Nathan Huntley will serve as executive artistic director, advisor, associate founding artistic director and associate artistic director, respectively. OKREP,like the companies out of which it grows is committed to "unique, professional theatre, children’s theatre, arts in education and community outreach." OK REP will open its season with the Pulitzer Prize winning, "Master Harold The film translates well to DVD, maintaining the widescreen image, and with excellent rarity. Sadly, there’s no extra features so prevalent now in DVD releases, such as director’s commentary, behind the scenes documentaries, etc. It would have been .nice to have the actor’s recollections of the making of the film and the affect it had on them. However, that does not detract from the fact it’s a well-written film with an excellent.cast and beautiful cinematography. The only thing that bothered one of my friends at the .initial showing was that jock boy Athol Fugard. The production will mn May 11-14 and May 18-20 at Tulsa’s Performing Arts Center Liddy Doenges ~[]aeatre at 8pm and Sundays at 2pro, and is supported in part by grants from the Oklahoma Arts Council and the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Tn~st. The play, directed by Nathan Huntley, is that of a young man growing up and growxng aware in 1950’s South Africa apartheid. Tulsa actors Greg Herman, Bill Thomas and Christopher Ferguson-Long perform the roles. Tickets are available at the PAC box office, 596-7111, for $12/ adults and $9/students/seniors. For more information, call OK REP at 592-6310. seems to come from a well-heeled family, yet has a working class accent. I noticed after he pointed it out, but that did not detract from the otherwise excellent performanees given by Ben Silverstone as the cuteschoolboy Steven Carter, Charlotte Britain as his friend who faints on command, and the hunky Brad Gorton as thejock upon anyone Wouldbe daft not to develop a crush. Available from Wolfe Video (www.wolfevideo.com). Along the same lines, sort of... well, not really, but there’s a well-done scene that exemplifies the kind of dynamic I wrote of regarding seeing that tmnamed film with Shaun, is "Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss." see Amuse, p. 11 by Tom Neal, editor & publisher Some Oklahomapolitical observers have noted that the one good thing for this state about a win by Republican presidential candidate, George W. Bush, is that we’d get to send the Honorable Frank Keating, Governor of Oklahoma packing back off to DC, though others have said Oklahoma’.s gain might be to the nation’s detriment. "... ff it were not enough to invoke this bigoted image ofGay people -preying on the young, he foflowed it with a comment about how Gay people are among the wealthiest Amerleans. I had to wonder if next he’d betalklng about how ’all Black people have rhythm’ or ’the international Jewish banking eonsplraey.’..." This February, t took my’father to lunch at the Press Club to see Keating do his song and dance. I imagine that Keating expected a rather friendly reception- these days the Press Club membership hardly includesany reporters but rather mostly public relations types - good enough people but hardly known for hard hitting .journalism. They’re there to put a nice spin on tttings, not to get at the truth, typically. Andyou can count on The Tulsa Worldto report only selectively on comments made there. Then there was Dad and me sitting right up front. And dear Mr. "I am not descended from a Baboon" Keating* likely did not know what he was in for. Mr. Keating waxed eloquently about how ifwe only re-made government to be like"’business," and not just coincidentally turned it all over to the Republiczins, all would be great with our state. I could nothave a~kedfor a better setup for my question to the Governor since in Oklahoma, it’s business leading the way in treating Lesbian and Gay citizens, well, like equal citizens. The question put to the Gov. was this: Oklahoma’s leading businesses,American Airlines, the state’ s largest private employer, K.imberly-Clark, Dollar-Thrifty Auto Group whose CEO, Joseph Cappy was just appointed to the State Board of Regents for Higher Education, all of these corporations promise not to discriminate on sexual orientation. Since "business" shows us the way, Keating * ina recent controversy about teaching evolution in public schools, Keating claimed he was not descended from a baboon. The Tulsa World contested that claim. Operat=on Montreal,. To ¯ was asked why state government was not following their lead. Frank’s answer was an embarrassment to the state of Oklahoma. He said there was not a public consensus to support treating all people fairly and had he stopped at this, I could hardly have argued withhim. But he went on to invoke the most shameful of stereotypes, saying that the state government of Oklahoma could not promise to treat Gay and Lesbian Oklahomans fairly because "a homosexual schoolteacher might try to ’promote’ his ’lifestyle’ to elementary school students and then the state could not discipline the teacher..." Andif it were not enough to invoke this bigoted image of Gay people preying on the young, he followed it with acomment abouthow Gay people are among the wealthiest Americans. I had to wonder if next he’d be talking about how "all Black people have rhythm" and "the international Jewish banking conspiracy." I did have the opportunity to say.his allegation about Gay "wealth" was false but not to question his premises about promising to treat public employees fairly. And this, of course, ignores the fact that it is almost unimaginable that any Gay teacher would engage in inappropriate discussions - they’re all too scared because : they know they’ll be harassed or fired in any school district in the state. Any inappropriate conversation by a ¯ teacher with students, whether heterosexual or homo- " sexual, already has avenues for remedy. I agree with Keating, Oklahoma can learn from the : example of "business." First and foremost, Frank needs ¯ to figure out that discrimination is bad for business and ¯ badforOklahoma. "Business" has figured this out. Ameri- " can and Dollar-Thrifty don’t go beyond the minimum ¯ federallaw r.eqmresjust because they regreatfolks. Th y ¯¯ do it because they can’t afford to lose good workers and ¯ some of those good workers ar’-e Gay. It really shouldn’t be that hardfor Frank Keating. All ¯ he needs to do is to reframe the questionin terms to which ¯ he can relate: shall we not include Catholics in our non- - discnmmattonlawsbecausewecouldn tfiretbemlfthey mdocmnated our children with the Cathohclifestyle m schools? Keating shouldknow that itwash’ t thatlong ago : that precisely those stereotypes were common in thisstate. After all, Keating claims to be a Christian. And as : such, he is commanded to "treat others as he would be ¯ treated." That?s pretty straightforward. I’d bet even a ¯ "lower" primate, maybe even a baboonmight be able to ¯ figure that out. The question is can our governor? by Dave Fleischer Senior Fellow, Policy Institute National Gay andLesbian Task Force Have you ever met ahomophobe? Of course you have, which is why you might not immediately be eager to campaign door-to-door using the "G" word when we need to win an election. You might be thinking: Holy Roller, don’t a lot of people go into rant mode the minute we say the Word "Gay?’" Actually, they don’t. Everywhere I’ve gone door-todoor with teams of volunteers,- once we explain in plalnlanguage the issue voters will be facing, the overwhelming majority are on .our side. Most of the rest are undecided. This has been true in Anchorage, Houston, and Fayetteville, Arkansas; in San Francisco, suburban Westchester County,.in Miami (nope, not just in South Beach) and in both Democratic and Republican parts of Spokane, Washington. And that’s just the places in 1998-and 1999 that we’ve gone door-to-door in. Sure, we start in neighborhoods wherewe believe we’ll find many supporters. But even when we broaden to a - diverse set of neighborhoods, 60 to 90% of the time, voters are surprised to learn that the basic rights, of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT) people are under attack. "... I don’t want to tell you about my%exllfe - but ff I’m doing a job at my job, should my boss be able to fire me just because I’m Gay?" [long pause, she says uncertainly] "I’ve never thought about that..." "Well, I’m Gay, and this may surprise youbut it wasn’t a choice for me. And if I’m doing a goodjob at work, do you think my boss should be. able to fire mejust because I’m Gay?" "I don’t want to hear about your sex life." "I don’t want to tell you about my sex life--but if I’m ~ doing a goodjob atmyjob, shouldmy boss be able to fire me just because I’m Gay?" . [Long pause] [She says uncertainly] "I’ve never thought about that." "Well, that’s what you’ll, be voting on. Here’s the wording that will be on the ballot. Takealookatit. [Pausewhile she reads] What do you think?" I didn’t make this voter a supporter. But I did move her from leaning against us to someone who might be undecided. Theconversation took abouttwominutes. Then I was on to the next door. If we’ve trained our-volunteer team well, we communicate our key message within the limits of the voter’s attention span. Then we ask what they think. And they tell us. Soinetimes their answer isn’t easy to hear (I didn’t love Ms. Informed’s ?Gays can change"). Butifwe listen with genuine interest, and offer a clear, honest exchange, they return the favor. We usually-leave the door either knowing we’ve found someone leaning toward us, or someone who is now open to hearing more. A...J--~"~’~A~.~,~’A,,’~ (;.... ~Vhenthe~ydo, they say somethinglike. OfcourseI Benefit uur= i i i i i i~i~..,,..; :=~-agai~i’s’t--d~sc~aination, against anybody. I like/don’t care Localentrepreneurandmouth-about-townactivistNed about/dort’flike Gay people, but discriminationis always Bruha will present "Operation Montreal" at The Silver Star, 1565 So. Sheridan, at 10pm on Friday May 5th. Brnha notes, "’this night of rare comedy and mad-cap entertainment will aid Audra MarieSommers, an individual among us who has selflessly impleme.nted her .talents to l~tter the Tulsa areafor the past decade,,She has raised money for the poor and the sick." , Themoney raised the evening of thi~ event wiR,be ~used to help Payfor medications, travel and down-time trom both of lie) jobs for the transgendered Sommers as she recoups from surgery which will bring her physiology into correspondence with her gender identity. This event is called Operation Montreal because after many years of research, Sommers has chosen worldrenowned surgeons in Montreal. Any funds raised will not be used for the surgery. Sommers has underwrittem the surgery by taking a mortgage on her home. For more information about this event, call 585-1644, or write, "Operation Montreal" c/o Ned Bruha, P.O. Box 471282, Tulsa, OK. 74147-1282, or send e-mail to partygram@webzone.net wrong." So the experience of going door-to-door is enormously encouraging. It’s both productive for the campaign, and also personally affirming. This doesn’t mean that every voter is immediately happy to see us. But as a reality check, here’s the toughest door I’ve had so far. Scene: a sweaty August ’98 morning in Fayetteville, Arkansas; a white senior answers the door ..’...’.Hi, Ms. Informed?" Yes "Hi, Ms..Informed, my name is Dave Fleischer, and I’m with the Campaign for Human Dignity. A human rights resolution is on the ballot - it says that here in Fayetteville we won’t tolerate discrimination on thejob, whether you’re a man or women, black or white, Gay or non-Gay. What do you think about that?" "Well, I think that if Gay people would just go to church, they would realize it’s a choice, they don’t have to be that way". [She went on in this vein for a minute. I listened.] Nobody says this work is easy. But, contrary to our worst fears, it isn’t confrontational. It’s more like the ordinary experience of one tiuman being talking to another human being. And there’s an unexpected personal benefit. If we reopen our hearts, we are liberatedfrom a piece of internalized self-hate and our own stereotypical thinking about the public. It turns out that most of them are human, too - and more open than we give them credit for being. Most importantly, voteridentification works. SAVE Dade in Miami has built a list of.more than 15,000 Gay - and pro-Gay voters by having dbnversations just like these, by going door~to-door and by talking to voters when.they go to vote. Basic Rights Oregon beat back their last two state-wide anti-Gay ballot measures by doing voter idenlification on a large scale, and has a list of 125,000 voters statewide. Sure there are closed-minded homophobes out there. But they are far fewer and less grumpy than you’d guess -a mere needle in a Gaystack. If we’re going to win elections, we need to talk with everyone to find our supporters. Factis, voters are ready tolistentous,ifwe’re willing to listen to them. Are we? Meet Local Guys for Hot ~Odgin. 18+. Additional features fron ads guys you like The number of Gays and Lesbians in the United States is not known because of largely unreliable studies. Advocacy groups often claim 10% of the population is homosexual, basedon surveys ofsexual behavior conducted by researcher Alfred Kinsey taken in the 1940s. Other surveys put the number between 4% and 6%. Amore direct census question concerning sexual orientation isn’t likely by the lime the2010 census roils around. Itwould take afederal legislation to require collection of the data. And, advocates say, it’s a tricky ’question. "Is sexual orientation defined by feelings of attraction, exclusivity or praetors?’" Norfllrop asked. Best known for launching the career of "Willand Grace’ s" "Jack", Sean P. Hayes, that’s about the best thing about this film. It’s got some good moments, but never quite congeals into a satisfying film. Brad Rowe, Meredith Scott Lynn, and Hayes mmin good performances, but the rest of the cast falls flat, as do many of the jokes. Hayes stars as Billy, a starving artist photographer who is the other man in an unsatisfying relationship he settles for because (as he. tells everyone repeatedly in this film until youjust wantto slap him) he CAN’T FIND A MAN. He stumbles upon Gabriel (the immensely appealing Brad Rowe), and instantdysfunctional crushdevelops, in spite of the fact (?) that Gabriel is straight. Hilarity ensues (yawn). There’s the prerequisite drag queen comicrelief trio, that should never have .entered this film, because they are rather pointless to.the plot, content, and are really so bad they detract from the film..Obvibusly, theyare ~aeant to be bad, but all the ~vay t~ough the opening.sequence~ and at se{~eral points ~(way too many) through the film, they -..seem to just be inserted for no reason. If they were doing something that was plot~orthyand actually funny, itmight be a good thing. They’re not, and basically just fill time when the director can’t pull his head out long enoughto actually make a film. This DVD comes with a commentary, and even that - usually a high point and asset - is utterly boring. Yes, Sean’s a wonderful actor -now. OK, Brad was uncomfortable with thefilm and part starting out. (Why is never detailed, and that was what might have been actually interesting.) OK yes, there are lots ofhomages to old films, most of which are obvious, especially with the dream/musical sequences. Overall, Billy’s a fine addition to an avid collector ofGay film, for archival purposes. It’s amusing once through. But it’s a definite rental, not a keeper. Also available from Wolfe Video. An excellent film to have on DVD for repeated viewings and the extras, is"Gods and Monsters." It is a most moving and affecting film, and the disc has lots of goodies, along with a commentary that actually IS interesting, adocumentary with Clive Barker as host, interviews with the actors, and lots oflovely details. The film, based on Christopher Brain’s book, is a look .at what might have happened in the days leading to James Whale’s mysterious death. Whale, the director best known for the films "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein" in the ’30’s, was found floating ¯ in his pool fully clothed. No answers ever ¯ came out of the investigation. Sir Inn ¯ McKellan, in abravuraperformance, plays ~ Whale, the absolutely dynamic Lynn ¯¯ Redgrave plays his housekeeper and caregiver Hannah, and the absolutely brilliantandbreathtakingly gorgeous Br~ndan Fraser plays a yard man that Whale be- " friends. : This didplay the major theatres,butjust ¯ in case, I won’t give away any more of the ." ending than I have. The performances ¯ were all top notch, with nary a misstep. ¯ The cinematography is beautiful, and the ¯ detail in sets, costumes, and styleis dead- " on.~(No pun intended.) As an. actor, it’s ~ ~really hard.f,0rme to see a film that makes ¯¯ ~m~fo~etI m~watehing~a film. This one did. I was surprised, as the end credits ¯ were rolling, to find I had tears runmng : down my face. The film so engrossed me ¯ that Iwasn’t even aware when that began. ¯ It’s an interesting film on many levels, ¯ the most superficial being Whale as dirty ." old man spying on the yard man; and~the ¯ deepest being the comments on aging, ¯ and the families we surround ourselves ¯ with as that happens. The interplay of ¯ straight andGay, andfear. The betrayal of ¯ ¯ the body.and time, the interplay between youth and age, the reasons we make the ¯ choices in life that we do make., all are ." explored on many levels. ¯ It’s definitely worth viewing several ¯ times, if for nothing more than seeing the ¯ details you missed first time around. The ¯ commentary, as opposed to the useless ¯ blathering on Billy’s HSK, is insightful, ¯ informative, and frequentlylamusing. ." There’s enough mix in details of how the ¯ film was made, how attention to details : was as important as performance, behind ¯ the scenes stories of what went on during ¯ filming, what it was like to deal with this ¯ or that to keep one quite amused. ." ~ And after watching the film go by wlth " the commentary, especially re~ardihg the ." director’s intentions, it’s kind of a fun ¯ game to play to seehowmuch youpieked ’’up on. ~klso, some historica~ facts_ are ." thrown in, not in a dry, witless manner, ¯ but which augment the viewing Of the : film. So, for me, it gets a definite. BUY ¯ THIS! Even if you only get the video ~ version (which may or may not have the documentary), it’s worth it. Available at ; Wolfe Video. "Broadway Damage" is another little sleeper, low budget movie that is actually quite wonderful. A romantic comedy that actually is, as~ opposed to Billy, it stars some very talented unknowns in a film that is well written and leaves you feeling good. "Nerdy Guy’~ and "Beautiful Boy" in New York looking for"Mr. RightY BB is always finding people bad for him, and pursues one that is really bad news. NB is seeking Mr Right and has a crush on BB Enter BB’s roommate Quirk~y~rl. QG is trying to make it inNYCon hiSrtwn, even though daddy’s rich. He wants her to get a job, something she’s never had to do. She and the boys form a fun trio, and have merry adventures in NYC. The film is a good old-’fashioned romantic comedy, kind oflike the old screwballs comedies of the 30’s upon which it is patterned. The ending’s predictable, but the g~tting there is fun, as with most journeys. Even if you know where you’re going,, the trip is never the same twice, right? It’s a well-written, well-filmed, well-acted story that is sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face. It should have received wider release w~h,en it played the film houses, but is a gem I m sharing with you. Yep, available at Wolfe Video on VHS and DVD. 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 an~J.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 performance of choral literature, providing a source of pride, unity, and support, while presenting a positive image for ourselves, our community, and society as a whole. FOR MORE INFORMATION about the COUNCIL oak meN~S c~or~aLe and its parent organization, the non-profit Vocal Pride Foundation, visit our award-winning website at www.eouneiloak.org. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2000] Tulsa Family News, April 2000; Volume 7, Issue 4 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohn Barry Hensley J.P. Legranbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, March 2000; Volume 7, Issue 3 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/599 "Operation Montreal" 2000 adoption AIDS AIDS Quilt aMUSEments arts and entertainment Audra Sommers Bars Blood Donation businesses Census Christian Coalition churches civil unions Council Oak Men's Chorale Diversity celebration Dr. Grethe Cammermeyer Dr. Laura Gay marriage Gay Studies Greg Louganis Harmonic Diversity hate crime bill HIV holocaust homophobia Human Rights Campaign Jim Christjohn Karin Gregory Lamont Lindstorm Liberation Publications Living ArtSpace marriage equality military inclusion NAMES Project National Gay and Lesbian Task Force OK Spoke Club Partner Benefits performing arts PlanetOut Inc Pride Raging Lesbian Read All About It restaurants Soulforce Texas Lesbian Conference Tom Neal Tulsa Family News Tulsa Repertory Theatre https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/5c20e910de7ca592dd63588152eca356.jpg 5039f94c9a494f334604c83bb2e762fa https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/913cc5281b957402396a10de0ebc77ca.pdf 402d385ff5bf2220bca8bdfefc9b523c Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Brief for Dale v. BOy Scouts by Tim Talley, Associated Press ~rite~ - OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Some state lawmakers demanded in mid-April that Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson withdraw from participating in a U:S. Supreme Court case on whether to allow Gay boys and men in the Boy Scouts of America. Resolutions were f’ded in the state House and~ Senate opposing a friend-of-the-court briefEdmondson filed supporting a New Jersey court decision that ordered the Boy Scouts to reinstate a homosexual scout leader. "I think it is a dark day for Oklahoma that we have taken this stand, by and through our attorney general, in favor of Gay rights and against the Boy Scouts," said Rep. Frank Davis, R-Guthrie, a former scout master whoseresolutionhas70co-authors.Aresolutionpassed by the Senate says Edmondson’s position "is in dramarie opposition to the moral ideals of.our state and is inappropriate in this case of first impression before the United State Supreme Court." In a statement, Edmondson saidhe respects the views of lawmakers who oppose his action. But the attorney general said the state’ s position see Attorney; p. 2 Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends : ,~. Tulsa’s Largest Circulation Community PaperAvailable In More Than 75 City Locations ¯ Co!legeHill Presbyterian ::Church Welcomes Gays TULSA - This last Palm Sunday, the Session (the board of directors) of College Hill Presbyterian Church, one of Tulsa’ s older"mainline" congregations, voted 13 yes, zero no’ s with one abstention to become officially a member of"More Light Presbyterians." College Hill, located a block west of the University of Tulsa is the first Presbyterian congregation in Eastern Oklahoma (o. take the position of welcoming all to attend and serve the church regardless of sexual orientation. More Light Presbyterians is a national network of churches and individuals working for justice, love and the full embrace and inclusion of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered persons and their families. The name is taken from the words of the Rev. John Robinson (c. 1620),"we limit not the truth of God to our poor reach of mind - by notions of our day and sect - crude, partial and confined. No, let a new and better hope within our hearts be stirred, for Godhath yet more light and truth to break forth from the Word." The decision for College Hill came after more than 14 months ofprayer, study and discussion. Acongregational voteon several statements and positions, one affirming open inclusion, another reaffirming the mission statement of More Light Presbyterians, and for becoming a More Light congregation passed, 87%, 90% and 80% respectively. . Pastor Radford Rader noted, "College Hill has long been a congregation which has stood for jnstice issues and with groups of people who others ignore or exclude.., we cannot remain in the closet, but want to rejoice in who we are as a family of faith. ¯ .we are blessed by our Gay and Lesbian members." College Hill’ s history is one of s0cialjttstice, seeChurch,p.11 College Hill Presbyterian GI,s Mom Suing Arm i- Supreme Court Hears Gay Civil WASHINGTON(AP)-Them°ther°fas°ldiermur- " R|ghts Case: Dale vs. BSA dered in his barracks believes the Army’s attitude , toward Gays created the atmosphere that led to the killing. Patricia Kutteles of Kansas City, Mo., said she would file a claim with the Army, seeking roughly $1.8 million in damages for the death of her son, Pfc. Barry Wincbell,21. Shesaidfellow soldiers believed Winchell was Gay and harassed him for months before he was beaten to death while sleeping in his cot last July at Fort Campbell, Ky. The Army knew about the harassment but did nothing to stop it, she said. "We want theArmy to be held accountable," Kutteles said. Pvt. Calvin Glover, 19, of Sulphur, Okla., was convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to life in prison for the attack. Another soldier was givena 12.5- year sentence for lying to investigators and obstructing justice. Thekillingprompted criticism ofthePentagon’ s policy onhomosexuals in the military. Under the policy known as "don’t ask, don’t teli.;’:~,Gay-members of the military can continue to serve.as Ibng as they keep their sexual orientation to themselves. Kutteles’ attorney,Adam Pachter, saidheplans to file under a federal law that allows people to seek reimbursement from the military for injury or death. The claim will be sent toMaj. Gen. Robert T. Clark, the commander of Fort Campbell, but Army Secretary Louis CaldemprobAbly’will make thef’mal decision on whether to pay, Pachter said. Kutteles’ claim also alleges Fort Campbell officials ignored underage drinking on the base and did not provide a way for soldiers to call 911 from the barracks.:Glover has said he had been drinking prior to theattack~ Maj. Pamela Hart, an Army spokeswoman, declined to comment on the claim but said soldiers cannow reach 911 from their barracks. She also said soldiers hadreceived additional training about the military’ s policy on Gays. Kutteles said her goal is to get the Army to admit wrongdoing and take corrective action. "I don’t think you~put aprice on your child’ s life,’.’ she said. "Your world is changed if you lose a child. Nothing caa ever rip3at it." ¯ WASHINGTON, D.C. - Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is not ¯ entitled to expel an exemplary member who is openly Gay from ¯ its ranks, the National Gay and LesbianTask Force said at the end ¯ ofApril as theU.S. SupremeCourtwas hearingargumentsinBoy Scouts of America v. Dale. The ruling on the case will likely be : issued before the term ends in early summer. : ’q’he Boy Scouts’ mission is to promote model citizenship and ¯ integrity," said Panla Ettdbrick, NGLTFFamily Policy Director. : "It is ridiculous and wrong to exclude a man whose outstanding ¯ personal character fulfills this mission simPlY because he is ¯ Gay." -" "The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case on appeal by the ¯ BSA after the August 1999 unanimous decision of the New ¯¯ Jersey,Supreme Court. The court found that the BSA falls under New Jersey’ s anti-discrimination law and cannot deny any per- " son "accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges" : because of sexual orientation. ¯ Because the Scouts do not organize for a specific anti-Gay ¯ message; the New Jersey Supreme Court also found that the ¯ inclusion of openly Gay assistant scoutmasterJames Dale would ¯ not violate the BSA’ s First Amendment rights offree association ¯ and free speech. ." ~€I’llis case represents a classic struggle in our country?s ever- " evolving democracy," said Ettelbrick, a veteran attorney and : national expertLon legal-issues facing.the Ga~y~ lesbian~ bisexual ¯ and transgender community. "It is the stragglebetween agroup’ s ¯ right to establish its own values and the government’ s obligation ¯ to ensure that the law does not give effect to those private biases when they are used to inhibit equality." .. . ~ : Ettelbrick praised the Lambda Legal Defense and Education ¯ Fund, which has served as lead counsel for James Dale and has ¯ assembled a broad collection of groups to sign friend-of-the- . court briefs. Those groups range from NGLTF and the National ¯ Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) : to the attorneys-general of 10 states, including Oklahoma Attor- : ney General Drew Edmondson (see related story this page). ¯ NGLTF’ S brief can be found online via I..ambda’ s website at : http:/Iwww.lldef.org/sectionslseetionsldalepresskit/ : amicusaclu.html. i Vermont Governor Signs Gay Union Bill by Ross Sneyd, Associated Press Writer ¯ MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Gov. Howard Dean ¯ signed into law on Wednesday, April 26, 2000, a ¯ bill making Vermont the first state to give Gay and ’ Lesbian couples all the rights and benefits of mar- ¯ riage - without legally declaring it a marriage. ¯ "I think the powerful message is that in Vermont, ¯ we tend to value people for who they are, not what ¯ they are," the Democratic governor said after the House gave the measure final approval Tuesday. ° The bill, which House members supported 79-68, ¯ arrived at the governor’ s deskjust before lunch and ¯ was signed quietly prior to a2pmnews confe~e,nce, ¯ Vermont lawmakers didn’t use the term mar- " riage to describe the official state sanction. Instead ¯ they set up aparallel track of"civil tmions," which ¯ would give Gay and Lesbian partners the property and other legal fights of spouses. Such unions ¯ would become legal July 1. No state has ever gone ¯ so far in recognizing the relationships that Gay and "- Lesbian couples form. ." Three couples and the lawyers who sued in 1997 ¯ when they were denied marriage licenses watched in the crowded Housechamber as the final roll was ¯ called and House representatives agreed to minor ." changes made by their colleagues in the Senate. ¯ Stacy Jolles and Nina Beck stood cradling their 5- ¯ month-old son, Seth. PeterHarrigan stood embracing Stan Baker, who held a small necklace from ¯ which his parents’ wedding rings dangled. And ¯ Holly Puterbaugh held hands as Lois Famham ¯ wiped tears fromher eyes. "This isn’ tmarriage, but it’ s ahuge and powerful bundle ofrights that we’ ve ¯ finally gotten," Baker said moments after the vote. ¯ After the vote, Rosana Vestuti, 41, of Montpelier, sat on a window seat as legislators, Gay and ." Lesbian couples and thepress milled about. "It’ s so ¯ nice. I have all this in my eyes," see Vermont, p. 7 ¯ OKC Gay Group Meets With Daily Oklahoman OKLAHOMACITY -Leaders in OklahomaCity’ s are hailing an early April meeting with Sue Hale, : the new executive editor of the Daily Oklahoman. ¯ The Daily Oklahoman which was characterized in ¯ the Columbia Journalism Review as "the worst : newspaper in America" has been known for its ¯ unfair treatment of Lesbian and Gay issues, not ¯ only on the editorial pages but in regular, "objec- ¯ five" newscoverage. ¯ Those who met with Hale are participants in a ¯ new speakers bureau. "Speakers for Gay and Les- ¯ bian Issues" was organized with the goal of reach- ¯ ing out to the straight commtmity to facilitate ¯ ¯ understanding of the realities of.being Gay and Lesbian. Karen Pars0ns,Nathaniel Batchelder, Paul ¯ Thompson, and Rob Abiera attended the meeting ¯ with Hale, a thirty-year veteran of the Daily Okla- " homan. ¯ Hale was chosen to be the successor to Stan ¯ Tiner, who left the Daily Oklahoman after several ¯ months of working to remold the paper into a more ¯ progressive, contemporary medium which would ¯ more accurately reflect the diversity of Oklahoma ." City. ¯ Halewas approached after reports.began to surface of her interest in "social justice" issues. And ¯ though homophobic diatribes continue to grace the editorial page - still under the firm control of ¯ Patrick McGuigan - the rest of the paper was ¯ showing signs of neutrality, if not being outright ; Gay-friendly. ¯ One place where the paper was showing signs of ¯ openness has been in the movie reviews. Kathryn ; Jenson White had come from the Oklahoma Ga- : zette (OKC’ s alternative weekly) and had always ¯ been of decidedly liberal persuasion. It did not take ¯" long after Tiner’ s departure to see that she would : continue to be so, and when two GLBT-themed : Oscar coatenders see Daily, p. 11 _; ! Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants *Chasers, 4812 E. 33 *CW’ s, 1737 S. Memorial Full Moon Care, 1525 E. 15th *Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Sqtmre *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st *The Star, 1565 Sheridan *The Storm, 2182 S. Sheridan *Renegades/Rainb0w Room, 1649 S. Main *TNT’s, 2114’S: Memorial *Tool Box, 1338 E: 3rd 712-2324 610-5323 583-6666 749-4511 744-4280 745-9998 834-4234 835-2376 585-3405 660-0856 584-1308 *The Yellow-Bri~k-Road.Pub,~-2630,E...1$th, ........ ;749~1563 Tal~a~BtlstPiesse~Set~ices, &: Pcofe~s~o~als~.~.; : Advanced Wireleg~&::P~,S~ Di~ithl Cellulhi ~ ~ ~ i.tJ ~ q47:q508’ *Assdd ih~19I~d!&:M~fi¢~l ~da]ttl)2325 8’: H~ii~c~a~ 74g-’~i000’, Kent Balch &Assr(~htes, Health & Life Insurance 747-9506 *Barnes & N~bl~’ B66ksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034 *Barnes &N0bl~Broksellers, 5231 E. 41 Body Piefdfigby Nicole, 2722 E. 15 *Borders Books & MUsic, 2740 E. 21 *Borders BOoks’ &MUsic, 8015 S. Yale Brooksid~ J~w~lfy,4649 S. Peoria *CD War~hogs~,’3807c S. Peoria *Cheap Thrills~ 2640 E. 1 lth Cherry Stl Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 665-4580 712-q 122 712-’9955 494-2665 743~5272 746_0313~ 295-5868 581-0902, 743-4H7 Community Cleani~ag, Kerby Baker Tim Daniel, Attorney *Deco to Dfsco, 3212 E. 15th DoghouSe oti:Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria *Elite Books &Videos, 821 S. Sheridan *Ross Edward Salon ~"58420337, Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main ,., " ’-. *Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th PI: Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med: Ctr. .Gay & Lesbian-Affordable Daycare *Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st Learme 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 *Kerfs Flowers, 1635 E. 15 Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 *Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha *Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 *Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo *The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696,74101 Richard’ s Carpet Cleaning Teri Schutt Rex Realtors 834-7921, Scribner’ s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square Paul Tay, Car Salesman *Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling *Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan *Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 622-~0700- 352:9504, 800-742-9468 74%3620 744~55~6 83828~03 712-9379 59"2-0460 744-9595 6t0-0880- 628-3709. 808-8026 742~1460 459-9349 744-7440 745-1111 341-6866 7.12-2750 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 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 -587-7314o Bless Ttl~ LO~d at~All Tirn~ -Chflstian Ce-n’tdr/2207 E. 6 58327815- *B/LiG/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 *Churchof:the RestorafionUU., t3t:4N:Greenwood 587-1314" *CommtmityofHopeUnitedMethodist,2545 S. Yale 747-6300 *Comrmmity Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595 Council Oak Men’ s Chorale 748-3888 *DelawarePlayhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511 *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 SpiritWomen’ s Center, call for location&info: 587-4669 Friend ForA Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827 918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615 POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159 e-mail: TulsaNews@ earthlinlc 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 1 st of each month, the enttre contents hi" this ubli t~on e protecte~l bv US copyright 1998 8y ~/~ ~ :ahd~may~hd~,be~ep~oduoed e~tlaer m ~ w,hol¢ort~p.a~_ ~’~l~OUt w~atte~a p~.r0~SSlQ~~ro~ ~publisheir. ~ Publication of a name or photo does not.indicate a person’ s sexual orientation. Corr~spbndeii~ i~assumed to be for. publication" unlessootherwis~noted,, must be signed & becomes. the ao_l¢ property ofr~ ~€’~.’. Nt,w4 Eachreader is entitled to 4 copiesof each editt0n at distribution pointsJ Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248. : Interfaith AIDS Ministries : Dear friends, ¯ The present realities of HIV/AIDS and : decreased focus on and interest in HIV- : related issues have made providing HIV/ : AIDS servicesadifficnltifnotimpossible r task. This is true on a national as well as : local level, Late last fall Interfaith AIDS : Ministries (IAM) received a letter from : AIDS National InterfaithNetwork (ANIN) that itwas closing its doors," as a result of : financial difficulties which cumulatively ¯ .v". und" e,.r~l",nc.d ~I ’ ~ Vl"l~b,"l i " : reaht~l~s ~a~e~t ~n~pq~s~ble,. ~o ttmcgqq ¯ :..is With deep r~gret that I must announce : that the boardof Interfaith AIDS Minis- ¯" ’tries has’made the decision to discontinue : client services. : I have for srme time continued as the ¯ directorona.volunteerbasis at the board"g ¯ reques ; L’.am no longer able to d.o ¯ Work-~.~,~.~ and personal responslbl,~i,7 582-0~38 ties maKeit impossible forme to continue ¯ Holland Hall School, 5666 E. 81st. 481-1111 ¯ HOPEI HiV-.Outredch,Pi?~vefifibn:,Edt~cafion 834-8378 : .*H0us.e. O~ the Holy Spitff ~_~nstri¢s,.32!0~ s~~. ’Nb~wood ....... :::-iii~e~ ~iDS MJnislii~s/~ ...... 4381~437, 800-284-2437 ." :."¥~C~~ United~-i623 :N. Mapi~w00d~: " ~ 838-i715 ¯ NAMESPr0ject,.3507 E. Admiral- PlY . 748-3111 . ¯ NO.W, Nat’l Or.g for Womeri;"POBlZ!0.68174159 365-5658 ¯ OK Spokes Club (bic~clifig), POB 916~,-.74157 " . ¯ *OSU-TUiSa ’ " ’ ¯ ¯ ..PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901 : ¯ *Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674 " ¯ Prime-Timer~P.O. Box 52118, 74152 " ¯ R.A.I:N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network~ ........ 749-4195 ¯ ¯Red Ro~k 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. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140 ¯ *St. Jerome’ s Parish Church, 205 W. King .582-3088 " ¯" *Tulsa,~ea United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171 ¯ ¯TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225 ¯ ¯ Tulsa County HealthDepartment, 4616 E. 15 595-4105 : ¯ Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only " ¯ TulsaOkla. for HumanRights, c/o The PrideCenter 743:4297 ¯ T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform!Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827 *Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule ¯ : *Tulsa Community College Campuses " ¯ *TulsaGay Community Center, 1307 E. 38, 74105 743-4297 ¯ ¯ Unity Church of Christianity,3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833 ¯ Friead~,..in ~nity Social Org., i~i3 8~2~ 7..4 !.0. ! HIV~.~ente~2~i’38Chas’. Page Blvd. " -- 583-6611 : to do thejob rrsponsibly. It requires more ........ *Tulsa C.A.R:E.S., 3507 E. Admiral- 834-4i94~. time and energy than I am now able to BARTLESVILLE *Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353 ¯ OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN Borders Books & Music, 3209 NW Expressway 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 : EUREKASI~;RINGS, ARKANSAS. "~ Auttmm’ Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 ¯ *Jim & Brent’ s Bistro, 173 S. Main DeVito’ s Restaurant, 5 Center St. Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St, : MCC:0f the Living Spring : Geek to Go!,TC 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 417-623-4696 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 ¯ * is where you can find TFN. Not allare Gay-owned but allare Gay-friendly. commiLAnd there is no one wilting and able to take my place. The bisard has made the decision t~ continue IAM’s existence, at this time. IAM’s board will continue to meet periodicallyand monitor the changing reali:° ties of HIV/AIDS, its effect on our community and any future role IAM may play inmeeting needs. It is the ministry’ s hope, of course, that the future will bring a cure.’. that some day gatherings will be in remembrance only. The board and I wish to express our deepest appreciation for you support of the work of this ministry over the many years of its existence. Without that support IAM would not have been able to serve the hundreds of individuals which it has assisted withpractical, emotional, and spiritual support. Thank you on behalf of thosewehave served for themany gifts of your time, your talents, and your support. I appreciate the opporttmity the ministry has provided me to serve those affected by HIV/AIDS and to get to know and work with all of you. It has been very hard for me to step away from this work knowing there is so much more to be done. However, I know I have reached that place where, even though there is alot more I would have liked to have done, I have done all I can do for now. I would ask that you continue your prayers of those living:~ith and affected by HIV/A~DS and fofthOse who minister to them, for a cure for this,devastating disease, and frr those who have served Interfaith AIDS Ministries. Thank you and God bless you. Faithfully, - Chaplain Diane Zike, Director "focused on the issue of state’s rights" and that the high court’, s ruling in the case. "will have no direct effect in Oklahoma." "Oklahoma does not have the same antidiscrimination law as New Jersey," Edmondson said. "For me and my office, this matter was soldy decided on the advancement of states’ rights." Theissue ofstates’ rights involves powers reserved to the states under the 10th Amendment and immunity from lawsuits under the 1 lth Amendment. Edmondson, a former Boy Scout and see Attorney, p.7 by Christopher Graft, Associated Press Writer On the day Unilever bought Slim-Fast for $2.3 billion and Ben & Jerry’s for $326 million, it was the smaller purchase that captured the headlines and attentionnationwide. TheNew York Times, The Washington Postand The Associated Press were among the major news organizations that focused on the purchase of the tiny ice cream company, mentioning the acquisition of the much-larger Slim-Fast only to savor the unusual pairing of the fatten, ing and dieting duo. ceutical industry or whoever is his enemy of the moment. It is remarkable, actually, that Vermont gets as much attention as it does - through Ben, Jerry, and Bernie, and through U.S. Sens. Pat Leahy and Jim Jeffords and Gov. Howard Dean, all of whom have images of straight talkers in a business full of bluster. I suspect the nation’ s high interest in things Vermont has something to do with "... More and more in recent years Vetmont has been out front in tackling tough Why? Why does a $326 million purchase gain more attcntionthatva$2.3~billionone?Qu~fle-simplybecauseno ¯ probl.ems. There is something about the one ldab~s 6r~ cares ~h6 !o~vns Shn~-Fast." ~ . , ~ ¯ . ¯ Butdle k~d~Be~duidflie ’ldid,& J " ~’" ""~ ~ ,.small ~s~ze of the state that allows exper~- ¯ ! y ,, ! , y.:,. . ’. erry. mlamey care . .... ¯ ¯ : ¯ who owns th~s’c0mpa@.~ h~;ce ~dffay~ b~fi ~ttnazed’l~ ~. :nlentat~i0ii. Aiad ther is something a~ well the wide interest in Ben & Jerry’ s. By the news media. And by peo_p,te in general. Because, to be blunt about it, Ben & Jerry s is a tiny company, with an insignificant share of the ice cream market. The appeal, though, stems from the fact there are two real guys at the heart of this company; two guys who want t6~do good. No faceless multinational ctlialj._"~,y with layers of bureau...cracy. This xs Ben and Je~’.~,~-stlll doing a little scooping here and there, and always keeping their eyes on social concerns. And that strikes a nerve with the publicl Twoguys who want to do good. Helping out the little guy by earmarking 7.5% of the pretax p.r.ofits for charity and running campaigns to help children and savethe family farm. Two guYS. Doing good. Bernie Sanders strikes that same nerve. This past week found him gushingly profiled in the New York Times and prominently featured in the Boston Globe, the National Journal.and on Nagonal Public Radio. H~ is just one of 435 members of the U.S. House - and ye’~ he reaps far more than his share of publicity - just like Ben and Jerry do. Why? Because he, too, strikes a nerve. Bernie is the fighter for the little guy, taking on the powerful pharma- " about the attitude of its polltieal leaders ¯ and people, an attitude that champions eivll i r~ghts and foeuse~ on the little guy. : As difficult as it seems for some people, the debate this year over extending i benefits to Gay and Le~hian couples is part of that tradition..." : theseindi~iduals, but it als0 has s0me~ng to do with the state, its people and its heritage. ¯ In a time when many people feel disconnected from ~ their communities, when they feel overwhelmed by the ¯ stresses and strains of everyday life, Vermont seems to ¯ offer an anchor and a hope. Vermont is small enough.to retain the seBs¢ of community lost elsewhere, and is ¯ unafraid to try the unconventional - to stand up for the ¯ litde guy. ¯ Ben, Jerry, Bernie and the others are not creating a new image for Vermont: They are simply building on what Editor’s note: the following are remarks made by new NGLTF Executive Director Elizabeth Toledo at the National Press Club at apress conference held on April.25. "Good morning. I am here this morning to discuss the state of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender movement (GLBT) for equality in the United States. As many state legislatures across the land wrap tip their work and adjourn, we are seeing a frenzied pace of legislative activity surrounding GLBT issues. For only the second year in our movement’ s history, we have seen bills favorable to our community outnumber unfavorable bills - and the ratio is rapidly increasing. So far this year, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has tracked 466 bills, of which 288 are favorable and 178 are unfavorable. By comparison, last year, we tracked 269 favorable bills and 205 unfavorable bills. A trend has emerged which shows that although the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender population remains under fierce attack, the movement toward civil rights for all is steadily gaining strength. Today the Vermont House of Representatives is poised to give final approval to a bill that would allow same-sex couples the right to enter into official civil unions sanctioned by the state. If approved and signed into law, the Vermont bill will do what no state has ever done before - it will pr0~ide same~s,¢x couples wi~ al! of the fights, benefits iitid ~i~0fi-iilsNties Of niarfiag~ thai a state can offer. Vermont has garnered a lot of attention, and rightfully so. But did_you know_ about Georgia? Indiana? Mai_ne? Alabama?’GeOrgia this Tear foi~ ,the firs:t!time ever: has passed and enacted a hate crimes law. Indiana has passed and enacted a hate crimes data collection law. While not a full-blown hate crimes law, it represents the first rime hidianalegislators have everreacted favorably to aGLBT issue. Maine has passed and forwarded to the voters a full-scale civil rights law that includes sexual orientation. In Alabama, the House has passed an historic bill adding .sexual orientation to the existing hate crimes law. Thebill is scheduled to come up for a heating in the Senate tomorrow. Five states - Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Wisconsin - have defeated attempts to either pass or strengthen anti-same-sex marriage laws. ¯ The pace of activity this year continues a trend we first ¯ noticed in 1999, a breakthrough year for the GLBT ; .- movement. Last year’ s legislative victories included his- " toric advances in such disparate states as California, : Kentucky, New Hampshire and Nevada. In California, legislators passed and the governor signed a trio of bills : "...Vermont has garnered a lot of : attention, and ghtf lly But did you know about Georgla.9 Indlana.~ Maine.9 Alabama? Georgia this year for the first time ever has passed and enacted a hate erlmes law. Indiana has passed and enacted a hate cr~mes data collection law..." that established a statewide registry for same-sex couples, added sexual orientation to thenondiscrimination clauses under the state Fair Employment and Housing Act and offered public school students some protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. In Kentucky, tWO cities..and two_ 9oun.ties ad~pted, pro- GLBT civil rights measures. In New Hampshire, a law ¯ preventing same-sex couples from adopting children was repealed. And Nevada became the 1 lth state to ban job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. ~While we hav~ l~geiy ~picked-ul~iii flJ~ ~e’a~’2000 - where we left off, the news is not all good. Two states - Utah and Mississippi -have passed bills preventing " same-sex couples from adopting children. Two state " legislatures - Colorado and West Virginia- passed laws preventing same-sex couples from marrying, and Call- " fornia voters approved a measure banning the state from " recognizing same-sex marriages in other states. The " number of states that have explicitly passed laws banning same-sexmamagewill reach 33 ifthe Colorado governor ,’. signs that statefs legislation. : Such activity reflects the unfortunate reality of our ," movement. There is a checkerboard quality to the legal ¯ and cultural victories for the LGBT movement, and too " ¯ was there. This state has always been seen as a bastion of ¯ common sense and a breeder of courageous people. Yes, Vermont’ s pastoral image is of a bygone era of ¯ village squares and hillside farms. But its political image, its heritage, in fact, is of courage, of caring, of going ¯ where others fear to tread. Ralph Flanders was about as conservative as they ~ come. But he had the courage to stand up in the U.S. ¯ Senate and call for an end to Joe McCarthy’ s red-baiting, ¯ taking a stand that for Flanders was steeled in the values ¯ in the Bill of Rights. And so it was for George Aiken, ¯ fighting against :the banks, the rai!roadS, and~ flae marble ¯ and:~~ani,t.~i,n~t.u.stries in the ’3Os~ and spegaki~g up yche,It ¯¯ - others,would not .about the~ ,folly’,.of,Vietnam. :, . . . .. More and mpre in. recent ~ears V,e.rmont:has been out ¯ front in tackling tough problems. There is something : about the small size of the state that allows experimenta- ¯ tion. And there is something as well about the attitude of ¯ its political leaders and people, an attitude that champions ¯ civil rights and focuses on the little guy. ¯ As difficult as it seems for somepeople, the debate this ¯ year over extending benefits to Gay and Lesbian couples ¯ .is part of that tradition. Again the eyes of the nation are on ~ the state. Certainly there is apprehension and even oppo- ¯ sition, but it is reassuring and pleasing to see how much : applause thereis. A South Carolinanewspaper writes that ¯ "Vermont has offered a sensible model for secular civil ¯ unions;" theArizonaDaily Star says "this is probably the ¯ ¯ best solution possible to an emotional, important debate that strains the bounds of Americans’ tolerance and ¯ respect for each other," and the Concord (N.H.) Monitor ; says Vermont has "passed what was a test of conscience." ¯ A tourist promotion campaigns a few decades back ¯ proclaimed that Vermont is what America was. It is more ¯ accurate today to say that Vermont is what America ¯ wants to be. often the difference between legitimacy and illegitimacy in the eyes of society may rest on something as arbitrary as a state boundary. Many residents of thiS country assume that the great strides of the civil rights movement have afforded broad protection against discrimination for " all. In fact the legal reality is that those of us in same sex relationships have notbeen fully protectedfrom discrimination in housing,jobs, family law, education - virtually every aspect of our lives is subject to discrimination and sadl y, hate violence or harassment remains a reality in every state in the nation. Too often the cultural strides that are made in the media, in places or worship, in schools and universities and in the workplace are misinterpreted as a sign that equality has been won. I’ll give you an example. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force frequently receives phone calls from same-sex couples asking for alist of states in which they can legally marry. These individuals see shows like Will and Grace or Dawson’ s Creek. They worship in churches or synagogues that welcome them. They are out in the workplace or at school. They just assume, like many heterosexual Americans, that the barriers of discrimination have been eradicated. The reality, of course, is quite different¯ Not a single state allows same.sex mamage. 39 states allow Gay, "Lesbian, Bisexual:and Transgender employees.to be fired from ourjobs. 28 states lack hate crimes law s that include sexual orientation. 18 states criminalize loving, same-sex relationships. .~ " T~day the GLBT movement i~ at a crossroads We.are under open assault by those who would deny us basic .human rights., and at the same time the nation.is witnessing a surge in support for our cause. Ourtives, our liberty, our pursuit of happiness depend upon our ability to build strong political infrastructure and organize on the state and local level. Local orgamzing has always been the trademark of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Fortunately, we are not alone. Today, the state and local political infrastructure of the GLBT movement in the United States is stronger than it has ever been before. In 1996, NGLTFhelped found the Federation of Statewide LGBT Political Organizations. see NGLTF, p. 11 College Course to Focus On Net Hate Groups BOSTON (AP) - One shows an image of a slain Gay man burning in hell Another claims the FBI has declared war on white Christians. A third pretends to pay homage to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., then suggests the civil rights leader was a sex fiend, a communist and a "plastic god." They ~e radical, hate-driven Internet sites and they are increasing rapidly. This fall, they also will be the basis for a communications class at Emerson College called Hate.com. Robert Hilliard, an Emerson communications prof~e,ssor, vlans to use ,the sites to examine how radical gxpups use fi!e Internet to recrmt new members. " " Hilliard became interested in extremists~ when.he’ stumbled across a far-right talk radio show, and later wrote abookonthe topic withBoston College professor Michael Keith. "We began to listen and we said, ’Here we were, communications professionals and we didn" t know about these people,’" Hilliard said. "People have got to know what these people are saying." Their book, "Waves of Rancor: Tuning in the Radical RighC’ was well-received and ended up onPresident Clinton’ s summerreading list. Hilliard’ s says his class will .examine how the groups target xmpressionable youth, how they multiply and how they foment rage¯ More than 300 extremistWeb sites are on the Internet today, ranging from neo-Nazi alliances to Gay and Lesbian haters to Holocaust denials sites, according to the watchdog Southern Poverty Law Center¯ In 1998, the group counted 254 such Web sites, up from 163 in 1997. Experts say extremists are careful’not to urea away viewers with upfront, inflammatory statements or epithets. Instead, rock music and games draw in new members gradually. OneNeo-Nazi site features bands like RaHoWar, which stands for Racial Holy War. "Others attract viewers with seemingly mainstream articles, but the articles can lead to racist and conspiratorial theories bolstered with passages from the Bible and alternative historians. Hilliard plans toinvite some hate site creators to the class, giving them a chance to defend their work. One rote creator satdhe s open to such challenges. I thi the media is extremely biased against my point of view and I want to provide an alternative to their news," said Don Black, creator of Stormfront, one of o.. the Web’ s oldest white nationalist sites. Hilliard and others emphasize that extremist sites are fully protectedby the First Amendment and stress they are not calling for their removal. However, Hilliardmakes no bones abouthis hopes that students work to combat them. ’q?hese are people saying’We must arm ourselves for a holy war to rid the world of those who are not white, Aryan Christians or those who disagree with our points of view,’" he said. Idaho Public TV Faces Program Challenges IDAHO FALLS, Idaho. (AP) :-Adding adisclaimer to .controversial programming on Idaho Public Television may pacify prograrnm~ug restrictions from the .Legislature while allowing the stationto keep federal funding. Idaho Board Of Education member Curtis ’Eaton ¯ proposed.Friday the board require PublieTelevision tO air a disclaimer stating the station does not sanction acts or events depicted in programming. In a letter dated,April 13, Eaton asked.the ¯board to consider the option-as a way torectncile what he describes aft contradictory statements in recent.legislation that require theboard to regulateprogramming deemed to promote acts illegal in Idaho. The controversy over programming began last. spring, when Idaho Public Television General Manager Peter Morrill decided to air"It’ s Elementary," an hour-long documentary abouthow five public school districts across the country dealt with teaching kids about homosexuality. Christian conservatives lobbied the board to veto the program, but in June 1999 the board voted unanimously not to interfere with Morrill’ s programming decision. But the Legislature got involved this spring by including restrictions in a funding package for the network that reouire the board to monitor and reject programming that "promotes, supports or encourages the violation of Idaho criminal statutes." Because sodomy is illegal in Idaho, the bill could be interpreted tomeanprograms like"It’ s Elementary" should be cut. Or, because robbery is an Idaho felony, documentaries about legendary thieves Bonme and Clyde mightbebarred. ButboardmemberHarold Davis said he agreed with the restrictions and felt "It’ s Elementary’ crossed the line iiito promoting "the Gay lifestyle." Heopposed Eaton’ s proposal, saying itwas not sufficient to meet Legislative demands for new policy. Methodists Callings,For:+ Investigation of Bishop SACRAMENTO (AP) - Some parishioners want religious leaders to investigate the United Methodist Church bishop who decided not to charge 68 ministers who attended and endorsed a Lesbian wedding. The western region of the United Methodist Church’ s College of ~3ishops received two letters from parishioners, asking for aninvestigationinto whether Bishop Melvin Talbert disregarded church laws, including one banning same-sex unions. Bishop Elias Galvan of Seattle, a member of the religious body, said the o letters would be reviewed to see if they merit complaint status. John Stumbo, a Fort Valley, Ga., lawyer and member of the Coalition for United Methbdist Accountability, said the complaints centered around comments Talbert made when he announced that there was no basis f01~ a trial. At the time, Talbert said it was more important for the church to be all-inclusive than to puuish someone for blessing a union not officially sanctioned by the churcJa; But Stumbo said Talbert and the church’ s investigative committee disregarded a church law against homosexual, marriage in reaching their decision, If the-College of Bishops finds grounds for complaint, a separate committee wouldinvestigate whether Talbert should be tried in a church court, which would have the power to impose a number of penalties, including expulsion. Talbert’ s secretary said thebishop was travding and could not be reached for comment. The Rev. Don Fado of St..Mark’ s United Methodist Church in Sacramento performed the January 1999 ceremony for churchmembers Ellie Charlton, 64,and. Jeanne BametL 69. He and 67 other ministers offiCiated en masse at the ceremony. University Denial of Benefits Ruled Legal P1TTSBU-RGH (AP) - The University of Pittsburgh has-legally denied health benefits to same-sex partners of employees, an AlleghenyCounty judge ruled. Judge Robert Gallo said that Pitt’ s policy is neutral because health benefits are offered to all employees regardless of sexual orientation, and Pitt also denies benefits to unmarried partners of heterosexual employees. "This ruling dearly iupholds what has been the university’ s .position, thr0~ghout these proem,dings - namely that the universityhealth benefits plan is legal and nondiscriminatory," Pitt spokesman Ken Service said. But. Deborah Henso~, ia’former Pittinstn~ctorWho-’ sued when the university denied benefits to her Le~.- bian partner, said she’would appeal to Common~ wealth Court. ’~Fhis is.important in terms of fairness.,, and equality," Hens,on s~d.."pitt has .l~e~¯ ~gh~ng tooih and nail, inmy opiuion,tojus,tff,y~ disenmina~tton against Gay and Lesbi~in persons. Henson and six others were plaintiffs in a lawsuit alleging that Pitt violated a city ordinance banning discrimination against Gay~ and Lesbians. I-Ienson’ s attorneys had wanted the case to be heard by the Pittsburgh CommissiononHumanRelations, whichhears complaints about violations of the city ordinance. Ga!lo said the commission has nojurisdiction over Pitt. In November, Gov. Tom Ridge signed a law exempting state universities and colleges from being forced by city anti-discrimination laws to provide same-sex benefits. Pitt is a state-affiliated institution. United in God’s Love ¯ MCC-Un=ted Sunday WOrship 11:00 am 1623 N. Maplewood Reverend Cathy Elliot Pastor 918/838-1715 Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community ofHope 2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595 .... A Welcoming Congregation HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm 3210b S. 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Burrows, LSW, ACSW Ghild, Family, Individual & Gouplo Psychothorapy (918) 743-9559 2121 South Columbia, Suite 420 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518 The Pride Store 1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor Tulsa Gay Community Services Center 743-GAYS (743-4297) .. i . 6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday ’12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the cOnter Certified Public Accountant a professional corporation 747-5466 4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135 TOM NEAL BUILDING & GARDEN DESIGN 583-,1248 Red Rock Tulsa,. Free Confidential,:HIV,Testing Walk-in Clihics ........ Tuesdays, 5-8 pm, Center, 1307 East38tti ...... Wednesdays, 5-8 pm, R¢0.~ock, 1724_~_s.L8~h Daytime appointments availal~le. Call for more information; 918-584 2325 KEVIN ESON Keller Will,ms -712;2 252 ..~ Bur]es~n@kw.com 26D I East 21st Street, gte. 100, Tulsa 7~’1~ , ~ An Ind@endg~t Member ~roher SaintAidan ~ ~ SaintDunstan 4045 N. Cincinnati, 425-7882 5635 East 71st, 492-7140 Saint John Trinity 4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381 501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128 The Episcopal Church Welcomes You "Recognizing that Pitt’ s health care contract on its face prohibits Pitt from providing benefits to both same sex and heterosexual unmarried couples, making n~ distinction between the two, it is dear that the commi ssion would be precluded from finding that an unlawful practice hadbeen committedbyPitt," Gallo’ s written ruling said. Other universities in Pennsylvania that offer samesex benefit~ include the University of Pennsylvania, Swarthmore College and DickinsfnCollege. C.amegie MdlonUniversity.faculty earlier this monthaccepted a recommendation-that the:,.university ,provide samesex benefits as wall..CMU’ s board of trustees must approve the recommendation as well before samesex benefits will be extended, according to university spokesman Don Hale. BOSh on Vermont Civil Unions ¯ Clark delivered opening and dosing arguments ¯ while Richard Van Wagoner, another Salt Lake City ¯ lawyer, grilled Seidel on her decision to disqualify ¯ PRISM but sanction the Polynesian Club and the ¯ Odyssey of the Mind Club. ’Seidel also nixed a ¯ women’ s literature club, saying she had suggested a ¯ genderless literature club instead. Campbell seemed ¯ particularly interested in that decision a~d asked for ¯ district records on it. ~ ".... ." The judge frequently turned oia Dan: Larsen, an ¯ assistant Utah state attorney general d~fending the ¯ school district, attacking his argiamentsand declaring school administrators were not hb~v~:the law. Dis- - trict Superintendent Darlene Roblds: who was in the ¯ courtroom but did not testify, S~iid tti~ school board ¯ "wasla:t tr~_’0g to violate studen[s" ~F,ifst Amendment ¯ ~nghk~ and welcomed any ~]anfi~ohC ~ ll~ear~ "bring on, the m~tte~r~ , TEMPLE,Texas (AP)-Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush refused to be drawn into comment on Vermont’s civil unions, which would grant to same~sex couples some 300 state benefits of marriage, including medical decision-making, tax breaks and inheritance. Bush has opposed recognizing same-sex unions in Texas. "They have a right to pass a law," Bush said. "It’ s the right of the state to .make that decision just like it’s the right of the state of South Carolina to make the decision on the flag." Bush also met with a group ofGay Republicans last week in Austin and said he was "a better person" for heating their stories but still disagreed with them on Gay marriage. The Texas governor answered questions after making an elementary school appearance to_~,r.omote "character education" on the anni .v.ersary of the Columbine shootings. School District InC0urt Fi0r Rejecting Gay Club SALT Li~KE CITY (AP) - A fede~r,al judge recently shai~ly questioned a’s~hoor distiict s refuSai.to’sanctibia’ "d" ’ ~~d:¢rff ~ dub ’ that would-focus:,on:Gay "~-: IJYe:sbjan~ssu¢si"’~ust (~ecaus~ yo~gof6"safi’6ol’d~i m~y~.~0!~ -th~ii,~’~iis~ Aiii~iidifiefi{iights; U..S," Di~ft Jildg~ Teiah’ chmp~~tttold’.a lawyer for’the S~,t-~ .city’s~tiool ~’~&:Campbell made.no d~Li~ionlasr m’or~,...B.~t.~:.i.s e.x_pected’t0 nile ~60n o..n~a’reqye~ by stud~,nt org~:z~r~’i6b~c~ia~lVadnfiil: is~t6r~ find .~_~ "PRrSM~’Peoi~l~ R~spectingIm~ pdrt~t s~iAl Mov-&ia~nt~= ter@o:rary school privileges. Campbell will then’decide the crux of the case: w3aether schoql 9ffici~s violated the First Amendmeat or their own-policy in sh~bb~ag., PRISM:Tot-? merly the Gay-Straight Alliaiice and_now, reconsti-. ttitM M’ii~i" aii ac~id’6G~i~ ib~ar to satisfy new district: c[abrules, - _ .Cynthia ~¢i_.dd i. the_Oi,S_tri’~? s._as~istani,~upe~nten-: ¯ dent, struggled on the stand Tliurs~y.~0¢xplaii~ why., PRISM didn’ t.qualify as, an academic_club;.contend: ing,it represents a~ narrow..viewpoi~ o.n ~.~.erican hist6ry and sociology In 1996, the school districi el.i_nu,’na,ted all nonacademicdubs’i:aiher.than idlow Qay .dubat East RighS&ooL ambve.that ,was in~federat court..... .....",.. ~ .... ~, , ,. ,,7i?ne,G~y,~cltlb ~, 0n!y .n~et ~t’e~ ,h~ ~s qo~.l~.u~:~.g,rpup. thin, must ~efi( siJa~e aiii£.~hy insurance~ Th~~i~a’l~ ;sn ’t~16~l t6 liand ~tU~t t’l,y..¢~ oL c~uh ~ha~e.t0~ay.fQr~ :,es si Coh~:saia’.’C6iien ~’d: i~qrpos; ,oLtll.e .cfii~ is tbi~i~ss history"f~bifi:the pcrsp.e.,,~tive~ of’G~y~ a~a)’?!;~in~."Seida ti~Z them ~O~i~ :Uec~U~ ~e’d0ii~t t~ch c,,urri~ulum from the viewpini:dfGays and Legblans. ’. . Stephen.Clark, l¢.gal director for the American Civil ,Liberties, U,ni"on of Utah, argued that the denial was a straighff0.r~v)ffd First Amendment v,iolation. Clark also contends the district manipulated its own club policy and sealed its decision against PRISM with a new, still unwritten rule disqualifying clubs advocating an "exclusive viewpoint" of subjects. Lesbian Housing Rights NEW YORK (AP) - A lawyer for a Lesbian medical student asked a state appeals court to order Yeshiva University to let the woman and her domestic partner live together in school-subsidized housing. James Esseks told a five-judge panel of the New York State Supreme Court’ s Appellate Division that Yeshiva’ s policy discriminates on the basis of marital status and sexual orientation in violation of city and state law. Esseks said the university pern-ts married students to live in school housing only with spouses and children. Because Gay couples cannot legally marry, the policy has a disparate, discriminatory impact on them, he said. Esseks represents Sara Levin, 28, of San Francisco, a fourth-year student at Yeshiva’ s Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Yeshiva University is the oldest andlargest institution of higher education under Jewish auspices in the United States. University Members Protest Anti-GaY Slurs GORHAM, "{~/Iaine (AP) - Abou(.125.~t_udent~, staff and administrators attended ameeting following three incidents o£ anti-Gay bias at the University of Southern Maine. One student and two others were arrested _ by GorhamandUSMpolicein connection with one of " the three_’in.cidents, all of which took place during a ¯ one-week period earlier this spring. President Rich- - : ard Pattenande assured participants.at Wednesday’ s :Tmeeting that anti-Gay acts will not be tolerated. :’ "USM stands unflinchingly for equality~. -. homophobid has.no place at USM," Pattenande said.. The incidents began on the weekend of April 8-9 when anti.Gay graffiti was foundin Woodward Hall. The graffiti referred to a resideatadvisor. The next incidenthappened on April 13 when the same Woodward resident advisor and anotheradvisor intervenedin an out-of-control party. Both were taunted ~ with violent, anti-Gay threats. Last Saturday, another ¯ dormitory.staff workerfoundawritten-anti-Gay death threat had been slipped under her’dtbr~" ....... ’ Alhb:ama Hate:i::Cii :i:mes Law Revision In:Trouble MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - At:i~n-danc~..at. a Senate comfifittee meeting could determine the fate Of lcgist~tif~;to ~;po,laxkA!.~b._a~a,~’.A~h~.qrim,es !~w to indud~NXnald~r~e~a~:.ti...on.!.7~.e.t)i:!$ pa~red~R~ 49-39:on.April 6..George, Olssom Mbntgomery .area coordinator for-the Gay and Le~ian,Al!iartc,e .of Alabama~,s~d ’.~e ,J~c!~ci_ary _Co~t.t~~: sharply which commi.B~me,_~a~bcrs shoN,upat tlag~tiil~eting. Committee, cL~irman.:Rodger,:,Smi,ih~ianan, a supporter Of the bill, agreed thdco~tteeii spfit 50- 50 and,attendance,could determine t!~.outcome. Alabama law already mandates, mini.mm:n prison terms that felons must serve for crimes motiyated by race, color, religion, national origin, :ethnicity or physical or mental disability. For instance,, if a person committed a crime that is normally punishable by one to 10 years in prison, the hate crimes law mandates the person must serve at least two years in prison. TB Spreading In Transgender Group ATLANTA (AP) - A tuberculosis outbreak in the Transgender commtulities of Baltimore and New York City may be spreading to 0ther:cities, the government said recently. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 26 active cases and 37 dormant cases of tuberculosis, most of them connected to members of the transgender community inthe two cities. The’ CD~,, ~s~ th~t~m~ig~asgender to: encbn~Ss~"cro~-~dr~ss~dr~,~ those who haveig~.,derg0~eI and indi~id~Jai~ ~tio ~re’plafining to un~ dergo sex-change operations. All of the cases in Baltimore were men except for fourwomenwho w’ere eitherfamilymembers of the men or health care workers who treated them. Many had a strain of TB treated with common antibiotics. The government said 62% of the tuberculosis patients tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. People with HIV are susceptible to tuberculosis and could die if not treated. Transgenders often travd to many cities frequenting social clubs and participaring in fashion and dance competitions. "Frequent travel and social network links identified among the Baltimore andNYC cases have raised concern that thi~ strain ¯ . may be circulating in other’~ities among young, mobile transgender persons withHIV infection," theCDCsaid in a report¯ The CDC is checking for additional cases linked to the same strain in Atlanta, "Baltimore, Boston,NewYorkCity, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Actor Bruce Willis Donating to Charity LOS ANGELES (AP) - There’ s more to theBruceWillis appearances on"Friends" than a potential ratings boost. The actor, who agreed to be a guest star on NBC’ s "Friends" for three episodes during the May ratings "sweeps," is donating earnings from the show to five charities. The amount of money wasn’ t disclosed. The American Foundation for AIDS Research, AIDS Project Los Angeles, the Elizabeth Glaser PediatricAIDS Foundation, the Rape Treatment Center and UCLAUnicamp for underprivileged children will share the money, Willis publicist Paul Bloch said. On "Friends," Willis plays the widowedfather ofRoss’ new girlfriend. Willis became friendly with "Friends" actor Matthew Perry when they both starred in the movie "The Whole Nine Yards." Study on Prison Sex in Kentucky MOREHEAD, Ky. (AP) - A Morehead State University professor is conducting a study on prison sexuality, a topic he says has been shrouded in silence but must be dealt with. The information could be used to combat the spread of AIDS and improve prison safety. Christopher Hensley, a sociology professor who directs Morehead’s Institute for Correctional Research and Training, said the survey is the first of its kind in Kentucky. Hensley studied prison sex in Oklahoma and found that nearly one in four male prisoners had engaged in sexual activities with fellow inmates. Overall. 13.8% of all prisoners said they had been : "threatened sextmlly" by other inmates : and 1.1% said they had been raped. ". If they have AIDS or another sex~mlly ¯ transmitted disease, they’ll be spreading : it to their partners, he said. "These people : are g,oing to be getting out of prison and ¯¯ they re going to be having sex with their wives or husbands," Hemley said. : The sweeping 46-question survey .,asks ¯ about jailhouse consensual sex, : autoeroticism and rape. About 3,600 of : Kentucky’ s 15.300 prisoners have been ¯ asked to participate. The survey is volun- !, ~tary and_anonymouL Funded in part b~ a .: ~$1,600 ~ant from ’Morehe~id~State,! the ":~i ~ques~i~res have~n ~ent to i.m~tes ¯ ’. dt three Of the state’ s .12 male prisons and : toinmatesatthestate’sonlyfemaleprison. ¯ Results will be released this fall. Hensley’ s research has "extraordinary value," said Cindy Stmckman-Johuson, a professor of psychology at the University of South Dakota. But~topic is so taboo that few scholars focus on it, she said. "We should have hundreds of people studying it," Struckman-Johnson said. "Sex inprisonis amajor cause ofviolence ... of upset and turmoil, a major cause of disease." Prisoners’ rights advocates also say the sexuality data could be useful. "Prison is a very violent place and ff (officials) can get a better idea about the reality ofprison rape and what’ s going on, hopefully they caTu be more prepared to deal with that issue," said Kara Gotsch, a public policy coordinator with the Washington, D.C.- based National Prison Project of the American Civil Liberties Union. Struckman-Jotmson said some prison administrators try to quash these kinds of studies out of concern about negativepublicity. But Morehead State administrators and Kentucky prison officials approved Hensley’ s study. Hensley also has co-written an article on conjugal visitation in Mississippi, and his study on consensual homosexual activity in male prisons in Oklahoma is scheduled for publication in December in a prison-related academic journal. Russian Prison For HIV+ Inmates MOSCOW (AP) - Authorities in a Siberian region plan to open a separate prison for inmates infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, a news report said last month. About 600 HIV-positive convicts are serving time in prisons of the Irkutsk region, and another 300 infected people are held in pre-trial detention, said Boris Gronik, chief of the regional Justice Ministry branch in charge of prison administration. Gronik said afflicted inmates present a danger to other prisoners, and need to be removed; the ITAR=Tass news agency reported. "Unless they are all gathered in one place, the situationmayget out of control," Gronik was quoted as saying. Russia already has one special prison for HIV-positive convicts, ITAR-Tass said. The jail is located in the Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad, which has one of the highest concentrations of AIDS cases in Russia. In a separate development, authorities in the southern Siberian republic of Buryafia, next door to lrkutsk, said 101 HIV cases have been registered in the republic, up from 24 at the start of the year, ITAR-Tass reported. HIV has been spreading fast in Russia and more than 30,000 registered cases March. Timothy W. Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partnership Planning, Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma Weekend and evening appointments are available. Medical Excellence And Compass.ionate Care Since 1926. ¯ ¯ ST. JOHN MEDICAL CENTER Medical Excellence ¯ Compassionate Care ~ Tulsa’s only~o/essional " - , bodyp!ercing Are You Gay or Bisexual? Are You Native American? Tulsa’s Two-Spirited Indian Men’s Support Group is here for you! ¯ E~ening support group meetings ¯ Relationship workshops ¯ Short trips, outings and retreats ¯ Free HIV testing For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project Call JOHN RAGAN, the friend!y, caring real estate agent who understands your special needs! 918-583-2125 800-559-1558 ~.NewNest.com reviewed by Barry Hensley . In the mid 1960’ s, Garlandstarted re- Tulsa City-County Library ¯ cording her memories and feelings on a Judy Garland’ s fascinating and tumul- " reel to reel tape recorder. Theoretically, it tuous.life has become the subject of yet ¯ was to be a verbal, and hopefully moneyanothercontroversialbiography, thistime " making autobiography, butinreality,forby Gerald Clarke, author tifiedbyherfavoritewine, of "Capote." Goddess of "Extraordinarily Blue Nun, it became a ti- Gay men of a certain age, . oor, at~ ehoosln , . ~ade.ag~in~t~pe°p!eand Judy died inlJun~iof. 196~,~ ¯-P. .... ~,~ :- ¯ ~ .; cbmpafli~s~ "who"~ had a week. before’thei tone.-" .... hn,s t~ d.s",,,:the ""~ ’.wronged her. C~arlde wall rio.t in York, her 77 ..... "s. ems especially proud which started the modem that he had access to these Gay rights, movement. From Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz," through a series of film successes, to someembarrassing television performances, and, fin. ally., to aging songstress staging substandard tunes written by her lover, Judy Garland’s career was a rollercoaster ride unparalleled in showbiz history. . .Through thenewspapers, radio and television, the public eagerly watched her career rise and fall many times over a thirty year period. Each triumphant performance was soon followedby some sort of disaster. Extraordinarily poor at choosing husbands, the public followed her volatile personal life as well, although they were probably unaware of a few Lesbian encounters that are mentioned in Get Happy. Cycling down to an untimely an-d-litigation filled end, Judy’s stormy life finally exhausted and frustrated her friends, fans and family. Her story is one of the greatest indictments against the excessive use of drugs and alcohol that American popular culture has produced. After ten years of interviews and meticulous investigation, Clarke has written ahuge tome, second only to GeroldFrank’ s 700 page biography, "Judy," in 1975. Clarke had access to the personal diary of Dottle Ponedel, Judy’ s longfime makeup woman, who apparently found that Judy was the most interesting thing in her life. Clarke also interviewed many of Judy’ s costars, friends, directors and conductors, including Arfie Shaw, Lena Home, and Judy’ s mostinfluential husband, SidLuft. she said, wiping the tears and gesturing at the joyous chaos on the House floor. Their jubilahon was matched by anger among opponents, who have complained that lawmakers weren’ t listening to their concerns. "The people of the state of Vermont will be back in November and this legislation will be repealed," said John Nelson, a 70-year-old retired salesman. The state Supreme Court unammously ruled in December that the couples were being unconstitutionally denied therights and benefits of mamage. The legislature decided to establish a parallel system for Gays rather than broaden marriage statues to include Gays and Lesbians. The civil unions essentially duplicate marriage, but are not recognized under federal law denying Gay couples benefits such as Social Security andirmnigrafion. Under the law, Gay ~ouples will be able to go to their town clerks and have their unions certified by a judge or by a member of the clergy. Breakups will be handled in Family Court. volatile personal life as wall, although they were probably naware d a few Lesbian encounters that are mentioned in ~et Happy’..." tapes, although at leastone other Garland biography has utilized them. Thecontent of the tapes is very interesting, although painfully sad, as she lashes out at the people who .made millions off of her name but left her penniless. With the exception of some films and her celebrated Carnegie Hall concert, Clarkelargely ignores Garland’ s professional life, preferring to give us lurid gossip and personal problems instead of analyzing her varied career. In fact, of the almost 500 pages in this book, only four are dedicated to’q’heJudy GarlandShow," the 1963 CBS series that was the last, sustained effort of her career (and which is currently available on DVD.) Reviewers and fans seem intensely polarized about their opinions of this book. (Check out the Amazon.corn reviews!) While listing over 50 pages of notes and acknowledgements, Clarke often relies on unverifiable comments, some of them quite ugly. He also seems obsessed with Judy’s sex life, a topic well covered in Judy Garland: The SecretLife ofanAmerican Legend, by David Shipman. However, his decade ofresearch pays off occasionally, with someinteresting stories and comments, although we must be aware that what we are reading is quite probably as much a juicy novel as it is a serious biography. Either way, it’ s an intriguing read. Check out Get Happy, as well as many of Garland’ s films or music at any branch Library, or call Central at 596-7977. the parent of a former Boy Scout, said there have been 255 requests for the state to join friend-of-the-court briefs since he became attorney general in 1995. The state has signed on to 111 of them, 68 dealing with states’ rights. "In making those decisions, we have always tried to focus on the legal issues rather than the political ones," he said. But lawmakers said Edmondson’s action makes ~*. appear the state opposes the right of the Boy Scouts to choose their own leaders. "’Drew Edmondson has put Oklahoma on record in the highest court in the land as being in favor ofthe homosexual movement against the Boy Scouts," said Rep. Bill Graves, R-OKC,-an outspoken opponent of civil rights for Gay people. "I thought the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court was an outrage," Graves said. Editor’s note: the switchboardfor the Oklahoma House of Representatives is 800-522-8502. Editor’s lugte: due to gremh’nesqueglitches tn the e-mail, our regular "Amusements" column byJim Christjohn never got to the editorial desk. Unfortunately this came to light at first::lighr’the mormng before going to’.press, andbeing brave, but northat brave, :I dtdt no:t invoke the wrath of the dembn~ by Waking him at 5:30am. Future issues.~willfeature interviews by Christjohn: with members of the cast of cal, will be at the Tulsa Performing Arts Centerbeginning May 30 thro’ June 4th. As the promoters, the Tnlsa-based Celebrity Attractions, note interest in the ill-fated ship has been _ ~om Sesma great, resulting in televisionprograms, a"major motion picture," novels and "even a cookbook." Indeed. The show was written by Peter StOne, known for other shows: 1776, T~e Will Rogers Follies, My One & Orii~, and music and lyrics are by Maury Yeston .. (Nine, Grand Hotel). Titanic wonmultiple’q’ony" awards~in 1997 and New York Observer critic, Rex Reed claims, " you will never see anyder of wonders, to TULSA! This Pulitzer and Tony award winning work by the late Jonathan Larson-was introduced to Tulsa theatre and media, folk at a.recent PAC reception. Coordinated by the ever gracious and lovely Tracey Norvell, fed a grea~ llmch by the Polo GrilF s Tal.madge Powell, and wowed by perfomances by two .current Broadway casrmembers flown into Tulsa forithe; ~vent.,~’sa~_~ hear,~d.: the veff~ .era ergetie,(~md:cute-)-p~.~l~!ce~, Jeffre~ ~€!1€~ deseribethe off-off Broadway .and shaky origins of Rent, as well as the tragic death of an aeortic aneurysm of composer/ writer Jonathan Larson on the very eve of the show’s successful opening. Larson drew inspiration for Rent from Puccini’s La Boheme but set his work in New York’ s East Village and with people living with HIV (rather than TB), Lesbian lawyers, drag queens instead of Parisian poets and painters. The music draws on!the traditions of American gospel and in the words of.the Houston Chronicle~ "Rent .is that rare. musical whose content and style areo£the present rather than the past.. words of pro.d.ucer Jeffr,y Sellers~ tradithing this impressive anywhere elser on’ tional :upt wn . t_h_eatre;,t.e..Broadway, Broadway." Certainly,Titanic seems cer~ .... was not-:~’our.characters ;,our stories, our tain t0 pl~hse the target audience ofCelebi; "" music, i. 2;.S~1~8 addecL that ,The.New rity Attractions and to bring in any nlmi: "~ York Ti~oa~.s,:q,a~:.,ed ;~e~t~Ya, shimm~ ber ofcharter buses full of traditional ~ea~ ¯ choonpceufrowr-i~ffei h~iAm.mmeri~_d.c’w~n.-ith th~Pe~q~ng theatr~igoers. ~ .... Theatre Tulsa Goes Gay!?!_,-. ~ Arts Center’s..director~-.33lm~e~i~ iii~t .......for T~s.a.;:R.¢.n.tj~!O~ag0~erdue! Tulsa Family News is delighted to re.:., Rent 9Li.t.lbe ip:Tulsa, f,om Augusi 29Rt ceive notice that TheatreZul~a’ S final seasonproductionis theTerrence McNallyhit,Lips Together, Teeih Apart." It Will run April 28, 29, and May3- 6 at8,l~.~,; ~e~e_w.ill be a:~ma~lee all PAC Jolm~H. ............Io tP+~9..Pt., 3rd :~ith -I ev.~i~n.g and marl: nee,performances. Tickets, range, be:.. $25 to.$55 ,a~..dgQ:on ~.ale on June 12. Call 596- 7111,800-364- ~731I. or go to Willidins :Tkeatre.’ ..... : Veto S~fanic~directs this "adult sitmi:" tion" drama:~dae elegant beach house " on Fi~I~taii~i:~;brother and sister and their i(d~tig~e~pouses attempt to cel-: ebrat~i=tll~-~t~6~li:0f July. Surrounded 6if: bo.th s[d~Tb,~]~e~ii~ve h~ses~Ga~.~i~ieff:~ " me" two sfi~:~i~t ~codpqeg’exi~Xa* own!ives ~[li~it;sorrow, and agnawmgup.,,~ t~my~!~es their‘ affluen! hab’-’ it~ hfid]SeR~ pi~jii~li~s ~i~zle~n the:sum:~ ,"~l)~:" ~" ?’Q *~ "~ .... - ;.... ~’;" ~i’¢ " ~ " Tl~eT~fl:aa 1§’one~,~(e!,ty-~Ndest arts ,0.~g. a~!..~a,tlons ..and -ael~owle~t~mg Gay~i~ ,th~"th~iff~ is ’a big step, n~ot t6 ¯ me~tidff~cNali~ is one Of temporary pla~fights so check this production out, W~:don’t get that many ¯ chances trsee theatre in Tulsa which acknowledges-the eXistence ofGaypeople: " 525,600 Minutes : Having said that, the extraordinary new Ameficanmusical, Rent, is coming, won- " ;~ Do, you got:Hope? ~ Fran~_.~,C.~thy Kc~ting’, sfavodte~ulsa designer_ ,~gd..H!.V/AtDS .. fund.raise-~,~ Charles-Faudree,-once again has, o~ga; nized theHopeCafid~eli.~ht~0urforea~!y, June. TI~.,"~,eve~t not,rnly,heips i~aise f~d~i groups;p~c~yide~car~, toW-opl,e liv~:ii~ see some6fTulsa s mostbeau~i~f~@~, rated, homes.- ......... -,.:~.... The pub!ic:tour on SituMay, i~; 3rd and Sunday~ Jun¢.4th i%~tures fiv~ l~0mes for a donation ofonly $10. Ticke,ts fi3r tliis tour may be obtainld a~ each..home ¯ There is also a donor tourfeaturing four more homes on Iune 1 for those who donate $125. And patrons (donations of more than $450) will gather at Doug & Susan Pielsticker on June 10th. For more information, call Charles Faudree, Inc. at 747-9706. I to benefit Saint Joseph Residence + Regional AIDS Interfaith.Network Saturday, June 3rd, 10-5, + Sunday, June 4th, 1-5 $10 donation at the door or in advance. David Daniel, 1603 S. Carson Wiley Parsons, 1601 S. Carson Monty + Jane Butts, 240 E. Woodward Blvd. Brett + Maricarolyn Swab, 2112 S. Norfolk Ave. Dr. Robert & Dena Hudson, 2707 S. Rockford Rd. Tickets for this~,t~Jr may be obtaL"gd at each home. For more intormation, call Charles Faudree, Inc, at 747-9706. THE MUSEUM SHOP AT PHILBROOK 748.5304 April 29, May 5 & 7, 2000 Prices Start. at Just $15! Act Now! Call 587-4811 December MonthlyElectric Bills. At PS0, we kn0w ihat,changing .... "same each month, because ifs basedweather condi~qp~:throughout~e year can cause~m0nthlye~ bills to rise and fall dramatically. Which can make it hard to plan your householdlmdget~That’s,why~ our Average Monflxly Payment plan, could be your budgeting solution. With~youpay about the .on your previous 12 months umge. ~ :~make~ budgeting a breeze. Andbest of all, ifs free. AMP!sjust one of several flem’ble payment options PSOoffersyou. For more information, we’re available 24 hours adag Or S’tgn up for AMP on our website at vccc,v.csw.corm PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY. OF OKLAHOMA A Central and South West Company by Busaba Sivasoboom BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - They giggled like girls and limp-wristed their high-fives, but when these players spiked a volleyball, opponents knew they were facing some of the meanest men on a Thai Bacldin 1996, a transvestite volleyball team with a woman coach overcame an anti-homosexual campaign to keep them out and competed!ha meffs national club volleyball championship They wonboth the tournamentandthehearts.of the crowd. Now; their tale has been turned into a movie titled "Satree-lek," or "Iron Ladies," and it’ s quickly turning into one of the biggest box office hits in Thai history - while spotlighting the country’s ambiguous feelings about transvestites and homosexuality. DirectorYongyootThongkongtoon said that on the surface, Thai society is open and tolerant of transvestites and homosexuality. The two are often equated in the popular mind, though not all transvestites are homosexuals, or vice versa. Transvestite cabarets are popular with tourists and several television shows feature transvestites-prompting an edict last year by the government to broadcasters to tone it down. The order, however, has widely been ignored. ButYongyoottoldTheAssociatedPress that transvestism was a lifestyle far removed from that led by most Thais, and his debut film takes a look at how other people : react to having transvestites as neighbors, rivals and colleagues. In the movie, the team was insulted by words and gestures at the beginning of the tournament. However, when they showed they could play as well, and better- than their rivals, they gradually gained respect from fans and other players. "I chose to present it as a comedy, because I thought a drama might be boring," said Yongyoot, who formerly directed TV commercials. "An audience is more easily attracted by a comedy film." When the movie began showing nationwide in March, it became an instant hit and pulled in more thaii 100 million baht ($2.7 million) in thefirst month, 10 times what it cost to make. That already makes it second Thai film in all-rime box office receipts behind the A walk-through butterfly exhibit at the Tulsa Zoo and Living Mus~umwil! open onMay 6 and will continue through October 8. The exhibit is open from 10am - 5pmand visitors canexperiencehundreds ofnative butterflies up-el0seand in flight. Nearly 30 species of North American butt.efflies.and ~ few s,p~..’es ofmoths will be represented itl an enel6~&l garden setring, near the Animal Kingdom Building and features a variety offlowering plants. This exlfibit is free wi~ the ~regular Zoo admission. Wings ofWonderis set withina30x 96’ greenhouse covered with a light mesh to contain the animals. The exhibit features a "chrysalis house" where visitors can watch as each butterfly emerges from its chrysalis or pupa and prepares for flight. Winding stone pathways, a water feature, benches, andeducational exhibits enhance the exhibit area. Wings of Wonder is dedicated to increasing visitor knowledge and appreciation of butterflies which are signature 150 million baht (dlrs 4 million) earned by "Nang Nak," last year’ s arty retelling of an old ghost legend that is credited with giving a new breath of life to the moribund Thai film industry. Pakorn Pimton, a transvestite and coordinator of the Gays Against AIDS group, said he was unsurprised by the success of the movie and he hoped it would open useful debate. Gays are accepted as entertainers, Pakom said, because Thais d(, see movie stars and television program hosts as serious. ,~ - "Howe~,ifthey go beyond’that line to be a doct~,~polifiCi~, banker Or top~nfili,~ tary official - I guess the answer is no, Pakorn said. "We still use a two-tier measure for members of our society." Violence against homosexuals is rare in Thailand, Pakorn said, but many barriers remain against open homosexuals. The Gay rights movement is weak. His group regularly receives calls fromhomosexuals who -fear coming out of the closet because they risk their jobs or status. Kitikorn Meesapya, senior psychologist at the Department of Mental Health’ s, said that Thais can accept homosexuals that keep a low profile. Homosexuals in Parliament and the military are well treated until their lifestyles are publicly exposed - a fairly rare occurence. "But then they will fac~ harsh criticism from society," Kitikorn said, expressing hope that "Satree-lek" might encourage more tolerance and help some people to express themselves as homosexuals. For Kongrith Singnukote, one of the 1996 champion players, the film’ s strongest pointis that it’*talks about peacefully living together in society by accepting the differences of each person." Kongrith works as a bank teller. He goes to work in men’s clothes, but wears makeup and ¯" speaks in a girlie voice. All his colleagues ¯ know he is a transvestite. Kongrith says : he gets teased a bit, but no one has ever ¯ shown violence toward him. He says he is : grateful that his family accepts him as he : is. : Being the subject of a hit movie hash~ t ¯ raised.his celebrity ambitions,however, and he doesn’t see a career for himself : beyondretail service. "I know that thereis ¯¯ a barrier for us," he says. "For now, I’m satisfied at being what I am." ¯ species for conservation. By fostering a greaterunderstanding of theneeds and the ¯ life,cycle of butterflies we can hdp con- " serve these delicate creatures. -" In addition tothe butterfly enclosure, : knownas"Butterfly Landing," the grounds ¯ aroundtheexhibithavebeen planted with : butterfly-attracting plants to encourage : v~s~tataon by someof our natt,~e butterfly residents. Thebutterflies exhibited inside ¯ Butterfly Landing have not been taken ~ from:the wild but are procured through ¯ certified butterfly suppliers. ¯ ¯ Exhibits describing the lifecycle of the butterfly, the differences between moths ¯ and butterflies, common butterflies of ¯ Oklahoma, chrysalis and butterfly !dent!- : fication, and about attracting butterflies ¯ to yards will be included in the exhibit. ¯ Also planned for this summer is a vision ¯ exhibit that will enable visitors to see like : a butterfly. The Animal Kingdom Build- . ing will also house agift cart specializing ¯ in butterfly-related books, souvenirs, and gifts. Info: 669-6600 orwww.tulsazoo.org r by Lament.. Lindstrom, Ph.D. What do you call a dead Blond in a closet? - a 1964 hide and seek champion! The recent flush of Blendjokes is an interesting cultural phenomenon. Jokes are more than just funny. They are also dangerous because they are polilical. Overthepastfew decad~s~: change~ iri Amefi’~t"~ ~olitib~[ arena have affectedboth the content and practice Ofjoking. Itis alittleless easy than it used to be to joke about ethnic and religious groups, handicap, gender, or gender-orientation. Blonds have emerged as a safe target in politically conscious, if not always politically correct, America. Andmanyjokes that previously featured Jews- or Blacks or Gays have been reworked into Blond jokes. This is not to say that offensive joking has disappeared. Rather, it is just a little less public. American politeness conventions demand that I should not tell a joke whose "butt" is in my audience, unless I, too, am in the targeted category, or unless I already have a close relationship’~vith those I potentially offend. But I can joke all I want as long as the butt can’ t hear me, or if I do indeed intend to offend. Thewebsite, www.whitepride.com, for example, offers along list of by now very stale Jewish, Black, and "faggot" jokes. Here’ s a sample groaner from the"white pride" boys: Why was the faggot fired from his job at the sperm back? - for drinking on the job! Jokesters sometimes complain about the "political correctness" that has narrowed the contexts in which they can safely perform. "Come on, it’s only a joke!" But of course jokes aren’t just jokes. They are also assertions about the world, or at least one particular view of the world. The lines that jokes ckaw between the funny and the unfunny reflect local understandings of normality. Jokes are potent oral texts that, retold over and over again, maintain certain ways ofthinking about people and behavior. Why do brides wear white? - so they will match the other domestic appliances! .Even ironic jokes, such as this, refresh established ways of thinking about men, women, and the gendered division of labor. In particular, the swarm of jrke~ flying constantly around a community protects existing systems of inequality. People joke "downwards" more than they do upwards.~ :People joke far more often about the powerless than they about the powerful. There are far more jokes about women than there are about men. "More jokes about ethnic and religious minorities thanthe white-bread Protestant mainstream. More jokes about the handicapped than about the able. More jokes about the old than the young. More jokes about Oklahoma than about California. Do you know what an Oklahoma divorce and a Texas tornado have in common? - in both cases ¯ somebody is gonna ¯ lose a trailer house! And there are many more jokes about being Gay than about being Straight. We usually "~V’hy is it so hard abide by the politeness constraints ofjoke-telli~, for women to find in fact, because we realize that jokes (even "just-amen that are jok~sT’) have this political " weight. ,Th..o~sewhofeel tSe sensitive, earing,, ~ ’ Sfing~hidd~n ’within the .a.n..d ’geed-look"m - because those guys already have ho rlends!?’ laughter sometimes protest when etiquette breaks down. GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, for example, has attempted to police the telling ofcertainGayjokes in the m~ss media, notably on a number of morning radio shows whose sleazy hosts are keen to boost their market share. Such policing, of course, if successful merely shrinks the arenas in which Faggot jokes are safely told. They still circulate freely in less public Spaces. Each time I teach Cultural Anthropology, I have my students as a group collect jokes from their friends. I figure that these joke archives provide good evidence about which of the joints of American society currently ache the most. Last week, the students broughtin about 150 jokes. For the first time in years, none ofthese was a"faggot"joke. And the only ethnic joke was turned in by a clueless Japanese woman, happily ignorant of the American politics of public joking. Instead, nearly half the collection consisted of Blond jokes. Blonds, poor things, are nowadays the butt of choice when American jokesters are nervous and unsure of our audience. What do Blonds put behind their ears to attract boyfriends? - their ankles! Our collection also included several "counter-jokes" whose butt is strategically reversed. There are, for example, Brunette jokes - the futile ripostes of oppressed Blonds. There are also "stupid men jokes" - invented jokes that attempt to counteract the dominant targeting of women within the’universe of American jokes. Why did God create man? - because a vibrator can’t mow the lawn! While these attempts to resist inequality by shifting a joke’s target upwards may have only limitie~." politigal,fimpact, it sfillfecls"goodtolaflgh.: ~:: ~ -~’~ Why is it so hard for women to find men that are sensitive, caring, and go~dqo~king? -~ because those guys _~ already have boyfriends! LamontLindstrom teaches anthopology at the University of Tulsa. Romantic W ekend Package.-- Accommodations Frida3, Saturday or Sunday night. Bottle ofwine, souvenir keepsake millennium corkscrew ¯ Souvenir etched glasses ¯ Specialq chocolate tklights ¯ Deluxe continental breakfast ¯ Late checkout ¯ Specialq rooms $I80 ¯ Deluxe rooms $160 ¯ Valid weekends in February. Does not include taxes Tulsa’s Premier Boutique Hotel 14t~ & Main ¯ Tulsa ¯ 587.8200 Member: Historic Howls ofAmerica Featuring The Chalkboard Restauram, a dining landmark IGTA Calmlem3b4er1.6866i’!~ International ToUrsformore information. Massage Therapy Services Voice Mai!~: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. 8-5pro "All About MyMother" and"Boys Don’ t Meet Local Guys for Hot Ti @Odgi Cry" - actually showed up in OKC, she madeit abundantly clear that shehad been completely won overby them and was not about to be shy about saying so in print. Sympathy towards GLBT issues might be expected from someone like White, but it was definitely a surprise to see the much nibre conservative reviewer, Jerry Shottefi~irk, being taken in by the Ma- .donna:Rupert Everett"Next BgstThing." ¯ election - and what could be the most ¯ importantelectionofourgeneration. The : GLBT voting bloc has proven to be one of ¯¯ the most powerful constituencies in the country in recent election cycles. If our ¯ voters are motivated to the polls and elect ¯ supportive leaders, we could have the ¯ opportunity to shape groundbrealdng le- : gal protection. If the nation elects leaders ¯ who are hostile to all that NGLTF stands ¯ for, we could witness a serious backlash ¯ to our h~rd-won gains. ¯ Dr. Martin Luther King. once said the ¯ moral arc of the universeis long but bends Surprises were cropping up in the rest .: toward justice. Dr. King was right - but !~f th~ p,gper ~. W~I!, indu~g the busi- ¯ with our continued o!;gahi~gg g~ad motif ~es .,~..; o ~ .w~i~ g~ ~)le on .~_~o ~,~ ~jzatmn, we~make ~at,ii~.~;0’~,.~ :~est~c p~mership~ p,6ilc~es..a~.ong OkI’fi- ¯ much more qmckly fioma compames- mcludiffg qu,otes from: $~,,-.~oundectir~1973, ttie ~Lucent’s I~aren Par~ons w~o is involved : Lesbian Tbsk Force W~’l?s to~iiniinate inLuqent~sLesbianandGayemployees’ ¯ prejudice, uiolence andiwustice against ;brgani’zafion, EQUAL!. :- Gay, Lesbian, Bisexualgtn~l T~ransgen- : Striking, 5wey r, was.a group of :. &red people at the local, state dnd naarticles; oii 1~hate crimes in the Sun- ¯ tional level. As part ofdbrOaddr ~Ocial iday, March 20 issue. Mostof these ar- : justicemovementforfreOdom;]usticeand titles appeared in ~€ Community see- : equality, NGLTF is creattYg d Worm that fion, Milch w’as’d~_i’ilh~lPdedia.the late : ~respects and celebrates_ ttie’diversity of ~F,dition ’on Stmday’. The~e, in b!a~k and .’. ’human expression and identity where all White, was the opeii as~ertidii.’.tiia~ Okla- i .people mayfully participate in society. h°ma City"s Human Rights CASmmlssi°n i I ] .Was abolished by(the City Council bemuse they iesent&!havingt.6 deal with the issue. 0fiG@’Ri~h?s, cbml~iete, with ~uote by c.ottt~,¢ilmenqbi~r~Je@ Fo~hee: " During WWII, the church Sheltered.Japa- .-.; "The councilis tiredof.th6is~ue’hlways ; nese-American students who were given being b~ought forward, and flae vehicle the opportunity to study atTU ratherth~a,n,,, that is alWays brin~g.i’.t forward is the " beincarceratedinAmerican"internment human rights comm, ss~on...~ If the vehicle is bringing you dompany that you don’ t want ... then you do away with the vehicle." In meeting with Hale, Speakers for Gay and Lesbian Issues hoped that they would open a dialog between the Daily Oklahoman and the Gay and Lesbian community of Oklahoma City. According to Speakers, Hale provided them with many opportunities by asking many questions about Gay and Lesbian issues. Speakers for Gay and Lesbian Issues noted the positive trend in the paper’ s coverage of Gay issues. Hale revealed that those changes had come at a price: while the articles on hate crimes had generated both positive and negative responses fromreaders, some of the negative responses had been vicious and involved actual threats. But, Hale also said she was not going to let that stop her from continuing to cover controversial issues. She said that when a story generates strong reactions on both sides, she knows she’ s doing her job right. This federation consists ofpolitical groups that fight for equality. In just four years’ time, the Federation has grown to represent members in every state in the union, gro,wthinsuch ashort period of time. With the Federation’s help, last year NGLTF was able to produce the largest :~ grassroots mob~fion:inputmoyem~ntfs history. We helped organize some 350 rallies and other events in all 50 state capitols, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico, during a one-week period. Our campaign - called Equality Begins at Home- and the work of the Federation paved the way for the wonderful successes we have seen in the past year. Now many state legislatures are wrapping up their business and adjourning. Attention will soon shift to the November camps. Later the church was involved in the "Sanctuary" movement which offered relocation of Central American political refugees, both documented and-undocumented. Aletter issued tomembers ofthe church, signed by Rader and Clerk of the Session, Kathy Evanson, notes, "None of these actions changes who we are as a congregation; but, they declare who we area and what we want to be in our relationships with one another. We are still a loyal, supporting congregation of the Presbyterian Church,U.S.A. We have done nothing improper according to our denomination’ s constitution. We are not changing any signage, letterhead, preaching or program. We are declaring inclusion and affirmation of all our members and our openness to a group of people long rejected and stigmatized by society, and within the Christian commtmity... College Hill is a majority "straight" church but with visible and welcome Lesbian and Gay families. Editor’s note: Tulsa Family Newspublisher and editor, Tom Neal is a member of College Hill Presbyterian Church. An Evening With The Quilt On Thursday evening, May 25, the NAMES Project Tulsa Area Chapter of the AIDS Memorial Quilt will sponsor an evening of meditation and remembrance at Fellowship Congregational Church, 2900 So. Harvard in Tulsa, from 7-9 pm. You. are invited to drop in anytime during this time period to meditate, pray, or simply view the Quilt. Feel free to stay just afew minutes, or as long as you wish. The NAMES Project Tulsa Area Chapter invites everyonewhohas been touchedby the AIDS pandemic to take a moment from their evening to remember and reflect. For more information, please contact the NAMES Project Tulsa at (918) 748-3111 or TulsaQnilt@usa.net Humanity Unites f’or Hu’man Rights Diversity .Celebration 2000 Grand Marshalls for the Millennium Parade Dr. Grethe Cammermeyer Distinguished Veteran of the United States Armed Forces Gre£! Lou~lanis US Olympic Champion Pride Week Events, .Interfaith Worship Service The Tulsa Performin£l Arts Center Speaker: the Reverend Dr. Mel W.hite, author and activist Friday, June 2, from 7pro (free) TOHR Folbes. 1OO Years of Broadway Saturday, June 8, 8pm, $15 PAC Doenges Theatre Black Tie Optional Dinner ~i:Featuri~ 6re~q Louganis The Summit Club Friday, June 9th, $75 person VIP reception at $50 person. Benefitin~l Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Ri/thts, the parent or~Ianization of the Gay Community Center Millennium Pa~de 2000 Saturday, June IO, llam Beginning at the Gay Community Center at 87th and Peoria and endin~i at Veterans Park at 18th and BouIder The Pride Festival Veterans Park, llam 8pro For more information about these events, caIl 748-4297 (gays). Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2000] Tulsa Family News, May 2000; Volume 7, Issue 5 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohn Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, April 2000; Volume 7, Issue 4 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper Periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/600 2000 AIDS AIDS Quilt aMUSEments arts and entertainment Barry Hensley Bars Boy Scouts businesses churches civil unions Daily Oklahoman Diversity celebration Elizabeth Toledo Gay marriage Gay Studies George W. Bush harassment hate groups HIV HIV prevention homophobia housing Idaho Public Television Jim Christjohn Karin Gregory Lamont Lindstorm marriage equality military inclusion Murder NAMES Project National Gay and Lesbian Task Force NGLTF Partner Benefits performing arts Pride prison Raging Lesbian Read All About It restaurants slurs Supreme Court Tom Neal tuberculosis Tulsa Family News Tulsa Zoo United Methodist Church universities University of Pitsburgh https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/712578396993d523934aa25341e075bc.jpg c1b27a5396a4f0156c29c13e55faeb94 https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/0e437c62fbb7e50af3b715f849e29a6d.pdf 63ebf7074a306816b93e5aae614b7fb0 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Methodist "community council" which did adopt the goal. Neal suggested to council co-ordinator Marly Newman that " TULSA-Inaneffortbothnerve-wrackingandtedious ." McDonald be asked to lead the effort because of the World’ s ¯ several Tulsans, SueKnanse, KentDoss,I~arenWeldon ." seeming preference to deal with representatives of non-Gay ¯ (and another who need to remain unnamed), were ¯ groups which advocate on behalf of Gay people rather than Gay arrested in Cleveland with the Reverend Mel White and : people themselves. ". 191 others in acts of peaceful civil disobedience at the " In a widely distributed June 1st e-mail about the change, recent United Methodist Church. Conference: ¯ McDonald wrote"how you will also remember that PFLAG had The acts of civil disobedience, blocking a car park " to be very creative in the design of our signature ad for the paper " exitfolloweddaysofnegotiationswithMethodistchnrch : as part of the PROJECT OPEN MIND Campaign"- areference ¯ leaders about the anti-Gay policies of the United Meth- " to how PFLAG under the former World policy could not use its ¯ odistChurch (UMC). The conference held in Cleveland ¯ own legal name because it included the banned words. ~. was attended by hundreds of UMC delegates. ¯ McDonald added, "... PFLAG submitted an ad and with The Methodist church like some other "mainline" ~ several revisions, it has been approved... The cost of the ad is " Christian denominations has adopted policies which " approximately $500 and [it is] to run on Sunday, June 4th, in the ¯ limit participation of Lesbian and Gay persons in that ¯ Living Section. It has Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians ¯ Will Allen, Emily Sizeraore & group. White stated, "the United Methodist Chruch has " and Gays, as well as some other statements, ’Is someone you care " Matthew Holloway are winners ahistory of social concern [butthey haye] anti-homo- " for gay orlesbian? Issomeoneyoulovegayorlesbian?Ifso, call ¯ ofCoraraunity Hero awards. sexual policies in place that lead to discrimination ¯ Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays’ and then it ¯ suffering, and even death." _. lists our Helpline number." The Tulsans joined other notable civil fights leaders. ¯ McDonald also wrote, "I have no idea what the response will " YolandaKing, theRey.Dr.JamesLawson, friendofDr. " be? I suspect some positive and some negative so theHELPLINE ¯ King, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia and others. " has been notified. If anyone is so moved to help thelocal Chapter ¯ see Arrest, p. 10 : with the cost of the ad, see World, p. 2 " Gays Better Educated,. ForJustices+Couples, Unions. Missouri Backwoods:A Lower Paid Than Straights " Require Creative Language ° Hotbed of Hate Groups WASHINGTON (AP) - Men who consider themselves "unmarried partners" of another man are better educated on average, but make less money than heterosexual men of the same age, according to a study that° claims to take the most comprehensive look ever into the lives of homosexuals in America. Women who have female "unmarried parmers" also tend to be more educated, but earn salaries comparable to those ofheterosexual womenin the same age bracket, according to the study in this month’s issue of "Demography," the journal of the Population Association of Americ& "An important point that is clearly articulated is that it illustrates the impact of anti-Gay discrimination .on income levels," said David Smith, spokesman for the organization Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group for Gays and Lesbians. Advocates applauded what they said was the first comprehensive study of homosexuals but cautioned against drawing any t-nan conclusions until more research is done. "Demographically, this is a hard population to target and analyze. Data on sexual orientation is not as easily avai[dible as information on race~ gender and age," said Seth Sanders, a study author and .an economist at the University of Maryland. The study looked at statistics from the 1990 Census. ~the first,count to allow people to check offthatthey lived with:an .unmarried partner of the same sex. see Pay, p. 11 DIRECTORY P. 2 EDITORIAL P. 3 US & WORLD NEWS P. 4 HEALTH NEWS P. 6 ENTERTAINMENT P. 8 GAY STUDIES P. 10 by Ross Sneyd, Associated Press Writer MONTPELIER, Vt. -"And now, by the powers vested in me by the state of Vermont, I pronounce you.. ?’ What? Partners? Together as one? Joined as family? Unlike marriage, there’ s no common syntax for the new world of same-sex civil unions. Because the couples are twomen or two women, the old fried-and-true "man and woman" or "husband and wife" phrases don’ t quite make it. With no rulebook and few traditions-as wall as no other state sanctioning what willbe the equivalent of same-sex marriage and thereby offering some guideposts - Vermont’s justices of the peace and .couples entering civil unions are crafting their own conventions and rituals. There has been a lot of discussion, both lighthearted and serious, about how to conduct a ceremony. ’q’here’ s so much creativity in our community among Gay and Lesbian couples in how to create outward signs of their commitment," said Mary Hurlie, ajustice of the peace in Hinesburg who has been with her female partner for 13 years. "But we haven’ t gotten to that level of detail, yet." As marriages must be "solemnized" by judges, justices of the peace or members of the clergy, so, too, will civil unions have to be "certified." But there aren’t any rules. The civil unions law says only that they must be certified. There’ s no script ~,State statute that must be followed for a marriage, either. "Just like marriages, there aren’t any magic words," said Secretary of State Deb Markowitz. " ’We pronounce you man and wife, husband and wife,’ they’ rejustmade up. Youdon’ t find them in statute." Training sessions have been held for justices by the secretary of state’ s office in recentweeks becauseit is almost unquestioned that it will be to them that the primary responsibility for performing civil umons ceremonies falls. That’ s because there are few religious faiths that bless same-sex unions and so there won’ t be many clergy members willing or able to certify civil tmions on behalf of the state. Justices of the peace have a handful of responsibilities under state law. Most have to do with taxes and elections. A town’ s iusdces - there are as few as fiveinsmall towns see Unions,p.ll Humanity Unites For Human Rights Diversity Celebration 2000t "Diversity Celebration 2000!" is an eight-day celebration of the human rights movement with the goal ofuniting northeastern Oklahoma’ s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT) and ¯ GLBT-friendly communities. Tulsa Oklahotnans for Human Rights, Inc., Oklahoma’s oldestr~rnreligious Gay community organization released it final schedule which follows: Friday,June 2nd Diversity Celebration 2000! will kick off at 7 pm with an Interfaith Service led by Rev. Mel White at the Williams Theatre in the Performing Arts Center (PAC). Special musical guests include Council Oak Men’s Chorale, Ernestine Holloway is notpictured. Dillard, Jessie Scott, and the Fourth Quarter gospel quartet. Participation by persons with a variety of faith traditions will be included in the program. Admission is free. An offering will be taken, see Pride, p. 7 by Doug Johnson, Associated Press Writer ¯ GAINESVILLE, Mo. - The remote and rugged ¯ Ozark hills blanketed with dogwoods and oaks are ¯ treasured by hunters, hikers and others wanting to ¯ get away from the bustle of urban life. ." The pastoral hills are also a haven for hate ¯ groups, authorities say. Southern Missouri has ¯ drawn more than its share of religious sects and ¯ white supremacists looking for a place to hide. ¯ Last week, police arrested the Rev. Gordon : Winrod- the leader of an anti-Semitic church ~ for : allegedly kidnapping six of his grandchildren and : concealing them for years at his farmhouse in the ¯ hills. The only explanation authorities offer for ¯ why the kids werekidnappedis thatWinrod thought : theirtwo fathers wereJewish. Sheriff SteveBartlett ¯ said the youngsters had been taught by their grand- -¯ father to distrust authorities. At one point, the sheriff said, the children shouted at deputies, "Get : your Jew hands off me." : Winrod, 73, and his followers gained a reputa- ¯ tioninOzark Countyformass mailings ofliterature : calling law enforcement officers and prosecutors ¯ "Jewdicials" - a play on the word judicial - and ¯ claiming-they cover up murders of whites. ¯ It’ s not uncommon to find that kind of sentiment ~ in some areas of the Ozarks, which straddles the : state line between Missouri and Arkansas. Experts ¯ say the region draws hate groups and people con- : nected to the white supremacist "Christian Iden- ¯ tity" movement. ¯. "We are richin these types of groups down in this ¯ part of the country for some reason," Highway : Patrol Sgt. Marty Elmore said. Southwest Missouri : is often characterized by a lack of adequate law ¯ enforcement in rural areas and lacks a tradition of : heavy-handed local government and gun control, ¯ said Robert Flanders, former director of the Center ¯ for Ozark Studies see Hate, p. 7 Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants *Chasers, 4812 E. 33 *CW" s, 1737 S. Memorial *Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine *Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan *Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st *The Star, 1565 Sheridan *Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main *TNT’ s, 2114 S. Memorial *Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd *The Yellow Brick. Road Pub, 2630- E: 1-5th.....:- 712-2324 610-5323 583-2119 835-2376 749-4511 744-4280 745-9998 834-4234 585-3405 660-0856 584-1308 --749- 1563 Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals Advanced Wireless & PCS, Digital Cellular 74% 1508 *Assoc. in Med, & Mental Health, 2325 S. HarYard 743-1000 *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 *Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth 295-5868 Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117 Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700 Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 *Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620 Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556 *Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503 Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial 369-8555 *Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379 Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 592-0460 *Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. P~eoria 744-9595 Four Stai: Imi~ort Automotive, 9906 E. 551h PI. 610-0880 Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. 628-3709 Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026 *Gloria Jean’ s Gourme( Coffee, 1758 E. 21 st 742-1460 Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning 459-9349 Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440 *Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly 745-1111 *International Tours 341-6866 Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750 *Jared’ s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018 David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering 747-0236 The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening 582-8460 *Kerfs Flowers, 1635 E. 15 599-8070 Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 747-5466 *Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha 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 *The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor 743-4297 Rainbowz on the River B+B, PUB 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 260-78-29 *Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558 Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563 Fred Welch, LCSW, Counsding 743- !733 *Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222 *Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767 Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities AIDS Walk Tulsa, PUB 4337, 74101 579-9593 All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363 Black& g~hite, l,nc,~,POB 1400!,Tulsa,7~4~5.9... 58%7314 Bless The Lord at All Tsmes Chnstian C~"nter, 2207 E. 6 J583-78’15 *B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. ofTulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780 *Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201 *C~hapman Student Ctr.,:University of Tulsa, 5th PI. & Florence Chureti oVth_~Rest~or~tionUU,1314N.~reeawt~od : 587-:13,14 *C~~°.U~’~’ari2UniVexsalist Congregafirn 749-0595 748 3888 ,Delilw~e~i~yilotise¢:iSilS "Dela~vare .- 712-15.11 *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 e-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 1 st of each month, the entire contents of thig publication are protected by US copyright 1998 b) T~ /:~,~v.~ and may not be reprodu~.d (~th~r~i~a: whole orinpart W~th0utwrittenpermission from thepublish~. 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 ofT~ ~.’. N~- Eachreader is entitled to 4 copies of each editmn 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 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 PI. 748-3111 NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, 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. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140 *St. Jerome’ s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088 *Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171 *TNAAPP (Native American men). Indian Health Care 582-7225 Tulsa County Health Department, 46 16 E. 15 595-4105 Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297 T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniforn~’Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827 *Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule *Tulsa Community College Campuses *Tulsa Gay Community Center, 1307 E. 38, 74105 Unity Church of Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown BARTLESVILLE Thanks be to you for that wonderful article, "Our Governor Foot-in-Mouth Keating"... wentto TulsaLibrary, picked up first copy of Tulsa Family News and began reading... Laughed out loud, and a long overdue laugh it was, over the comments of Mr. Keating and your"right-on analogies." The very ideathat there should have to be a public consensus to treat all people fairly! What hideous stereotyping by our governor... [I] regret that there is no place close to ¯ ,my ho,me, w,he,r,e !,.c,gn.get your. w.onderful ", i~per. The’littl~ ~egment ,~0 ~epoi’i hate ,, ~ sigee~h 0i: virleh~e~ Call i.he Gay communit~ cent~ris so r~assuring... Loved the ~ Quilt article, unfortunately got my paper ." too lateiio go. Extended thanks. ¯ - Gay-friendly in Depew. *Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353 OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN Borders Books & Music, 3209NW Expressway 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 Autuinn’Bre~ze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 *Jim & Brent’ s Bistro, 173 S. Main DeVito’ s Restaurant, 5 Center St. Emerald.R_ainbo~,4~ &l/2_Spfing,St. ~ ..... MCC of the Living Spring Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, PUB~ 429 OldJailhouse_ 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 ¯ Announcements Policy ¯ Tulsa Family News will provide space ¯ for holy union ceremony, marriage -" ceremony, birth, adoption and death ~ announcements ona space availableb~sis. Photos are welcome, though we cannot promise placement or return them, so ¯ please send copies to Tulsa Family NewS, ; PUB 4140, Tulsa 74159. ¯ Letters Policy ¯ Tulsa-~amily News welcomes letters ¯ on issues which we’ve covered or ¯ issues you.think need to be consider~ed, ¯ You may request that your name be with- : held but letters must be signed & have ¯ phone numbers, or be hand ddivered. 200 ¯ word letters are preferred. Letters to o~¢r. publicat.ions will be re-printed as ks~ appropriate. ~.~ 501-253-7734 501-253,7457 : any donation wouldbe appreciated. Please send to PFLAG, PO Box 52800, Tulsa, ¯ OK 74152. I truly believe this will ope~ the door for PFLAG as well as o~ organizations to submit ads to theT~ World. Our thanks to Joe Worley ¯ assisting us with this policy change. He ~ was very, very helpful.’" : The World’ s anti-Gay policy is doen- ¯ mented back to the middle’80’ s when a : Lesbian owned card, gift and book store,. 743-4297 ¯ Two’s Company, located near 31st & 749-8833 ¯ Harvard was told the World would not ¯ accept advertising for the store because ¯ the owners wanted to let readers know the ¯ target audience, i.e. Lesbians and Gay ¯ men. The owners conducted a one day ¯ picket of the World but the policy re- . mained unchanged. ¯" In 1993, when Tulsa Family News pub¯ lisher Tom Neal, opened a gift and card ¯ shop "tomfoolery !" at the Silver Star, the World also refused to accept advertising, even though the store did not trade in eroti~ Or any other possible objectionable,~ fials, citing the same policy, . A~,~arslaterl PFLAG, TulSa Cliap5~ ter ran afrul of the same anti-Gay po|i~¢y 501-253-6807 ¯ when it tried to run a pro-Gay civi! .rights _t 501-25_3-~5 :.. signature ad. !ntetesgngly, the 501:253:9337 : la~editsbw~ipoli’cy~’~WW~eks]~e~r,-’~te.~’~a 501-253-27"/6~. : runninffthe censrr~’FLAGa~.~a...i~) 501-253-5332, : accept~l’~ an anti-G~i~,iid from a"~Jali~0I¢~U 501-624~’6~~ ¯ of weS~side Tulsa &i~ches 501-253-600I": one of:~banned~c~ds. . 501-253-4074 : Editor’s note: for a related editorial, ¯ see page 3. The editorial was written the 417-623-4696 " earlier in the day before the news broke ¯ about the World’ s newpolicy. Hats offto ¯ Nancy McDonaldfor her work in negoti* is where you can findTFN. Not all areGay-owned but all are Gay-friendly. ating this new policy. by Tom Neal, editor &publisher For being the proverbial 900 lb. gorilla of our local media, those folks over at The Tulsa Worm sure seem to be thin-skinned about criticism. One editor, whom I respect greatly, took particular umbrage atmy calling our daily, "a country-club newspaper." I suspect ,that a good part of his irritation is that he knows there s still truth in the charge. The Tulsa World has made great progress in providing better coverage of all of Tulsa, including our minority communities, - even Gay people. But like the town it serves, it carries with it. its parochial,.elitist and raciSt/anfi-minority phst~. And f6r every .step forward, there s~ems tb t~ffve tO be a least one step back. " :- Consider this charming carto0h"0y Simpson, reproduced here, with its somewhat sophisticated bigotry and stereotyping. The comment of "real girls only," implying that Gay men are somehow like women but yet are less than women, is full ofunexaminedmisogynism. It comes out of a hierarchy where straight men (and traditionally straight, white men) are superior, women are lesser creatures, and Gay men are even lower because we’re men "who want to be women." Lesbians, of course, exist only to populate the sexual fantasies of straight men. To put this cartoon in the proper historical context, we need only think back to early 20th century racist political cartoons in which Black Americans were represented ape-ishly and made to speak in "step’ n’ fetch it" dialogue - or other cartoons where orthodox Jews or Japanese- Americans were misrepresented as evil foreigners. Ironically, Simpsonjust gets it wrong. The GirlScouts of America are clearly on record as saying, they, unlike the Boy Scouts, do not discriminate on tile.,.basis of sexual orientation. The organization does use adult men as well as women in its programs in leadership and in training roles,: Therefore, not only would young women who are Lesbian be welcome, adult Lesbians and Gay men could also participate and no doubt have. And guess what, the Girl Scouts are doing just fine. But The Worm is not doing so well. For at least 15 years, our daily has maintained an anti-Gay .advertising policy which bans the words: Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual. Theyjustify this saying that they are a"family" newspaper. Note that this ban does not apply to content of news articles, editorials or, obviously, cartoons! In fact, The World literally could notdo the basic work of a newspaper, merely reporting the stories of our city, country and world, if they censored these words. ¯ How can anyone with a shred of reasoning think that these words ifplaced in an advertisement somehow have an adverse impact on any family, if dearly the same words placed in a news story right next to an ad are acceptable. What really is going on here is epitome of institutionalized prejudice. The policy doesn’ t make any sense, it is bigoted and discriminatory but no. one at The World has the courage to say that what they’re doing is just wrong. And in being silent, they, the reporters, editors, other : staff, both straight and Gay, become collaborators in ¯ societal oppression. In a society which seems to have to ¯ have an "other" againstwhich to define itself,Gay people currently occupy the place Blacks, Jews, Indians, Irish ¯ and others have had. ¯ Contrast this with an advertorial section in a recent "Out" magazine in which The New York Times bragged ¯ about its excellent coverage of Lesbian and Gay issues, : and its commitment to its Lesbian and Gay readers and ¯ staff. Can you seeThe World doing that? I hope to seejust that someday. Who knows maybe next year The World ¯ which is certainly profligate with its sponsorship of ¯ public events will even join Oklahoma’ s Gay press in ¯ being a sponsor of June’ s traditional Pride events. ¯ Don’tlaugh-itjustmighthappen.Andwhynot, thead ¯ policy’s now changed, why not even more progress? by Joe Andrew and Edward G. Rendell After theoverwhelming turnout at the MilleniumMarch and record participation in the recent presidential primaries, Gays and Lesbians across the country are more united than ever in their fight for equality and inclusion. The Democratic Party is proud to stand with them - to fight with them - as we all celebrate Gay and Lesbian Pride this month. Democrats have forged lasting relationships with the Gay and Lesbian community by supporting common sense issues related to basic fairness and non-discrimination for all Americans. Unlike discriminatory and divisive Republican figures like Pat Robertson, Gary Bauer, and presidential candidate George W. Bush, Democrats believe that our diversity is a source of great strength. While getting Bush to meet with Gays and Lesbians in his own party is like pulling teeth, A1 Gore has worked side-by-side with openly Gay and Lesbian advisors throughout his life. On specific policies that improve the lives of Gay Americans like hate crimes legislation, funding: ~or HIV/_AIDS¯ research, atii5~- :!he Empl9yment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA~;~.tli~re is no comparisonb~ tween the candidates. Gorehas supportedGays and Lesbians~time and time again. BUSHII~PPOSES HATE CRIMES BILLS ~ ~ ~ .t~, ,’~ ,. ¯ .. ~" . - A.c~,r,~ng to the.Le’~fJ~an/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas (L(~."~R~.~)~,~.m.~re than 2,~ hate crimes were reported to th~’Fe~Departmen~6fPublic safetybetween 1992 and 19971 ~i~(eefi percem~ere hate cfim~s motivated by the victim’s sexual orien~ation~ making Gays ’and Lesbians the second most-targeted group of hate crime victims in Texas. Given this fact, George W. Bush still opposed provisions in the James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Act that would have included protections for Gays.and Lesbians from hate crimes. The bill would have mandated stiffer penalties for cases in which victims of violence are targeted because of their race, gender, or sexual orientation. His spokesman said that Bush "does not support special ¯ rights based on sexual orientation." ¯ Special rights? Where is the leadership? Bush wants ¯ the world to believe that he is a compassionate, but ." apparently his compassion does not extend to all the citizens of Texas. ¯ "... We need leaders llke AI Gore : who will speak out against ¯ homophobla and prejudlee in a fight : to maintain elvll justice and equality. ¯ Through his aetlons and i the aetlons of hls party, it is clear that ¯ George W. Bush is not that leader... As we celebrate Gay and Lesbian Pride, : Democrats pledge our support and ¯ eontlnued work to promote ¯" requal opp~rtufilty and ndn-dlserimlnatlon ¯ for a strong and united America. As a Party, we embrace these ideals because we believe that no American should be left behind..." Democrats, on the other hand, have begun to wage an all-out campaign against hate crimes in America. We have also endorsed and fought for civil rights legislation that would protect Gay and Lesbian Americans from ¯ discrimination. A1 Gore has been a tireless advocate for passage of the : Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA), calling on Con- ." gress to come together in one voice on this issue. HCPA ¯ would expand the definition of hate crimes to include : those based on sexual orientation, gender or disability ¯ and allow for the prosecution of those crimes under federal law. ¯ Democratic leaders have walked the walk in the fight ¯ ; against hate in America. We are the party of inclusion ¯ because wehavejudgedandwill continue tojudgepeople ~ based on the content of their character. : BUSH: SILENT ON HIV/AIDS : Bush’s silence on HIV/AIDS as governor is simply ¯ deafening. Despite the fact that almost 10,000 Texans : have died ofAIDS under his watch, Bush has never taken ¯ a publicpolicy position on the epidemic. In fact, he never ¯ even publicly used the word"AIDS" in office.When the ¯ Children Uniting Nations Chairperson Daphna Ziman ¯ asked US governors for assistance regarding the AIDS ¯ epidemic in Africa, forty-nine governors responded to ¯ her urgent personal letter and only one governor ignored ¯ the plea: George W. Bush. In December 1999, Bush also : received a failing grade on Lambda Legal Defense and ¯ Education Fund’s (LLDEF) World AIDS Day Report ¯ Card. :. ,Since the beginning of the Adminislxaf!on, President Clinton and Vice President Gore have proven their com- -¯ mitment to fight for AIDS research again and again. During the last seven years, the Ryan White CARE Act ¯ ha~ seen funding ,increases of more than 292 percent in ° funds fo~ medicationsfserving low-inb.6_’me in~lividuals. ¯ Overall fundingforAIDS~relatedprograms has increased by more than 122 percent during thisAdministration. ¯ A1 Gore has been on the front lines of fighting the ¯ epidemic. Recently, he announced an Administration ¯ initiative to commit more than $100 million to fight the worldwide AIDS crisis and increased funding for re- " search, care andprevention. Weneed a leader that has put : a great deal of thought on this vital issue. : BUSH: AGAINST ENDA ." As governor, Bush opposed employment protection ¯ for Gays and Lesbians. He refused to adopt an Adminis- : tration non-discrimination policy that includes sexual ¯ orientation. see Demos, p. 7 Candian Supreme Co,,urt Holds for Pro-Gay Ruling OTTAWA (AP) -The Supreme Courthas rejected an Ontario government request to re’clew a landmark decision on Gay civil rights. The Attorney General for Ontario had asked for a rehearing of theM and H case, referring to a Lesbian couple whose breakeup almost a decade ago triggered a dispute over assets. The case began when one of the women in the case, known only as M, found she couldn’t sue her ex’- partnerHwhen their relationship ended. Mthen went to court to have the spouse law struck down. The high court ruled in an 8-1 decision that the definition of spouse in Ontario’s family law was unconstitutional because it discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation. Theruling last yearwas specific to Ontario, but legal experts said other provincial governments and Ottawa had few options but to amend their lawsor face having them struck down in similar battles. The House ofCommons passed legislation to bring federal legislationinto lineandOntario grudgingly amended its laws but still launched a bid for a rehearing before the Supreme Court. The two Toronto women, who had bought a home and started an ad agency together, settled the money dispute out of court long before their case wound its way to the country’ s highest court. Presbyterian Court Rulings Are Gay-friendly !AP)-The Presbyterian Church’ s highest court ruled ~n May that local congregations have the right to conduct religious ceremonies celebrating Gay unions that stop short of marriage. The d~ision by the 16- member court is binding unless the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) overrides it. The case, one of three on Gay issues argued before the tribunal, stemmed from a same-sex ceremony performed in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. The Northeast regional church court ruled that ceremonies of "holy union" for same-sex couples may be conducted ifit is made clear they are not marriages. The high conrt agreed, though it instructed regional church bodies to make a clearer distinction between marriages and "blessing services." A second case before the high court involved a homosexual candidate for the ministry who said he did not intend to remain celibate, even though church rules require clergy to observe either "fidelity in marriage" or"chastity in singleness." In that case~ the Northeast regional court decided that he could continue as a candidate, and that his "manner of life" could be evaluated prior to ordination. Again, the high church concurred. It said the denomination’s standards of fidelity and chastity are to be applied at the point that a person is azonsidered.for ordination, not during, candidacy~ Freda ~ar~dn,~r~ and Clifton Kirkpatrick, the two national leaders Of the 2.6 million-member denomination:~ headquartered in :Louisvil!,e, Ky., said in a ~ecent i~astoral letter that the 0aurt s decisions real- :firm. churchpolicy of disallowing Gay-marriages and the.ordinatiOn Of’s(xua~ly active Gays., Theseissues will Surface again when.the General Assembly.meets in Long Beach,:Calif., fromJune 24 to July 1. Among legislation to be considered: a proposal to ban samesex marriage. Utah High School Club For Gay Issues Meets SALT LAKECITY (AP) - Five years after the debate over Gay school clubs began in Utah, East High School students on Wednesday held the state’ s first school-sanctioned club meeting to discuss current events from a Gay and Lesbian perspective. The PRISM Club - People Respecting Important Social Movements - meeting featured Laura Gray, a Salt Lake City attorney involved in Gay-rights issues. .About45 students attended. Students said they talked about the historical, legal and religious significance of marriage and the current restrictions barring Gays and Lesbians from forming such unions. The district barred news media from the. meeting, claiming it was for students only. However, district personnel attended, along with an attorney for the Utah chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU is representing East High juniors Jessi Cohen and Margaret Hinckley, who in April filed a federal-court suit claiming the district violated their First Amendment rights to free speech by rejecting PRISM as an academic club. The district banned all nonacademic clubs in 1996, a year after East High students tried to form a Gay and Lesbian support group. U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell issued a temporary restraining order against the district last month, forcing it to temporarily acknowledgePRISM as a legitimate club pending the outcome of the students’ lawsuit. The meeting was "definitely a win," said East High senior Ivy Fox, whounsuccessfully sued the districtin 1998 over the ban. "It’ s such a good feding to see all your hard work pay off." Sophomore Evan Done attended the club meeting, but didn’ t think the discussion was appropriate. "It is an important step for the Gay community that needed to be taken," he said, but "I don’ t really think it has a place in school." PRISM advertised the meeting with fliers and during regular school announcements over the school intercom. Some of the fliers were destroyed and some students posted "straight pride" fliers, which showed two connecting male symbols and two connecting female symbols that were crossed out. Three Receive First Shepard Scholarships DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Three Gay and Lesbian high school students were awardedfull tuition to Iowa state universities under a new scholarship named for slain Gay student Matthew Shepard. The scholarships, worth approximately $25,000 each over four years, were presented Tuesday to Galen W. Newton, Jessica M. Brackett and Paul N Wharmel. The scholarships include tuition, books and fees at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University or University of Northern Iowa. The scholarship program was announced in March by Gov. Tom Vilsack and the mother of Matthew Shepard. theWyoming college student who was beaten to death by two men. Police said the attack was motivated in part because Shepard was Gay. The scholarships are awarded to Gay students based on academic achievement, financial need and community service, Vilsack said. Brackettcredited Vilsack for trying to provide greater civil rights to Gay Iowans. "He’ s really pushing for rights for everybody andI thinkhewill be ourmain strength during thenext four to six years," Brackett said. "I think he’s going to push for progress." Newton said he.plans to remain.active inGay rights .’. issues whilein college. He said the Scholarship is abig encouragement. "People are beingawarded for being courageou_s,".he s-aid. ¯ - Funding for the scholarships.~omes from a chari- .tablefoundation establishedbyprominentDes Moines businessman Rich F...y~.~haner..An’rpe~l.y Gay RepubS lican, Eychanermad~ an unsuccessi~ui bid for the U.S~. .House in 1984, but’lost :in the~. Vatican Increases Attack on World Pride ROME (AP) - A top Italian cardinal weighed in against a major Gay gathering scheduledin Rome in July, stepping up a campaignto move the event elsewhere. "What we are asking is not at this time and not in Rome," said Cardinal Camillo Ruini, president of the Italian Conference ofRoman Catholic Bishops. World Gay Pride Roma 2000 is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of Gay and Lesbian participants for a week starting July I. The Vatican has opposed the city’ s plans to host the gathering, saying it is out of keeping with the church’ s Holy Year that has been drawing millions of pilgrims to Rome. Some opponents fear the event will turn into a demonstration against Pope John Paul II, who has defended the Vatican’ s condemnation of homosexual acts. "I don’ t believe it is by chance that they selected Rome this year," Ruilfi said. United in God’s Love MCC-United Sunday Worship Reverend Cathy Elliot 11:00 am Pastor 1623 N. Maplewo0d 918/838-1715 Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community ofHope 2545 South Yale, Sundays at 1 lam, 749-0595 A Welcoming Congregation 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 Licensed Professional & National Certified Counselor, Certified Hypnotherapist Psychotherapy & Clinical Consultation After Hours Appointments Available 2865 E. Skelly Drive, Suite 215,745-1111 Red Rock Tulsa - O’RYAN Oklahoma Rainbow Young Adult Network Outreach Program Thurs. Nights Meet Others in a Safe Envirorndnt Call for meeting times and .place: Mi.ng0 Valley Flowers. 9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145 9.18-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-44~-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 7411’4-3518 The Pride Store 1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor Tulsa Gay Community Services Center 743-GAYS (743:4297) ¯6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday fl2-9_ p~,~ Sat..u~~dq2, all sales b.eqefit the Center, Kelly KirbyrCPA, PC Certified Public Accountant a professional corporation 747-5466 4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135 TOM NEAL BUILDING & GARDEN DESIGN 583-1248 Red Rock Tulsa : Free Confidential HIV Testing Walk-in Clinics Tuesdays, 5 -8 pm, Center, 1307 East 38th Wednesdays, 5-8 pm, Red Rock, 1724 East 8th Daytime appointments available. Call for more information: 918-584-2325 KEVIN BURLESO N Keller Willidms Realty 2651 712-2252 Burlesor~@k~.corn East 21st Street, Ste. 100, Tulsa 74114 An-~t~dependent Member Broker- OPENARMS,OPENMINDS,OPENHEAR’TS Saint Aidan Saint Dunstan 4045 N. Cincinnati, 425-7882 5635 East 71st. 492-7140 Saint John Trinity 4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381 501 S. Cincinnati 582-4128 The Episcopal Church Welcomes You In another development, the Gay civil-lights group ArciGay called for the resignation ofPremier Giuliano Amatoforhi s remarks before parlianlent earlier in the week.. Amato said that "unfoftnnately" the Gay Pride week week must be allowed to be held because of constitutional protection for public gatherings. Gays Losing Supporter ST. PAUL (AP) - State Sen. Allan Spear, who is retiring after 28 years, will probably be remembered for work that took "probably less than 10% of my time" - his advocacy of rights and protections for Gays and Lesbians. "Nobody can get elected and adequatelyserve a constituency on Gay,~ssues alone,: Spear said..",But it’s important to have people for whom Gay i~su~s are a~hi.gh priority." . " Spear became the first openly Gay legislator in Mimlesota- and one of only two in the nation - when he acknowledged his homosexuality in 1974. His retirement at the end of this year will likely leave just one openly Gay legislator: Rep. Karen Clark, DFLMinneapolis. Scott Dibble, who is running for a House seat in Minneapolis, is also Gay, but there would be no openly Gay senators. Spear believes ~t is important for Gay people to have legislative representation. "It helps a lot to have someone come from the Gay community who can speak from the inside," said Spear, DFL-Minneapolis. "You need someone who can talk about what it’ s like growing up Gay, or coming out, or what it’ s like to deal with a partner who you feel is your spouse, but society won’ t recognize as your spouse. Other people can sp,,eak out on those issues, but it isn’ t quite the sanle, Ann DeGroot, executive director of the Gay political action group OutFront Minnesota, said part of Spear’s legacy will be other legislators who can. advocate for Gay rights, whether they’re Gay or not. "Of course we’ re going to miss Allan," she said. "We haven’t had a session without him yet. "But we’ve worked with other people so much, other leaders who are supporters, we know we can count on them.?’ Gay.& Lesbian Parents TroUbled by State Law LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Chris and Mike Croghan- Miller are like other parents, caring and proud. They videotaped their son’ s birth, took time off from work when he was born, and in the weeks before, had an announcement party, a baby shower, painted the "baby room" and spent days with a ~erious case of "the butterflies." But there is one difference some say makes them unfit parents - they’re Gay. Advocates argue that the bottom line is a good home for the child that meets the requirements set by the state. "We don’t care whether they’ re married, single or Gay," said Carolyn Amett, contract attorney "for Adoptions ofKentucky. "We don’ t discriminate." Kentucky Youth Advocates’ director Debra Miller said the concern should be "that any child is adopted by parents who have the emotional and social support necessary to be good parents. We don’t think that there’s anything constitutional that makes a Gay or Lesbian parent unable to do that. Noris there anything that guarantees that heterosexual folk can be good parents." The Croghan-Mil!er.family is part ofaboom~~t~e numbe~ Of Gays ~d Les~iafls ~fi~osin~’to’becSth~e parents, according to the San Diego-based Family Pride Coalition. Though state officials and private adoption agencies in Kentucky don’ t keep any estimates on how many Gay men or Lesbian~ have adopted here, the San Diego group claims 15,000 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered families as members, including dozens in Louisville. ¯ And across the nation, cases of adoption and custody issues involving Gays and Lesbians have become increasingly visible. Mostrecently, Mississippi joined Florida and Utah in banning adoptions by Gays, despite arguments that it is an unconstitutional violation of due process and privacy rights. The Cabinet for Families and Children has recently proposed changes that would "make our systemmore accepting to a broad variety of families," said Mike Jennings, a cabinet spokesman. But the change is not being made specifically out of consideration for Gay and Lesbian couples. Gay Teens Face Harassment & Isolation MILLERSVILLE, Pa. (AP) - During her junior and senior years in high school Lilith visited the hospital seven times for severe depression, self-mutilation and thoughts of suicide. She was trying to destroy hersdf, she said. Destroy the thing within her that was making her different from her classmates. Lilith is Gay and, during her early teen years, the thought of being a Lesbian "practically .disguste0,". her. ~he denied it, ran from it, ti-ied to erie it’f~om.!,i~ ~ soul!, but her affeeti0n for bilker ffomenw~ beCrn{i~ impossible to ignor~ Lilith ~ Who, f0( pi-i~acy #~aI- i sons, chose a fictitious name for this story - is now 20, a full-time college student and a self-assured Lesbian woman. But, she says, her high school years were rough. Like many Gay youth, Lilith suffered through harassment and lack of acceptance, feelings of isolation, and self-imposed silence. Gay teens are twice as likely as heterosexual youth to seriously consider suicide because they feel adrift in an unsupportive world. Overall, the nonheterosexual population (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered) is 5-10%, said Brad Becker, executive director of the Gay &Lesbian National Hotline. High school percentages are likely the same, but surveys are skewed because most teens are not comfortable answering gender-preference questions. In addition, many have yet to figure out their sexuality, he said. "They may not be identified as Gay,, said Becker. "They know something is different but have yet to pinpoint their sexuality.". "Teens begin feeling their sexuality around the age of 13," said Linnea Bailey, a Lancaster psychologist who specializes in Gay and Lesbian issues. "So much of being a teen is exploring sexuality. If they realize they are not part of the norm, it can be frightening. They know that those who are different get picked on." Gay and Lesbian youth commonly struggle with self-esteem issues and may withdraw from family and friends. They often skip school and may eventually drop out in search of an accepting peer group. If they do come out and continue in school, they risk being harassed or beaten by those with differing bdiefs. In an average school day, says the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, the typical Gay teen will hear 26 anti-Gay remarks. And, one in six Gay youths are beaten so badly they seek medical attention. "The last acceptable form of overt prejudice is against Gays," Bailey said. "It’s still extremely bad in the public school systems." Most Gay teens wait to come out until they are in college or the work world. There tends to be greater diversity and less peer pressure. "Often it’ s the first time they are away from home and family," said Anthony Lascoskie Jr., coordinator of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Allies at Franklin & Marshall Colleg_e and .treasurer of the Pink Triangle Coalition. "They can be Gay at school and straight at home." Boys typically come out at age 18; gifts, 23. Julian, a 19-year-old Millersville student, came out the summer before his junior year of high school by writing a letter to a trusted faculty member. During his junior year he began telling his friends. J~ian.said most of his friends were OK with his sexuality, but some faded away. And although there were no physical attacks, there were plenty of verbal attacks. - Bailey said~lack of- peer suPport is.the, one of the worst koadblbcks for ~ay teer~sl During a time When support is most important, there is typically very little. "Imagine dating as a Gay teen-ager," she said. "If you break up with a same-sex partner, there’ s no support. Who do you go to to talk about it? There is so much loneliness and isolation." Black Church To Fight AIDS Harder TUSKEGEE, Ala. (AP) - Black ~hurch leaders, trying to overcome policy differences in their efforts to combat AIDS~ have gathered in Tuskegee to try to put together a plan of action. More than 300 bishops, pastors, priests and laymen from across the nation and as far away as Africa tookpart the lastweek inMay in theAIDS Conference for Black Churches at Tuskegee University. Black churches have been Slow to take onAIDS because of the stigma associated with frank discussion of sex, drugs and homosexuality in church, church leaders said. There is also disagreement over issues such as the distribution of condoms and needle-exchange programs. "This hesitationis killing our people," U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher told the conference in a videotaped statement. Blacks accounted for 45% of all AIDS cases reported in the United States in 1998, according to federal data. Africa is home to 23.3 million of the world’ s 33.6 million infected people, said Dr. Helene Gayle, head of the AIDS center at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Within a decade, she said, there will be 40 million orphans in Africa because of the disease. Church leaders and AIDS experts said their efforts likely will focus ottxeaching teens and young adults. The Rev. Calvin Butts III, president of the Council of Churches of the City of New York, said churches must teach sex education. "Un~ less we learn to talk about it, we’re not going to solve the problem of AIDS," he said. "You can’t be hypocritical about this, because it’ s killing us." Other leaders said churches should boost outreach efforts in jails and prisons. Nearly one-fifth of people who are HIV-positive will be incarcerated at some point in their lives, according to CDC data. Pernessa Seele, founder ofThe Balm in Gilead Inc., the organization that sponsored the conference, said church leaders must provide better counseling and care to people with AIDS. "Church folk are Gay folk, they are.., straight folk. We’re all family," she said. "But some people justdon’ tgetit. We’ ve got to tear down all these barriers." AIDS Vaccine to Be Tested in Haiti NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Vanderbilt University Medical Center will work with the nation of Haiti to test a vaccine for AIDS. The research hospital is seeking 150 local volunteers for testing in Nashville this summer. Tests begin in Haiti in the fall. .’,~It’~s:important-for,the.science of vaccine development to embrace the developing world, where most of the AIDS burden is now," said Dr. Barney S. GrahamofVanderbilt~ s AIDS Vaccine Evaluation’Unit. "We’re veery excited about workilig with Haiti." Vanderbiltis 0neof five medical centerg in °be:United States testing a vaccine based on a virus which ca°mot reproduce in mammals - the canary pox virus. Scientist splice genes for inactive HIV proteins into the canary pox virus, and inject it into the volunteers. If it works, the vaccine will stimulate the body’ s immune defenses into action, including the production of a white Mood cell that can dispose of HIV-infected cells to prevent it from spreading inthe body. "It’ s not a perfect vaccine, but it is the best candidate we have now," said Dr. Peter F. Wright, also of Vanderbilt. Side affects of the vaccine can include mild fever and mnsde soreness. There is no chance of getting infected with HIV, Graham said. "We’ re not at all worried about safety," Graham said. Vanderbilt’ s research is supported by an annllal grant of $2 million from the .federal govemmentwhichis goodthrough 2005. If this year’s tests are successful, large-scale trials will be done in 2001. :Russia Too Poor to Fight AIDS CriSis MOSCOW (AP)- Registered HIV cases in Russia are snowballing and the cashstrapped government is too poor to confront the health crisis, a senior health official said in May. "That means people will simply die without treatment," said VadimPokrovsky, thehead ofthe Federal AIDS Prevention Center. Last year, 18,140 new cases of infection with HIV - the virus that causes ¯ MDS - were registered; that’s dose to half of all the HIV cases registered in Russia since 1987. Pokrovsky told anews conference that at least a two-fold increase is expected this year, and that the registered number of cases are likely only one-fifth to one-tenth of the real number. ’q’hat means that the real number of HIV cases may reach 300,000-400,000 by the ~.nd of this year. By 2005 we may have about 1 million cases, under an optimistic scenario," he said. Intravenous drug users aecountformost of the new HIV cases, but the virus is rapidly spreading through sexual contacts, Pokrovsky said. "In some regions around Moscow up to 5% of all young people have AIDS," he said. "According to other estimates, up to 15% of Moscow prostitutes are infected with HIV." The relatively small number of officially registered HIV cases has prompted a negligent attitude in the government, which has been slow to earmark funds for combatting the disease. Officials have sometimes hampered privately funded AIDS prevention efforts. TV ads and billboards promoting the use of condoms have disappeared after authorities complained they were harming public morals, ¯ Pokrovsky said. Currently, only therelatively rich Mos- ¯ cow city governmentcan fully pay the bill ¯ for treating AIDS patients, while other ¯ regions provide only a fracdon of funds ¯ needed to pay for expensive treatment. According to Pokrovsky, a modern ¯ course of treatment for AIDS comes only ¯ a fraction cheaper than in the West, be- ¯ causemostdrugs areimported. Suchtreat- ¯ ment costs about $10,000 per patient, he ’ ~aid,~ a hefty sum a’or ~the.economicalIy ¯ struggling nation. "The nmnber of pa- ¯ dents will be so high, that only few of ¯ them will get treatment," he said. "No ¯ more than 10% of the patients may count ¯ on receiving treatment." ¯ OK AIDS Network ADAP, the AIDS Drug Assistance Pro- . gram is working but is severely ¯ underfunded. OKAIDS Netis asking that ¯ the following legislators be asked to sup- , port more funding in the next session. Write: Senators Stratton Tayltr, Ben ¯ Robinson, Angela Monson, Cal Hobson, ¯ Enoch Kelly Haney and Representatives ¯ Loyd Benson, and Bob Weaver at State Capitol, 2300 No. Lincoln,OKC730105. Timothy W. Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partnership Planning, Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma Weekend and evening appoinlmenls are available. Tulsa City County Library System is proud to support Humanity Unites for Human Ri£!hts Diversity Celebration 2000 and presents Not All Fruits are Oranges: the Roots, Branches & Produce of the Gay & Lesbian Literary Grove by Dr. T. Alan Culpepper, Ph.D. Visiting Assistant Professor.ofEnglish~ Rogers State University Tuesday, June 13, 7pm, Aaronson Auditorium, Central Library Look for the Library Booth at the Millenium Festival and check with Central Library for books and videos of interest to Gay & Lesbian readers, families and friends. when i dare to be powerful - to use my strength in the service of my vision, then itbe Qm tmpo ant whether i am afraid. ¯..audre Iorde please oin )Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights in welcoming / / Dr. Margarethe Cammermeyer and Mr. Greg Louganis as guest speakers ,--of.the "Humanity Unites for Human Rights" 0 "DIVERSITY CELEBRATION 20001" black-tie (optional) benefit dinner and silent auction Friday, June 9, 2000 The Summit Club 6th & Boulder Tulsa, Oklahoma (free parking in Bank of America tower) VIP Reception; 7:00 PM / $50 per person Reception: 7:00 PM Silent Auction: 7:00 -- 9:00 PM _ Dinner:,8:00 PM/,$75 per person $550 / table of eight - ~:~ $750 /.table of eight & VIP reception for ticket information, please see enclosure I at Southwest Missouri State University in Sptingfield. "When I think of Ozark County, I always think ofhow the sheriff did not have a car until 1937," he said. "The rivers weren’t bridged and there was no real road system developed." Outlaws looking for cover in the backwoods - including such notorious villains as Bonnie and Clyde and Jesse James - were drawn to the area for those reasons, Flanders said. Religious~based groups, typically those who shun the doctrines of mainstream churches, appreciate the quietandreserved nature of fellow Ozarkers. ’’There is a long tradition in the hills that you live and let live, no matterhow weird the beliefs of your neighbors might be," Flanders said. Both Springfield and Bransonhave seen national and regional supremacy conventions in the last year. In February, some 225 people gathered in Branson for the third annual convention of the Identity group Songs for His People. "You’ re tight in the middle of the Bible Belt, which plays an important role in the culture there," said Devin Burghart of the Chicag0-based Identity watchdog group, Center for New Commlmity. ’‘These guys come strolling along singing songs andholding Bibles, which allows them a certain degree of legitimacy in the area. But behind it all is still the same message of hate and intolerance," he said. Christian Identity espouses white Anglo-Saxon virtues and calls Jews, racial minorities and Gays enemies of God. S6memembers believe in death sentences for those who violate "’God’ s law." In August, Identity follower Buford Furrow Jr. allegedly killed a Filipino- American postal worker and wounded five others after opemng fire on a Jewish day-care center in Los Angeles. A month earlier, two brothers-also Identity adherents - allegedly killed a Gay couple in California and set fire to several synagogues. Through the 1980s, the Identity movement became associated with other extremist groups, including The Order, the Ku Klux Klan and The Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord, or CSA. Many residents here say they have felt intimidated by supremacist groups like CSA and Winrod’ s church. Most define to be interviewed or ask not to be identified for fear of retaliation. "These guys would wear fatigues and walkinto thepostoffice withguns swapped to their waists," said Tim Morgan, owner of a marina in Pontiac, a town of fewer than 300 not far from Gainesville. "They were intimidating because they were so military-looking." Winrod’ s church, called Our Savior’ s, consisted-mostly~ ofhi~ adult ehilO*en, their families and a few other followers. The sheriff said he began distributing his racist mailings to every county resident. "People Wouldcall and Complainabout it, but there is nothing we could do- he hadFirstAmendmenttights ," Bartlett said. "We could only keep an eye on him." Now, Winrod is accused along with two ofhis childrenofabducting his grandchildren from their North Dakota hometowns in 1994 and 1995. Their mothers are M.ready serving ptison terms for kidnapping. At ~ pretrial court, appearance Thursday, Wiurod said he did not have an attorney The court has givenhim until June 13 to either retain counsel or waive his tight to representation. A preliminary hearing on the case was set for June 21. Authorities fear the Wiurod case will attract attention from other affiliated groups. ’‘There are groups like this all over the country, peoplewhomaybearen’ t. closely affiliated with one another but who share similar beliefs, and they decide they want to come and get involved in these situations," Said Elmore, the highway patrol sergeant. "We don’ t want that to happen this time." On the Net: Southern Poverty Law Center: http://www.splcenter.org ~ Center for New Community: http://www.newcomm.org Yet again, he dismissed these basic protecdons as "special tights ." In addition, he has sided with the extreme wing of his Party and refused to endorse the Fmployment Non-Discrimination Act (F_aNDA). ENDA wouldput an end to discrimination against Gay men and Lesbians in the workplace - discrimination that is currenfly legal in 39 states. AI Gore and the Democratic Party have fought vigorously for ENDA because we believe in the tight of every American to bejudged on his or her merits and abilities, and to be allowed to contribute to society without facing discrimination on the basis of sexual ori_-_ entation. As President, AI Gore also would continue President Clinton’ s Executive Order prohibiting discrimination based on. sexual orientation in the federal civilian workforce. Facing aRepublican challenge to the Executive Order, Clinton and Gore worked with Representative Barney Frank and other fair-minded Members of Congress to defeat the Republicans’ and-Gay amendment with the support of over 90 percent of Congressional Democratsl We need leaders likeAl Gore who will speak out against homophobia and prejudice in afight to maintain civil justice and equality. Through his actions and the actions ofhis party,it is clear thatGeorgeW. Bush is not that leader. There is every indication that he would make no room forGays and Lesbians inhis WhiteHouse. As we celebrate Gay and Lesbian Pride, Democrats pledge our support and continued work to promote equal~opportunity and non-discrimination for a strong and umted America. As a Party, we embrace these ideals because we believe that no .aanetican should be left behind. An interpreter for the deaf will be provided. - The Rev. Mel.White heads, Soulforce, Inc., anon-profitorganization thatruns an ecumenical network of volunteers committed to the teachings and applying the principles of nonviolent civil .disobedience on behalf of sexual minorities. Rev. White has relendessly devoted his life to heal the wounds caused by: the anti-Gay rhetoric and to enter into dialogue with the faith organizations that perpetuate hatred and violence toward sexual minotifies. In the past year, Rev. White has led "direct actions" with Rev. Jerry Falwell, the trial of Rev. Jimmy Creech, and most recently, the General Assembly of the United Methodist Church. Shortly after visiting Tulsa, Rev. White will lead a delegation see Pride,p. 8~ Pr by Jim Christjohn, mac guru & more Brachetti is coming! No, it’ s not apiece of toast with herbs and tomatoes on it, it’ s Arturo Brachetti, the quick-change artist. Think "Greater Tuna" meets Robin Williams while doing David Copperfield’s act. GreaterTuna had two guys doing quick changes to create ,the ,22 characters of,a small mythi.cal town; Artur9 is one man crearii~g 88characters during the course of an evening ~-grom cowboys to geishas and barmaids to Royal Mounties, he is a very charmlng man - and handsome as well. He speaks at least three languages fluently, and has a mischievous sense of humor rivaling yours truly. Described as Versace on hyper speed, Brachetti changes costumes at lightning fast speed, transforming into more than 80 characters and giving life to le- "... Deserlbed as Versaee on hyper speed, Braehettl changes costumes at lightning fast speed, transforming into more than 80 characters and giving llfe to legions of personalities. His show is a multl-medla ~xtravaganza, eomblnlng comedy, tousle, magle, and video in a unique collage of aetlng, storytelling, stunts and earleature . . ." gions of personalities. His show is a multimedia extravaganza, combining comedy, music, magic, and video in a unique collage of acting, storytelling, stunts and caricature. He is the winner of the 2000 Moliere Award (the French "Tony" award), and a delightfully impish fellow. Add a little Cirque De Soleil t~ that mixture above, too. I had the chance to speak with him before one of his sold out shows in Paris, France. A U.S. tour is planned for 2001, buthis first stop for a very limited engagement, is here in Tulsa. Whenasked, "Why Tulsa?" he responded, "Well, you have to start somewhere!" He spoke of it being the "center of the United States" and as such, a good place to begin. tie spoke of the Italian art of"transformation" as not having been seen in thirty years. It had its origins in the 17th century as an offshoot of the commedia del’ artr. According to Brachetti, Giovanni Gabrielli was the originator of "transformarion," performing all the characters of the commedia del’ arte single-handedly, changing masks and characters all byhimself. I asked him what prompted him to create such a show-, and his response was that he was doing some add-on acts for a production of "Midsummer Night’s Dream" (French pr~oductions often thro,w_ extra scenes ifffor fun), which led to him creating a one man show in which he played all the parts, an embryonic version of his current two hour plus show, for an arts festival. A later version of the show, largely autobiographical, opened in June ’99 in Montreal. Selling outevery night, he eventually took the show to Paris. There was no advertising budget, and the first week, they had to find people just to sit in the audience. After that first week, however, word of mouth started and the show exploded. Brachetti would like audiences to leave the show different from when they entered. He said that the show speaks to the eight year old child witltin all of us. In the dip of the show, s beginning, shown at the press conference, it begins with a mysterious masked man removing his mask to reveal yet another mask underneath, continuing for some time. Just that brief dip spoke to me of the fact that we all wear so many masks from day to day, ,to the point where the real personbecomes buried over ume. It s.eems to me, that his show is about removing the masks of adulthood so that We can free the child trapped within, (but then agaifi, I’ m0 a psychology major, and can read deep insight into anything). I will say that sequence is very powerful, and can only imagine what therest ofthe show must be like. Brachetti hopes to restore the wonder of the world as seen from the eyes of kids. He alternated as he spoke, from well-educated adult to impish child. He’ll eventually play S_an Francisco (the costumes will go over big there) and New York, as well as Chicago. Brachetti arrives in Tulsa at thePAC courtesy ofCelebrity Attractions August 6-13 and to OKCat the Rose State Performing Arts Theater august 15-21. Tickets can be had by calling 596-7111. I don. t know if he’ s Gay, but I will tell you now, the costumes that Brachetti designed and created rival any elaborate Bette Midler/Cher/Drag Queen extravaganza. Did I mention he’ s cute, designs a meanfrock, inhis mid thirties (he’ s cagey about his age) and single? Me first, guys ! For’those Goddess worshipers out there, I am pleased to announce Goddess: Tulsa Artists’ Coalition Women’ s Show 2000, sponsored by TAC and The University of Tulsa School of Art. It features Goddessthemed artwork, and the exhibit goes up June 8 and runs through July 7th. The opening is from 5-8pm June 8, and the regular gallery .hours are 9am-4:30pm Mon. - Thurs. and 9am-noon Friday. The gallery is in TU’ s Alexander Hogue Gallery at 5th Street and College Avenue. Andfor those wondering, Stevie Nicks, new album "Trouble In Shangri-La" is on permanent delay, as usual Apparently, there are troublein the Shangri-La recording studio in which she’ s been working with a revolving doorful of producers .since ,!997. Have fun at the Diversity. Celebrations, ~_nd be safe! ’ ¯ We’ ve seen it before. The horror of the ship’ s sinking never quitemadeit onstage. You’ re more bothered by the horror of having paid to see this show. The songs, for the most part, are mawkishly written, stealing from everyone imaginable - Gilbert and Sullivan, Lloyd Webber, Sondheim. Few original ideas are in the music, which is a pity. This is portrayed as homage, but basically, it seems Yeston just couldn’t come up with anything on his own. Want something better? Wait for Rent later this summer. Are You Gay or Bisexual? Are You Native American? Tulsa’s Two-Spirited Indian Men s ~/k~ Support Group is 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 Call JOHN RAGAN, the friendly, caring real estate agent who understands your special needs! 918-583-2125 800-559-1558 wrvw.NewNest.com of Soulforce members on a direct action to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. as they debate the inclusion of Gays and Lesbians in that denomination. Organizational sponsors include: Soulforce in Oklahoma (presenting sponsor) TulsaOklahomans forHumanRights (presenting sponsor) Community ofHope Church,CommimityUnitarian/UniversalistCongregationDignity/ IntegrityofTulsa FellowshipCongregational Church, Green Country Society of Friends (Quakers), Metropolitan Community Church United (MCC), Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays in Tulsa (PFLAGTulsa), Parish Church of St. Jerome, Regional AIDS Interfaith Network of Oklahoma (RAIN-OK), and Volunteers in Action Committee of All Soul’s Unitarian Church as wall as others. Soulforce Workshop Saturday, June 3rd A SoulforceWorkshop led by Rev. Md White will be held at the Charles Norman Studio at the Performing Arts Center at 2 pro. Rev. White and his partner, Gary Nixon, will provide training in the principles of M.K. Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. as part of the non-violence justice movement. The workshop will last until 5 p.m. Admissionis free. TOHR Follies 2000 Saturday, June 3rd ¯he bawdy humor and sentimental songs of theTOHRFollies returns at 8 pm at the Doenges Theatre, PAC. Join a host of performers and singers celebrate your favorite show tunes from a "100 years of Broadway." Elaborate productions from the timeless works of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Kern, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Charlie Smalls will entertain you. A Reception will follow in the Charles Norman Studio with catering provided by Curt & Marj’ s. Admission is $15 each. Tickets will be sold through the Performing Arts Center Ticket Office beginning around May 3rd. Call the PAC for ticket information at 596.7111 .or 800.364.7111 or buy your tickets online at www.tulsapac.com. Entertainers: Sedackeiry Taylor Alexander, Johnny Cronin, Domoniqne Daniels, Veronica De,core, Vivian MINI-MOVIE FESTIVAL Thursday, June 8th AMini-Movie Festival will run throughout the day on a 60" screen at the Tulsa Gay Community Services Center. The Community Center is located on the corner of 38th and Peoria (above Boulevards). Popcorn and refreshments will be available. Admission is free. Schedule: 1:00 pro, Lilies 3:00 pm, Beautiful Thing 5:00 pm, It’ s In The Water 7:00 pro, Broadway Damage 9:00 pm, Everything Relative Black Tie Benefit Friday, June 9th TOHR offers the opportunity to meet Margarethe Cammermeyer and Greg Louganis at a VIP Reception at7pmin the Grille Room at The Summit Club on the 31 st floor. The Summi t Club is located in the Bank of America Building at 15 West 6th Street. Free parking available in the building. Admission is $50. An Open Reception and Silent Auction will begin at 7 pm at The Summit Club on the 31st floor. All proceeds will benefit TOHR’ s fight for GLBT equality in this region. The Benefit Dinner begins at 8 pm at The Summit Club on the 30th floor. Guest speakers are Margarethe Cammermeyer and Greg Louganis. Please joinTOHR in presenting its wall-deserved "Community Hero" awards to three high school students who have shown extraordinary courage in dealing with their sexuality: Will Allen, Emily Sisemore, and Matthew Holloway. An interpreter for the deaf will be provided. Tickets are available for the VIP Reception and the Benefit Dinner by "calling 743.4297, or by mailing ticket requests to TOHR, P.O. Box 2687, Tulsa, OK74101, or by dropping by the Center on the corner of38th and Peoria between 6 pm and 9 pm Sundays through Friday and Noon to 9 pm on Saturday. Millennium Pride Parade Saturday, June 10th The Millennium Pride Parade will beffin at 11 am at the Tulsa Gay Community Services Center at 38th and Peoria. Grethe Cammermeyer and Greg Louganis will serve as Co-Grand Marshals. Organizers claim it will be bigger and more colorful than before. The Parade will follow the same route as last year from the Center to Veteran’ S Park at 18tk and Main. Deveroe ::.Fontaine, Green ~Country Drop-offpoints are set along the Parade ~Oogg,e.rs, DanHale, Miitthew Holloway, Routethis year. Buses!shuttles will begin ~H~’l.~a’..~s Horribles, KriS Kohl~.CeCe.. ~ ~mn’mg at 8!30 a;m, Please park your ¯~roi,x,~taRichards,Tabith9Tayl0r,--: veliid~ at Veteran s Park and catch ~e T~aT Neill, ’Victoria Turelie,:R~becea . bu~ofShtittleonthenorthsideofVeteran s U.ngermah,.ahd Komona Wannaliiya, -.’Park. --’There is no charge to ride the bus/ All events tke!d at the Performing Arts Center are fundedin part b~r a grant-from the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trnst. uNIi"ED - An Art Exhibit Tuesday, June 6th An Art Exhibit entitled "United" will have an opening reception at the Recep- !ion Hall of All Soul’ s Unitarian Church beginning at 6 pm. Wine and soft drinks ~vill be available. Hors d’ oeurves will be fPrereO.VAideldl bSyouTlsWUCnaittaerriinang.CAhdumrcihssiios nloiscated at 2952 South Peoria. Artists: Otto Decker, John Duvall, Jody Ellison, Dana Gilpin, P.S. Gordon David Halpern, Isaac Harper, Ken Johnston, Elizabeth Joyner, Kraig Kallenberger, C. LynnMallett, KathleenPendergrass, Mary Schepers; Kelley Vandiver, David Vamecky & others. shu..tt!e. FESTIVAL Saturday, June 10th The Millennium Pride Festival (formerly the Picnic) will begin at 11 am at Veteran’s Park. There will be dose to fifty booths, as well as food vendors, beer and soft drinks, and lots of activities. Margarethe Cammermeyer and Greg Louganis will give the opening remarks. TOHR’ s "Community Hero" awards will be given to three courageous local teenagers: Will Alien, Matthew Holloway, and Emily Sisemore. Entertainment go on all afternoon and into the evening. A sixteenteam volleyball tournament will run throughout the day on three volleyball courts. There is also a Celebrity Dunk Tank with Audra Sommers, Dyke Divine and David from gay.tulsa.org, Tom Neal ofTulsa Family News, Marty Newmanof the Human Rights Campaign, and more. by James Christjohn ~ ¯ I’m not sure which is the greater trag- " edy: the sinking of the ship and its aftermath - or the creation and execution of " this musical. Don’t get me wrong, the " performances were OK, for the most part, some were excellent, and there were afew songs thatmade the show somewhatworth the time it took to watch it. But it was a remarkable example of how easy it is to get Tony Awards these days. At the time this disaster (the musical) struck, it was the only original American musical offering on Broadway. Everything else was Lloyd Webber (i.e., English) or French. So, to get a Tony, you need to: 1. merely be American; 2. write a musical: 3. base it on something historical, but only superficially. Take known names and make up cartoonish characters to go with them; 5. even if what you write is unfocused and mediocre, if there are no other Americans writing musicals, you’ll get a Tony. If you’ re wanting a mildly entertaining evening with some really bad staging, scenery, and costumes that dwarf the set, and NO historical accuracy (other than the fact_the ship sank), by all means waste your money. The show itself is historically inaccurate to the point of sheer ridiculousness. That wouldn’ t be such a peeve with me if the marketing weren’ t hyping it as being historically accurate, claiming the "story is told truthfully" and that "historical accuracy of Titanic (the musical) makes it an ideal show for parents to share with school age children." Only if the parents wish to point out how inaccurate the marketing can be and musicals hyped as historically accurate aren’ t. And it wouldn’ t be so bad if the actual stories - as told in the transcripts of the inquiries, easily come by in paperback form - were as dramatic as you can get. The), didn’ t need to ~nake up half of what the,’,’ did. Thorn Sesma, who portrays Thomas Andrews, the Titanic’s Designer, sang like he had a mouthful of marbles. He seemed to have a speech impediment, making it hard to understand what he was saying. And youknow, if you’ re on stage, evenifyouaremic’ d,DON’TMUMBLE. This was.,rampant during the evening.... One man, whose Iin~s throdghout song ~ere "Not a ibit not .a aide ¯ repeated ad.~auseum, s~,t~a,.d..ed~!jke"Noti!’: : bitch, not a,iittl~ bitch. ~ I ldd.you noti.. Marcus ~:Ch.a,it, who" played, stoker ." Fredefiek.~.~tt,. ~d"a ,:bi~athless fali setto q0altty-that .s~ded:lik¢ .an ment ~betw.’.,e~n MiChael ~Ct~w.ford,aniti.~ Andy Gibb. Even though he Was nile d tO the hilt (as all were), y.oo, coul~l understand him at times, due to his breathless "Phantom of the Opera/Michael Crawford’~ style of singing. His vibrato was annoying as well, distracting from one of the most powerful songs in the show. When he whispers, you can’ t hear him, when he belts, he reveals a glorious voice, a wonderful tenor. Timothy A. Fitzgerald, as Fleet, the lookout spotting the iceberg, has the most wonderful voice, perfect for the song "No Moon", arguably the best song in the show, and the most haunting. Lyrically, it’s one of the better moments, and Fitzgeraldhandles it withgrace andbeauty, which he has plenty of in terms of stage presence. Pity the authors did away with the other lookout (one of those little inaccuracies); "No Moon" would have been awesome as a duet. The standout performances were the three Kates, immigrants in steerage revealing their dreams of a new life America. Meiissa Bell, Kristi Barber, Kate Jetmore were excellent in the" gest roles in the play. They had the successful song in the show in term revealing character and furtheriv story, revealing the hopes and dre: the immigrants of the time. TomGamblin, in my opinion the su c, gest male actor, was an excdlent foil and future husband as Jim Farrell, who Kate Murphy decides will be her husband. It is their story which is the most effective in a show that tries to tell the story from too many perspectives. It was their characters I actually cared for, and it was their moments that worked in an otherwise dismal script. Theragtime song,"Autumn," and afew other songs were memorable for their melodies. That’ s about all that can be said for them. The book, well, I say keep a couple of lines that were humorous, and start over. I was disappointed. It seemed like an inventive premise, and one which could havemade history entertaining. The staging was weak, particularl y when the iceberg was sighted by the one lookout. The set did tilt at the end (like we’ ve never seen that before), but the set was mosdy made up of very inaccurately drawn and painted drops that looked like something out of a high school production. After Jekyll and Hyde’s detailed lab, Beauty and the Beast’s castles and villages, Titanic’ s drop-heavy scenery was a bit of a letdown. On Broadway, the show had a three levd set, making several of the numbers quite different. Here we were treated to awkwardly stage numbers, wlfich basically left the cast walking in circles representing different levels and areas of the ship, which ended up quite muddled ~n terms of telling who was where on the ship. At one point, as characters were stepping in and out and around, it became quite ridiculous. The tableau, which was originally to have shown the ship striking the iceberg, was nothing more than a very small model of the ship, withlights, pulled across the stage - no ice in sight. The model boat, lit up :with Chxistmas lights, being pulled across the stage was quite humorous. And the promisedcollision tableau, hyped beforetheshow opened on Broadway, is still missing. . . I really liked the cheesy and totally hilarious flame effect of the boiler room furnaces. This little .bit of very Obvious whitedothbeing blownupwards by afan, not even dose to the scale of what the flames in those boilers must have been like. Now I’m quite willing to suspend disbelief, but this went far beyond what could be expected. It looked like these big burly men were shoveling coal onto bic lighters. Iwas rolling withlaughter. Yeston also says "themusic is the scenery." Well, ithas to be, since apparently they couldn’ t afford paint or artists from the look of it. The drops seemed to come in at the wrong scenes, particularly in the opening. I understand theatre is representational by nature, but here we’ re dealing with a very famous boat. The problem with the show is that it tries to tell too many stories, and because of that, it’ s hard to really care about any of the characters, who are portrayed as caricatures anyway. At the end, youjust don’ t care. OK, the set rises at one end on hydraulics, see Titanic, p. 8 by Lamont ]~indstrom, Ph.D. Vexillology. There’s an arcane word " for you. It means the "study of flags." : Thousands of rainbow flags are soon to ¯ wave as we enter the season of Gay Pride celebration. Gay flags, like Gay Pride, are fairly recent inventions. Gilbert Baker sewed up the first rainbow flag for the 1978 Gay Freedom Celebration in San Francisco. Over the past two decades, Freedom has made_ way for Pride and the rainbow flag has lost some stripes. Baker’s original creationboasted~eight colors, each of which represented a fine ideal: orange is healing; yellow the sun; green is nature and blue art: indigomeansharmony while violet stands for spirit: redis life and, last butnotleast,pink symbol- .1zes sex. Pink went first. A company Baker approached to produce his flag commerdally couldn’t locate any pink nylon. And the next year, when the San Francisco parade committee adopted the flag as a symbol, symmetry required yet another reduction. The parade decorator demanded that the route feature three colors on the left and another three colors on the right. Indigo disappeared. In its short lifetime, the rainbow flag has lost both sex and harmon.y. Something of a .parable, perhaps, of modem Gay life. Archaeologists have dug up flag-like symbols from civilizations in both Old World and New. Humans, from our beginmngs, have imagined a variety of symbolic objects to represent social groups. Anthropologists call a symbol that stands for a group a "totem." Today’ s flag clearly derives from these original totems..In many societies, animals are the preeminent totemic figure, andanimal totems surviveinto thepresent. Small town businesspersons divide up into coteries of Elks, Lions, and Moose. Andthink ofthe Britishlion, orthe American eagle, or the Canadian loon, or the California bear. And don’ t forget the Gay bear. These totems decorate our flags and our money. A variety of things besides animals symbolize groups. The rainbow is an archetypal totem that we share with Austra= lianAboriginal bands amongvarious other peoples around the world..Rainbows are syi~b01ic~dl~ p~tentl~0~ in nature and in a number of religious traditions. Some folks complain about aGay appropriation of the_rainbow., tote.m~ just ~as some old ftohgeieW~?ogrdri.p~ea~ythtohtmthee~y :’~mnerroy io6rfilgiveerluys,.,’e othdS,~i~, hav~ ebbed rainbows ineluding Jesse Jackson’s coalition, the Uuivei~ity 6f Hawai~i’s football team, and the US Army’ s 42nd Division. I acquired one of my rainbow flags from an innocent straight friend who bought it planning to display his.concerns for the environment. ~/tere is no end of social and psycho- - logical theory that attempts to explain why we dream up totems to represent our groups. A century ago, the pioneer soci- Because flags stand for group, Gays had no need for a flag until we conceived of ourselves ~1~ ~t eolleetlve --or a ¯ eommumty as some of us llke to say. Baker’s needlework in 1978 signified the transformation of homosexuality from a psyckologleal condition to a political identity. ologist Emile Durkheim remarked that totems are sacred just because they stand for the group. Our human societies exist before any one of us is born, and they will continue after we die. Society, thus, is "supernatural." We make into a god what has shaped us and what sustains us as individuals. But it’s hard to grasp concepts so abstract. Instead, wefocus our feelings and .affiliations upon the totem - the sacred being whosematerial formis the flag. We are good at creating solidarities - only human groups_ often define themselves largely by opposing themselves to some other. We pledge allegiance tO ourown totem as a symbol ofourselves. And we express distaste for our enemies by despoiling their flags, as Palestiuians, Israelis, and members of various high school bands are wont to do. It is pretty clear Durkheim was right about that sacredness. We have ¯ fervent Congressmen in Washington each ¯ year in a frenzy to outlaw sinful desecra- ¯ tions of the American flag. ¯ Perversely, some South Caroliniansjus- ¯ tifyofficial display oftherebel Confeder- ¯ ate flag as mere historical commemora- ¯ tion. But everyone knows that echoes of ¯ their antebellum religion are also at work ¯ here. Because flags stand for group, Gays ¯ had no need for a flag until we conceiv~l ¯ of ourselves as a collective - or a "com- " mlmity" as some of us like to say. Baker’ s ; needlework in 1978 signified the trans- . formation of homosexuality from a psychological condition to a political iden- Since this time, we have put into play various other symbols, including pink and black triangles borrowedfrom Nazi prison wear, theLambdacharacterfrom the Greek alphabet, and the red ribbon. Of these, the rainbow stretches the farthest. I have seen rainbow flags unfurled in Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Den-. mark, andbeyond. Theflag’ s global spread testifies to the rise of a transnational gay community. Think of this as flags parade b~this summer. Long may the rainbows wave on our totem poles. Lament Lindstrom teaches anthropology at the University oJ Tulsa. The protesters wre joined by the Rev. Bishop C. Joseph Sprague from No. Illinois. Local architect and activist Sue Knause noted that the police were "fabulous" with some officers stopping to have their photos taken with some of the more famous arrestees. And their jddge, she adds, said, "keep up the good work -I stand with you today." While the protests did not change the policies, organizers have promised that 1,000 arrestees at the next conference. A principal orgamzer of this action was Tulsan Karen Weldon. Info. contact Soulforce at the Gay Community Center. to benefit Saint Joseph Residence + Regional AIDS Interfaith Network Saturday, June 3rd, 10-5, +_ Sunday, June 4th, 1-5 $10 donation at the door or in advance. David Daniel, 1603 S. Carson Wiley Parsons, 1601 S. Carson Monty + Jane Butts, 240 E. Woodward Blvd. Brett + Maricarolyn Swab, 2112 So Norfolk Ave.. Dr. Robert & Dena Hudson, 2707 S. Rockford Rd. Tickets for this tour may be obtained at each home. For more information; call Charles Faudree, Inc: at 747-9706. METROPOLITAN TULSA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE salutes Humanity Unites for Human Ri$lhts Millennium Pride 2000 and honors Tulsa’s Lesbian and Gay .’.,. Chamber of Commerce members for their leadership on business, civil rights and health issues in the Tulsa community., To join MTCC, call 585-1201. IGTA member Call 341.6866 ]. X,otuerSr onrmaot ,i,no. on maol ,on. Massage Therapy Services Edgar O. Cruz, L.M.T. Pager: 918-889-5255 Voice Mail: 918-697-9282 Lic. #C4133 CountryClub Barbering Custom Styling for Men & Women David Kauskey 3310 E, 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm Tulsa’s only body-piercing Poweful Images: portrayals of Native America GilcreaseMuseum 1400 Gilcrease Museum Road 5 9 6 2 7 0 0 and as many as 15 in larger communities - sit as the board of civil authority to certify yoter checklists or to hear tax appeals. They also have the option of officiating atweddingceremonies. Beginning July 1, they’ll also have the authority to officiate at civil unions. The one catch is if they do one, they’ 11 have to doboth. That’ s enough to prompt some justices to quit the marriage business because they oppose the civil unions law. Experts, such as lawyer and former Deputy Secretary of State Paul Gillies, who have been guiding justices through thenew responsibilities, say that’ s fine, so long as they don’t discriminate. Under Vermont’s non-discrimination laws, if justices perform weddings for heterosexual couples, they may not refuse to perform civil unions ceremonies just because those couples are homosexuals. Some justices have put out the word that they’re happy to officiate at civil unions ceremonies. "I feel they deserve it," said Huntington justice Don Dresser, who has officiated at two weddings. "It’ s thelaw and I’mcomfortable with it. I have a lot of Gay friends... I’m going to treat everyone the same." Some Gays and Lesbians who happen to be justices say they’re excited that they’ll be able to officiate at civil unions ceremonies. ’Tmexcited. I’mso thrilled," Hurlie said. "This is really an honor to certify civil unions for folks." So, now, what’ s left is to determinejust what ceremonies should be. The short answer is that whatever is done for a Wedding would work for a civil union. "’The big question was, "What do .you sa.y at the end?’ ’I hereby .. what?’ "" Gillies said. "We suggested:’ I hereby certify this civil union.’" Markowitz said her office did not want to dictate the words, but she recognized they would carry emotional weight. "The justice has to say sonaething that shows the imprimatur of the state is making the union official, whether it’ s a marriage or a civil union," Markowitz said. "The most straightforward, kind of sticking to the law pronouncement would be: ’I now certify your civil union.’ Really, that’s what a person is doing." There are some traditions to follow, though. There have beena few religious faiths, for example, who bless same-sex relationships. The Unitarian Universalist Society is one. The Rev. Brendan Hadash of the St. Johnsbury Unitarian church, for example, estimates he’ s performed probably 20 opposite-sex marriages and about an equal number of same-sex commitment ceremonies over the years. He’ s developed a series of phrases and uses the one that the couple finds most comfortable. "I usually pronounce that use: "I recognizeyouas spirituallyunited," or "You are now joined as wife and wife, which I find a little odd. Others are "You arejoined as spouses, partuers, iovers~" or "I declare that you are now.united inlove, that you are duly wed." With the civil unions law, though, he’ 11 be adding one phrase to his blessings. "At the end of the service I used to always make a point of saying, ’By the power vested in me by my denomination, I declare you...’ "Hadash said. "Now I can say ’by.the power vested in me by the church - and the state.’ " It also culled data from two other academic studies that studied the Gay and Lesbian population: the National Health and Social Life Survey and the General Social Survey. Starting with the 1990 C~nsus, respondents living with a person of the same sex had the option ofchecking off "unmarried partner" in the section that asks for the relationship between people. Other options included "husband/wife," "roomer/ boarder," "housemate/roommate" or "other nonrelative." The study said that among men aged 25-34 living with amale parmer, 29% had at least a college degree, and 13% a graduate degree, compared with 13% and 4% for men with female parmers. However, within the same age group, men with a college degree and a female partner had mean earnings of $29,162 a year, compared with $28,618 for samesex unmarried partnered men with a college degree. For those with graduate de- ~4ees, the discrepancy grew to nearly ,000 - $36,072 to $32,465. Of men aged 35-44 with unmarried partners of the same sex, 32% graduated from college, and 24% had a graduate degree, compared with 13% and 7% for males with a female partner. Within the same age bracket, males with college degrees and same-sex partners had mean earnings of $36,054 per year, compared with $38,629 for those with female partners. The same discrepancies were not found among Lesbians, Sanders said. For instance, women aged 35-44 with college degrees and with a same-sex partner had mean earmngs of $28,387, while those with a male partner had mean earnings of $28,734; of those with graduate degrees in the same age range, the figures were $34,427 for women with same-sex partners, and $34,295 for those with male partners. Sanders shied away from saying it was definitive proof of discrimination against Gays. He instead suggested one reason may be that Gays tend to enter more fields that offer lower salaries. The study also found that 22% of Lesbian couples living together have children, compared to 5% of Gay couples living together. Sanders said that may show that Gay couples have less pressure to get higher-paying jobs. "This is the tip of the iceberg in terms of finding out who the Gay and Lesbian community is," said PaulaEttelbrick, family policy director ofthe National Gay and LesbianTaskForce. "Whatthey also point out it is the clear problem ofhow to define what it is to be Gay or Lesbian." OK Spoke Club TheOK Spoke Club is beginning its rides again. A long ride (20 miles plus) will begin, atZiegler Park at 7:30am’on June 3rd & 24th. Length and destination to be determined at the ride. Water and helmet ". are required. ¯ A short ride(5 miles) along the Katy ’: Bicydep~in Saii.d)SiJfings will beginat . 6:30pmonJuneT~atid21s’t. Wateriand ¯ helmet~ate ~tr0ngly r~mmelided...: ¯ : Af6:30plh, a short fide will begin at the Pride Cent~L 3749 S. Peoria, rea~ parking ¯ lotonJune24th. Waterandhelmetstrongly ¯ recommended. ¯ Info: POB 9165, Tulsa, Ok 74157, ¯ email: Okiebicycle@prodigy.net ] www.geocities.com/westhollywood/pa- ¯ rade/3301 Humanity Unites for Human R lhts Diversit Celebration 2000 Grand Marshalls for the Millennium Pride Parade Dr. Grethe Cammermever Oistin~luished Veteran of the United States Armed Forces Gre~! Lou~lanis US O!~mpie Champion Pride Week Events Interfaith Worship Service Performing Arts Center, Williams Theatre Speaker: the Reverend Dr. Mel White Friday, June 2, from 7pro (free) Interfaith Soulforce Workshop Performing Arts Center, Norman Studio Led by the Reverend Dr. Mel White Saturday, June 8, 2 - 5pro (free) Humanity Unites For Human Rights Black Tie Optional Dinner Speakers: Greg Louganis and Grethe Cammermeyer Summit Club, 7pro reception, Bpm dinner Friday, June 9th, $75 person Benefiting Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights, the parent organization of the Gay Community Center TOHR Follies: 1OO Years of Broadway Performing Arts Center, Ooenges Theatre Saturday, June 8, 8pm, $15 United Art Exhibit, Opening Reception All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 So. Peoria Tuesday, June 6, 6 - 8pro Millennium Parade 2000 Saturday, JunelQ, llam From the Gay Community Center to Veterans Park at 18th and Boulder Pride Festival, Veterans Park, llam - 8pro Free shuttle from Veterans Park to Parade. Mini-Film Festival Tulsa Gay Community Services Center Thursday, June 8, z~ - till it’s over... For more information about these events, call 7~8-~297 (Gays). Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2000] Tulsa Family News, June 2000; Volume 7, Issue 6 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohn Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, May 2000; Volume 7, Issue 5 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/601 2000 African Americans AIDS AIDS drugs AIDS vaccine aMUSEments arts and entertainment Bars Boy Scouts bullying businesses churches civil unions Democratic party Diversity celebration Gay marriage gay parents Gay Studies hate groups HIV homophobia inequality Jim Christjohn Karin Gregory Lamont Lindstorm marriage equality Native Americans OK Spoke Club performing arts PFLAG Pride Raging Lesbian Read All About It restaurants Tom Neal Tulsa Family News Tulsa World Two-Spirited Indian Men's Support Group https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/590625efbb63be8cb25d8b9dc93531aa.jpg b702d4d8f1ee914bff551b9101daf0e2 https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/06ce247df8f6a426e68a567cee7a119b.pdf ed98d8ae2a578073440d4ea6e68c6db6 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document High Court + Scouts: No Gays Need Apply by Laurie Asseo, Associated Press WASHINGTON - The Boy Scouts can bar Gays from serving as troop leaders, the Supreme Court said at the end of June in a 5-4 decision on "free-association rights." The decision may also let the-6.2-millionmember organization reject Gay boys as members. Forcing the Scouts to accept Gay troop leaders would violate the organization’ s right of"expressive association" under the Constitution’s First Amendment, the justices nded on the last day of their 1999-2000 term. "The Boy Scouts asserts that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the values it seeks to instill," Chief Justice William H. Relmquist wrote for the court. Requiring the organization to have a Gay scoutmaster would force it "to send a message, both~£o the youth members and the world, that the Boy Scouts accepts homosexual conduct as a legitimate form of behavior," the €,..hief justice said. "-.We’ re very pleased," said Scouts spokesman Gregg Shields. "It’ s going to allow us to continue our mission of providing character-building programs for youth." see Scouts._ tg. 9 uNPredicts: AIDS Will Kill One Half.of African Teens GENEVA (AP) - AIDS has killed 19 million people worldwide, but the worst is yet to come, the United Nations has just predicted: the disease is expected to wipe out half the teen-agers in some African nations, devastating economies and societies. ’q’here is a whole generation which is being taken outYsaid Peter Plot, head of the U.N. Joint Program on HIV/AIDS. He said vulnerable countries in Asia, Eastem Europe and the Caribbean risk a similar catastrophe unless they act now to control infection rates. In its 135-page report released at the end of June, UNAIDS estimates: -The virus has killed 19 million people worldwide, up fronr 16.3 million at the end of 1998. ~t has infected 34 million more, including 5.4 million last year alone. -More than 13 million children have been orphaned by AIDS. -In 16 sub-SaharanAfrican countries, more than onetenth of the population ages 15-49 carries the Human lmmunodeficiency Virus, or HIV. -In seven of those countries, at least one-fifth of the population is infected. One-of the countries where 20% of the population is infected is South Africa, which has 4.2 million people who are HIV positive- the largest single national total. The southern African nation of Botswana has the worst rate, with more than one in three adults infected. That is the equivalent of 90 million people out of the U.S. population of 270 million, see Africa, p. 9 DIRECTORY P. 2 PRIDE PHOTOS P. 3 US & WORLD NEWS P. 4 HEALTH NEWS P. 6 ENTERTAINMENT P. 8 GAY STUDIES P. 10 Serving Lesbian; Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends Pride 2000: Greg, Greta + ORU Too TULSA - While the Edsel ferrying Greg Louganis broke down and despite a steady but mild rain, Tulsa’s 2nd Pride Parade went off without a hitch. Beginning at the Tulsa Gay Community Services Center near 41st & Peoria, several hundreds gathered along with grand marshals, Olympic champion Greg Louganis and distinguished US Army veteran Greta Cammermeyer. The. parade featured churches, choirs, drag queens and female impersonators, leather "boys and daddies," bars and businessmen who spread out over more than a mile and ended up at Veteran’ s Park for the Pride Festival. This yearlikelast, a handful of protesters gathered at the beginning of the parade, and then scurried to the end to protest yet again. Incontrast with those who were protesting, the pastor and a couple of members of the CarbondaleAssembly of God passed out bottles of water without any message of condemnation as they did last year also. When asked about their effort, they said they just wanted to act with compassion and to avoid the nastiness - leaving judgement to the Almighty. see Pride, p. 6 Humanity Unites for Human Rights Oral Roberts University Alumni Gree Louganis at the Millennium Parade Sharon Toele with Greta Cammermever i" Vermont Judge Won’t Block- Unions, Officials Rebel + More ¯ MONTPELIER,Vt. (AP)-Opponents ofVermont’ s civil unions. ¯ made another legal bid to block thelaw from taking effect on July ¯ ¯ 1st. A day after a Superior Court judge refused to issue a ." ¯ preliminary injunction blocking the first civil unions ceremonies. ¯ from taking place, opponents filed a new request and added new ° plaintiffs. A Virginia lawyer representing Shdtra and the other plaintiffs ° said Superior Cpurt Judge Stephen Martin did not have enough ; information beftre him when the judge ruled that no irreparable ° harm would occur if the law went into effect. ¯ Lawyer Erik Stanley asked to add two new plaintiffs to the ; lawsuit: town clerks in Corinth and Fairfield, who say they would ° be harmed if forced to issue civil union licenses. ¯ "These town clerks object to doing that on moral and religious ° grounds and have asked the attorney general’ s office if they could " not issue these licenses," Stanley said. ’The attorney general ; responded in a letter to them that if they refuse to issue civil ¯ unions licenses, they could be faced with civil lawsuits from the " individuals to whom they refused to issue licenses." There also ¯ is the remote possibility of criminal fines or prison terms. ¯ Several town clerks say they object to homosexuality and do ¯ not want to be forced into providing licenses that will grant same- " sex couples nearly all the rights and benefits Of marriage. " " The clerks now have been added to 15 people who sued to -" overturn the law. Eleven of those plaintiffs are members of the ¯ Vermont House who opposed civil unions, including prominent" representatives such as Sheltra, Oreste Valsangiacomo, D-Barre, ° Robert Starr, D-Troy, and George Schiavone, R-Shelburne. ¯ They argue that an informal betting pool among 14 House " members who supported the bill should invalidate it. The 14" bettors each threw in a dollar to wager on the number of "yes" ¯ votes the bill would garner when it went before the House for ¯ preliminary approval in March. It passed by seven votes that day. " Opponents argued the pool should have disqualified those who " participated because it gave them an interest in the outcome of the ¯ vote. ¯ In a recent ruling, Martin said allowing Gay and Lesbian " couples to enter into civil unions beginning Saturday would pose : no harm to the initial 15 plaintiffs, see Vermont, p. 9. Coke Adds Benefits for Gay +-Lesbian Partners WASHINGTON The Human Rights Campaign, anational Gay civil rights organization, commended the Coea-Cola Co. today for announcing plans to extend health care benefits to same-sex domestic partners of its United States-based employees. "This is excellent news, and yet another sign that domestic partner benefits are becoming a standard component of benefits packages at forward-thinking companies," said Kim I. Mills, HRC’ s education director who oversees WorkNet, HRC’s workplac project. "With this announcement, Coke becomes the 99th member of the Fortune 500 to take this important step." The Human Rights Campaign and its Business Council have been working with Coea-Cola and KOLAGE, its Lesbian and Gay employee resource group, for many months on this issue, Mills said. HRC WorkNet (www.hrc.org/worknet) provided data, strategy and other advice as needed. The Coca-Cola Co. released a statement today announcing the benefits, which will begin Jan. 1, 2001. According to the statement, employees will be able to sign up during the fall benefits enrollment period. The company also said it is researching opportunities for implementing its policy on a global basis. "Our company is committed to attracting and retaining the most diverse workforce in the world," Coca-Cola said in the statement. "Our goal is to ensure that the Coea-Cola Company is the best place for all people to work. This extension ofbenefits is another step toward achieving that goal." "The Coea-Cola Company has provided worldclass leadership to the beverage industry, and to the business commtmity in Atlanta and all of Georgia by taking this historic action," said Harry Knox, executive director of the Georgia Equality Project, whichrepresents Georgia’ s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered citizens, see Coke, p. 2 Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants *Chasers, 4812 E. 33 *CW’ s, 1737 S. Memorial *Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine *Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan *Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st *The Star, 1565 Sheridan *Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main *TNT’ s, 2114 S. Memorial *Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd 712-2324 610-5323 583-2119 835-2376 749-4511 744-4280 745-9998 834-4234 585-3405 660-0856 584-1308 *The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 749-1563 Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals Advanced Wireless & PCS, Digital Cellular *Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard *Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 *Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 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, 3807c S. Peoria *Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 *Deco to Disco, 3212 E. ISth Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria *Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial *Ross Edward Salon Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 747-1508 743-1000 250-5034 665-4580 712-1122 712-9955 494-2665 743-5272 746-0313 295-5868 581-0902, 743-4117 622-0700 749-3620 744-5556 838-8503 369-8555 584=0337, 712-9379 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. Skelly 745-1111 *International Tours 341-6866 Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750 *Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018 David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering 747-0236 The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening 582-8460 *Kerfs Flowers, 1635 E. 15 599-8070 Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 747-5466 *Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha 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 *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 481-0558 Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563 Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling 743-1733 *Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222 *Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767 www.gaytulsa.org Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579-9593 All Sods 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 "13/UGFr Alliance, Univ. ofTulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780 *Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201 *Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Florence *ChurchoftheRestorationUU, 1314N.Greenwood 587-1314 *Community ofHopeUnited Me~o~li."~st, 2545 S:.Yale 747-6300 *Community Unitarian-Universanst tgongregauon 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, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140 *Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777 *Free SpiritWomen’ s Center, call forlocation &info: 587-4669 )18.583.1248, fax: 583.4615 POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159 o-mail: TulsaNews@ earthlinl~ net Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom, Esther Rothblum. Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw 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 T~€, lz:€~ h/~w~ and may not be reproduced ei.th.er in whole orin part withoutwrittenpermission from thepublisher. Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’ s sexual orientation. Correspondence zs asslmaed to be for publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes the sole property of TJ.~, F¢,~.’. No,w÷ ..Each..rea.der is entitled to 4 copies of each ediuon at distnbutton points. Additional copies 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 ¯ *MCG United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715 gAMES 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 PFLAG, 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. Cincinnati 425-7882 St. Dunstan,s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140 *St. Jerome s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088 *Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171 *TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225 Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105 Confidential I-IIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297 T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 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 B,ARTLESVILLE *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 ¯ *Tahlequah Unitarian-UniversalistChurch 918-456-7900 Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360 NSU School of Optometry, 1001N. Grand HIVtesting every other Tues. 5:30-8:30, call for dates EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS Autunm Bre~.,ze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 *Jim & Brent s Bistro, 173 S. Main DeVito’ s Restaurant, 5 Center St. Fmerald 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. 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 www.gaytulsa.org stirs controversy TULSA - gaytulsa.org, a non-profit continues to stir controversy about and in the Tulsa Lesbian, Gay, Bi and ~rans communities. Hosted by webmaster David and his : partner, Seth, a statement onthe sitenotes, ¯. " [that it is] an effort to chronicle the dme sl~ent out and about in the Tulsa gay scene ¯ mixed with a bit of news and ¯ information. We do not claim to be fair, objective, or even nice. This is 99% ¯ opinion. Whileyoumayormaynotagree, ¯ wecanpromise youwill be either amused, ¯ baffled, or (more commonly) pissed if ¯ ¯ youkeep visiting. We acceptgossip, slander, or anything else you want to submit ¯ we can post here." ¯ The awardwinning sitefeatures links to ¯ other web sites of interest and offers the observations of local writer, Dyke Di- ¯ vine. Also included are cordial descriptions of local and state pnnt media: Tulsa Family News, The Gayly Oklahoman and ¯ newcomer to Tulsa, the recently renamed Tulsa Triangle. ¯ On the net: www.gaytulsa.org JOPLIN, MISSOURI *Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 41%623-4696 * is where youcan findTFN¯NotallareGaY"ownedbutallareGay"fri"endly" i The Georgia Equality Project also played ¯ a key role in working with the company : andKOLAGEto helpbring aboutthenew ¯ policy. ¯ GEP also unveiled a new initiadvg~to- ¯ day to persuade nine other Georgia COm- " panies to provide domestic partner ben- " efits to their Lesbian and Gay employees. ¯ These companies are: Home Depot, At- : lanta Gas Light Co., BellSouth, Georgia ¯ Pacific, DeltaAirlines, Wachovia, United ¯ parcel.Service, Shaw Industries and Gulf ¯ Stream Aerospace. ¯ "Some companies in Georgia are be- : hind the times in their treatment of their Lesbian and Gay employees, said Kno . "We are launching this initiative because our Gay daughters, sons, fathers, moth- . ers, aunts, uncles and cousins should re- . ceive benefits for their dependent family ¯ members just like everyone eis . ¯ Earlier this month, DaimlerChrysler : Corp., Ford Motor Co. and General Mo- ¯ tots Corp., along with the United Auto ¯ Workers umon, announced they would offer health care coverage to same-sex ¯ partners of all eligible U.S. employees. It ¯ was the first time an endre industry, along ¯ with its leading umon, announeed domes- ¯ - tic partner benefits simultaneously. More : than.3,400 private and public employers ¯ provide these benefits to their employees. ¯ So far this year, an average of five : employers a week are announcing these : benefits, according to HRC’ s WorkNet, : which tracks these trends. Many of ¯ America’ s leading companies offer these ¯ benefits including: IBM, Microsoft€Shell ~ Oil, Walt Disney, Fannie Mae, Cifgroup, ¯ Xerox, Time Warner and United and : American Airlines. Additionally, more ¯ thanhalfoftheFortune 500includesexual : orientation in their non-discrimination ¯ polities. : Letters Policy : TulsaFamilyNewswelcomes letters on ¯ issues which we’ve covered or on issues : you thinkneed to be considered. Youmay : request that your name be withheld but letters mustbe signed&have phonenum- ~ bers, or be hand ddivered. Anti-Gay Ads in Mexico "¯ past. of police was once so pervasive that hate crimes andsame-sex domestic violence went MEXICO CITY (AP) - The two leading candidates in Mexico’ s presidential campaign have raised eyebrows by casting doubts on each other’ s masculinity. But the real surprise to .many,,,I~__ple in tl~i."s land w~.ith a reputation for "machismo has been me negauve reaction to the tactic. Criticism led opposition candidate Vicente Fox to quickly drop a negative TV ad aimed at rival Fran= cisco Labastida, the candidate of the long-governing Institutional Revohition.ary. Party, or PRI. Using a ¯ Mexican slang termfbr s0iii~0ne Of madefined seXu2 ality, the ad showed Labastida hugging and lifting a ~ PRI colleague by the thighs: It also featured shots of male strippers at a’ campaign rally for another PRI candidate. " After canceling the ad, Fox’ s socially conservative National Action Party, known as PAN, ran an advertisement in newspapers defending itself tothe Gay community. The p~t,,y is "not against.the ,O,,ay community in any way,’ the ad said, adding: In a Fox admiulstration, there will befrcedOm for people to live without masks." Carlos Monsivais, an author and social critic, said the party’ s retreat was a milestone for Mexico, where there are no openly Gay politicians and homosexualtty has not been wtdely accepted..The most tm.po, t~( thing is that even Fox and the right had to oacK down and apologize to the Gay commumty,, h,e’ s.atd.." "It’ s incredible to hear the word ’homophobta oemg ~ used even by the right." Labastida’ s supporters have drawn their own criticism for taking shots at.Fox’ s masct!!.inity with allusions to his separation fromhis wife andhis being the father of four adopted children. Such attacks have seldombeenso directinMexicanpolitics, althoughin the previous presidential election six years ago, the PRI allegedly hired transvestites to attend an opposition campaign rallyin Veracruz state in an attempt to discredit it. This time, the attacks were started by Fox. Fo,x, called the PRI candidate a sissy and" La Vesttda, a pun on his rival’s name implying Labastida is a cross-dresser. But the atmosphere changed when a minor-party candidate, Gilberto Rincon Gallardo of the Social Democratic Party, stuck up for homosexuals, the handicapped, rape victims and Indians in a televised debate, the first time many of those groups. had been mentioned in the race. "In weak democracies like Mexico, legal protections are necessary to prevent a tyranny of the majority over minorities, so that people can decide on their own private lives withou,,t a majority imposing its moral or cultural views, Rincon Gallardo said. On June 17, the Gay community held what was by far the largest Gay-pride parade in Mexican history, with organizers estimating a turnout of 30,000. Just ¯ five years ago, SUCh parades drew an average of about 1,000 people. But Gays haven’ t had much success in their effort to make an issue of the banning of some Gay cultural events by PAN officials in towns they goBveemnj.amin Araujo of the Front for-People with AIDS-HIV said that "Gays are more tolerated than accacne~udteadte"iisnaMneimxipcoosasnibdiltihtyat. aTnhoepperenvl.yat..Ge,nacye,,p.oo.Il"~iatni.c,.ua.1-. Gayattitudes wasillnstratedbY areportoymet_,mzen) CommitteeAgainst Homophobic Hate Crimes: It estimates that 190 Gays were killed in Mexico bec1a9u9s9e. BofuttMheoirnss~evxautasl soereisenptraotgiorenssb.etWweeesnul1!h9a9v4ena"ndt reached the point of having an openly Gay candidate," he said. "But we are now at a point where there can no longer be an openly anti-Gay candidate." Denver Cops & Gays Work Together DENVER (AP) - Gays and Lesbians have formed an alliance with police to deal with late-night cruising, loud noise and sex in public around Cheesman Park. Police, Gay civil-rights activists and park neighbors have been handing out fliers to motorists for the past few weeks warning that police will crack do.wn on traffic, park curfew violations and inappropriate activity on surrounding streets. ¯ Thejoint effort wouldnot have been possible in the ¯ unreported, activists said. : "I think there was, clearly, some traditional stereo- . typing on both sides, but that has changed alot," said ¯ Lt. Jimmy Martinez, who leads a communi.ty-poli.c; ~ ing team in the Cheesman Park area: Marttnez sara ¯ acting Police Chief Gerry Whitman devised the strat- ~ - egy when he was captain of District 6 surrounding ~ Cheesman. Once the "Fort Apache" of city police ~ districts, District 6 is now a model for community- ~ policing programs. Cheesman is ~a .well:known gathering #ace for ~ -~ Gays and Lesbians,~and friction de~eloped between neighbors andparkusers¯ Marfinez~idpolicegot the~ -- Cheesman Park West Neighborhood Associationand Equality Colorado, a statewide Gay civil-rights orga- : nization, directly involved. ¯ Representatives on both sides said the strategy has . ~ worked. "For one thing, our work with the Denver :~ police has become a model for how an organization like ours can work with law enforcement," said Lori ¯ Girvan, directorofEquality Colomdo.DedeDePerein, ¯ who heads Equality’s Anti-Violence Project, sai.’d i cooperadun with police has "built bridges" over me ". Gay community’ s prevalent, persistent fear and misi trust of law enforcement. JoeBarrows of theChcesman ParkWestNeighborhoodAssociation saidheandhis neighbors frequently called oolice with complaints before the communitypolicing campatgn. Now compl.amt.s a~..e rare: Tl~.e result has been a positive changem tlae atsrupttons m the neighborhood. It’ s been a positive experience all the way around," he said. Mormans Attack Gay Relationships in Nevada CARSON C1TY (AP) - A Mormon church-endorsed ban on same-sex marriages cleared one hurdle recendy when the secretary of state’ s office said aballot ~etition contained enough signatures. The ruling by Deputy Secretary for Elections Susan Morandi advanced the constitutional referendum to its final step - a test sampling names on the petition for regist.ered voters. County clerks and voter registrars were given until July 7 toverify that registered voters signed the petition. Morandi’ s office said the Coalition for the Protection of Mamage got 120,558 people to sign its 15etitlon, which is almost three times the number of registered voters needed to put a question on the Nevada ballot: Under the measure, Nevada would recogmze mamages only of a re.an and woman. ,That already is part of state law, but advocates want to t~acK it up in the state constitution. Opponents say the initiative amounts to discriminadota and bigotry. The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada and about 20 other groups across the state formed the Coalition for Unity to campaign against the ballot measure. The Coalition for the Protection of Marriage is heavily supported by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members were central to anti-Gay marriage efforts in Hawaii and Alaska, and most recently, in California. However, the former Catholic bishop of Las Vegas, Daniel Walsh, asked priests and paris.ke_s to. support the ’~.aditi0nal f_~amily" but not to support Ziser’ s effort because it fosters ill-will toward Gays. Gay Pride in Tel Aviv " TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - Celebrating Gay pride, thousands of Israelis in tank tops and shorts danced to ¯ deafening music and waved rainbow-colored flags at ¯ the end of June. The annual street party has become ¯ the latest venue in the culture war between secular ¯ Israelis and devoutJews who consider h°m°sexuality ¯ an abomination. ¯ "We promise to support your struggle against the ~ religious," legislator Tommy Lapid, leader of the ¯ secular rights party Shinui, told the cheering crowd. ~ In recent years, Gays and Lesbians in Israel have ¯ scored a string of successes in the courts, though not ¯ in parliament, where ultra-Orthodox religi°us Parties ¯ have considerable deut. Last month, the Supreme Court allowed a Lesbian spouse to be registered as the United in God’s Love MCC-United Sunday Worship Reverend Cathy Elliot ~ 1 1:00 am P~tor ..... 62~ N. Maplewood ; Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community ofHope 254~ South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595 A Welcoming Congregation HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am .. Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754 Sandra Hill Licensed Professional & National Certified Counselor, Certified Hypnotherapist Psychotherapy & Clinical Consultation After Hours Appointments Available 2865 E. Skelly Drive; Suite 215,745-1111 Red Rock Tulsa- O’RYAN Oklahoma Rainbow Young Adult Network Outreach Program Thurs. Nights MeetOthers ina Safe Enviroment Call for meeting times and place: 918-584-2325 Mingo Valley Flowers 9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145 918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-444-5934 Family Owned & Operated Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW Child, Family, Individual & Couple Psychotherapy (918) 743-9559 2"121 South Columbia, Suite 420 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518 -The Pride Storev 1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor Tulsa Gay Community Services Center seeondparentofherpartner’sbiologicalson-in1994, ¯ Norway’ s only female bishop, RosmarieKohn, faced same sex unions were recognized for benefit pur- ¯ a revolt by nearly one-third of her own clergy when : she allowed openly Lesbian Siri Sunde to return to the poses. The court rulings have coincided with growing " pulpit. Sunde had been barred after she married her public ,acceptance of Gays. Just a few years ago, ". female companion. Gay marriages are legal in NorpublicdisplaysofGaypridewereunheardofinlsrael. ¯ way, with all the fights of heterosexual marriages By contrast, Gays were hugging and kissing in Tel : except church weddings and the right to adopt. Aviv’ s central Rabin Square in 1998 to celebrate the ¯ transsexual singer Dana international’ s victory in the : Germany Considers Eurovision Song Contest. ¯ 743-GAYS (743-4297) Over the last few years, the Gay pride parade has ¯ Couples Bill drawn more and more people. On Fri.day, .Rg,bin i Rp.r~iJN(AP~-Germanv’s~ovemingSocialDem°- - - Square was lined with Israeli flags and me rai.noo.w_ . ~r~s--a~d &reins have ag~eed~on the outhneof a draft. 6-9 l~m, Sunday..,-.:F~day ~’r~ (?0 ~ ba~erstof the Ga3~ prid~ moyeme.nt~ T~ech~,0 "12-~pm,~Sa.turd~y, ~t]l ~sales benefi~t t~h~ ,C.~e~t~tq~ ....1 ’ ~7 bl~ed from. lod~m_o._umed:on ~ : ; ) f’_ ~". ( .! !i:.!/’ .............. !. ~ !’. ~- ~ :[2~_ ~.~.’_. ’~_ L:_.t ~._ in ~he pa~ade~do.nne~. eta..0orate~ cos..m,rues, mm.ie .ore.-_ ,.: it~st bef6ieaweekend phrade b~9 G.a.ys and Lesmansm ~ .: ............~ ..... .............. " ................................. ~s~ wor’e shortS and T-shirts. FAthilles brouglat tlaelr ~edinwhereactivists~vanttohighhghtthecenter-left children, andsomeheterosexual couples walkedhand- government’s failure to make good on the promised Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC Certified Public. Accountant a professional corporation 747-5466 402~ South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 7;~i35 TOM NEAL .................... ILDING & GARDEN DESIGN 583-1248 Red Rock Tulsa Flee Confidential HIV Testing Walk-in Clinics Tuesdays, 5 -8 pm, Center, 1307 East 38th Wednesdays, 5-8 pm, Red Rock, 1724 East 8th Daytime appointments available. Call for more information: 918-584-2325 KEVIN BURLESO N Keller Williams Realty 712-2252 Burleson~~k’w.com East 21st Street, Ste. 100, Tulsa 74114 ~,;o~, An Independent Member Broker 2651 OPENARMs,OPENMINDS,OPENHEARTS Saint Dunstan 5635 East 71st, 492-7140 Trinity 501 S. Cincinnati. 582-4128 Saint Aidan 4045 N. Cincinnati, 425-7882 Saint John 4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381 The Episcopal Church Welcomes You in-hand. There were no religious protests. Tel Aviv is anoverwhelmingly secular city, and the parade was being heldjust before the onset oftheJewish Sabbath, during which observant Jews refrain from work and travel. Taking a break from the blazing heat, Kinneret G01an said the scene made her feel that Israel was no different from othercountries. "You only see pictures of Israel when rocks are being thrown. I’m proud that despite everything we can still do this," she said. Golan~ said that in the increasingly bitter culture war betwTeen Israel’ s secular majority and thedevout minority, the distrust is. so great that "each side defines itself as the opposite:of what the other is." Therefore, she said, many secular Israelis will sup- ]2~ort causes as long as they are denounced by the ’~:~’~r~igious community. Lapid, standard bearer of the secular fight against whathe calls religious coercion, said his party and the homosexual movement are natural partners. Next week, a bill proposing recognition of same-sex civil unions will be up for approval. However, Lapid said it will likely fail because of the influence of the religious parties. But some of those dancing in the parade said they paid little heed to politics. "Who cares what they do in the Knesset? Look at this celebration," saidAnat Schumaker, one of theparticipants. "We’ re here and they can’ t do anything to stop Gay Clergyman Shakes Up Norweigan Church OSLO, Norway (AP) - The selection of an openly Gay clergyman in defiance of state Lutheran church guidelines raised concerns Friday that the issue of homosexuality could split the church. The Church of Norway’ s highest body, its 85-member national congress, ruled in November 1997 that clergy who enter homosexual partnerships could not hold jobs that require ordination. However, the~Oslo Bishops’ Council of clergy and laity voted 4-3 on June 15 to appoint Jens Torstein Olsen as chaplain for the Majorstue Church. Olsen noted onhis application that he was living with a Gay partner. The council minority appealed the decision to Trend Giske, head of the churches and education ministry that formally employs state church clergy. He initially said he saw no reason to reverse the council majority’s decision, but will make a final~ decision next month. If hired, the 51-year-old Olsen would be Norway’ s first male minister who is openly living with a Gay partner. Oslo Bishop Gmmar Staalsett saidhe expects the. ministry to respect his council’ s majority, in keeping with usual practice. "Olsen is dearly the best qualified for the post," Staalsett said. But the move prompted Norway’s head bishop, Odd B0ndevik, to say he was calling an emergency meeting of the national bishops council on the matter probably in August. "The appointment.., can split the Church of Norway," he was quoted as telling the Norwegian news agency NTB.-"When we said the issue does not have to be a splitting factor, we assumed that each individual bishop would be loyal to the national church council’s resolutions and the church itself," Bondevik was quoted as saying. An anguished debate over Gay clergy has already led to bitter disputes within the church. Last year, reform. Half a million people were expected for the annual Christopher Street Day parade in the German capital. The bill, to be presented to parliament before t breaks for summer next month, would recognize registered Gay palTmerships as families, said Greens lawmaker Volker Beck. However, homosexual couples apparendy would not have the right to adopt children - a demand of the Greens rejected by the dominant Social Democrats. Gay partnerships wonld get legal rights similar to heterosexual couples on taxes, social security and ~mmigration law - an important point for Gay couples where one parmer is a foreigner. Beck said the proposals still require formal approval bythe parliamentary groups of the two governing parties. Opposition conservatives blasted the plahs and hinted they would try to stall the bill in th~ upper house of parliament, where the govemment,lack.s a majority. Thomas Goppel, aleader of Bavaria s rightist Christian Social Union party, called the proposals "absurd." Germany’ s Association ofGays and Lesbians welcomed the draft saying it did notmeet all of the group’ s demands but still were a great st p forward." Minnesota ’Sodomy’ Law Under Challenge ¯ ¯ MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A state law that makes oral and anal sex acrimeis unconstitutional and shouldbe ¯ thrown out, tim Minnesota Civil Liberties Union ¯ claimed in a lawsuit filed at the end of June. The i MCLU and the Lesbian and Gay Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union are challenging ¯ Minnesota’ s sodomy statute, saying the law violates the right of privacy guaranteed by the state constitui tion. Thelaw - which applies to all consenting adults, even married heterosexuals - makes violations pun- : ishable with a year in prison and up to $3,000 in tines. ¯ Theclass-actionlawsuit,filedinHennepinCountY, ¯ asks the court to declare the statute void and prevent ¯ the state from enforcing it. The plaintiffs include two : married heterosexuals who say they risk prosecution, : a Lesbian who fears eviction because her lease pro- " hibits illegal activity, a Gay law student who fears ¯ being disbarred, a divorced Gay manwhofears losing ¯ his right to visithis children, and a group of Lesbian, ¯ Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered lawyers and law ¯ students. ¯ According to the MCLU, 18 states still have sod- .: omy, statutes, down from all 50 in 1961. In five of ": ~ose s’tat~s, the law hpplies 0nly to Gays [editor’s ¯ note: Oldahoma is one of those with laws only di- ¯ rected at Gay people]’. Legislatures have repealed ¯ sodomy laws in 25 states, while courts have over- . turned them in others. In one of the most recent cases, an appeals court in Texas voided that state’ s sodomy ¯ law two weeks ago. ¯ Attorney General Mike Hatch was out of state and ¯ unavailable for comment on the lawsuit, said his ¯ spokeswoman, Leslie Sandberg. ¯ Tom Prichard, executive director of theMinnesota Family Council, which has helped fight off attempts ¯ to repeal the law at the Legislature, said the law should stay on the books, and he criticized theMCLU ¯ for filing the lawsuit. ’°They’ re trying to do an end run by getting the courts to strike it down instead of going through the appropriate channel, which is the Legis- ¯ lature," Prichard said. . ated offices to deal specifically with Gay alth Officials to health issues. Officials in Seattle have Focus Gay Needs :d velo#as iali d mpaigntovac- ¯ cinate Gay men for hepatitis. BOSTON (AP) - Boston public health officials have agreed to try to better meet the needs of the city’ s Gay community by collecting data onillnesses,raising awareness of health issues and seeking funding for new programs. Their decision follows the lead of other big U.S. cities, where officials have already taken action to address the health needs of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender residents. ’q’hereis clear datathat shows there are health differences between the Gay and larger communities," said Stephen Boswell, executive director oftheFenway Community Health Center, which serves a high percentage of Boston’ s Gay population. "If those problems are addressed, we can make a significant impact." At a conference held in Boston in May, officials from public health agencies around the country cited studies showing Gays are at risk for a range of health problems, including depression, breast cancer, and substance abuse. After years of focusing solely on HIV and AIDS, Boston’s public health officials decided soon after the conference to develop a more efficient way to deal with the community’s other pressing needs, said John Auerbach, executive director of me Boston Public Health Commission. q~nis.is the first time the he~Ith department has acknowledged it needs to specifically address the health needs of the Gay community," he said. "This is a significant step forward." Health departments in New York, Chicago and San Francisco have already c~e- While Louganis left immediatdy alter the parade to fly out of the city, Cammermeyer spoke briefly in the rain, noting that she really might have preferred not to come to Tulsa, thinking that it might not really be safe or wdcoming, but that probably she needed to come to Tulsa for precisdy that reason. Another group which received great atteiation was ORU.out.com, a new Lesbian and Gay alumni organization for Oral Roberts University (ORU). While Gay alumni groups exist around the country, ORU.out.com is unusual in thatORU has a policy of banning Gays as.students, faculty or staff. Regardless, ~e ~oup numbered about 20 and group orgamzer, Jeff McKissic notes that about 60 people have gotten involved. Orgamzers of the Parade and Festival, Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights, Inc. estimated that some 3,000 participated or attended. More than !00,000 march in Paris Gay Pride parade PARIS (AP)- In a festive celebration of Gay pride; more than 100,000 people marched and danced on the last weekend in June through the streets of Paris behind a giantbanner with the slogan for this year’s parade: ,Homophobia - a social pl~gr~h------ Educatton Mimster Jack Lang and the Socialist Party’s mayoral candidate Bertrand Delanoe were among the politicians thatkicked offGay Pride 2000 behind dozens of motorcyclists from the Gay Bikers Club. Rainbow-colored flags waved under overcast skies as the parade wound from :: Feds to Fund AIDS ¯ Vaccine Search ¯ WASHINGTON (AP) - Four new part- " nerships were announced by a federal ¯ health agency Tuesday to provide fund- : ing to groups attempting to bring anAIDS ¯ vaccine to market. i Theseparme.rships, call,edHIV ~acone ¯ design and development teams, were ¯_ prompted by~ a. presidential dirertive to ¯ increase public-private cooperation in : developing vaccines to major diseases, : according to the National Institute of Ai- : lergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), ¯ the section of the National Institutes of : Health that set up the deals. ¯ "Many vaccines in use today resulted i fr°mb°th g°verument-sp°., snL0r--~andpfi.- vate research," said Dr. Anthony S. Faucl, : director of NIAID. ¯ The awards are incentive-based, aimed ¯ at teams that have a vaccine in develop- : ment but have not yet reach_ed human ~ testing. The teams will receive funds as ¯ they achieve preset goals. ¯ Three U.S. companies - Advanced ~ BioScience Laboratories in Kensington, ¯ Md.; Chiron Corporataon in Emeryville, ¯ Calif.; and Wyeth Lederle Vaccines and ¯ Nutrition in Pearl River, N.Y. - as well as ~ a consortium of Australian universities ¯ led by the University ofNew SouthWales ¯ all have different tactics on how to create ¯ a serum that will protect humans from ; HIV infection, which causes AIDS. .district. Boolmng techno and 0asco music ¯ played as drag queens and other elabo- ¯ rately costumed men and women danced on colorful floats and along the sidelines of the parade Police estimated the crowd size at between 100,000 and 130,000 people, while organizers said that 250,000 people turned out for the event. Coinciding with the weekend of the parade, Social Affairs Minister Martine ¯ Aubry said the government planned to : introduce new laws oudawing discrimi- ¯ nadon against homosexuals. Aubry said : the new legislation would appear as an ¯ amendment tO a "social modernization" : bill currently going through Parliament. ¯ Denver Pride Draws 100,000 ¯ DENVER (AP) - More.than 100,000 at- " tended Denver PrideFest 2000. The festi- ~ val, organized by the Gay, Lesbian & : Bisexual Community Services Center, is ¯ inits 10th year. No violence was reported ~ dUring the parade betweenCheesmanPark : and Civic Center Park that featured 100 : floats. The festival also featured 230 ¯ booths and. a family zone with the signs: ~ "drug-~ alcohol-, hate-flee zone." ¯ Activists told a crowd at the Civic Cen- : ter that good people standing up to big- ~ otry, not legislation, will protect Gays, ¯ Lesbians and Bisexuals from violence. ¯ "In every case, a mass mobilization of ¯ people changed thepolitteal clunate, sm ¯ Leslie Feinberg, author of ’q’ransgender ¯ Warriors" and "Stone Butch Blues." Gay Pride Elsewhere ¯ SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A rollicking ; ,,Gay p,fi,de parade replete with dancing nuns, all-maleche.~rleading squads and ¯ drag queens in stilettos attracted a half ¯ million revelers as it made its way from Timothy W. Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partnership Planning, Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma Weeke~qd and evening appointments are available. Just for laughs artur0 Italy’s quick chang Welcomed Directed b~/ Serge genoncourt /~rtistic Director Pierre Bernard -~ "Arturo Brachetti is remarkable" - Bob Fosse August 6-13 TICKETS 596-7111 1 {800) 364-7111 (Outside Tulsa) ¯ 20+ Groups, 477-SHOW Presented by CELEBRITY A~RACTIONS celebriWattractions.com " the waterfront to City Hall. As David Ellard watched the processouthern Paris to its destination at the ¯ sion see Pride, p. 8 Place de la Bastille, near the city’s Gay Power of Oklahoma Service .Is Now Available 24 Hours A Day, Seven Days A Week. These days, traditional 8-5 business hours aren’t always convenient. So PSO has made it easier than ever for youto contact us. Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7 - offering around:the-dock answers to your questions - and better access to service. Now it’s easier for you to inquire about your monthly electric bill. Or report a power outage. Or arrange to have your power turned on or off. Our professionally trained, friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives are standing by to serve.you. All day, every day. To provide faster response to your needs, we have listed our toll-free numbers below. I I I I I I I I I I I mO..~ Clip And Save CALL 24 HOURS FOR TOLL-FREE SERVICE Customer Services: 1-888-216-3523 Billing Inquiries: 1-888-216-3490 Outage Reporting: 1-888-218-3919 I I I I I I I Serviei~ a Clientes: 1-888-216-3505 I I Preguntas Sobre su Cuenta: .1-888-216-3491 ! I I .i :-’ I Falta De Suministro: 1-888-218-3924 I I I I- I " ~I I , PublicServiceC0mpany,0fOklah0ma , by Karin Gregory COMING OUT. Even the words evoke an ominous, almost surreal scene, like the Great and Powerful Wizard, whose deep voice echoes throughout closets everywhere. In my case, my 44 yearold closetwas sot’ffled that I couldn’t hea~ the echo e~}en if I tried, i finaily Sprang out, machete inland, :r~dy to tell everyone that I’ma Lesbian! Well, two or three people, anyway. Because I didn’t know what was all involved in "coming out." I had no good role models to speak --of in that area. And don’ t tell me Melissa Etheridge and Ellen DeGeneres - because famous people will always be heard and don’ t have to repeat themselves. I, onthe otherhand, have to tell friends individually and hear such remarks as: "Oh, I always knew that"; "Yeah, I was wondering when you were going to tell me"; and the ever popular, "YES! We knew it! We win the bet!" Umm, friends, if you knew it for so long, how come I JUST found out? You could have let me in on it! (Best friend’ s ¯ note: I tried! You don’ t just sit someone down and tell them "Um, Karin, I think you’re Gay. Deal with it!" - Jim) Actually, I hav&known, all my life, but I never gave a name to it. And there were the various signs that threw me totally off track. Instead of telling you my. boring life, I’ 11 give you a sampling of it, interspersed with the steps I went through (and probably many of us go through) in realizing my true nature. ~ I know what you’ re saying. If I’mreading Tulsa Family News, I know I’m Gay and what could you possibly tell meabout it?" Nothing, but since I want you to read about my boring life anyway, I have to jazz itup somehow. Also, there may be a few of you who are reading your boyfriend’s copy of this newspaper. If you’re "curious" and your boyfriend is reading Tulsa Family News, then you’ re both Gay! Read on. I. "I’m What?" Sooner or later you have to start questioning. What kind of music do you listen to? Yep, if you answered Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco, Sophie B. Hawkins, !Indigo Girls, and Sarah McLachlan, then you need to examine your lifestyle. I haven’ t known a Gay personyet who doesn’ t love Sarah McLachlan. However, if you own five differentcopies ofMelissa Etheridge’ s Breakdown (and I do!), the questioning is over. ’ ~ ¯ II..Environment .I came into this world kicking and screaming, and when I found out, in my neighborhood full of boys,-that I was differentfromthem, Ikickedandscreamed again. I wanted to be a boy. lplayed just like ~the boys; doing everything they did exeep,tJ~,e,, standing up. And I was pissed I icouldn’t master that! Physically and ¢motionall);i Was a gifl~butI thought like a:boy. So when I would question myself - years later, I always wentback to the same thing: I HATED girls then. Well, most little boys do hate little girls at that age. If "It was hound to happen... Marolyn was i~autfful, with lees and weB, 7ou ~en yo~ mantra [or a smmer s~s no~ ~ST yo~ ~d;’ " they don’ t, they’ re usually Gay boys WhOr’i". .. feel more comfortable around girls play- " ing house, school, and Easy Bake Oven. ¯ By the .way, if you played with dolls when you werelittle, don’ t think that disqualifies you. Especially if you. had a Barbie doll and spentmany a day practicing undressing her. It was when I was 13 that things became, for want of a better word, sticky. III. Crushes She walked in beauty, like the night...OK, so they all did at one time or other, didn’t they? This particular she walked into my eighth grade English classroOm, and I immediately thought,"Wow, she’ s pretty." I never used that word to describe any gift before. All right, there was the time I whistled at Ann " Margret in the movie theatre when she came on " screen in "Viva Las Vegas." ¯ Some people don’t see signs that say " "Caution - Falling Rocks"; I don’t see ¯ signs that clearly scream, "Karin- you’ re. ¯ a Lesbian. Get over it. when my eighth ¯ grade crush continued into ninth grade, I ¯ went to her house for a sleepover. I’ll say this here and now - Jane Eyre ¯ shouldbeforbidden reading injunior high. " The protagonist as a little girl has a crush " on her best friend, which author Charlotte ¯ Bronte says ~s normal Besides the very ¯ obvious inference that Charlotte had her ¯ own Lesbian feelings, it did much to help ¯ me rationalize the rest of my life. If I felt ¯ something for a girl, then I invoked the ¯ name ofCharlotte Bronte, and things were ¯ "normal" again. So when I wanted to : watch my friend undress in front of me, ¯ that wasjust anormal straight girl feeling. ¯" When I fantasized about crawling in bed : naked withher, I still usedCharlotte Bronte : as a guide. Charlotte was talking about - "little" girls, mind you. ¯ When I was 30 I met a woman who, ". without touching me, did things to my ¯ southerly regions that no one had ever done before. When I’ d had enough frus- " tration, I had sex with a man, and truly ¯ believed there was something wrong with : me for not feeling what I thought I should ¯ feel. Whom did I call in as my counselor? " Yep, good old Charlotte. ¯ IV. In Love It was bound to happen, and this time a ¯ Lesbian became not only my crush, but ¯ probably the only person I’ ve ever fallen : in love with. Marolyn was beautiful, with ¯ great legs and a great pair of - well, you ¯ get it. When your mantra for a summer is ¯ "She’s just my friend, she’s just friend, ¯ she’ sjustmy friend", she’ s notJUST your ¯¯ friend. Have you ever had amoment of clarity? ¯ Amoment when suddenly the clouds part, ¯ the sky opens up, and you just KNOW -" what you want? Marolyn took me to my ¯ first Lesbian bar (we were "just friendg’:,, ¯ mind you), Sue Ellen’ s in Dallas. As we danced a slow _..d~,c~ together, my m~ .... -" merit of clarity hit. I d shoved down the~.;~ ~ ¯ feelings about Marolynfor so long that a!l,;!’~:: ¯ at once they came rushing at me and l ¯ conldn’ t deny any longer. I looked arotmd ¯ and just knew I had finally found some- " place to belong, see Lesbian, p. 11 by Jim Christjotm, entertainment editor Some of you might ask, "What’s he clucking about this time?" And well you might - run, don’t walk, to see Chicken Pun. Created by ’%Vallace and Gromit" impresario Hick Parks, this rollicking comedy about chickens dreaming of a better p!a~..~.~, ~far away fromthe ~neentra- ¯ tion c~ami3 Chlcken farm ttiey re in’fs a witty, int~-.ligentfi~~1m........ ¯ .~ I havehad my suspicions~’abtut Nicks~ familystatus given some subtle references in the Wallace&Gromit shorts (available on video, and well worth it), such as Gromit (a dog) knitting a rainbow striped sweater.~ The Wallace and Gromit shorts are guaranteed to cheer up the most depressed person in the world, and watch for the subtle touches he puts in, like the newspaper-headlines in thepapers the characters read. While the films are claymation, they are not children’s films. With Chicken Run, thereality ofwhathappens to chickies whodon’ tlay theft share ofeggs is brought home in an unflinchingly touching way. And yes, you wiII reIate to the characters - and never look at chicken pot pies the same way again. As for the aforementioned clues as to the Gay sensibility of the film, Cheek out the ratsi relationship. And when the birds are practicing flying, one ofthe best gags was when they fall, and the rat says "It’ s raining hens", which to those of us who re,c~l a certain song with a similar rifle, realize it’ s a pretty big tipoff as to the sensibility that inspired this film. The jokes are all extremely well done, and the sight gags, well, the film begs a second and third viewing to take everything in, and look at the backgrounds. There are gems hidden everywhere. It is ironicthatMel Gibson,homophobicadulterer that he is, lends his voice to the film in a really well done turn as a Rhode KD Lang ¯ KD Lang’s newCD is a delight. Re- : member those lazy weekends whenmom : (in some ease, you) Wouldpiit her favorite ¯ records on the changer in the late 60’ s : early70’s?BarbraStreisand’sStoneyEnd, ¯ and Sergio Mendes’ Brazil ’66 come to ¯i miipindadt.eWd ieiilil{,aK~D€fhioa~sslt~a.k~enmthait~sofu’n.d~_a~nv~d-,"~ ~ ¯ met fling that grows in to ab~t diore of a. "...While the films are claymation, they are not children’s films. With "Chicken Run," the reality of what happens to ehiekles who don’t lay their : share of eggs is brought home in an unflinehlngly touching way. And yes, you will relate to the characters- and never look at chicken pot pies the same way again...." serious thing. And it is the perfect album for a cloudy Sunday afternoon with your loved One, your. summertimefling., or even an imaginary lover. The -albuin’ S title is In~.. vindbte Summer, and La Lang has ne~er soundedbetter. Thealbumprogresses with the nervous, first €on~- tact ditty about a possibleloveinter-- est titled "The Consequences of Falling", and she captures the moment perfectly. Island Red cock named Rocky. One must think that someone planned that casting - and this is the place for an obvious joke, ¯ This segues into an up tempo number ¯ called"Summertime Fling" thateapsulizes ¯ that high, giddy feeling when itis discov- ¯ ered that indeed, the objet d’affection : returns the feeling. It is sure to bring a : smile to the mostjaded heart. Thememory ¯ may be buried deep, but it’ s in there some- " where! The albums builds to a quieter : climax than one might imagine, as the THE ART 0f PERFORMANCE For ~.ales, contact Rupy Robateau 280.5999 . or Marcus Winkler 280.6234 For Service, contact Danny Quigg 280.6828 JAGUAR 9607 S. Memorial Dr. : seriousness of the relationship deepens. Are You Gay or Bisexual? ¯ "Love’ s Great Ocw.an" is a winner, and - ~B~,~t Va~ll ~r’~[il/a~ &m~.e’|eltrm9 _ has a mysterious feel to it that gives the /’~1 ~ /OM II~.ilI~.~ a’~III~.~lI~.ll. album some weight. The rest are pretty~-- standard love songs, pleasantto~ " ............. n’ eat for a dinner o essin to- /ulsas iwo-~plrlteo inolan Me S ",eta \"~ : makeout album. The retro feel is great, Support Group ts here for you. ¯ andblends well into the music, capturing ¯" the feeling perfecdy ofsome ofmy favor- : ite songs remembered-from childhood : and beyond. Highly recommended. It’ s a ¯ great companion, piece to Melissa : Etheridge’s darker "Breakdown". With : Melissa, you cover the darker cynical : moments, with La 1 ang, the bright sun- : shiny day moments. ¯ I caught Arturo Brachetti on a guest ¯ appearaneeonDrewCarey, andyes,he’s : family, and yes,he’ s fantastic. Well worth ¯ Evening support group meetings ¯ Relationship workshops ¯ Short trips, outings and retreats ¯ Free HIV testing - which I will leave to your imaginations. ¯ seeing what he’ s gotup his sleeve! Check Think about it. (R~oc~y,.....Rhode, gg~.it? ;.,rpriorcol~f~r~t~.. ¯ : Right up there with Ginger Chickeh, ifi~ : .... And fi~t mbliffi, the’R~ilt ifiteiaiiews!’ heroine of the piece. Rosemary is the : Chicken that doesn’ t have babies. You’ll get it when :~you see.the, film.) All the actors are marvelous, and if you’ re a fan of any of the British comedies on PBS Sunday nights, you’ll recognize a few voices. If there’s one film you see this summer, make it this one. It’ 11 be well worth your time. I plan to see it several more times, and get the DVD when it comes out - just to scroll through the frames and catch what I missed the first ten times. And I think instead of chicken pot pies, I’ll stock up on the vegetarian ones instead. Andinstead of roast chicken sandwiches, the veggie chick burgers as well. Buh-bye, colonel! ¯" in the city’s 30th annual Lesbian Gay ¯ Bisexual Transgender Pride Parade, he ¯ said such events provide "a little light of : hope.., acceptance of Gay people is still ¯ the toughest issue out there," said Ellard, ¯ 35. "The religious right still thinks we’re ¯ a threat to family values. But when you ¯ look at the Gay families marching with : their children.., you see thatit’ s not true." ¯ What began in 1970 as a meager pro- : cessionfollowedby an unassuming"Gay- ¯ in" at Golden Gate Park has become one : of California’ s biggest events, ¯ see Pride, p. 9 For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project ’q’beprobability thatyoudiefromAIDS when you arc 15 today is over 50%in these countries," Plot told a press conference. "We arc going into societies where there arc more people in their 60’ s and 70’ s than there are in their 40’ s and30’ s," hc said. "This is unheard of." ¯ In Washington, the Peace Corps an- : nounced a worldwide campaign to push ¯ similar measures - training its 2,400 vol- : unteers inAffieain preventive tedmiques ¯ and forming a200-member"crisis corps" : tohelp educate commtmities. "There is no ¯ option for any organization working in : development other than to play a role in ¯ helping these countries confront the HIV- ¯ AIDS crisis," Peace Corps Director Mark With dwindling numbers of economi- i Schneider sai~. eally active adults left tosupport the re~ L .,~ .~o~~i~~~.~d~l~st rate of the .’.population, the. impact on ~.~tff~ot~:~i~A~i~t~i2~.;€%~ is cooving ¯ . ~!~ .....,~ ~,-~.o:,~. ~7~." ~~ ~7,~>.>-.~ : ~_.: Afficamnattous ts devastating. Agng,~ t.~ ~ai[.an*-~i~su~ssf.u~ ~..emBpatgn 0,f protural production in nations like Zim.~: ~ moting’¢Offdoni~us~. And’ Brazil" s policy bwe, wh,ere 2,000people die each w..~ee;;~ : of prevention coupled with locally pro- AIDS, is falling. Businesses are goi~i~g ¯ ducedaltemativestohigh,costanfi-AIDS bankrupt beeause of the deaths of skilled, : drugs has halved the number of deaths educated staff members. Hopes of better education are also in tatters. The number of new teachers trained in 7a~bia is just keeping pace with .the number felled by AIDS. Children are leaving school because they are orphaned or forced to work to support their families. Hospitals are overwhelmed by AIDS patients. Many have inadequate supplies of even basic antibiotics to fight the pneumonia, tuberculosis or mouth fungus that accompany AIDS, let alone the sophistieated drugs whichhave eased suffering in rich countries, the report said. Denial continues to be a problem. The report cited a 1999 survey of 72 minors orphaned by AIDS in a hard-hit Kenyan": commnIfity: Although all knew of the disease~one of them believed their parents had died of it. Most thought witchcraft or a curse was to blame. Piot Said one of the reasons for the explosion of cases in southern Africa is the legacy of apartheid~ which separated. men from their families in rural areas and forced them to work in towns, with only prostitutes for relief. But he said govern: ments were also to blame for ignoring the problem for too long. "What is happening in southern Africa should.be a lesson for countries today which don’t have a big problem yet," he said. "I’m thinking of Asia, I’m thinking of easte,,m, Europe, I’m thinking of the Caribbean. About $~ bill lionis needed annually forprevention and education programs to turn the tide, Plot said. He called for debt-relief programs for poor comitries.. Sandra Thurman, director of President Clinton’s White House Office on AIDS policy, said the report urgently underscores the need for goverm~ent l~aders to face the crisis head on. "It will take the engagement of all sectors of all societies ifwewantto winthebattle againstAIDS," Thurman said in a recent statement. Although Asiahas relatively low infec: tionrates overall, there arefears that could change because of the density of its population, gome 0.7% of the Indian po,,p~ation is ~IV-positive, or 3.7 milliof~ii~e overall:Thediseasehas so farbeenl~g~ly confined to drug addicts. Infections in the former Soviet blocare soaring because of drug addiction. Piot said the number of new HIV cases in Moscow last year far outstripped all previous years combined. And the disease is proliferating in Caribbean countries like Haiti and Barbados because people have multiple sexual partners from an early age. Despite the gloom of the report, Plot said there are signs of hope. Uganda, whichused to be the worst-affected country, has slowed new infections thanks to strong prevention campaigns and increased condom use. Zambia is following suit. : and led to huge savings in hospital bills, ," the report said. ¯ "In the West and in Europe, the impact :. of treatment has been spectaculars" Piot said. "Mortality has really collapsed..There isa longer and better life for people with AIDS."Onthe Net: http://www.uuaids.org In renewing his plea for suspending the law until the central issues go to trial, Stanley argued that there is realharm that could happen.’ The clerks’ rights to freed0m of religion under the Vermont Constitution would be violated, he said:, He also argued that taxmoney wouldbe spent through providing,rights and benefits to same-sex couples. Permitting umous to go forward that may in the future be ruled unconstitutional would cause irreparable harm, he said. In all, the ~ lawsuit_,claims.:that the.,civil unions_law_ violates five different articles of the state Consttitution, several state statutes and House rules. Many of those arguments were made when the i|~wsuit first was flied and the state’ s lawyer handling the ease said he did not believe any substantially new claims were made that would prompt the judge to change his mind. "I don’t think there’ s a ntl~ ttdt:~~ys~~u:can only ask once, butinpractical term~ someonewould put together their best case for a preliminary injunction," said Chief Assistant Attorney General William Griffin. "My view is they’ ve had their day in court and -the court made a decision. I.guess I’ d be a little surprised if we went around again." Varmont Official May.Dof~ LaW TOPSHAM, Vt. (AP) - The town clerk is considering defying the state by refusing to issue civil union licenses to Gay and Lesbian couples. Juanita Claflin describes the unions as "endorsed perversion." The law, whichis to gointo effectJuly 1, states that if a town clerk does not want to issue the licenses he or she must at least appoint someone else to do so. In a memo sent on town letterhead to every Topsham honsehold earlier this month, Claflin tells voters she will not issue the licenses and asks if they believe she should defy the law, resign or appoint a willing assistant to deal with the paperwork. Most of the responses so far have urged defiance of the law, but Claflin said she has not decided whether to risk lawsuits and penalties by following the townspeople’ s wishes. "I still have to make that absolute final decision," she said. After the townspeople respond, she will meet with the select board and possibly hold a public meeting to tell residents about the potential consequences of defying the law. "I made the commitment to the people that I would uphold what they said," she added. "If " they’ re still of that opinion (after being informed of the consequences), I’ll take : my licks." ¯ At least one other town clerk, in " Tunbridge, has resigned over the issue. In Waterbury, the town clerk and assistant town clerk also resigned recently, citing " unspecified personal reasons and an ef- , fective date of July 1. ¯ Claflin’ s opposition to civil unions has " ~no secret since She was elected in " summa.e,dCh. t~hWe hpe~n,,s~h.ee ,w,easxcsewp0trtonins,elslheciivni-l on licenses into her oath of office. At the time Claflin thought the bill, then being debated, would notpass, she says in her letter. "Well, I was wrong... The unthinkable did become law," she writes. "I stand firm and unwavering in my commitment to refuse to be a party to this endorsed perversion based on my constitutional rights and personal belief." But theNew Jersey assistant scoutmaster ousted when the organization learned he is Gay expressed dismay at the ruling. "I’mdef’mitely saddenedby thedecision," said James Dale. "People don’t join the Boy Scouts beeaus~ they’re anti-Gay. People join the Boy Scouts because they want acceptance, they want community." The ruling did not specifically give the Scouts permission to bar Gay youth from membership, but its language left room for that interpretation. "I think it suggests that they can" ban Gay boys from being Scouts, said Evan Wolfson, Dale’ s lawyer. "They won the.right to declare themselves an anti-Gay group." University of Southern California law professor Erwin Chemerinsky agreed, saying, "I don’ t see any basis for drawing a distinction between Scout leaders and Scouts." The Scouts organization, formed in the United States in 1910 and now boasting 6.2 million members and adult leaders, has a policy that "avowed homosexuals are not extended membership or leadership positions," Shields said. He would not say whether the organizationhas withdrawn membership from Gay youths. But Scott Cozza, an adult Scout leader in California and president of Scouting For All, which advocates letting homosexuals join, said: "They’ve kicked out Gay Scouts and now they’ll continue to do so because they’ ve been given the goahead by the Supreme Court to continue to discriminate." The justices reversed a New Jersey Supreme Court decision that said the Scouts wrongly ousted Dale, an Eagle Scout. The state court said the Scouts violated a New Jersey law banning discrimination in public accommodations. But Rehnquist wrote, ’q’he forced inclusion of an unwanted person in a group infringes the group’ s freedom of expressive association" if it harms the group’s ability to advocate its viewpoint. His opinion was joined by Justices Sandra Day O’ Connor, Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy and Clarence Thomas. Dissenting wereJustices John Paul Stevens, David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer. Writing for the four, Stevens said the New Jersey law does notforce the Scouts "to communicate any message that it does not wish to endorse. New Jersey’s law, therefore, abridges no constitutional right of the Boy Scouts." Wolfson, Dale’ s lawyer, had cited Supreme Court decisions during the 1980s that let states force the Jaycees and Rotary International to admit women as full members. But Rehnquist said requiring such groups to accept women members would not interfere with the message they seek to express. Instead, the chief justice likened Dale’ s case to a 1995 Supreme Court ruling in which thejustices let the private sponsor of the Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade exclude a group ofGays andlesbi7 a~.s, s,,aying parades are a"form0fexpres~ slon. The American Center for Law and Jus~ tice, a conservative advocacy group that supported the Scouts’ appeal, said the ruling "will have a dramatic impact on all private organizations - including religious groups - to define their own mission and set their Own criteria for leadership." The. Human Rights Campaign, of the largest Lesbian and Gay civil rights organizatious, called the Supreme Court decision to allow the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to continue its ban on Gay scouts a travesty of justice that may allow large, open membership groups to be above the law and evade .state and local nondiscrimination laws. "We are gravely disappointed with a ruling thatgives theBoy Scouts ofAmerica the ability to discriminate withimpunity," said HRC Legal Director Tony Varona. "TMs is a hollow victory for the Boy Scouts of America - considering the wasted time, energy and money it has spent on maintaining its ability to .discriminateand attack young menwhohave served its organization with distinction. Is this any way to teach youth aboutfairness, honesty and justiceT’ Dale was 19 and an assistant scoutmaster of a Matawan, N.J., troop when in 1990 he was identified in a newspaper article as co-president of a campus Lesbian and Gay student group at Rutgers University. The Scouts’ MonmouthCouncil revoked Dale’ s registration as an adult leader, andhe sued, citing the New Jersey anti-discrimination law. The New Jersey court ruled that the BSA is not a private club, but a public accommodation given its size, open membership and extensive entanglement with government agencies. In its appeal to the Supreme Court, the Boy Scouts argued that New Jersey’ s antidiscrimination law infringed on its First Amendment right to association. )’In accepting the BSA’s arguments concerning expressive association, the Court inexplicably ignored the fact that theBSA’ s purposeandmessagehas never had anything to do with sexual orientation," added HRC’ s Varona. "To the contrary, the Boy ScOuts’ oath stresses public serviceandhonesty, andits Congressional charter and bylaws make clear that membership is open to ’any boy’." Dale now lives inNew York City and is advertising director for a magazine for people who are HIV-positive. On the Net: Supreme Court decision in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale: http:// supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99- 699.ZS.html and one of the world’s best known celebrations of Gay pride. Numerous celebrities, including comedienne Margaret Cho, made appearances. Police said the parade had proceeded peacefully, and knew of no counter-demonstrations. Parades took place also in S~atfle. New York, Chicago and Atlanta. by Lamont Linds~rom. Ph.D. skins for very long. Early medical science Is it the unkixxdest cut? That’s what a ¯ of the late 19th century seized on the foreskin-challenged writer to Dear Abby " operation as a cure for excessive masturrecently claimed. He bitterly reproached ¯ bation and also to treat an odd collection his morn for letti~ag himbe circumcised - a condition he blamed for bis regrettable shortcomin~,~ inbed. Circtmacision is a body modificationritua~ ",hathas fascinated antLropologists. People everywhere redesign-their ~odies. Modification may be as simple as a haircut and a shave, or more invasive foot-binding, ear-piercing, - head-molding, ~attoomg, or scarification. Modifying the body carries social and personal meaning. Individuals may remake themselves -andhow they think about themselves - by altering their bodies. These alterations have social implications as well. We ustmlly know what to think when we see someone dieting, or sporting a new tattoo, or a tongue pierce, or a shaven head. Humans modify lots of body parts - elbows, fingers, chins, bellies - but it’ s no surprise that many societies have fixatedupon Cireumelslon is a body modlfleatlon ritual that has faselnated anthropologists. People everywhere redesign their bodies. Modifieatlon may be as simple as a halreut and a shave, or naore invaslve footblndln~, ear-piereln~, h d-mo!dln , tattooln~, or searlfleatlon. l~lbdlfyln~ the body earrles sodal and personal rneanlnff the foreskin. Like earlobes, foreskins are easily pierced, sliced, or cut away without much endangering human functiomng. Unilke earlobes, however, foreskins attach to the dhief organ of male pleasure and reproduction. Many cultures have elaborated the powerful symbolic uses of snipping off a piece of men’ s genitals. Circumcision is often the key component of male initiation rituals, as it is on Tanna, anislandin the SouthPacificwhere 1livedfor some years. TheTarmese gather up their sons between the ages of six and twelve and lead them away to a secret house in the forest to be snipped. Traditionally, boys were cutwithbambooknives - their foreskins sliced down the top - an superincision rather than a circumcision. Nowadays, island fathers anduncles might take the boys down to a local clinic for a full-blown Western circumcision. The loss of foreskin marks the boy’s journey into manlaood. Tannese kids tease boys who are yet to be circumcised. They call them a name that means something like "pulls back skin." A Presbyterian missionary from New Zealand lived on Tanna, in th~ 1980S wi,th his triple~ sons. My island friends were scandalized that these boys remained uncircumcised as they approached their teen years. Every time the boys wandered by, you knew localmenwere ponderingbambooknives. New Zealanders, like most people in the world, leave their foreskins alone. Circumcigion is uncommon in Europe, Asia, and Latin America and is disappearing in AustraJia and Canada. We Americans share the ritual mostly with sundry Pacific Islanders and Australian Aborigines, peoples of the Middle East (notably Jews and Arabs), and various northern and central African societies. Artistic depictions of circumcision in Egypt dated to 4500 years ago suggest that the ritual has a long history. But Americans haven’t been snipping foreof other conditions. Once circumcision became part of the modern medical toolkit, doctors were loath to giveitup. They invented a series of spurious rationales for the operation. The newes t defense of circumcision argues that uncut menare three to eight limes morelikely (different studies give differentnumbers) to.catch HIV. The vires - so says this hypothesis - attaches itselfmorereadily to cells thathave been kept tender underneath a foreskin. Whether or not this latest medical rationale for circumcision holds up, cutting has powerful social meanings that go far beyond the merely hygienic. Just why do we mess withforeskins? Is this a male attempt to appropriate natural female fertility: Menbleed their genitals to mimic menstruation? Or are men coneemed to drain away dangerous female blood from their sons, as do the Tannese, in order that these boys can fully mature? Or do men cut their sons - and in so doing potentially endanger the reproductive future of their family line - as a mark of loyalty to their tribe? Or do boys undergo symbolic castration as a-price they pay fatherg to join the men? Anthropologists have proposed all these explanations. It’s pretty clear that in 20th century America circumcision became a marker of class and status. Only people with money could afford doctors and genital surgery. And only trendy parents who supported mainstream beliefs about public hygiene would accept new scientific rationalizations for the operation. Circumcision rates were far higher among the urban and the wealthy than they were among poorer, rural, immigrant, or minority- group families. Middle-class white boys carried on their bodies the mark of their family’ s status claims. By the 1940’ s, the medical industry had captured control of childbirth. A majority of women went into hospital to give birth. And for the first time amajofity of Ameri- :canb0ys wer~eircumcised. Circumcision rates peaked at around 85% in the 1970’ s. Since that decade, these numbers have dropped - as an anthropologist would predict - down to 60% in the mid 1990’ s. When everyoneshares the same practice, that practice no longer serves to create distinctions of class and status among us. Thefact thatmanyHMOs nowadays force parents to.pay for the.operation also has spared many sons’ foreskins~ Still, being cut continues to symbolize "clear," "healthy," and "modem" across much of America. Until these meanings erode, it’ s likely that many of us will yet be able to hold our heads up high, should we happen to mninto any teasing Pacific island boys. Lamont Lindstrom teaches anthropology at the University of TUlsa. Council Oak Men’s Chorale presents Saturday, July 15, 2000 - 8pm ALL SOULS UNITARLdN CHURCH 2952 S. PEORIA TICKEZ~ $10 CALL 748-3888 THE COUNCIL OAK MEN’S CHORALE IS PROUD TO REPRESENT OKLAHOMA AT THE INTERNATIONAL GALA FESTIVAL LN SAN lOSE, CALIFORNIA IOTA member "1~ Call 341. 6866 Int rnational Toursfor more information. Massage Therapy Services ~agarger:O9. 1C8r-u8z8,9L-5M2.5T5. 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, ~at. 8-5pro Tulsa’s only professional body-piercing Poweful Images: Portrayals of Native America Gilcrease Museum 1400 Gilcrease Museum Road 5 9 6 2 7 0 0 by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor Sam Harris returns to Tulsa as Josephin Theatre Arts’ productionofAndrew Lloyd Webber’s "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" heading up a cast of thousands of locals - well, ok, maybe not quite thousands, but it’ s aprettylong cast list. The cast includes John Orsulak and Patrick Hobbs, members of the Council Oak Men’s Chorale’ s (we really need agoodacronymhere!) and formerly Finales, along with David Hubbard, Kathy LaFortlme, Bradd Gillespie, Larry Gray, and Eric Cornell (an actor and singer to watch, as he’s got a lotta talent, and he’s dedicated to performing enough to go far). Directed by New York’s Jon Grodeski, the musical is a.,lively rethinking of the biblical tale of Joseph and his jealous brothers. Sam Harris, a Sand Springs native, left home at 15 to pursue the dream of performing on Broadway. Everyone knows about Star Search, and the recording career that followed. His latest endeavors have included the critically acclaimed "In the Life," a Broadway musical; Grease on Broadway; and his latest CD, "Revival", a return tohis pop and soul roots.. He also wrote the TBS sitcom "Down to Earth." He’s been a busy boy! And he still manages to look fabulous! . He recently completed work on the feature film "In the Weeds", with Eric Bogosian, Molly Ringwald, and Joshua Leonard. He recently premiered his new oneman show, "Revival", and is planning to tour the show after a New York Run. He’ 11 bemaking his Tulsa concert debut July 28 in "An Intimate Evening with SamHarris." There’s a joke in that, but I’m trying to maintain a more staid image. Actually, there’s about three jokes I could make. It’s kindalike resisting chocolate - you know it’s the right thing to do, but it’s just so tempting.., but no, I have eschewed that behavior. Performances run July 14th- 23rd, and the evening shows start atT:30 rather than the usual 8pm, so plan accordingly. Matinees are at 2pm. The venue is Tulsa Community College’s PACE theatre at their southeast campus at 81st and 169, so don’ t go downtown to thePACfor this one. For more info., call 595-7777. July 15th is "Sand Springs Night" in honor of Mr. Harris’ hometown roots. July 19th is "Youth Night" - if you don’t qualify for that one, you can at least pretend to be from Sand Springs. And I would like to welcome a couple of new writers to Tulsa Family News. Hughston Walkinshaw will be covering film and local theatre for us here. He’ll make his debut in our August issue. And while -I’m at it, some of you have read about my best friend Karin. Wall, who wouldhave thunkitbut she’ s finally’’come out" and this month, we will feature her thoughts, in a new column entitled"Raging Lesbian." Sam Harris More importantly, the woman with her arms around me was the woman I wanted to be with. My heart was telling me this was right, tree and just. Then the song ended, and that insidious thing called my brain took over. Years of living in the Bible Belt made me once again think too much, and I acted straight again. Which is fnnny since I obviously don’t know from straight. Too many missed opportunities later, and my unrequited love affair with Marolyn (I didn’t DARE think about this at the time!) endedwhen shemovedaway. V. Random Musings Don’t get me wrong. Three girls does not a Lesbian make. There have been many more I’ve felt "that way" about, including Ms. Black Hair, DeepBlueEyes with whom I worked; Ms. Nude Model whom I LOVED to draw in art class; the two English teachers at school where I taught; and the young P.E. teacher at the same school. Comeon, there’ sALWAYS a P.E. teacher! And when I was 25, there was the <ahem!> 16 year old I worked with! Hey, I can’t be arrested for my thoughts, not even in Tulsa! VI. Acceptance. I know acceptance doesn’ t come in six easy steps, but time and space being what they are, I’ ve cut to the chase. What made me finally accept myself as a Lesbian? Not any one thing. I guess years of chipping away at my libido, and the fact that everytime I had sex with a man, it coincided with some girl I had a crush on. Then there’ s the entertainment world. A friend got me interested in’qRte X-Files" years ago, but for the past few seasons my heart has skipped a few beats more and I’ ve thought,"Was DavidDuchovny even in that episode tonight?" If you listen exclusively to Melissa Etheridge for a year, it’ s not just her music you identify with. And even when you do identify with it- need I say more?- you’ re Gay! When you tape the ENTIRE Gay Rights Rally on CSPAN it’ s a pretty sure bet that, yes, you’ re Gay!When you seriously consider moving to the state capital (what do you call a city FULL of Lesbians? Austin!), then, you guessed it - you’ re Gay! When your best friend calls you long distance from Tulsa to tell you the new issue of Curve is out - with Gillian Anderson on thecover- and youhaul ass to the nearest Gay neighborhood to buy it within the hour, well, you’ vejust taken a ride on the Dyke Express! When you own copies of "Desert Hearts", "Bound", "Everything Relative", "Claire of the Moon", etc., and display them prominently on your shelf, then grrlfriend, you have swung those closet doors open for the last time. And it feels good, clean, and honest. | 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 ~ank of Oklahoma now offers"One-Stop Shopping" for all your Small Business financial needs with SmallBusinessXpress Plus Checking. This unique package can saveyou time & money by giving you access to all the~financial products and business discounts your small business may ever need. Including checking, savings,leasing as well as loans and li~es o~f c~edit~-En|~y majo~iscounts on business services you already use such as overnight delivery, car rental, office supplies and more. BOk also offers FreeO~Q~ne Banking for Small Businesses at www.bok.€om so you can bank on your schedule. Open your SmallBusinessXpress Plus Checking Account today. Stop by any of BOk’s 25 convenient locations including our supermarket locations. Or call our 24- Hour ExpressBank any time at 588-6010. Ask about our Free Personal Checking Account offer for Business Checking customers. Let BOk save you time and money with SmallBusinessXpress Plusi ANK Oi= solutions that fit your needs. OKI HOMA , . Member FDIC/Equal Opportunity Lender Some Restrictions Apply. Ask for Details. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2000] Tulsa Family News, July 2000; Volume 7, Issue 7 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohn Karin Gregory Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Hughston Walkinshaw Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, June 2000; Volume 7, Issue 6 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/602 2000 AIDS aMUSEments arts and entertainment Bars Boy Scouts businesses churches civil unions Diversity celebration Gay Studies health HIV Jim Christjohn Karin Gregory Lamont Lindstorm performing arts Pride Raging Lesbian Read All About It restaurants sodomy laws Tom Neal Tulsa Family News https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/5d64f090519b9e896592128f02ec0c39.jpg 7132a01dcf7dd73f4768874198f90742 https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/edf3b5a7d2dc2176171bea400a278963.pdf 2e81c7efa036dc8294c8bd398356f8a4 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document MCC +American Expre.ss Offer Financial Planning TULSA - Tulsa’s Metropolitan Community Church United (MCC-United) with Theresa M. Barnard, a financial planning advisor with American Express Financial Advisors will present a series of financial planning seminars at MCC United. One seminar will be "Financial Strategies forGayMen&Lesbians" and will be held onTuesday, September 5th and will be repeated on Tuesday, October 10th. Barnard will present "Retirement - Explore Your Options, Create your Retirement Income," on Tuesday, .September 19th and ,Estate Planning" on Tuesday, October 24th. All seminars will be at 7pro at the church located at 1623 No. Maplewood, just north and west of Sheridan and Pine. Bamard and MCC United provided the following statement from American Express Financial Advisors: "We want to make our commitment to Gay men and Lesbians clear. Just as we have ~ktended domestic partner benefits to our Lesbian and Gay employees worldwide, wearecommi tted to providing sound finan, cial advice that specifically addresses the unique finandal issues affecting our Lesbian and Gay clients." see MCC, p. 3 Women Try to Change Canada’s Marriage Law VICTORIA, CANADA (AP.)- Two women at the center of a constitutional court challenge exchanged vows inJuly as friends andrelatives witnessed the union ceremony. Judy Lightwater, 49, and Cynthia Callahan, 36, pledged to "cherish and sustain each other" for all of their days with "passion, honor, patience and laughter." Since Canadian law recognizes marriage only between aman and awoman, it was legally impossible for the Gay activism to get a marriage license. But the British Columbia government has asked the provincial Supreme Court on behalf of the couple to declare that same-sex marriages are legal. The court challenge is expected to reach the Supreme Court of Canada within about seven years. The provincial government issues marriage licenses but is boundby federal rules as to who qualifies. "When I see there are two people who are dearlyin love and want to make a commitment to each other and want to have the same access to laws that are available to others, as a human being I ask myself why should ~ose people not be able to make that commitment? said B.C. Attorney General Andrew Petter. "We’rein loveandwe want to tell everyone about it," ........... said Lightwater: "It"s not that complicated.~ More love in the world is something everyone supports." The other couple named in B.C.’s court petition are Murray Warren and Peter Cook, who filed a human rights complaint after they were. refused a marriage license 18 months ago. see Courts, p. 3 DIRECTORY P. 2 EDITORIAL P. 3 US & WORLD NEWS P. 4 HEALTH NEWS P, 6 ENTERTAINMENT P, 8 GAY STUDIES P. 10 Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans;Our.Families + Friends " Building AEVER A More Light Presb erMn Weekend ¯ TULSA - A local liberal protestant church, College Hill Presby- ¯ terian Church recently became a"More Light" church byjoining ¯ the More Light network, a group of Presbyterian affiliated ¯ organizations which are dedicated to welcoming Lesbians, Gay men, Bisexuals and Transgendered persons into the church in all roles, both as lay members and as ordained leaders and clergy. Now in August, on the 25, 26, and 27, the congregation will host a "More Light" event and organizer both to help educate local religious groups and individuals, and to recognize and ¯ celebrate College Hill’s joining the More Light group. The Session (the board of directors of the congregation) has invited Michael Adee, Ph.D., who is a full time organizer for More Light network, a weekend of workshops. ~ According to College Hill’s spokesperson, "these three days ¯ will be filled with opportunities for worship mad fellowship ¯ together, to learn more about ministry to and with Gay, Lesbian; Bisexual and Transgendered persons, and to inform and welcome ¯ others to this ministry of compassion, inclusion and justice." The opening event will be a lunch on Friday; August 25th, ¯ from noon to 1:30 in the Fellowship Hall of the church which is ¯ located at 712 So. Columbia Ave. The church is just west of the ¯¯ campus of theUniversityofTulsa and sinceTU has tomdown the old Kendall School to build a Tennis Center, the church can be seen from Delaware. The lunch presentation is called, "Building a Church for Everyone," and church professionals and elders from Presbyterian Churches in the area are invited to attend this luncheon. Adee will give a short presentation on the history and goals of More Light Presbyterians, followed by a question and answer session. The meal will be $5.00. On Saturday, August 26th, Adee will lead a workshop "Caring for All God’s People," from 8:30- 12:30 again in the Fellowship Hall. According to organizers; those attending this event will gain greater understanding of the pastoral care needs of GLBT people and their families, see Light, p. 3 ¯ Others May Follow Vermont’s Lead On Unions ¯ MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP)- Legislators in Rhode Island and New ¯ York are hoping their states follow Vermont’s lead in granting ¯ same-sex couples the benefits of marriage. "From New Hamp- ¯ shire to California, politicians are intrigued by the civil unions ¯ statute Vermont created to grant Gay and Lesbian couples rights ¯ and benefits without wandering into the politically volatile ¯ thicket ofmarriage. But most advocates say Vermont will remain ." a pioneer on the issue for the foreseeable future while the public ¯ becomes more comfortable with the idea. ¯ A state senator in New York is drafting a bill based on : Vermont’s statute and a Rhode Island state representative is ." pushingabill to expandhis state’s marriage laws toinclude same- ¯ sex couples. "I would not introduce anything but marriage;’ said : Rep: Michael Pisamro, a Democrat from Cranston, R.I. "I don’t : necessarily see something like civil unions or domestic partner- . ships as a stepping stone to marriage." Pisaturo earlier this year ; said Rhode Islanders are still uncomfortable with the idea of ¯ recognized partnerships between Gay people. That’s why heheld ~ . off on a bill to legalize same-sex marriage and will try next year. ¯ In the New York state Senate, Manhattan Democrat Tom : Duane is drafting a bill that his aide said would be "similar to" ." Vermont’s first-in-the-nation civil unions statute, although de- ." tails were still being worked out. "Our Legislature won’t be back , ’ until January., ~s~ it wouldn’t be until then,", said Scott Mdvin. ~ : Advocates also see opportunities in New Hampshire, Con- : nectient, New Jersey, Massachusetts and California for laws ¯ granting marriage benefits, either through marriage itself or ¯ through a civil unions compromise like Vermont, s. ¯ "I think the situation we’re in is Vermont will be there and will ." have to have the courage of its convictions for a while and then, ¯ I think, it will fall into place in a number of spots," said Beatrice ¯ Dohrn, a lawyer for the Lambda Legal Defense and Education : Fund, which led the legal fight in Hawaii for Gay marriage. ¯ Although most advocates insist that full inclusion in marriage ¯ statutes is the only way for Gay and Lesbian couples to achieve ; equality, some see the civil unions statute as a good way to begin ." moving toward that goal. ¯ "Using Vermontas a model, other legislatures wishing to enact ¯ equal benefits,~ see Unions, p. 2 ¯ Boy Scou.ts Target.ed For Ant -Gay B=as ¯ TULSA - In conjunction with a National Day of ¯ Protest ofthe Boy Scouts ofAmerica~ Kerry Lewis, ¯ spokesperson for Tulsa Oklahomans for Human ¯ Rights (TOHR), has announced that TOHR and : other local organizations will hold a protest at the ¯ local headquarters of the Boy Scouts of America on ¯ August 21st. The time of the event will be available ¯ by contacting TOHR at 743-4297. The protest is in response to a recent US Supreme Court decision which overturned a New Jersey court ruling that the Boy Scouts’ anti-Gay policies were illegal under New Jersey non-discrimination laws. According to Lewis, "the purpose of these protests is to provide a visible and rational response to their discriminatory and de-humanizing policies." The Indian Nations Council of the BSA is located at 3206 So. Peoria. Parking is limited at the site but is available on the street a few blocks away in the Brookside business area. Lewis noted also that there are also several other options for you to register your protest of the Boy Scout policy. One is to write a letters of complaint. Informational materials, including sample letters, are available by contacting TOHR. ¯ And in discussions with Tulsa Family News, ¯ Lewis acknowledged that another aspect of the ¯ Boy Scouts’ discriminatory policies was Tulsa ¯ AreaUnitedWay’s (TAUW) funding for the BSA. ¯ Lewis acknowledged that some in the community ¯ favor designating TAUW as the target of protests ¯ or demonstrations, but that those discussions were ~ ongoing. ¯ Lewis also said that the next meeting of Tulsa’s Diversity Council will beonTuesday, August 22nd ¯ at 7pm at the Center. : Further in the future is a visit to Tulsa by Dr. : Laura Schlessinger, radio talk show host known for her characterization of Gay people see BSA, p. 3 Barnes & Noble Boots ¯ TULSA-In amove thatis being decriedby smaller ¯ newspaper publishers across the US, Barnes & ¯ Noble has thrown out most community publica- ¯ dons out of its stores across the US. ¯ In Tulsa, Barnes & Noble representatives sent ¯ notice to TulSa Family News by letter in the last ¯ week of June of the new policy which went into : effect on July 1st. Newspaper reports from else- . where in the US note that Barnes & Noble sent the : letter to most publication in sometime in March. : Local representatives could giveno explanation for ¯ the several month delay before informing Tulsa : publications. ¯ Barnes & Noble stated in its letter that it was : removing the publications in order to use the space ¯ forit own merchandise but after TFN publisher : spoke with (the no~w former) manager of the 71st : St. store, it became clear that while minority pub- : lieatious were being removed, Barnes &Noble was ¯ creating a new space inside the store for two com- " ¯ mtmitypublications; TulsaPeopleand Urban Tulsa. ¯ These two were retaining distribution privileges ¯ because they have the largest volume of copies ¯ ¯ distributed. Both- Tulsa People (TP) and Urban : Tulsa (UT) are publications with histories of fail- " ing to serve Tulsa’s Gay &Lesbian communities or : of having anti-Gay policies (UT). Tulsa Family News publisher Tom Neal said, ¯~ "this policy inherently discriminates against mi- ¯ nority community publications. By virtue of being ¯ minority, we simply cannot compete on a highest ," volume basis." : Neal added that given a choice between making ¯ purchases at Barnes & Noble or at Borders, he ¯ encourages community members to buy at Borders ¯ which consistently has been more supportive of : Lesbians and Gay menin Tulsa. Neal also suggests ¯ that readers letMattMozzoni,manager of the 41st ¯ St. Barnes & Noble see Barnes & Noble, p. 3 Minority Newspapers Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants *Chasers, 4812 E. 33 *CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial *Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine *Club Vortex, 2!82 S. Sheridan *Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square *St. Michael"s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st *The Star, 1565 Sheridan *Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main *TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial *Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd "*The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 712-2324 610-5323 583-2119 835-2376 749-4511 744-4280 745-9998 834-4234 585-3405 660-0856 584-1308 749-1563 Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals Advanced Wireless & PCS, Digital Cellular 747-1508 *Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000 *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 *Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth 295-5868 Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117 Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700 Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 *Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th - 749-3620 Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556 *Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838,-8503 Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial 369-8555 *Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379 Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 592-0460 *Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoffa- 744-9595 Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th P1. 6!0-0880 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. Skelly 745-1111 *International ~[ours 341-6866 Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750 *Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018 David Kauskey, 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. #210 747-5466 *Li~:ing A~tSpace, 308 South Kenosha 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 *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 481-0558 Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563 Fred Welch, LCSW, Connseting 743-1733 *Wherehouse Music. 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222 *Whittier News Stand. 1 N. Lew~s 592-0767 www.gaytulsa.org Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337.74101 579-9593 All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363 Black & ~Vhite, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314 Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 583-7815 *]3 L/G/T Alliance. Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 5K3-9780 *Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201 *Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Horence *Church of the Restoration UU, 1314N.Greenwo°d 587-1314 *Commtmity ofHope United Methodist, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300 *CommunityUnitarian-Universalist Congregatmn 749-0595 Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888 *Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511 *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 SpratWomen s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669 918.583.12.zhS, fax: 583.4615 POB 4140. Tulsa. OK 74159 e-mail: Tu!saNews@ earthhnk.:~et Publisher + Editor: Tom Seal Writers + contributors: James Christjohn. Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche. Lamont Lindstrom. Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers. Hughston Walkinshaw Member of The Associated Press Issued on or before the ! st of each month, the entire contents -: of this publication are protected by US copyright 1998 by T~,u~ ~:€o~ Ndw~ and may not be reproduced either in " wholeorin part without written permission from the publisher. " Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s ,. sexual orientation. Correspondence is assmned to be for publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & be- ". comes the sole property of rJ,4~ ~.’. Ncnu4~ Each reader is entitled to 4 copies of each ediuon at distribution ¯ points. Additional copies 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 PI. 748-3111 NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658 OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157 *OSU-Tulsa PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901 *Plalmed 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, !724 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 Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171 *TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225 Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105 Co~tfidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, c,~o The Pride Center 743-4297 T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform~ Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827 *Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule *Tulsa Community College Campuses *TulsaGay Community Center, 1307 E. 38, 74105 743-4297 Unity Church of Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833 BARTLESVILLE *Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353 OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN Borders Books & Music, 3209 NW Expressway 405-848-2667 Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907 TAHLEQUAH Stonewall League. c~J! for i~fformation: 9!8-456-7900 *Tahlequmh Uvjtarian-Uni vcrsalist Church 9182456-7900 Green Country A!DS Cozdition, POB !570 918-453-9360 NSU Schoo! of C,ptometry, 1001 N. Grand HIVtestln,, e’ve~v other T~es. 5:30-8:30. cal! for dates Autunm Breeze Restaurm~. L~w~.. 23 *Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main DeVito’s Restaurant. 5 Center g t. Emerald Rainbow. 45 &l:2 Spring St. MCC of the Living Spring Geek to Go!, PC SpecialisL 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 5~ 1-253-2776 50!-253-5332 501-624-6646 501-253-6001 501-253-4074 417-623-4696 * is where you can f’md TFN. Not all are Gay-owned but all are Gay-friendly. Tulsa Family News wishes to correct an error in our July issue. In an article about GayTulsa.o,:g, we mistakevJy indentified their Associate Webmaster, Scan, as Seth and as a "partner" in the r,on-profit organization, rather than by his correct title. TFN regrets any all,stress this caused to the staff and friends of GayTulsa.org. - TN equal status for Gay and, Lesbian people wi!l look at this," said David Smith ofthe !. Humau Rights Campaign, the nation’s the country that would look to this.’.’ Vermont’s law is parallel to mamage but ~s a separate legal creation. It has prompted a lot of debate around the country about granting benefits to couples who want legal recognition and protection for their long-term relationships. Vermont lawmakers have said repeatedly that their law could be a model for other states to emulate as they seek to steer clear of the emotional debate about marriage. Thirty-two states have adopted statutes specifically outlawing Gay marriage. Because civil unions aren’t marriage, though, the Vermont authors of the law say, they’re a way to take a step without getting bogged down in emotion, religion and morality. But to people like California Assemblywoman Rep. Carole Migden of San Francisco, that’s demeaning. ’.’Thepremise of civil union is still an insult, but nevertheless we’re pleased that the state of Vermont recognizes the quality of Lesbian and Gay equality in a less-than-dignified way," said Migden, whose state last year outlawed Gay marriage in a referendum. "We’re moving along. Each year we add to it, It’s a step-by-step buildingblock process." Some Gay civil rights advocates caudonthat experiences in Hawaii and Alaska, where courts said same-sex couples should be allowed to marry and then lawmakers and voters reversed them, should temper any predictions that the idea of civil unions will spread quickly beyond Vermont. "I think it’s important to bear in mind that Vermonti s aleader in notjust civil rations, but in terms of hate crimes, second parent adoption and nondiscrimination is sues for the Lesbian and Gay community," said Tim Sweeney, deputy executive director of New York state’s Fanpire State Pride Agenda. "I think that’s an important context to keep in mind." Political considerations appear to be far from the minds of many of the people entering into civil unions since they became thelaw on July !. Ofthe 115 that had been reported to the state vital records division through Monday~ more th;m tw othirds have b~eu between conples from outside Vermont. That’ s even though civil unions are not legally recognized anywhere else in the country. That "alone will make a difference in other states, though, advocates say, be~ cause it is generating debate in practically every state. "The whole mo~cement an Vermonthas createda tremendous amount of education and discussion about Lesbian and Gay relationships and the kind of discrimination we face," Sweeney said. "It’ s been an extremely positive discusstun and very helpful to humanize Lesbian and Gay relationships and our families ." by Tom Neal, editor/publisher How disappointing that Colin Powell would lend his credibility to the Republican scam of being a party of inclusion at the recentGOPconvention. Since the days of that deficit-creating monster Reagan, Republicans have represented the worst in American character: hate-mongering, religiously intolerant, and committed to undermining constitutional rights of those unlike themselves. In Philadelphia, we see Blacks, Latinos, women and the disabled trotted out but we still read the same attacks o~ Gay Americans. Gays can be soldiers ouly at the cost offree speech. Gayrelationships,by federal law, can only be end class. In Oklahoma, Democrats aren’t much better. Republicans talk nasty about Gay taxpayers. Democrats keep quiet but both abuse the authority of the State to attack Gay Oklahomans. God forbid we should get through a legislative session without a vote by the majority to remind us of the contempt in which we are held. Whenboth parties treat all fairly, when the accidents of birth: race, ability, ethnicity, sexual orientation and the choices of a free citizenry: political affiliation, religious "lifestyles" or "preferences", all are of no more importance than that of being left or fight-handed, then Americans, Republican and Democrat, can say we are thenation of fairness for all. The statement continues, "whether you’re single, in a committed relationship, or caring for children, yotir ?maerican Express financial advisor ca~’help you take control of your financial future. We can help you: Establish savings and investment plans. Protect your assets from unnecessary taxation. Avoid financial restrictions placed on unmarried couples. Avoid cosily delays in the receipt of life insurance proceeds." Bamard requests that those wishing to attend please telephone in advance to her at 748-8191, ext. 121. They have been in a relationship for 29 years. "The community support has been really important to me because I don’t have the support from my family," said Callahan, whose parents did not attend her union ceremony. as being "biological error[s]". TOHR is trying to work with other groups to design an effective protest for her visit this fall. On Tuesday, Aug. 8th, TOHR will hold its general membership meeting at the Tulsa Gay Community Services Center at 7:30pm. The regular business session (which is usually short) will be followed by a special program presented by the Credit Counsding Center of Tulsa, a Short presentation on financial responsibility, etc. Members and those interested in the community are invited and encouraged to attend. And on Sunday, Aug. 13th, the"Lesbian Connection," a program of TOHR, is inviting EVERYONE in the community to come out and have fun at Keystone lake. Burgers will beprovided - youbring the rest! Swimming, volleyball, fishing, boating, etc. will be available all day. Call the Center for directions. The initial planning meeting for "Diversity Celebration 2001" will be held at the Tulsa Gay Cominunity Services Center beginning at 1 lain on Saturday, Aug. 19th. know about their nnhappiness with the new policy. Mozzoni seemed to be sympathetic to the situation but has stated that since it comes down from corporate. headquarters, hehas litflechoice. Mozzoni canbe reached at 665-4580. National Gay Organizations Comment on Cheney WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) have issued comments on the record o’f Richard B. Cheney, George W. Bush’s Vice-presidential nominee, on Gay and AIDS issues. Cheney, a former defense secretary in the administration of Bush’s father, and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1978-1989, has an extremely conservative record, HRC noted. Like Gov. Bush, however, Cheney seeks to package a conservative record with a moderate image, the organization said. "The choice of Secretary Cheney is in keeping with Governor Bush’s strategy of staking out conservative pos!,tions and wrapping them in a moderate package, said Wiunie Stachelberg, HRC’s political director. As a Wyoming congressman, Cheney opposed early efforts to address the HIV/AIDS crisis. Most notably, he was one of 13 House members who voted against the AIDS Federal Policy Act of 1988, the first major bill to provide funding for HIV/AIDS counseling and testing. Cheney also supported an effort to reduce funding for HIV/AIDS research. In addition, Cheney voted against the Hate Crimes Statistics Act of 1988 and supported an amendment that added anti-Gay language to the bill. As defense secretary, Cheney supported Pete Williams, the department’s chief spokesman, when The Advocate magazine revealed his homosexuality. "I have operated on the basi, s over the.years with respect tO my personal staff that I don’t ask them about their private lives," said Cheney. "As long as they perform their professional responsibilities in a responsible manner, their private lives are their business." Cheney opposed President Clinton’s effort to lift the ban on Gays serving openly in the military. Cheney told CNNin 1993,"I am one of those people who believes that people’s sexual preference and orientation are a private matter. It’s something that is a personal matter for them, and no one else’.s business. And that’s the way I ran the civilian side of the Pentagon... On the military side, though, you can’t pursue that policy." Later in the interview, Cheney ffaid: "I basically don’t believe in discrimination, but I did conclude, as secretary of defense, that the ban on Gays in uniform was appropri- Topics include: coming out, integration of sexuality and faith, responding to homophobia in the church and society, helping parents of GLBT children and children of GLBT parents. This group is open to all. ’ It will be especially helpful for GLBT people and their families, their friends, and fellow church members, elders, teachers and youth leaders. Continental breakfast and snacks will be served. Sunday morning, the Church School Mid-highs to Adults will.begin at 9:35 in the Chapel. This event is rifled "Bringing Body and Soul Together (Let’s Talk about Faith and Sexuality)" This Church School Class will feature’an interactive discussion on Christian sexual ethics. Those choosing to attend will share in an hour devoted to how Christians integrate faith and sexuality in living the Christian life. The focus will be what makes ’good relationships’ for all God’s people. Then on Sunday, August 27th, the regular worship service at 11amin the Sanctuary will feature a sermon by Michael Adee. The service entitled "Celebrating Diversity and Inclusiveness" will honor "Christ’s call to be inclusive." The chancel choir will offer special music for the occasion and communion will be celebrated. This is the formal event to mark College Hill’s declaration to be inclusive and work as part ofMore Light Presbyterians to bring the Presbyterian denomination to the inclusion of GLBT people in ordination as well as membership.. Finally on Sunday afternoon from 5:30- 7:30, aYouth Event, "On Being Gay & Being Christian" will be held. The College Hill youth fellowship will be hosting individuals and other youth groups for pizza and open, informal conversation about sexuality andfaithfor youth. Adee will be the facilitator on topics ranging from being GLBT and Christian, coming out, harassment at school and church, sexual sdf-esteem, dealing with family, and Gay/Straight friendships. This event hopes to help Gay and Straight youth underctand themselves and each other better. For more information about these events, contact " College Hill Presbyterian Church at 592-5800. : ate." ¯. HRC has endorsed Vice President A1 Gore for presi- ¯ dent. He has yet to name a running mate. Cheney is : currently the chief executive officer of the Halliburton : Co., a publicly traded company that supplies equipment ¯ to the oil industry. Halliburton does not have a non- . discrimination policy thiat includes sexual orientation nor : a domestic partner program for Gay employees. ¯ According to the NGLTF research, Cheney opposed : the Equal Rights Amendment, opposes reproductive ¯¯ choice and supports prayer in public schools. NGLTF notes like HRC that Cheney in 1993 opposed ¯ President Clinton’s effort to lift the military ban and ¯ openly Gay servicemembers. At the height of the debate, ¯ Cheney warned that defense cuts and the proposal to lift : the ban "have led to a decline in the quality of military ¯ recruits." ¯ He added that "the whole reduction in defense spend- : ing, the controversy over Gays in the military, has led to : an unwillingness to serve and low morale." ¯ NGLTF adds that Cheney has served as a trustee of the ¯ arch-conservative American Enterprise Institute, where ¯ he was a former senior fellow. The American Enterprise ¯ Institute is home to many right-wing thinkers, such as ¯ former Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, former ¯ House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Charles Murray, ¯ author of "The Bell Curve," a book which suggests that ¯ differences inintelligence existbetweenblacks and whites ¯ and that these differences are genetic and immutable. ¯ American Enterprise Institute scholars have also been ~ outspoken in their opposition to equal rights for Gay, : Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender people. : "George W. Bush has flubbed the most important ¯ decision in his presidential camp~gn," said Elizabeth ¯ Toledo, NGLTF executive director. "His compassionate ¯ conservatism holds out no compassion whatsoever for ¯ theGay, Lesbian,BisexualandTransgendercommunity. ¯ Furthermore, it sends a chilling signal to women, to ¯ people of colo~: and to those concerned with fairness and : equality that a major political party would offer up a candidate with such a background to the voters. This ¯ selection demonstrates that right-wing, religious extrem- ¯ ists are still a powerful force on the political landscape." ¯ Openly Gay Republican ¯ Featured at Convention . PHILADELPHIA -Rep: Jim Kolbe of Arizona made ¯ history when he became the first openly Gay member of ¯ Congress to address a Republican convention. The Ari- ¯ zona congressman had a prime-time speaking slot, ad- ¯ dressing the GOP on trade issues for three minutes. ¯ Kolbe, first elected in 1984, is the most senior openly ¯ Gay member of Congress andis the only openly Gay ¯ Republican in the House. Having Kolbe speak at the ¯ convention was an idea first raised by Washington city ¯ councilm_.an David Cataniain April, when the Log Cabin ] Republicans, themostprominent Gay GOPorganization, ." met with presidential candidate George W. Bush. ¯ Bushmetwith the group, a first for a candidate preparing to pick up the GOP presidential nomination, despite his opposition to many of the its issues, including Gay ." marriage. Log Cabin Republicans Pleased Members of ¯ the Log Cabin Republic,~ns are delighted by Kolbe’s : place.in the convention lineup - especially considering ¯ that he backed Bush’s rival, Sen. John McCain, during ¯ the primary season. ¯ According to the group, this is the first lime a wall- ¯ known openly Gay person has gone to the podium at the ¯ GOP national convention. In 1996, a little-known Log ¯ Cabin Republican member from California, Steve Fong, ¯ gave alow-prof’ile, one-mi nute speech amidlittle fanfare. [ But some socially conservative Republicans, who are ¯ opposed to civil rights for Gay people and have warned ¯ Bush about reaching out to the Gay community, were " unhappy with the prospect of having Kolbe speak, One leading conservative Republican told ABCNEWS he ¯ was "flabbergasted" by the decision, and called it a ~ "shock." "It is not going to be a happy time," said the ¯ Republican. "I think it is a really bad decision." : Kolbe is a founding member of the National Advisory ¯ Board of the Log Cabin Republicans; the nation’s most [ prominent Gay GOP group. In 1997, he gave the keynote ¯ address at the LOg Cabin Republicans convention. Kolbe ¯ was a strong proponent of the NorthAmerican Free Trade i Agreement. Pentagon Says Gay Policy Is Working WASHINGTON (AP) - The military’s much-criticized policy on Gays in uniform is working, but training must be improved to eliminate anti-Gay behavior like the abuse that led to a soldier’s murder in Kentucky last year, the Defense Department said. "We think we’ve got it right this time," Carol DiBattiste, the undersecretary of the Air Force, told a news conference Friday to publicize anew Pentagon program to re-emphasize in training that such behavior is unacceptable. Speaking at the same news conference, Bernard ¯ Rostker, the undersecretary of defense, said he disagreed with President Clinton’s statement last year, after the beating death of Pfc. Barry Winchell by a fellow soldier at Fort Campbell, Ky., that implementation of his policy on Gays was "out of whack." "I don’ t agree with that characterization. I think the policy is working reasonably wall to provide a degree of safety’.’ for Gays in uniform, Rostker said. "The days of witch hunts, the days of stakeouts, are really gone." Even so, Rostker said, more needs to be done to ensure that everyone in the military understands the policy. The Clinton administration’s policy on Gays in the military is derived from a law passed in 1993 after Clintonfailed topersuade Congress and the Pentagon to allow Gays to serve openly. ~.The policy, known as "don’t ask, don’t tell," holds that Gays can serve in uniform so long as they don’t reveal their sexual orientation. One problem, however, has been unwarranted investigations of people suspected of being homosexual. There also is a fear among discreetly Gay service members that if they ,qomplain about harassment, they will be discharged. ’" The announced plan to eliminate anti-Gay behavior was created by a panel of civilian and military officials led by DiBattiste of theAir Force. It was in response to a Pentagon inspector general’s report in March that found anti-Gay behavior was commonplace in the military. DiBattiste said the key to her panel’ s plan is adoption of an"overarching principle" meant to clarify to all in the military that unacceptable behavior includes not just abuse of Gays but also "inappropriate comments or gestures." "That’s the high road that we need to take," she Said. The DiBattiste panel’s 13-point "action plan" is largely reiteration of previous expressions of deterruination to stamp out anti-Gay behavior and to hold military commanders responsible for policy infractions. Last December, Rostker’s predecessor in the undersecretary’s post, Rudy de Leon, issued a statement that "harassment of service members for any reason, to include alleged or perceived homosexuality, will not be tolerated," and commanders must take prompt action against violators. Michelle Benecke, an executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Fund, an advocate for Gay rights in the military and a frequent critic of Pentagon policy; called the DiBattiste panel’s report "’thoughtful and considered." ’.’Today’s recommendations, if implemented, would be a very good start," Benecke said. The spark that caused- the Pentagon to take a closer look at the Gay policy’s implementation, and at the extent of anti-Gay behavior in the field, was the Winchell murder at Fort Campbell on July 5, 1999. Two of Winchell’ s fellow soldiers were convicted in the crime and are in prison. Gen. Eric Shinseki, the Army chief of staff, released the Army inspector general’s report Friday on circumstances surrounding the Winchell murder. The report concluded that some members ofDCompany, 2nd Battalion, 502rid Infantry Regiment, Winchell,’ s unit in the 101st Airborne Division, violated the military’s policy against anti-Gay behavior, but it exonerated all commanders at Fort Campbell. TheArmy report also concludedno general climate of homophobia existed at Fort Campbell. With some exceptions, "It was determined that the command climate at Fort Campbell before 5 July 1999 was a positive environment," the inspector general’s report said. It also said the chain of command at Fort Campbell "respondedappropriate1y"when confronted with situations that appeared to violate the "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy. " Rep. Mart,y,. Meehan, D-Mass., questioned these conduslons. ’Giving FortCampbdl arelatively dean bill of health doesn’t square with recent reports of prevalent anti-Gay harassment throughout the services," Meehan said. Vermont Papers Will Print Civil Union Notices RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) - Aunotmcements for civil unions are beginning to appear alongside wedding announcements on wedding pages in newspapers around the state. At many newspapers, editors said they will treat announcements of same-sex unions the same as traditional marriages, placing them in the same section of their newspapers and in the same format, although perhaps under a different heading. The decision "took about 30 seconds of deep thought," said Valley News editorJim Fox. "It wasn’t very difficult." "Of course we would treat them the same," said .amnette Sharon, managing editor of the Manchester Journal. "ff they want to make that announcement to their neighbors, the newspaper is the place for that to happen." Evennewspapers thathave editorialized against the law granting marriage-like benefits to same-sex couples appear likely to print civil union announcements. Mark Smith, publisher of The Caledonian- Record, said no one had.brought such a notice to his St. Johnsbury paper, but if someone did, he would probably publish it. "My personality is such that it will depend on the attitude of the person who comes through the door," he said. Smith said he would comply with a polite request but dig in his heels if he felt pressured. So far,the reqtlests have been few. In Brattleboro, where the first civil union was certified just after midnight on July 1, no announcements have been submitted to the local newspaper, the Reformer. In August, that will likely change, though, when John Calvi and Marshall Brewer of Putney, have a civil union ceremony, and submit an announcement. The couple- and the newspaperi- made national news more than a decade ago when the Reformer became the first mainstream newspaper in the United States to publish a Gay wedding announcement. Joseph Watson of Leicester, entered a civil union with his partner, Michael Warner, on July 7. Watson said he had no problem with sending out the notice, which has appeared in the Addison County Independent and was in the July 23 edition of the Sunday Rutland Herald and Times Argus. It will also be in a new "Milestones" section of the Gay newspaper "Out in the Mountains" and is expected to be published soon by The Burlington Free Press. Addison . County Independent publisher Angelo Lynn said his paper received only aletter of praise for its publication of Watson’s civil union notice. At the Newport Daily Express, however, managing editor Susan Davis doesn’t expect such a smooth reception. Davis said if she receives civil union notices, she will print them as long as her publisher approves. But she anticipates a backlash. "I don’t have a problem with it, but I know a lot of people do," she said. "’This is the Northeast Kingdom and everybody is running anti-civil unions (for the upcoming dections).. It’s a huge issue up here." Man Charged With Hate : Crime in Beating Death BARRON, Wis. (AP) - A man charged with helping murder a 22-year-old hearing-impaired, mentally dis - : abled man now also is accused of a hate crime in the : killing. Prosecutors contend Raymond C. Walton,33, ¯ of Barron, helped beat Michael J. Hatch to death with ¯ a tire :iron Oct. 20 because Walton thought Hatch was : Gay, according to court records. : Walton was charged with being party to first- ." degree intentional homicide and armed robbery in ¯ Hatch’s death. The hate-crime enhancer was added to ". the charges last week. ~ Barron County District Attorney James Babler dedined comment on the hate crime filing, which says United in God’s Love MCC-United Sunday Worship Reverend Cathy Elliot 11:00 am Pastor " 1623 N. Maplewood 918/838-1715 Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community ofHope 2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595 A Welcoming Congregation HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:a~5 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study, 7 pro, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pro 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754 Sandra Hill Licensed Professional & National Certified Counselor, Certified Hypnotherapist Psychotherapy & Clinical ConsuItation After Hours Appointments Available 2865 E. Skelly Drive, Suite 2~15,745-1111 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 Mingo Valley Flowers 9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145 918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-A.4A.-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 Storey 1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor Tulsa Gay Community Services Center 743-GAYS (743-4297) ~-9 pm, Sunday - Friday 12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC Certified Public Accountant a professional corporation 747-5466 4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135 TOM NEAL BUILDING & GARDEN DESIGN Red Rock Tulsa Free Confidential HIV Testing Walk-in Clinics Tuesdays, 5 -8 pm, Center, 1307 East 38th Wednesdays, 5-8 pm, Red Rock, 1724 East 8th Daflime.appointments available. Call for more information: 918-584-2325 KEVIN BURLESO N Keller Williams Realty 712-2252 Burleson@kw.corn 2651 East 21st Street, Ste. 100, Tulsa 74114 An Independent Member Broker iDPENARMS,OPENMINDS,OPENHEARTS Saint Aidan 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 We Icomes You Walton intentionally selected the victim because of his belief or perception regaa’ding Hatch’s sexual orientation. Authorities say Walton a~d Corey L. Kralewski, 21, killed Hatch and left his body in a rural Barron County corufield. A criminal complaint said Kralewski, Walton and Mary Reed spend the evening of Oct. 19 at several Barron bars. Kralewski played pool with Hatch, whom he knew from high school. Later, the group left the pool hall and drove to a field near the Dunn County line. Reed told authorities she sat in her truck while Kralewski beat Hatch with a tire iron. Walton also hit Hatch several times, she said. In a written statement, Kralewski told authorities heknocked Hatch down with afew blows but that Walton did most of the beating. Walton showed authorities Hatch’s body. Kralewski pleaded innocent to a homicide charge and goes on trial Aug. 7. Reed, 34, pleaded guilty to aiding a feton and was sentenced to t~vo years in prison. Chicago Bishop Faces Ecclesiatical -Charges CHICAGO (AP) - A United Methodist lay member has filed a complaint with the church, accusing his Chicago-based bishop of using the office"as a public relations and news media channel for promoting homosexuality," among other things. John Juergensmeyer, an attorney and member of a United Methodist church inElgin, is calling for Bishop C. Joseph Sprague to resign or be removed. Sprague, formerly a United Methodist pastor in Columbus, Ohio, heads the church’s Northern Illinois Conference. He was one of several Methodists, including at least one other bishop, arrested while protesting anti-Gay measures adopted at the church’ s general conference in Cleveland in May Juergensmeyer said that Sprague’s arrest was a "triggering point" for his complaint. But he said Sprague’s overall political views have long troubled him and other conservative United Methodists. "He is reducing the church only to a political instrument rather than a spiritual force." said Juergensmeyer, rather than a spmtum io~c~, ~a~,., o~.~r,~,l.....av., who also ~s accusing Sprague of promotang writings about Jesus Christ that luergensmeyer says violate church doctrine. Earlier this month, Sprague told the United Methodist News Service that the letters of complaint seemed to be "part of an organized effort of a small, very vocal minority." He also said he made his views clear when he stood for election as bishop four years ago. Sprague was re-elected to his second four-year term at the church s North Central Jurisdictional Conference this month. Man Gets Two Life Sentences for Slaying BALTIMORE (AP) - A man who told police he attacked Gay men because he thought Gays were evil was given two life sentences for the slaying of a h.otel guest last June. Gary William Mick, 25, was gaven one life sentence for first-degree murder and a concurrent 20-year sentence for robbery for the attack on Christopher Williams Jones. He received a consecutive life sentence with all but 30 years suspended for first-degree attempted murder and a concurrent 20- year sentence for attempted robbery for a separate incident last September. Mick, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to the two attacks in May. Jones, 37, of Metuchen, N.J., was attending a pharmaceutical conference in Baltimore whenhewas found bludgeoned to death at the Admiral Fell Inn. "We loved our son and his partner in life as we love all our children and their lifemates. The emptiness we feel because of this loss is extreme," said Howard Jones, the father of one of the victims, in a family statement to the court. Prosecutors said Mick accompanied Jones to his hotel room after the two met. once.inside, Mick struck Jones nine times on the right side of the head with a claw hammer. He then stole Jones’ truck and credit cards, which he used to buy clothes, jewelry, food and a beard trimmer, prosecutors said. The second attack occurred in September. Prosecutors said Mick attacked another man he had met, but the victim was able to fight him off. Lesbian Recieves Headof- Household Status SACRAMENTO (AP) -The state Board of Equalizationhas voted to grant head-of-household tax status to a Lesbian who is supporting her partner and nonbiological child. The board voted 3-2 to allow the Los Angeles family to file with one of the women as the head-of-household, which will savethem about $2,500 a year in state and federal taxes. Helmi Hisserich and Tori Patterson of Los Angeles have been together 14 years and had a daughter in 1997. Patterson gave birth and has stayed home to raise the baby since then. When Hisserich filed a tax return for 1997, she checked the box for head of household and calculated accordingly. The Franchise Tax Board said she was not eligible, saying head of household status covered situations only where an unmarried person was paying more than half the expenses of an adoptive or foster child, or any blood relative. They said she owed $1,050, Hisserich said. Sbnnnon Minter, staff attorney for the National Center for Lesbian Rights in San Francisco, argued Hisserich’s case before the board June 30. "This is the first time they’ve addressed this issue," he said. "It recognizes the reality of our families and gives legal validation to the reality that our client is a parent regardless of the fact that she doesn’t have a biological relationship to the child." Hisserich said the board had to consider whether a heterosexual couple would be treated in the same manner. "But if we were a heterosexual couple, we would be mamed. We’ve been together 14 years, we’ve registered as domestic partners in our city, our county and the state. We’ ve done everything we can," she said. The Board of Equalization will vote again after its staff prepares a written decision, and will comment publicly on its reasoning when the vote is final, according to spokeswoman Cristina Herrera. That could take up to three mouths, she said. -- ~i~-n~)g~s~i~d tile vote was the logical extension of Califo~aua court rulingsin the past two years that had granted parental status to Gay men and Lesbian couples planning and having children. Because intent was the basis of his winning argument in the tax case, Minter said the decistonmostlikely woulon’t apply to situations where someone moved in with a partner who already had a child. The ruling affects only state tax status, but I-Iisserich said the Internal Revenue Service followed the state on head of household status. Jury Votes Death to Killer of Lesbian Couple PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -A Mnltnomah Countyjury sentenced to death a Portland man who killed a Lesbian couple in a karaoke bar. Eric Walter Running, 49, was fOund guilty of two counts of aggravated murder in the February 1998 shotgun slayings of Jaqueline J. A_ffderson, whom he had dated, and Barbara J. Gilpin. Running killed the women after Anderson, 29, a poet and writer, broke up with him and returned to her 10-year-relationship with Gilpin, 44, a landscaper. In an unusual split, the jury imposed the death sentence only for Anderson’s murder, giving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for Gilpin’.s death. Ten of the 12 jurors voted to give a deat~ sentence in Gilpin’s murder, but a unanimous verdict is needed. "’Barbara Gilpin deserved the same verdict as my daughter," said Jack Anderson. "But one death sentence is all that it takes. I don’t care if he dies tomorrow or never, I’m just glad he can’t be a threat to anyone anymore." Running smiled as the verdicts were read. Hewill become the 25thperson onOregon s Death Row at the state penitentiary in Salem. Almost 20 patrons at the Ambassador Restaurar.’-a and Lounge in Portland witnessed Running kill women Feb. 24, 1998. Rurming’s lawyers offered insanity defense. Se.n.a.te OK’s $600 ¯ $200 million interuational program to Million for AIDS batfleHIV/AIDS. Speaking ahead of the . " ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian WASHINGTON (AP)-Legislafioncom- " Nations) Regional Forum, Asia’s largest mitring up to $600 million in U.S. aid for " security conference, Downer noted prefighting HIV and AIDS in Africa and ¯ dictions that AIDS threatens to reduce or developing countries elsewhere was " even reverse Asia’s economic growth. "I passed at the end of July by the Senate. On don’t think the Asia-Pacific region can avoicevote, theSenateapprovedabillby turn,!ts back on this devastating prob- Sens. Bill Ffist and Jesse Helms, both lem, Downer told’anews conference. Republicans, authorizing $300 million in " Most of the $200 million will be tar- ¯ geted at countries in the Asia-Pacific re- " glen, Downer said, and Canberra expects ¯ to work dosdy with the Association of ¯ Southeast Asian Nations. ¯ Much of the funding remains uncom- ", mitted, but some will augment existing ¯. programs in Indonesia and Papua New ¯ Guinea, Australia’s immediate northeru ¯ neighbors. Relations Committee, said the bill requires that up to $220 million of all U.S. bilateral funding forHIV-AIDS programs over the next two years be spent on supporting orphans in Africa. T,he United Nations has predicted that the disease is expected to wipe out half the teen-age population in some poor countries in Africa. Similar legislation passed in the House, which voted earlier this month to fully fund President Clinton’s request for $2’44 million next year for combating and treating AIDS in poor counmes. each of the next two years for AIDS prevention and treatment and also for the care ofAIDS orphans in developing countries. Thebill directs the Treasury Department to establish a trust fund with the World Bankfor the prevention efforts and the treatment of orphans. Helms, chairman of the Senate Foreign HIV-Treatment Ctr. Targets Blacks ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - A treatment center for blacks who have AIDS or HIV is planned in a county where only a third ofblackAIDS patients gettreatment, compared to half of infected whites. Rochesterhas the second-highestnumber ofAIDS cases in Ne~v York state, after New York City. The number of local AIDS cases has leveled off among whites but is climbing among blacks, according to the Rochester Primary Care Network. Existing programs are not reaching t~ growing number ofblackmenanawom who are HIV-positive, Art Collier, prestdent of Primary Care Network, said. The rateamong MonroeCounty’residents who are black is over eight times the rate among white residents, he added. Before 1991, 64% of reported AIDS cases in Monroe County were among whites mad 27% were among blacks. The center expects to have an initial casdoad of about 150 patients. Besides medical care, services will include mental health counseling and treatment for substance abuse. TheNational Black Leadership Commisston onAIDS is helping plan the center and recruit ablack staff, Collier said. Coordinatbrs believe black patients will respond better to treatment by black medical personnel. Dr~Anson .,W;urapa.,~ black physician at strong Memon Hospital’s AIDS Center, said blacks tend Russia’s Infections Growing MOSCOW (AP) - The number of registered HIV cases in Russia has soared in the last six months and will continue to grow, but the government doesn’t have the money to fight the epidemic adequately, a top health official said. By tl~e middle of July, Russia had some 53,1~30 registered HIV cases, with almost half ofthemcomingin the last six months, said Vadim Pokrovsky, the head of the Federal AIDS Prevention Center. But he said that the actual number of Russians infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is probably more than 300,000, since only about 10% of the population. has been checked. "The regi,s,tered cases are only the tip of the iceberg, Pokrovsky said. "We must accept the fact that we are facing avery quickly spreading epidemic." Increaseddrug use andprostitution since the collapse of the Soviet Union have been two key reasons for the rise in HIV cases? Still, a low incidence in HIV-ca.ses in recent years as well as more pressing economicproblems m.ean ~.e~g~ov~eru~,~t, has been slow to combat AID~. in zu , only 46 million rubles ($1.65 million) was set aside to combat HIV and AIDS, Pokrovsky said. If Russia doesn’t take new measures to stop the spread of the virus, the country could have some 1.6 million HIV cases by 2015, he said..and those who are infected nrobablv won’tbeable to get the help they. the government’s manmty to pay. wm people probably shouldn t count on getting treatment," Pokrovsky said. . HIV is worst in the Moscow regto.n, where some 5% of young people are infected, Pokrovsky said. Rise in HIV Infections ih Gays College Hill Presbyterian Church announces a "More Light" Weekend with Michael Adee National Field Organizer, More Light Presbyterians August 25 - 27, 2000 Building A Church for Everyone Friday, August 25th, Luncheon: Noon - 1:30, Fellowship Hall History and goals of MoreLight Presbyterians, followedby a question and answer session. Cost: $5.00 for the meal Caring for All God’s People Saturday, August 26th, Workshop: 8:30 - 12:30, Fellowship Hall Pastoral care needs ofGLBT people and their families. Continental breakfast and snacks will be served. Bringing Body and Soul Together Sunday, August 27th, Church School Mid-highs to Adults, 9:35am, Chapel An interactive discussion on Christian sexual ethics. Celebrating Diversity and Inclusiveness Sunday, August 27th, Worship ll:00am, Sanctuary A special worship to celebrate our diversity and Christ’s call to be inclusive. Michael Adee will preach and we will share communion together. On Being Gay and Being Christian Sunday, August 27th, Youth Event 5:30 - 7:00pm The ColleggHill youth fellowship will be hosting individuals and other youth groups for pizza and informal conversation about sexuality and faith for youth. College Hill Presbyterian Church, 712 S. Col~bia Avenue, 592-5800 (One block west of Delaware and the Uni;~sity of Tulsa Campus) ’Financial Pla.nning With A Clear Comm,tment. ~t American Express Financial Advisors, we want to make our 3ommitment to gay men and lesbians clear. Just as we have extended domestic partner oenefits to our lesbian and gay employees worldwide, we are committed to providing sound financial advice that specifically addresses the unique financial issues affecting our lesbian and gay clients. Nhether you’re single, in a committed relationship, or caring for children, your Americar ~xpress financial advisor can help you take control of your financial future. We can help ~OU: Establish savings and investment plans Protect your assets from unnecessary taxation Av.oid financial restrictions placed on unmarried couples Avoid costly delays in the recei pt of life insurance proceeds series of Seminars given by "heresa Barnard, American Expeess Financial Advisor Where: MCC United When: 7:00 P.M. 1623 N Maplewood Ave ¯ TORONTO (AP) - Figures showing.a to mistrust the medical sys.te.m, a~.d w.~en , rise of HIV infections amongG~Y., menm everyone on the staff is whtte, tlae s~tua- " Ontario could be the fLrst sigu O~ mcreastion is worse. - " ~.... " ing HIV levds for Gay men in Cam.a.dar Natioo~!JY, one in .5~b,~abk.,m~,’~s,.m7 AIDS. activists note. A. recent prownce2 1. Create your Retirement Income fectedw~HIV,’,andAiDSis’theleaamg i wide study conducted by University ot [Tuesday; September 19th cause’of!~a,.~.~d~allblackAmerica~ Toronto and community gr6ups f°und an between:th~.~g~of 25:and44:Thbdis-~. increasing number of HIV infections [e Estate Planning ease i’s gr6wiiig fastest among -black among O~tario Gay men ~ter_ 19°~6,~ _ r [ Tuesday, October 24th women, who a~.ount for 56% of HIT ~ In 1992, the infection rate was ,.~ 1~ cases in women. " - " 100 people tested, the ~tudy found. The / ¯ number dr°pped t° 0"87J 1"00 in 1"996; d Australia a]or HIV Initiative-’" -" " risen to 2.07/100 people testea. llae stuaY mirrors recent results in San Francisco BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Australian " which showed that HIV infections among Foreign Minister Alexander Downer an- " Gay andBisexualmentherenearlytripled - nounced thelaunchrecenflY of asix-year’ over the past two years. -’inancial Strategies for Gay Men & Lesbians Tuesday, September 5th and Tuesday, October 10th Please R.S.V.P. RetirementExplore Your Options with Theres;~ at ...... " 918-748-8191 ext.121 Power Connect. Public Service Company of Oklahoma Customer Service Is Now Available 24 Hours A Day, Seven Days A Week. These days, traditional 8-5 business hours aren’t always convenient. So PSO has made it easier than ever for you to contact us. Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7 - offering around-the-clock answers to your questions - and better access to service. Now it’s easier for you to inquire about your monthly electric bill, Or report a power outage. Or arrange to have your power turned on or off. Our professionally trained, friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives are standing by to serve you. All day, every day. To provide faster response to your needs, we have listed our toll-free numbers below. I I I "1 I I I I I I I I CALL 24 HOURS FOR TOLL-FREE SERVICE Customer Services: 1-888-216-3523 Billing Inquiries: 1-888-216.3490 Outage Reporting: 1-888-218-3919 m~€lip And Save I I I I I I I " Servicio a Clientes: 1-888-216-3505 .I Preguntas S0bre su Cuen~a: 1-888-216-3491 Public Service Company of Oklahoma I I I I I I D, I I I I I I I by Karin Gregory I just love Dr. Laura Schlessinger. Really, I do. I think she and I could be great buds. You know how some girls make plain girls their friends just to make themselves look prettier? Or how some pal around with fat girls just so they’ll look thinner? Well, Dr. Laura could be my girlfriend (eeeewwww, not that way!!!) because every stupid thing I’ve ever said in my life would sound intelligent next to the things she says. And she’ll be saying plenty, I’m sure, come October, when she rides in on her broomstick to Tulsa. Who is Dr. Laura, you ask? If you’re Gay, you’ve been in a cave. Laura Schlessinger, shock jock advice-giver of the radio circuit, has called Gays and Lesbians "biological errors", "sexual deviants", and my personal favorite, "pedophiles." She says she does this out of compassion for us, not out of hatred. Oh no, I don’t feel hated and maligned by those statements, do you? She spews her hatred and bile via the airwaves, with complete support from the Religious Right. You know them- that group that has the inside info on the "homosextml agenda"! As if her radio show weren’t bad enough, Schlessinger’s taking her "teach intolera-: ze" rantings to the TV screen in September, courtesy of that "giant" of great television programming, Paramount. "OK," you’re saying, "the Lesbian is once more raging about something, but what has that got to do with me? What’s one more ignorant person in a long line?" Funny you should ask. "Dr." Laura (she has a Ph.D in physiology, not psychology) has become svch a controversial figure (much like Am., Bryant in the late ’70s when she tried to inflate anti-Gay legislation) that the G/L/B/T commurnty has united to protest her television show. All over this country are planned protests to keep her off the TV screen. And debates have become so heated that major advertisers such as Proctor & Gamble, American Express and United Airlines have pulled out, saying that they don’t need any more controversy. And Geico InsuranceCompany (my insurance company!) tookits advertising away from her radio show at the beginning of July. The reason? The company could not, being supporters of diversity, condone the words and actions ofsomeone who clearly sees diversity as wrong. These are not their exact words, mind you, but .youmay find out more by going to www.stopdrlaura.com. Let’ s lookat this woman’s careerbriefly and find out just what led her to this homophobic phase in her life. Several years ago I.first heard her radio program, and I thought that she was telling people the truth, even if they didn’t want to hear it. Somehow I admired that, although I didn’t always agree with everything she said. She is a big proponent of parents taking control in the home and not blaming everyone else for how their’children behave. That part hooked me since Iwas a middle school teacher at the time and saw parents who didn’t think they hadan] responsibility for their child’s behavior. So far, so good. And I even read reports that she used to support theG/IJB/T community. Two years ago, however, she converted to Orthodox Judaism, adopting intolerance as her Bible. Now she says she can’t support the G/L/B/T community because of religious teachings. If you hate me, hate me. But don’t lie : about it, saying you’rejust~following the ¯ Old Testament. Hell, if we followed all the Old T0.~tament teachings we’d still be ¯ selling ot~ daughters into slavery; still ¯ buying s~ves from neighboring coma- " tries; and~ould be allowed to kill, with- " out impunity, anyone who worked on the ¯ Sabbath. Gee, I didn’tknow that the Jew- ¯ ish could also play pick and choose with ¯ religious teachings like some Christians. How much does she really believe in ¯ these religious texts? Who knows? She doesn’t even have a consistency when it ¯ comes to condemning homosexuality. ¯ Well, she does, but she tries to say that ¯ she’s not condemning anyone. The point ¯ is,shehas saidthingsinprintandonradio, ¯ takenthemback, backpedaled, madeother ¯ people speak for her so many times it’s ¯ ridiculous. Her stand is so ambivalent, so ¯ setin sand, thatno one canbelieve or trust ¯ anything that comes out ofher mouth. Her ¯ press agents said she apologized for her ¯ remarks about Gays being "errors", and ¯ ¯ then the next day she said she wasn’t apologizing. ¯ Dr. Laura has denounced the American ¯ Psychiatric Association and the National ¯ ¯ Education Association for their - oh, I suppose- compassk hate stance on equal ¯ rights for all, andinstead has sold her soul ¯ to Religious Right organizations like Fo- ¯ cus on the Family. She promotes, within ¯ her own radio show, an intolerance to- " ward Gay people on all levels, even to the ¯ point of denouncing hate crimes legisla- ¯ tion. ¯ I can see her leading cheers to teach children who’ve just come home from ¯ school how to actively hate homosexuals. "Gays are bad! Gays are fey! Let’s go ¯ bash ~ Gay today!" She says she is a ¯ moralist and has openly opposed the Ver¯ mont same-sex partners’ rights decision a few months ago. But again, she’s not ¯ hatingus. She’sjustcompassionate.Yeah, ¯ this is why she takes an attitude of "I’m right no matter what" on her radio show, ¯ and will also, I’m sure, on TV. But let’s ¯ see how that could work against her, shall ¯ we? Anyone who’s ever watched a few epi- : sodes of"Frasier" knows how easy it is to ¯ just hit a button and get rid of pesky caller ¯ #1. How does this work on TV, when ¯ you’re faced with the pesky caller in per- " son? Taping. has already begun on her : show, andfrom the reports, it doesn’ tlook ¯ likeasuccess. Dr. Lauradidn’tknow how ¯ to ask the proper questions, or even know ¯ some rudimentary technical televison ¯ knowledge i~her first tapings. ¯ There’s n~question that Dr. Laura is ¯ used to the ~d~o. But she also wants an ¯ audience like the one on radio - one she ¯ can rant to ,and not have to.see. Because ¯ ¯ for all her bravado and showmanship, she really DOESN’T WANT to help anyone. : She actually doesn’t seem to like people. ¯ You can bitch and moan to people all you : wantif you don’tsee their faces. She’s on : radio and~feels safe. i Guess What? Rea[peopie~ ! may had.e, more difneultyi~ing~p.le 0ff if she him to .fae~i. them, [f’.~votild be interesting to seehow b~y!hla~ di~S if ¯ she has to face questions about her views ¯ on homosexuality, but I know I won’t be ~ watching. I think she should just quietly ¯ go away, like Anita Bryant. A career ¯ shriveled by her own hatred. ¯ ¯ Gregory is a Texas based writer, who lives near Ft. Worth. Sheformerly taught ¯ school and also was a newspaper re- . porter. by Jim Christjohn, entertainment queen as ffelll He speaks atleast threelanguages o trammg. And to do this you need that of doing the constant prePs/media events, Happy summer, folks! Been a lot of fluently, and has a mischievous sense of o traimng. So it’s easy to injure your voice, being portrayed in press as living a life changes since the last column- went on a humor. Welose alotofcastmembers, whohaven’t that wasn’t close to reality and the rumors visit to Chicago where I discovered an Described as Versace on hyper speed, ¯ had the kind of vocal traimng that will based on the illusion. For instance, artist I’m eager to tell you about, and Braehetti changes costumes at lightning ¯ sustain you through a show like this. And, "There’d be a photo op at a party. I’d go closed the door on a ghost from the past; fast speed, transforming into more than " like I said, even if you have had it, there just long enough for the picture, then g~t started a new job and more. 80 characters and giving life to legions of ¯ are moments you forget. And you defi- home to a cup of tea and bed. DoingS8 First, local news: Cyndi Vetter directs personalities. His show is a multi-media o nitely feel it later. Even the trained folks shows a week plus recording an~ alb~ Heller Theatre’s first production of the extravaganza, combining comedy, mu- . lose voices as they get caught up in the didn’t leave much time for a Wild new season, "A Coupla White Chicks sic, magic, and emotions of the even if I’d wanted to live one. Thenthe~ Sitting Around Talking" by John Foi:d video in a unique show " I’d be, splashed across the C~adian Noonan. Starring local favorites Julie collage of acting, ". , .Deserll~ed as Versace on Jc: What el- equivalent of the National Inquirer, with Tattershall (an excellent actress) and storytelling, stunts layper speed, Braelaett] c]aan~es fect has doing this an article about what a party boy I was. Maude Mix, it is the story of two women and caricature. He show had in terms Please." who are complete opposites of each other, is thewinner ofthe costumes at li~latnin~ fast speed, of impacting your Feeling too tied to the show, he decided and the unlikdy bond they form. They 2000 Moliere life and/or views to start over and move to NYC, where discover that, together, they can over- Award(theFrench transformln~ into more tlaan 80 of the world? ironically, he ended up being recast in come anything. The production runs Au- Tony, which has el~araeters and ~ix,~n~ life to. MH: "As I Rent. He took a week or so off to record gust 3-6, at the Heller Theatre, 5328 S. never been one by said, I’ ve been vocals for the new album, which he pro- Wheeling Ave. Reservations are rectA- anyone outside of le~ions of personalities, through years of duced and played instrument~ for. mended at 746-5065. France), and a de- training, withsing- Heloves performing, dislikes pressjun- While in Chicago, I had the chance to lighffully impish His slaow is a multl-media ing, and acting, kets and meeting hordes of people. He meet some marvelous people, including fellow.Addalittle extravaganza, eomblnln~ and dancing. I’d made an exception to come to Tulsa, for TomMichael,whoIlaterlearnedisoneof Cirque De Soleil been so close to which the event was nice and relatively the top cabaret artists across the nation, too that mixture comedy, music, marie, and v’ldeo getting parts so low key, in his eyes. At th~ time of the consistently in the industr~’s top ten lists above, too. many times, only interview,hehadflownoutfromNYCity amongthecompanyofMichaelFeinstein, Brachetti ar- in a uniclue colla~e of acting, to lose them to 6:30pm the prior evening, didpress, upat Maureen McGovern, Betty Buckley, rivesinTulsaatthe peoplewhohadn’t 5:30am for more press, and was flying Michael McAssey (who hosted the PAC courtesy of storytelling, stunts and earlea- had any training. I back an’hour after I spoke with him. Ah, eveningatthepianobar-somethingTulsa Celebrity Attrac- was about to quit the glamorous life! ture. He is... a desperately needs), Sally Mayer, Donna tions August6-13. show busines s Chad was kind enough to give me a CD Murphy, and Amanda McBro(~fi. Tickets can be had deliChffully impish fellow, when the call came sampler of his new album, "No. 1 Fan," ~He’s been actively singing in the Chi- by calling 596- from the Rent and it’s very good. Nice melodic rock, cago nightclub scene for 12years, andhas 7111.Iwilltellyou Add a little Cirque De Soldl people. I’dbeenin and I love the first song -"Small Town also performed with the Boston Pops and now, the costumes too tlaat mixture above, too.., so many situations Girl;" atl.~,ode to not giving up on dreams Spokane symphonies. In 1995, he was that Brachetti de- where I’d been and p~venng with what life gives vou invited to participate in the national Caba- signedandcreated through al! this Ng~i~2i~ really nice beach-boys n{eets ret Symposium with such luminaries as rival any elaborate [and] training, and Fl’~i~,ood Mac kinda tune about break- MargaretWqfiting, Julie Wilson. and Ann Bette Midler workedreallvhard ~ mg-!:~p¢ or ~vantiug to, by the title .of Hampton Callaway. His album, "Sailing Cheridrag Queen onmy craft c~nly to ¯ "I~xmgton." After that is "Say Good-bye On," is the perfect music for romancing extravaganza. Di ...RENT opens August 99 see people with no : t~hip-hoppy kinda rappish song yournewguyorgal.TomMichael’svoice I mention he’s and runs tlarou~la September 8 experieuce get wi~eat pop hook, withsomejazz~a~,d wraps around you like a warm blanket on cute, designs a parts I was up for, rock bi-~:thrown in for good measure. It s a winter’s night, and draws you in. mean frock, in his for 8 performances, and had just be- about growing up, growing old, selling I was privileged to meet theman behind mid thirties (he’s come so disheart- out, doing what you’re told. "I know who the voice, and spend-an afternoon with cagey about his RENT is only ttae ened with the biz. I wanna be..." The next ~s a ham~ting him. He is as nice as the voice he sings age) and single? ~tla musical to win both Sothis,gethngthat ballad/rocker, an ode to loneliness of a those incredible love songs with. And RENT Opens call, really .rein- lostfriencFrelationshipanddrinkingalone. he’sboyishlyhandsome, withblondehair August 29 and tlae Pulltzer Prize and forced my faith in On each, his voice handles the material and incredibly intense eyes that dance runs through Sep- the business and and styles with aplomb, and he has a very with light ’ every so often. His smooth tember3for8per- several qony Awards..." renewed that appealing tone. It seems there will be " tenor voice and immaculate phrasing fin- formances. Tix go dream, something for everyone on the full CD, mediately gave me a new perspective on on sale June 12th Also, I’ve be- and it will be worth picking up. I hope ~t that style of voice, at 596 7111. RENT is only the fifth musi- come much more spiritual. I wasn’t spiri- gets radio play. My favorite cut is the title song, which cal to win both the Pulitzer Prize and tual at all when I took this part. But Mimi Jeffrey Seller, the show’s producer, I’ve heard done before, but not with such seve :al Tony ,Awards. Matinees are set is such a wonderful character and she’ s speaks of show with real enthusiasm, and feeling that you feel the song flowing for Sat & Sunday, and there will be a grounded in faith, and to play that, every his eyes light up when speaking of the around you. Beckie McKenzie, who un- special $25 per seat matinee on Wednes- night I have to believe it on stage. Since impacthe’s witnessedthe showhaveupon fortunately was out of town the.Sunday I day, August 30. doing the show and portraying a charac- its audience. He sees "Rent" as a transforsaw Tom perform, lent her voice and Presentatthepressconferenceannounc- ter, Mimi, who is very spiritual, I have mative experience. He hopes the show arranged the music for the album, and ing this special addition to Celebrity At- become more open to that aspect of life will reach the younger Gay teens and there’s not a tinker on it. When I asked tractions’ season were Marcy Harriell, where once I wasn’t, and I’ve heard from twenty-somethings and send a message my host "Which local artists’ CD should MIMI on Broadway, and Chad friends and fans about their own searches that "Yes, you can be gay and successful, take home with me as a souvemr. , the Richardson,ROGERonBroadway, flown for meaning, whichis one of the themes of that gay is more than OK and is cool. You immediateresponsewasTomMichael’s’, in for the day to perform a couple of the show. And that has inspired me to can live ~oodlife, a rich life," and hopes And he was right. Tom Michael’s "Sail- numbers from the show. They were both start searching. It’s so nice to bein a show they will be moved by the relevant expeing On" is available from Amazon.corn, dynamate, and had incredible voices, that’s inspiring instead of traumatizang." rienees the show represents. The message or Tower Records, Original Cast Records I was able to ask a few questions of Marcy Harriell has not done a CD yet, of inclusiveness is important to him for (1-888-627-3993), Borders, Barnes and them, which they were most ~acious in but hopes ~t is in her future. And I can the audience to ’get." Noble, Footlight Records, and answering. I spoke first with Ms Harriell, assure you, evenifshe sings the telephone Even today, he still has a passion for CDNOW.com: who was as gracious as she was beautiful, book, it would be well worth listening to. this show evident in his speech and the BrachettllS comang. No,~t s notaplece JC: This seems like an incredibly diffi- Chad Richardson is Canadian rock way his eyes light up. Having aecomof tOast with herbs and tomatoes on ~t, it’s cult show to do, especially in terms of the singer, and has had two albums produced, plished quite a bit for his 35 years, he ArturoBrachetti, the quick-change artist, vocals. His third is the upcoming "No. 1 Fan," chalks his success up to being a Think "Greater Tuna" meets Robin Will- MH: (laughing) "Oh yes! Well, I’m a due out in May. He’s a handsome man, workaholic. He never tires of seeing the Jams while doing David Copperfield’s classically trained singer - opera and so and he also has an incredible voice, much show s effect on audiences, its power to act. Greater Tuna had two guys doing on, so doing this show was really different easier to listen to in many ways than embrace and connect with all people, and quick changes to create the 22 characters in terms of it being arock show, basically. Anthony Rapp, the originator of the role. make them feel part of a family. of a small mythical town; Arturo is one It places totally different stresses on your He also has incredible presence and very Of course, that does kind of clash with man creating 88 characters during the vocalchords,andrequiresalotofstamina; piercing eyes. the show’s detractors, who feel that it course of an evening - from cowboys to because when you get caught up in the Chad was a member of the Canadian glamorizes drug use and unsafe sex, but geishas and barmaids to Royal Mounties, emotion of the show - which happens at cast ~f Rent, who reached rock-star fame you can’t please everyone. he is a very channing man and handsome some point every night - you forget the .o as a member of the show. He quickly tired by Lamont Lindstrom, Ph.D. My sister just reported in from the annual family reunion. Earlier this month, the uncles, aunts, and cousins congregated in apark on the suburban slopes ofMt. Diablo, California. Safe here in Oklahoma, I’ve somehow managed to .miss the last decade ofthese family pic- But news filters back. This year my second cousin Michael reappeared, somehow on parole. I am surprised because it wasn’t too long ago thathe attacked an elderly couple in their car, pulled up at a gas station. He stabbed the oldwoman dead. A .Vietnam War flashback, Michael’s lawyer said, which could wall be true. My family doesn’t talk much. What facts I have derive from the Oakland Tribune lnternet newspaper archives. Orrather, the truth is that we happily gossip about each other when those others aren’t listening. Wejust don’t speak such things publicly. And there at the picnic also were my second cousins, once-removed, who are autistic. Our gossip wonders if this condition is their parents’ fault. The brothers, who are now in their 30s, somehow make a living repairing trails in Yosemite National Park. We all know something about them despite the fact that their autism is never spoken of at our reunions. My first cousin arson was at the picnic too. arson is 46, unmarried, does something with computers, and still lives with my aging aunt and uncle. It makes one think. It makes us gossip, too. Perhaps I have a Gay cousin: Or perhaps arson is just a happy solitary. Who knows? We never talk about it:Opeuly, that is. My family - likes yours, maybe - religiously follows our own policy of "Don’t ask, don’t tell." This peculiar sort of secrecy is the framewt,rk of the closet. The closet comes into being just because we have agreed not to notice what is obvious. arson’s sexual identity is an open secret. He knows what he is, and we know what he is too. But because we never admit what we know, not publicly anyway, we avoidhaving to deal withits consequences. If we did acknowledge that we know, we might have to do something. Dismiss the newly uncloseted Gay from the Army, for example. My family wouldn’t discharge Orson.(or me either,.for that matter) fromthe clan,butitwouldface having to revalue Gayness. It would lose the comfort of our open secret. This would demand considerable emotional and political transformationonall sides, It’s alot easier just to go along to eat the hotdogs and hamburgers and chat about kids and the weather. Eve Sedgwick, a literary critic and one of the founders of "queer theory," proposedin" TheEpistemology ofthe Closet" that open secrets are fundamental within modern American culture. Part of her argument can be restated simply. Homosexuality - which throughout much of the 20th century couldnot be recognized publicly - is nonetheless always present within contemporary no- My family doesn’t talk much. What f~ets I have derive from the Oakland Tribune Internet newspaper archives. Or rather, the truth is that we happily gossip about each other when those others aren’t listening. We just don’t speak such things publiely. ¯ tions of sexuality. Gayness exists in order : to maintain theboundaries of straightness. ¯ Wejust don’t admit it: ¯ Gayness has to exist as an open secret. It is a shadowy, inverted, and devalued reflection of straight. When it emerges from the closetand appears clearly in public, it threatens ¯straightness if it becomes a possible, alternative normal sexuality. Straight can’t exist withoutGay; butitperhaps also can’t exist-notin thesame way, anyway - when the open secret is revealed. Likemurder and autism in the family, the unspeakability of secret Gayness has maintainedits shame. We’ve heard the reaction: "Go ahead and be Gay. Butkeepit to yourself. Don’t thrust your lifestyle in my face. We don’t want to know about it. How dare you Gays flaunt k ? Can’t you keep it secret?" ¯ You can understand the worry. Flaunt- " ing destroys open secrets. Public recogni- ¯ ,tion of Gayness erodes the normality and "6ounds of straightness. Telling one’s se- ¯ crets unsettles the uncles and the aunts ¯¯ and their elemental notions about who ¯ and what they are. Who can blame them? Nowonderthey’dratherhappily smalltalk ¯ with arson abouthis job andhis car- and ¯ not about what he does when no one is ;" looking (or when they are pretending not ¯ to be looking). ¯ So my family dogs its job, keeping our ¯ open secrets. And it’s not just my timo- ¯ ¯ rous relatives. I have thirty-something Gay friends who avoid certain bars for ¯ fear they might run into family friends ¯ who’dtell thex" rmother. Li" kemomdoesn’t ¯ already know. But, sometimes, she really doesn’tknow- she honors the open secret ¯ by not admitting that she’s seen through ¯ her son years ago. ¯ One of these years I’m going to finally ¯ make it home to the family reunion. ¯ "Orson," maybe I’ll say,"So what do you ¯ think of those Back Street Boys?" ¯ Lamont Lindstrom teaches anthropology at the University of Tu,lsa. ¯ ¯ It takes courage to scrutinize yourdefense structures, belief system, values, self- " worth, self-doubt, behavioral patterns, and ¯ overall identity, and to shed the traits and ¯ beliefs thatno longer functionin your life. ¯ It takes uncommon courage and integrity ~ to implement the insights of that scrutiny, ¯ and to live honesty and authentically. ¯ Anyone who enters and completes this : process is a survivor, and deserves the ¯ rewards of liberation, identity autonomy, ¯ and happiness." : While much of this book is geared to- " ward use by straight therapists for their ¯ Lesbian and Gay clients, lay people will ¯ also find it valuable. It will help people to ¯ fully understand that the rituals they have ¯ gone through are not unusual and that : their goal shou!.d be a vibrant, happy and ¯ healthy life. ¯ Check for this title at your local library, ¯ or call Readers Services at 596-7966. Timothy .W. Daniel Attorney at Law | An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partnership Planning, Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy I 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma ~sareavailable. Are You Gay or Bisexual? Are You Native American Support Group is 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 rr IGTA member Call 341.6866 international Toursiormorein!ormation. e Therapy services Edgar O. Cruz, L.M.T. Pager: 918-889-5255 Voice Mail: 918-697-9282 Lic. #t34133 Country Club Barbering Custom Styling for Men & Women David Kauskey 3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Ffi., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pro Tulsa ’sonly professional body-piercing American Theatre Company presents Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night Augus, 17- !9 August 24 - 26 Eight o’clock Eight dollars at. the gate Phil brook Museum 2727 South Rockford Road. by Ted Anthony, AP National Writer N~V YORK (AP) - 715ose eyes. ~tNose eyelashes. Those cheekbones. Those outfits. She Is m~ American original, this Tammy Faye Bakker - for better and for worse, an utterly umque vessel that conrains the strange stew of celebrity, spirituality and sin we have come to expect from our fallen 1cons in recent decades. Who better, then, to explore, to figure out, to focus in upon than the face that launched 1,000 quips? That’s the mission of a new documentary, and "Tile Eyes of Tammy Faye" doesn’t disappoint. For those of you living on Jupiter’s moons, Tammy Faye Bakker (now Tammy Faye Messner) was/is the excruciatingly mascaraed ex-wife of tdevangelist Jim Bakker and former costar of PTL, the North Carolina-based television ministry that imploded in a pit of accusations and recriminations in the late 1980s. He trysted with Jessica Hahn (who later paraded in Playboy) and went to jail. She got addicted to pills and ended up marrying his best friend. Jerry Falwell got involved. Things got nasty. Pop culture references were born. Mascara companies prospered. Now, more than a decade later, Tammy Fgye paces-the halls of her California gated-community house, trying to sti~lI together the swatches of her life and fin__ out what’s important to her. This proves to be a funny and tragic endeavor, and filmmakers Randy Barbato and Fenton Baily chronicle it as it unfolds. Narrated by RuPaul, of all people, it’s a festival of weirdness camed out on an impressively documentarian level, and it offers a deadon look at Tammy _ aye without ever poking fun at her. It lets her do all the work, and work she does. - She gives us a tour of her makeup case (the eyes come from L’Oreal Waterproof - She is praised by relatives in strange ways ("When she was born, she had perfecfly manicured fingernails:’ says an aunt). - She goes to a photographer to get new head shots and smpri ses the makeup artist by announcing that her lips, eyes and eyebrows are permanently lined. The film’s success, though, lies in assembling a portrait of Tammy Faye that transcends parody. She is an easy target for a hip, sarcastic documentary. Instead, we find out about a woman who was reaching out to Gays and AIDS patients long before anyone else in the Christian broadcasting community Welearn about awoman who endured cancer, thenjudged. the experience worthwhile because ~t brought her closer to her daughter. And we discover, though she never says it outfight, that she still respects Jim Bakker - and may well still love him xn some ways. Bakker, too, is interviewed here, watched balefully by his new wife as he talks - and sometimes reminisces fondly - about his time with Tammy Faye. In the end, you’re left with several questions aboutTammy Faye: What DID she and Bakker believe in? God? Ego? Money? Themselve,’ 9 And what does she really look like under all those layers? Whatever she ultimately is, Tammy Faye deserves some sympathy. She’ s been through alot that wasn’t her ownmaking. She’s going to church again, singing ~n a local choir and trying to figure out just who she is - an admirable trait in anyone, and something not to be lampooned, no matter what her past has held. "I don’t know of any woman in our time who has been so maligned," Pat Boone tells the camera. "And yet she just keeps going." And that trajectory makes for a fascinating documentary - whether you end up seeing it as a valid piece of journalism or an entertaining celebrity car wreck. Homosexual Rites of Passage: arises from lack of awareness that others A Road to Visibility & Validation by Marie Mohler, MA reviewed by Barry Hensley Tulsa Ciry-CounU Eibrary Like e~eryone else, Lesbians and Gay men go through a series of life events that shape their personalities, morals and ability to interact with other people. However, because of sexual orientation, there is often a different set of events and there are different hurdles to jump. This book analyzes these rites of passage to help Lesbians and Gay men understand themselves. Author ~ [thief approaches a variety of topics, each with, a sep~ate chapter, inciudi~. g ~,~nderstar,,ding Fear, Overcoming c.~- Coming Out, Con-a~fitment Rimai s ar,_d Aging Rites. Each topic builds o~ the prevtous one. Fern plays a big role for both straights and Ga)’s. For Gay people, fear serves as an obstacle to growth. For straightpeople, fear of Gays "’smt’aces in antiGay bashing, picketing, propaganda, hazing, attempts at converting homosexuals and discrimination in the workforce. Energy is tied up in keeping the Lesbian and Gay individual out of their world, consciousness, and own ide.nti.ty,.b.y attemp.ting t,o, keep homosexuahty mws~ble and stlent. Mohler suggests that straights fear Gays due to ignorance. "This ignorance often may differ from one’s sdf. There is often no motivation to learn about other cultures or sexual orientations. Thus, anything different from the self is considered abnormal." One thought provoking section in the chapter on aging deals with the death of a same sex life partner. A Gay or Lesbian individual’s "truest support system, emotionally, physically, sexually, and finandally, may be flflfilled by this one person. In light of’the fact that many heterosexual peers and families may not mfite understand the magnitude of homo~sexual fee!- rags _~md. Gay!Lesbi,~ conuni~mem to !ife parmers, ~t ma~ be devastating to not rec~’~c ~N’.: much-needed suppn<i: dmSng this a;~,::’~;v-g pefic,l. The heterosextml majci:~.~? ~m,,y be blind to exiuatiL~g the loss of one’s life partner to ’,he loss of a husband or wife. While this lack of support is a great tragedy, with great potenial for re- ~njuring and shaming homosexuals during a time of great mourning, it is thevery reason why Gay men and Lesbian women needto stand together as a community and validate the troth of their parmerships." The chapter on coming out summarizes the upbeat feel of the entire book: "(the coming out) process affects homosexuals physically, emotionally, and intellectuall) - see Passages, p. 10 Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2000] Tulsa Family News, August 2000; Volume 7, Issue 8 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohn Karin Gregory Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Hughston Walkinshaw Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, July 2000; Volume 7, Issue 7 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/603 2000 African Americans AIDS aMUSEments arts and entertainment Bars Boy Scouts businesses churches civil unions Colin Powell Dick Cheney gay bashing Gay marriage Gay Studies hate crimes HIV homophobia Jim Christjohn journalism Karin Gregory Lamont Lindstorm Marie Mohler marriage equality military inclusion Murder Native Americans performing arts Raging Lesbian Read All About It Republican Party restaurants support groups Tammy Faye Messner Tom Neal Tulsa Family News https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/6497570df6739814b1f53803976aa5b1.jpg eddbd7f8092dd730d643f946703894db https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/bd25622cc45d3dc2ef36d1c050f025cf.pdf ea4d97532b62ccf57ba0218150bb41fc Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Two Teens Indicted In Murder of Gay Black Man FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) - Two 17-year-old Marion County boys were indicted at the end of August for the murder of a Gay Black man. Jared Wilson and David Allen Parker ofGrantTown were each charged as adults with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the July 4 death of Arthur "J.R." Warren. They are accused of beating and kicking Warren, 26, then running over him with a Camaro to disguise his injuries as a hit-and-run. If convicted, they could be sentenced to life in prison. A 15-year,old witness, Jason Shoemaker of Grant Town, has been charged as a juvenile with being an accessory after the fact for allegedly helping the older boys dispose of evidence. Conviction on that misdemeanor offense could mean up to.a year in jail. Shoemaker has testified that Warren was beaten and kicked with steel-toed boots in a.hous¢.then put in a car. He was still alive and begging t6 be taken home when the other boys dragged him from the car on a Grant Town road to kick and beat him some more. Parker then drove over Warren four times, the boy said. see Murder, p. 11 Los Angeles Dod.gers ApOlogize to Lesbians WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) - The Dodgers apologized Wednesday to a Lesbian couple ejected from Dodger Stadium earlier this month after the two shared a kiss during a game against the Chicago Cubs. ’‘i was troubled.., because ofwhatit implied about the Dodger organization," said team President Bob Gratiano. "It means a lot to me that you are Dodger fans," he said to Danielle Goldey and Meredith Kott. "We will continue to do the right thing," Graziano said. The two were escorted out of the ballpark on Aug. 8. Goldey and Kott say they were not initially told why they were being ejected, but later they were told that someone complained and said children should not be exposed to "those people." The couple said their companions, a heterosexual couple, also kissedbut werenot ejeeted. Because ofthis, they felt the action of the eight security guards was discrimination. Besides the public apology, the Dodgers donated 5,000 tickets to three Gay and Lesbian organizations and promised sensitivity training for their employees. ’’I think they stepped up to the plate more than they had to,"Goldey said. "All we wanted was an apology ... I’m very proud to be a Dodger fan." ’’I’m extremely happy with the results," Kott said. The couple was going to file a civil rights lawsuit if the Dodgers didn’t apologize, said their lawyer Bernie Bemheim. see Courts, p. 3 U_! DIRECTORY P. 2 ~ EDITORIAL P. 3 US & WORLD NEWS P. 4 ~,~ HEALTH NEWS P. 6 Z ENTERTAINMENT P. 8 GAY STUDIES P. 10 Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends Tulsa + US Protests of Boy Scouts’ Anti-Gay Policies " OKC/TULSA (AP/TFN) - A handful of demonstrators asking ¯ the Boy Scouts to stop discriminating against Gay scouts and " leaders took their message to the streets Monday, August 21, ° targeting motorists at a busy intersection not far from the Last o FrontierBoy Scout headquarters inOklahomaCity (OKC) andin ¯ front of the Indian Nations Council in the Brookside neighbor- " hood in Tulsa. The Tulsa and Oklahoma City rallies were part of an effort ¯ plannedin atleast 36 cities and 21 states initiated by Scouting For All, a national nonprofit organization formed by Steven Cozza, " 15, of Petaluma, Calif. Cozza started Scouting For All several ¯ years ago after his father was removed as a Scout leader for .-. supporting Gay civil rights. Cozza, who said neither he nor his father is Gay, left the Boy ¯ Scouts about six months ago after becoming an Eagle Scout. ¯ Cozz~ said he no could longer support the program because it discriminates. "Scoutmasters are people to look up to. What’s " wrong with being influenced by a Gay man? Someone’s sexual- : ity has nothing to do with his character or personality," he said. ¯ The dozen OKC protesters held signs that read "Scouting ¯ should be for everyone", "Open scouting to Gays" and "Honk for ~ Gay Boy Scouts". People honked. In Oklahoma City, a couple of : people shouted obscenities and one truck driver shouted, "You [ guys are wrong"but i,n Tulsa, most of those commenting as they ¯ drove by were supportive of the demonstrators who averaged -" about 20 over a couple hour period. ." Kent Doss, a 21-year-old student a! the University of Okla- ¯ homa and an Eagle Scout, attended both the Oklahoma City and ° the Tulsa protests. Doss, who is Gay, became an Eagle Scout in ¯ 1997. He had been in scouting since the third grade. "Even after ." that many years of hard work it’s just not worth it because of the ~ negative influence," he said. ’’It is so hypocritical Everything I ¯ grew up with has been ignored," Doss said. ’q don’t want to ." abandon the scouts. I want to be apart of the dialogue, but I’m not ~ proud of scouting." In Tulsa, Doss did turn in his uniform, his ¯ merit badges and his Eagle Scout award. ¯ In June, the US Supreme Cotvt ruled 5-4 that Boy Scouts of ~ America (BSA) can bar Gays from serving as troop leaders. ¯ see Scouts, p. 2 Walk For Life 200-0 -" TULSA (TFN) - For the pasl seven years, AIDS activists, [ caregivers, people living with AIDS/HIV, and others have come : together to walk to raise money for I-IIV/AIDS care-giving and ¯ education agencies. Their services include n~lical assistance, _" prevention efforts, transportation, support groups, and home and ." hospice care. ¯ Walkers are asked to solicit pledges prior to this year’s event [ and to bring their pledge sheets and those donations to the Walk _" which will be held on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 9:30am at Veterans’ ¯ Park, located at 21st & Boulder. The Walk will begin and end at : the park going down the River Park to the 31 st Pedestrian Bridge ." and returning. ¯ Donations to Walk for Life 2000, the 8th Annual Tulsa AIDS ¯ Walk will be increased by 50% with matching dollars through the : generosity of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The Walk is ~ sponsored by the Community Service Council, and will benefit .- the Tulsa Community AIDS Partnership (TCAP). ¯ The Walk is an all volunteer effort and there are no admiuistra- "_ five costs. For more information or for pledge forms, call 585- ¯ 5551. :US Court Rules Gay Mexican ¯ Citizen Eligible for U,S, Asylum [ SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A cross-dressing, Gay Mexican man ¯ persecuted in his homeland is entitled to asylum in the United ¯ States, a federal appeals panel ruled in August. -" The decision by three judges of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of ¯ Appeals expanded the social circumstances of persecution that ¯ immigration officials must consider during asylum hearings. ¯ Federal. courts have already allowed asylum for a variety of ¯ political and social reasons, including a woman’s fear of genital : mutilation in her African homeland. Just last month, the 9th ¯ Circuit ruled that an Armenian who says he has was given an ¯ ultimatum to become a Communist or leave Armenia deserved ¯ another bid for asylum. The case involves Geovanni Hernandez-Montiel, a Gay Mexi- " can citizen who dresses and behaves as a woman. Hetestified that ¯ he was persecuted by his family, school officials and police, who " he said sexually assaulted him. see Asylum, p. 9 Gay Services Center Moving to Memorial TULSA (TFN) - After several years in Brookside, Tulsa’s Gay Community Services Center is rdocating - likely to a building near 21st and Memorial. After the ownership of the current location changed, TOHR (Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights, sponsoring organization of,\the center) had to fight a legal battlejust to finish the current lease. The new owners have spent considerable funds to update the location in order to lease it at much higher rates. None of the other original tenants still remain. TOHR president Greg Gatewood noted that the new center will have about the same amount of space as the current one but may have slightly lower operating costs. The new space will still have a Pride Store, the Nancy McDonald Library, and an expanded TOHRmembers only free video lending library. Volunteers to help prepare for the move and to move are quite welcome, Gatewood added and can call the Center at 743-4297 for details. TOHR events for September include: a protest planning meeting to respond to the upcormng visit to Tulsa by radio "therapist" Dr. Laura on Tuesday, Sept. 5th at 7pm at the Center (current location at 37th & Peoria, 2nd floor), new Center volunteer orientation on Wednesday, Sept. 6th at7pm,TOHR membership meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 7:30pm. This meeting will feature a presentation of an A&E (Arts & Entertainment Network) program onhate crimes. Votes on the nominating committee for next year’s officers and on bylaws revisions will also be held. And planning for next year’s Pride events, Diversity Festival and Parade will begin on Saturday, Sept. 9th at 1 lain at the Center. On Friday, Sept. 29, 8pm, there will be a video release party for Diversity 2000, a commemorative video created by BoyBlue Productions in support of TOHR. It will include highlights of all Pride Week events including: see Video, p.8 ¯ Florida Politicians Push Federal Hate Crime Bill - WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Two Republi- ¯ can congressmen are touting legislation that would ~ expand the federal government’s rolein investigat- ~ ing and prosecuting crimes based on sexual often- , tation, religion, gender or ethnicity. , U.S. Reps. Bill McCollum of Orlando and Mark ¯ Foley of West Palm Beach said while they may be ¯ members of a conservative political party, that ¯ doesn’t mean they find hate crimes against Gays ¯ and other historically persecuted groups any less -" foul than Democrats do. "The issue is not Gay : rights, the issue is hate crime," McCollum said ¯ Tuesday while meeting with Jewish leaders. "When ¯ someone is brutalized or killed.., it is fundamen- : tally wrong." ¯ The bill would provide grants of up to $100,000 ¯ for the investigation,and prosecution ofhate crimes in all 50 states. It also would give federal authori- ¯ ties the ability to prosecute hate crimes under ¯ interstate commerce laws. o According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, ¯ Florida ranks second in the nation in the number of [ active hate groups. FBI statistics show a total of " 7,755 bias-motivated criminal incidents were re- . ported in 46 states and the District of Columbia in . 1998, down about 10% over 1997. Angela Lampert of the Jewish Federation of " Palm Beach County said the group strongly sup- . ports the bill. ’’We think hate crimes are abhorrent ¯ and do not need to be tolerated," Lampert said after ¯ meeting with McCollum and Foley at Temple Beth ¯ El in West Palm Beach. In July, the Senate passed similar legislation as ¯ an amendment to a defense department appropria- " tions bill. This adds offenses motivated by sexual ; orientation, sex or disability to the list of crimes ¯ covered under federal law. McCollum, chair of the ¯ House Subcommittee on Crime, and Foley hope to ¯ pass the House version in the same way. Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants *Chasers, 4812 E. 33 *CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial *Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine *Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st *The Star, 1565 Sheridan *Renegades!Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main *TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial *Tool BOX, 1338 E.’ 3rd *The Yellow Brick Road Pub; 2630 E. 15th ;712-2324 610-5323 583-2119 835-2376 744-4280 745-9998 834,4234 585-3405 660-0856 584- t308 749-1563 Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals Advanced Wird~ss &~PCS,Digital Cdlular Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 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. P~oria *CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria~ *Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 .747-1508 743-1000 250-5034 665-4580 712-1122 712-9955 494-2665 743-5272 746-0313 295-5868 581-0902, 743-4117 622-0700 749-3620 744-5556 838-8503 369-8555 584-0337, 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 26o-7829. 481-0558 835-5563 743-1733 665-2222 592-0767 *Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th Doghouse on Brookside, 331 t S. Peoria *Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial .Ross Edward Salon Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria Four Star Import Automotive, 9906,E. 55th PI. Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare *Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st Leatme M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning Mark T. Hamby, Attorney *Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E Skelly *International Tours Jacox ANmal 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, 308 South Kenosha *Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 *Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo *The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor Rainbowz on the River B+B, PUB 696, 74101 Richard’s Carpet Cleaning Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921, Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square Paul Tay, Car Salesman *Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling *Wherehouse Music,,5150 S. Sheridan *Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays & Lesbians 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. 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 of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood 587-1314 *Community of Hope Church, 2545 S: Yale 747-6300 *Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595 Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888 *Delaware 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 e-mail: TulsaNews@ earthlink.net Publisher + Editor: Tom Seal Writers + contributors: James Christjohn. Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom, Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw " Member of The Associated Piess ........... Issued on orbefore the let of each month~2the endre contents of this pubhcation are protected by US copyright I998 by T~ ~1 Nt,w,t and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’ s sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumedto be for publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes the sole property of Tt,~ /:€,~ Ntsu4~ 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 HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. *Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral Holland Hall School, 5666 E. 81st HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education *Houseofthe Holy SpiritMinstries, 1517 S. Memorial *MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral P1. NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, PUB 14068, 74159 OK Spokes Club (bicycling), PUB 9165, 74157 *OSU-Tulsa PFLAG, PUB 52800, 74152 *Planned Parenthood, -1007 S. Peoria Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152 R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network *Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st *St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King *Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder *TNAAPP (Native American men), Indiau Health Care Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 582-0438 583-6611 834-4194 481-1111 834-8378 224-4754 838-1715 748-3111 365-5658 749-4901 587-7674 749-4195 584-2325 425-7882 492-7140 582-3088 583-7171 582-7225 595-4105 Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297 T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform~Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827 *Tulsa City Hall, Ground Hoor 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 Bardesville Public Library,, 6"00 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353 OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN Borders Books & Music, 3209 NW Expressway 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, PUB 1570 918-453-9360 NSU School of Optometry, 1001 N. Grand HIV’testing every other Tt~es. 5:30-8:30, call for dates EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734 Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S Main 501-253-7457 DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. .501-253-6807 Fanerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445 MCC of the Living Spring 501"-253-9337 Seek to Go!, PC Specialist, PUB 429 501-253-2776 Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332 Positive Idea Marketing Plans 501-624-6646 Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East 501-253-6001 White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074 JOPLIN, MISSOURI Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696 * is where you can trmd TFN. Not all are Gay-owned butall are Gay-friendly. Hesaid he first thought the Dodgers might have a policy against Gay and Lesbian couples showing affectionin theball park. "I’m frankly shocked," Bernheim said. ’q’heir response is atypical and outstanding." He said the Dodgers have donemore to make amends than any other corporation he’s dealt with. Goldey and Kott have been invited to sit behind home plate to make up for the game they missed. ¯ - - "It i-s not trivial-to-be thrown ouf’Of p.u,b’,!.]c..p.l~ac:eb~as~ed Of, who YOU "are,"s"d Jon Da~cids0n 0f the Lambda L~g~i’ D~-: fense and: Edlacafion Fund, a Gay advocacy group. ’q’his result is a home run for all concerned." The ruling may also permit the 6.2-mib lion-member organization to reject Gays as members. The Boys Scouts consider homosexuality contrary to their oath .requiring scouts tube "morally straight:" The90?ye~ff-Oldorganization says its goal is to ’l~iS~’itle educational programs for boys and young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship and to devdop personal fitness.¯ EdmrddresidentJustin Spears, aformer Boy Scout l~ader, said he doesn’t know if he want~.:..Ms 8-year-old son to become a Boy Scoii~ because of the stance against Gays. "Even though they have a legal mandate, this discrimination needs to be stopped," he said. In Tulsa, longtime PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and GayS) activist Cathy Hinkle marched and spoke ofhow her Gay son was a scout but would have been barred under the BSA policy. Hinkle was joined for part of the protest by the new pastor of All Souls Unitarian Church. The OKC demonstrators marched to the headquarters, where former scout member Jim Craig, turned in his handbodkin prdtest to Jim Russnogle, director of field services for the Last Frontier Council. "In Boy Scouts I learned a lot about Boy Scout law. I believe scout law is not being followed," Craig said. "A lot of kids:that are Gay might not be tempted to co~Iv;uicide if they had more support." " Russnogle read from a statement that said that the Boy Scouts respects their rights, and ask that the rights of the BSA also be respected. "We believe avowed homosexuals should not be role models;" Russnogle read. He added that he is sorry, that Dose. no longer wants to be consid;,~ ered an Eagle Scout, "But if that is his opinion, I respect that." Rob Abiera, owner and operator of Ga~,0k~:(0m said thedemonstration was - called to show supportfor Gay Boy Scouts and Scout Masters and to educate how Gay Scouts face discrimination. "We know that the Boy Scouts has~been a pioneer in reaching out to minorities and,¯. should continue that effort in reaching out to Gays. It is completely inconsistentwith what they have done in the past," Abierav ~ said. Demonstrators were turned away from the national Boy Scouts ofAmericaheadquartersMonday afterpresenting a 55,000- signature petition protesting the organization’s ban on Gay troop leaders. Fewer than a dozen demonstrators, some wearing Boy Scout uniforms, see p. 3 were met by a security guard and not allowed past the front desk. A secretary who refused to give her name said she would forward the petition to the organization’s president. The protesters hadhoped to talk withleaders of the organization or at least schedule a meeting. ’"vVe’re disappointed," said Dave Rice, a former Scout leader who marched in Irving. ’°We don’t like confrontation. We like to sit down, shake hands and discuss a solution that’s mutually beneficial." In Seattle, more than_ 100 people rallied~ in protest Monday night. One, former Eagle Scout Doug Barnes, said he planned to send hisbadge back. Another, Jon Wartes, said he already had done so. "Does the Boy Scouts of Americareally understand the hurt that they’re doing?" said Wartes, who became an Eagle Scout in 1959 and wrote part of the Boy Scout handbook. At the Washington, D.C. protest, Graham Segroves wore his Boy Scout shirt complete with his Eagle Scout badge and other honors. Now with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Segroves, 25, said he did not realize he was Gay until he left the scouts eight years ago. Segroves said he hopes President Clinton will agree to a task force request thathe resignhis honorary presidency of the Boy Scouts He also is watching for congressional action on a proposed "Scouting f0~ All" act, which seeks to revoke the Boy Scouts’ congre~slbhal charter. The Supreme Court decision has ~IS0 left compames that donate to the Boy Scouts of America in a quandary: their employment policies contradict the Boy Scouts’ court-upheld right toban Gay troop members. The stance already has cost the Scouts financial support from companies such as Levi Strauss & Co: arid Wells Fargo. Others, concerned about hurting the beneficiaries of such funding - the boys themselves - are w~ighing their options. Chase Manhattan Corp. is considering revoking its contributions. ’XDn the face of it, some issues appear to be in conflict with our commitment to diversity," spokesman Jim Finn said. ’%Ve will make a final determination on this soon. It’s notsomething we are going to let rest for a long time." Merrill Lynch & Co. in New York, which gives between $100,000 and $150,000 a year, is "actively reviewing" its relationship with the Scouts, said spokesman Joe Cohen. Media company Knight Ridder has asked "that funds it gives to the UnitedWay notbe directed to the Boy Scouts because it conflicts "with the company’s philosophy on people and di~cersity, and the company could not support such a discriminatory stance," said Polk Laffoon, vice president of corporate relations. The Tulsa Area United Way (l’AUW)does fund the Indian Nations Council of the BSA. TAUW’s director, Kathleen Coan, at a mid-summer news conference was asked, "since TAUW doesn’t fund racist or anti-semitic organizations, why it funds non-profits (BSA, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Green Country, the American Red Cross) which discriminate against Lesbian and Gay Tulsans?" Coan, responding with obvious anger,, stated that she was "quite proud" of thefunding decisions which TAUWhas made, and made no effort to explain orjustify those decisions. Steve Tumbo, of the public relations firm Sctmake, Brookey Turnbo, and a recent addition to the Tulsa Area United Way board was present at that press conference and also reacted angrily to questiond aboutTAUW bias. Mr. Turnbo, a longtime supporter of the National Conference for Community and Justice, a Tulsa "human rights" organization with a history of anti-Gay discrimination, had promised to respond to inquiries about TAUW’s funding of anti-Gay groups if the concerns were expressed by letter. To date, TFN has received no response to a letter sent in April. Turnbo also was the organizer a few years ago of a conference which claimed to be about diversity butwhich failed to include Lesbians and Gay men in any of its planning and Turubo also refused to alter the event even when the matter was brought to his attention and individuals were willing to volunteer to help correct the exclusion. Tumbo’s firm enjoys a privileged relationship with Tulsa’s establiskment frequently working closely with Tulsa mayor, M. Susan Savage, the Chamber of Commerce and Tulsa Public Schools, frequently being involved in bond and other elections. Assault at Rose Hill by Tom Neal, editor/publisher It was a picture perfect "photo op." The rabbi, draped with his prayer shawl, was flanked one one side by Mouzon Biggs of Boston Avenue Methodist Church, Black pastor Dr. McCutchen, and the Bishop (Catholic) of Tulsa, Edward Slattery, and on the other side by our mayor, M. Susan Savage, and Sheryl Siddiqui of Tulsa’s Islamic Society. .M1 were gathered in the 100 plus degree heat and sun to condenm a horrible act of desecration: the toppling of Jewish tombstones in Rose Hill Cem- : the Nadonal Conference of Christians and Jews) sends ¯ letters to the World condemning firemen who put Chris- " tian holiday decorations up and condemns anti-Semetic ¯ attacks on Joe Lieberman but never to my knowledge has ¯ responded publicly to attacks on Tulsa’s Gay Commu- ¯ nity Center, to anti-Gay Oklahoma legislation, to the ¯ beating of Orr and Beauchamp, or even to the murder of ¯ Mathew Sheppard. However, the organization has engaged in deliberate ¯ and conscious acts of anti-Gay discrimination, most recently at an event at Bigg’s BOston etery. And Rabbi Fitzerman of Congregation B’nai Emunah put in context just precisely how this act hurt, of how it invoked memories of Nazi atrocities with a story of a road to one Nazi labor/death camp being paved with Jewish tombstones. But when push comes to shove, this still was a crime against property - not a taking oflife. Was it an assault on the psyche of a community? Of course! Not unlike the year-in and year-out psychic assaults on Gay Tulsans from our own elected leaders (members of the legislature, our governor, our congressman, our sen~ttors, our district attorney),as well as from individual~ like Jonathan Brian Duke, the man who was caught in the cemetery. According to the Tulsa WorM, Duke had been accused of harassing two Gay men who lived near him. Indeed, ifyouknew who and what to look for, Tulsa’s Gay community was wall represented in the crowd. I suspect that after Jews, we may have been the largest single group. There were "baby" Gays in rainbow beads and : shorts, a young lesbian couple quietly : holding hands leaving the ceremony ] after all was over, establishment Gays ¯ from the Church of Saint Jerome, even somehardyhumanrights activists from : Oklahoma City who dropped every- : thing to come to be here in solidarity. "So when Rabbi Fitzerman says he’s grateful to llve in an "open eommunlty," one that "embraces diversity," "a place of profound moral health," I am grateful that for Tulsa’s Jewish eommunlty, this may finally be true. I hope so. But for Gay people dearly this is not yet true. For Gay Tulsans, Tulsa remains a place of deep hypoerlsy, where our tax dollars, and our talents are greedily taken but our exlstenee is mostly denied when not speeffleally condemned. " - Tom Neal Amazingly, Rabbi Fitzerman did Avenue Methodist Church. And in a particularly cynical fundraising ploy, NCCJ honored Robert Lorton, owner and publisher of the Tulsa WorM, a business knownfor at least fifteen years for its anti-Gay discriminatory business practices, its "humanitarian" of the year. So when Rabbi Fitzerman says he’s grateful to live in an "’open community," one that "embraces diversity," "a place of profound moral health," I am grateful that for Tulsa’s Jewish community, this may finally be true. I hope so. But for Gay people clearly this is not yet true. For Gay Tulsans, Tulsa . remains a place of deep hypocrisy, where our tax dollars, and our talents are greedily taken but our existence is mostly denied when not specifically condemned. It is a place where even our presence in human rights groups is begrudging and is predicated on our not getting "’uppity." (Note how these groups much prefer to have non-Gay Gay advocates like Nancy McDonald rather than actually have Gay people at the table. Note also that this is no cnttcism of Nancy’s good and hard work. She’s not responsible for their prejudice.) And while Gay people seem to get the connection between anti-semitism and anti-Gay values, the ~luestion remains whether Tulsa’s Jewish commention Gay people along with Jews, Catholics, Blacks, Asians and Hispanic Americans as those .who are attacked because we do not fit some "mythological profile" of a "true’.’ American. But as a long observer of Tulsa’s so-called "human rights" community, it is hard not to be somewhat bitter at the contrast between how seriously assaults on Tulsa’ s Jewish community are taken as compared to those on Tulsa’s Gay commumty. Let us merely start with who was on, and who was not on, the dais! While there seems to be evidence that Gays were also targets 6f Jonathan Brian Duke, and there certainly are Gay community leaders who were concerned and attending the event, like Father Rick Hollingsworth of Saint Jerome, or members of Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR), we were not represented. Duke had not attacked Cathohcs but the Catholic bishop was on the dais. Nor did he attack Methodists but Mouzon Biggs was there. Nor had he attacked Blacks but one of the most senior Black clergymen was there. Nor did he attack Muslims but Siddiqui was invited to the dais. Can anyone remember when ever our mayor has attended a Gay event? She’s usually conveniently out of town. Sure she sends her best bud, Hilary Kitz, whom we adore but it’s not the same. We did not see her at the memorial hdd in City Hall Plaza for Mathew Sheppard, nor did she release comment about that crime, or more relevantly did she comment on the brutal Brookside beating ofTony Orr andTim Beauchamp- indeed a local crime. Nor has our mayor responded to now years worth of calls for diversity training for police and other city workers which actually includes Gay people in the "diversity." Nor did she add her voice to the effort to amend our state hate crime statute to include "sexual orientalion." Local ’’human rights" organizations like the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ, formerly munity does. While Tulsa’s Jewish community by an3’ standard is successful in business and in political impact, and is influential due to those talents in wild disproportion to its numbers, it still seems to bdieve that it cannot risk expending its "’capital" to help Gay people. And it is also, frankly, a community which has not dealt with its own prejudices against Gay people, its homophobia and Its heterosexism. Part of the reason that things are better in Tulsa forJews is that non-Jews made the effort to try to make things better. It’s morally right for those still excluded to call on those who’ve been helped to turn and to help those still left behind. Tulsa’s Jewish community and Tulsa’s Gay community have much in common. Unlike racial minorities, neither community is an "onsight" minority. We are known by our actions, by going to our places of worship’or our community centers, or businesses. We are subject to similar pressures to just "convert." And we share the horror of Nazi persecution, a fact finally acknowledged by organizers of the local Holocaust interfaith remembrance event this year, albeit only after much cajoling and the intervention of one blessedly open minded Tulsan, herself the daughter of Holocaust survivors. The rabbi’s inclusive language is a good start. God forbid that there should be a next time for suchan event but when next there is a shared stage, an effort at representing the"diversity"ofour town, maybe thenone of our leaders will be on the dais. And maybe just like the Gay people who were in that 100 degree heat, who understand that an attack on Jews is an attack on us too, Tulsa’s Jewish commumty will throw their influence behind the Gay commumty’s efforts for fair treatment by our law enforcement system, by our legislature, and by our community organizations. The God of Israel commands, "... justice,justice, shalt thou seek..." You don’t have to be a Jew or a Christian to honor these words. Universal Florida To Offer Partners Benefits ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Universal Florida will start offering health and other benefits to domestic partners, both Gayand straight. The benefits, which will take effect Oct. 1, also will cover dependents of domestic partners. ’This is a part of our ongoing efforts to recognize the diversity of the team members in our workforce and to provide an array of benefits and services sufficient to be recognized as an employer of choice in this very dynamic Orlando labor market," said an internal Universal document obtained by The Orlando Sentinel. Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando’s largest employer with more than 55,000 workers, has offered health benefits to employees’ Gay partners since 1996. But Disney doesn’t cover heterosexual partners of employees tmless they are married. Disney doesn’t plan to change its policy regarding unmarriedheterosexual partners, said spokesman Bill Warren. "It’s our position that there is a legal remedy to be’formally married, and Seeg those benefits with heterosexual couples," Warren said. Universal, the area’s fourth-largest employer with 11,800 employees, will extend the benefits to any domestic, partner 18 or older who has lived with the employee for at least six months. In addition, the theme park resort’s statement said, partners, must have ’~oint responsibility for eachother’s financial wdfare and basic living expenses," although it is not dear how that would be proved. In addition to medical, dental, vision and dependent life insurance, domestic partners will be able to use Universal’s employee assistance program, sctfolarships and other benefits. Employees can enroll their partners in September. Hate crimes increase 11.7% in Los Angeles LOS ANGELES (AP) -Hatecrimes increased 11.7% in Los Angeles County last year, with blacks, Jews and Gays the target of most attacks, the. Human Relations Commission said. The increase was due in part to better reporting of hate crimes, officials said recently. Last year’s attack on the North Valley Jewish Community Center by a gunman led to an "unprecedented awareness" ofhate crimes, said RobinToma, acting executive director of the county Human Relations Commission. Buford O. Furrow Jr., a white supremacist, is charged with. shooting to death Filipino- American postal worker 3oseph Ileto and then wounding five people at the Jewish center. Overall in 1999, the report said, 859 crimes motivated by race. religion or sexual orientation-were reported. That was up 11.7% from 1998. It was the second-highest tally in 20 years, behind the peak year of’ 1996, when 995 hate crimes were reported. The upswing matched a 12% statewide increase in hate crimes, announced last month by the state attorney general’s office. The crimes ranges from crossbumings to killings. Overall, blacks werethe most frequent victims of hate crimes, but crimes involving religion or sexual orientation saw the largest increases. Hate crimes on school campuses .also rose sharply for the second year in a row,jumping 58.7%, from 46 to 73. Most of the crimes based on religion were nonviolent, but more than half of those against Gays and Lesbians were violent, the commission said. Univ. of Minnesota Alum Donates for Gay Center MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A University of Minnesota alunmus who made a fortune in the computer software industry has donated $500,000 to the school for an endowed Gay, Lesbian, bisexual and transgender studies center. The Steven J. Schochet Center for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies opened July 1. Schochet, a 1959 graduate, said he faced many barriers as a Gay man on campus and hopes the donation will improve the climate for GLBT students. The center will be responsible for coordinating graduate studies, establishing archives and starting a lecture series and community forums. ’.The goal of the center is to enhance the creation of knowledge about GLBT lives through academic studies and community interaction," said Liunea Stenson, Schochet Center program director. Texas A&M Waffles COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) - A Gay civil rights group urged Texas A&M University to implement an on-again, off-again ban on discrimination again~st Gays. School presidentRay Bowen suspended the policy change on Aug. 16, a few hours after it was posted on the university’s Web site. In a vaguely worded statement, Bowen said the issue needed more study. In a letter to Bowen, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force said Texas A&M shouldjoin other major universities around the state in prohibiting discrimination against homosexuals. "Failure to expressly -forbid discrimination also sends the message to the campus community that (homosexual) people are second-class citizens and that discrimination against them is acceptable," said ElizabethToledo, executive director of the task force. Bowen has stated the matter will be reconsidered after a better understanding by all confirmed parties has been achieved, said university spokesman Lane Stephenson. "He has directed the matter to go through the Office of the Dean of Student Life as the start of the process of reconsideration," Stephenson said. "We are already starting to have productive discussions within the university community." On the Net: .Texas A&M University: http:// www.tamu.edu Drag Queens-Invited to Olympic Celebrations SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - The Olympics’ dosing ceremony is going to be a drag. Drag queens will be part of the Sydney 2000 games’ finale regardless of what "right-wing reactionaries" think, ceremonies director Ric Birch said at the end of August/ Themen dressedup in outlandish dresses, wigs and makeup, will be "part of one tiny section" of the dosing ceremony, a tribute to Australian films including the 1994 cult hit ’.The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," he said. Some of the participants would be dressed in original costumes, including a frill-necked lizard outfit from the film, which features twodrag queens and a transsexual driving a pink bus through Australia’s Outback. A report in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper sparked heated debate onradio shows. One, caller said he would trade his dosing ceremony ticket after hearing the news. Birch directed the opemng ceremony at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and was involved in the opener at Atlantafour years ago. He said he was annoyed that constant leaks were wrecking what should be a surprise for the public. "I’m really disappointed at the way the mediais gleefully trying to expose the secrets that we call surprises," Birch told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. Photographs of the Olympic cauldron being lit in rehearsals, which are usually kept under wraps, have been printed. Speculation on who will ignite the cauldron has intensified. Birch said the inclusion of drag queens also reflected one of Sydney’s mostcolorful events, the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, a Gay pridemarch and street carnival that attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators each year. "That’s part of Sydney life whether (critics) like it or not." Birch said. "For the right-wing reactionaries or whatever part of a community is ..outraged about it - well, they’re always going to be outraged." Olympics Minister Michael Knight said all the plans forthe ceremonies had been approved by the organizing committee’s board. "The dosing ceremony runs for several hours and has a very different feel to United in God’s Love MCC-United Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community ofHope 2545 South Yale, Su~n~ da~.ys at llam, 749-0595 A Welcoming Congregation HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754 Sandra Hill M.s. Licensed Professional & National Certified Counselor, Certified Hypnotherapist Psychotherapy & Clinical ConsuItation After Hours Appointments Available 2865 E. Skelly Drive, Suite 215,745-1111 The Open Arms Project Young Adult Support Group Outreach Program Thurs. Nights Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment Call for meeting times and place: , 918-584-2325 Mingo Valley Flowers 9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145 918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-44A.-5934 Family Owned & Operated Trinna L. W. 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Cincinnati, 425-7882 5635 East 71st, 492-7140 Saint John Trinity 4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381 501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128 The Episcopal Church Welcomes You opening ceremony - it’s a party," he said. "Fhe athletes are going to be on the field from the word go as part of this giant party celebration: The whole feel will be one of great celebration and fi~n." Same-sex Marriage Ban Appears Headed to Ballot LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - It appears likely voters will get a chance to decide whether to ban same-sex marriages in Nebraska: A petition effort to place the proposed constitutional an~endment on th~ ballot gathered at leas t 19,000 more than the needed 105,214 signatures:, the Secretary Of State’ s,office announbed. The same~sex p~tition was circulated: by the De- [fehse: of Marriage Amendment Committee. With signatures t¥om 82 counties counted, the total-verified was 124,495. About 10% of the signatures were determined to be invalid. The petition effort was headed by Guyla Mills, director of the NebraskaFamily Council and a lobbyist for the Nonpartisan Family Coalifon- two groups that support the peftion. Mills said sheis confident that when all the signatures are verified they will have about 45,000 more thanwhat is required, and that will deter anyone from thinking about challenging them. At this time the Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberges Union has no intention of challenging anyof the signatures, even though it remains opposed to. the amendment; said ACLU director Tim Butz. A group organized to fight]he initiative, called the Vote No on DOMA (Defense of Marriage Amendment) Committee, also has no plans to challenge the signature count. Other groups opposing the effort include Nebraska Advocates for Justice & Equality, a nonprofit Omaha group, and PFLAG (Parents and Families of Lesbians and Gays). Butz said theACLU id researching what impact the amendment would have on exisfng laws dealing with business partnerships and existing legal agreements between Gay and Lesbian couples. The ACIJd also is looking into what impactit would have on companies that offer same-sex health~benefits,-to workers. ¯ The proposed constitutional amendment will read: ’~Only marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in Nebraska. The uniting of two persons of the same sex in a civil union, domestic partnership, or other similar same-sex relationship shall not be valid or recognized in Nebraska.’" Nothing in current Nebraska law s.pecifically prohibits same-sex marriage. Supporters of the petition say it will clarify in the consmutlon that only marriages of a man and woman are legal in Nebraska. Thirt.y-tl~r.ee states have passed law s or amended their const~tutxons to ban same-sex marriages. Officials Say No to Two Morns on Birth Certificate DENVER (AP) -The state health department will ask the Colorado Supreme Court to ban Lesbian couples from placing both their nmnes on a baby’s birth certificate, a health official said. The issue was raised after two Boulder District Court judges allowed seven Lesbian couples to place their names on birth certificates. One of the women in each couple was the birth mother. The judges said Colorado law allows people who have :no biological,connection to "a child tO ~ssume parentalrights ii~ certain situations. The Department ofPublic Health and Environment appealed, arguing that the judges had overstepped their legal authority by creating a new_ kind of pare_ntchild relationship. "It needs to be the decision of the legislature rather than the courts," said Cynthia Honssinger, a director in the health department. But the Colorado Court of Appeals turned down the health department’s request to overturn the Boulder courts. The appellate court said the health department didn’t appeal on time nor should it have any interest in the matter. Honssinger said the health department now plans to ask theColorado Supreme Court to look at what the Legislature intended when it enacted the Uniform Parentage Act. Lawmakers wanted to help single mothers get child-support payments from deadbeat dads, she said. Jeanine Pow, a lawyer representing one of the Lesbian couples, said the law traditionally wants what is in the "best interest" of the child, which is two adults who are responsible for the child. "The health department is wasting taxpayer money on punishing the children of Lesbian mothers," she said. The women in the seven Boulder cases want to remain anonymous to protect their clfildren and themselves, their lawyers said. GayArts Group Sues San Antonio; Claims Bias SAN-ANTONIO (AP) - A chItural arts 2roup fliat]ost Its c~ty fundlng.m 1997 armd 4omplaint~ ,o~er !ts +ponsorship of ~i Gay and Lesbiati fihri fest~fil’ the city to court on accusations of violating the First Amendment. Attorneys for the nonprofit Esperanza Center contend the City Council cut off the organization because of its viewpoints a violation of free speech- mad because of pressure from residents who told council members they opposed "promoting a Gay lifestyle." Also Suing the city are two groups under the 13- year-old Esperanza’s fiscal umbrella, the San Antonio Lesbian andGay Media Project mad the s~nall arts gr,o,up VAN ~lie Esperanza_N~d other plaintiffs were singled out by the city because of the viewpoints expressed by ~he Esperanza ~n a variety of ways, Esperanza lawyer Am~; Kastely told U.S. District Judge Orlando L. G,qrci~i iff0utlining their case. The Esperanza Center filed suit after the council voted in September 1997 to stop giving it money. Although the couucil reduced funding to most arts groups by 15% at the stone time, Esperanza was the only one ~hat was cut off altogether. Several residents had voiced their opposition to financing Esperanza, saying they disapproved of the behavior they believed the group was advocating. The city’s Cultural Arts Board had recommended $62~500 for Esperanza, which had been receiving city money for ~even years. But after the council vote, the cit)/ i~’ei~aJ:~ment 6f Ar~s .and dultural Affhirs also withheld $14,000 from the Texas Commission on the Arts, for a total loss of about $76,500. Now, the group’s leaders are seeking the money they believe they deserve. They’re also seekang an order from the court to force the city to follow its own criteria for granting arts funding. But lawyers representing the city say council members didn’t stra~: from the criteria. They say some council members just didn’l support the Esperanza Center while others wanted to divert some of the arts funding toward more basic city progrmns. For~ner councilman Jose Menendez testified that while he had received several phone calls and letters objecting to financing Esperanza, he simply felt that artsfluading was not a priority. He said Iris district needed sidewalks, speed bumps and more firefighters. ’qqae arts ~vas an area where we could get lnore money for basic servxces." The city’s law yers questioned whether Esperanza, which used to be called the Esperanza Peace &Justice Center, should have been eligible for arts money in the first place. Indeed, some council members had viewed it more as a political organization than an arts group, former councilman Roger Flores testified. Eduardo Diaz, former director of the city’s arts depar.tment: ~onceded~ ~upon, questioning.by assistant city attorney. Amy Eubanks that Esperanza technically is not an arts organization because its massion is not exclusively the presentation or production of art. ¯ But-he-added that it has.been Esperanza’s practice over the years to incorporate arts progran~s. Diaz testified earlier that he had no doubt that Esperanza met the criteria for funding He.said the g up has been an acttve player tn cultural events for many years. He said there are :other Ynon-arts" groups that receive arts funding. At the time of the’ 97 cotmcil vote, the Witte Museum, primarily a natural history and science museum, was among four organizations that were receiving 70 to 75% of the total amount of arts funding, Diaz said. Esperanza execuuve director Graciela S anchez testified the center has used arts programs to "g~ve voice to the voiceless." Medical Marijuana To Be Investigated SAN DIEGO (AP) - The University of California, San Diego will soon begin trials on medical marijuana at the nation’ s first research center designed to explore the drug’s therapeutic potential. Doctors announced the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research as part of the state’s effort to set medical guidelines following the voter-approved medical marijuana law. The center, headquartered in San Diego, will begin distributing grants to conduct clinical trials at lmiversities and research centers throughout California as early as January. The studies will look at whether marijuana is a safe alternative for treating certmn kinds of medical conditions and the best ways to administer it, such as ¯ through pills, patches or sprays. ’~Ourjobis to show if these products are ¯ helpful and we can answer t~.at defini- -" tively," said Igor Grant, the center’s director and professor of psychiatry at UCSD. ¯ Gov. Gray Davis has already approved ¯ $3 malhon to fund theprogram first year while legislation calls for a three-year program. The center was set up in large response to Proposition 215, the 1996 state initiative allowing seriously ill pa- ° tients to grow and use marijuana f~ pain o relief, if they have a doctor’srecommen- o dation. Measures similar_to the California ¯ initiative have passed in Alaska, Arizona,. Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington state. ¯ State Sen. John Vasconcellos, who ¯ pushed for medical marijuana, pelmed the ¯ program in 1996 but initially faced oppositionfromlaw enforcement groups. Only ¯ after working with Attorney General Bill Lockyer did Vasconcellos convincemany ¯ that research was a good idea. "It’s been a very long road since the ° passage of 215 to even get as far as we had with research," said Rand Martin, a ¯ spokesman for Vasconcellos. "We have ° had to deal with alot of political problems ° and the most exciting thing is that we’re ¯ putting the politics behind us." o Proponents have long argued that marl- " juanahelps patients with chronic pain and " with AIDS, cancer and multiple sclerosis ¯ by relieving pain and nausea. Opponents . of marijuana say scientific research is " necessary. ’Wee consider research a good thing,’" -" said Bob Weiner of the White House National Drug Control Policy Office. "Fo " have medicine determined by science and ¯ not by popular will is exactly what we support." ¯ Doctors at UCSD’s center hope the " research will eventually determine" whether marijuana has medical benefits - because current federal law says the drug " has no medical purpose. Trial patients will get marijuana from : the National InStitute on Drug Abuse and - researchers have pledged to follow all medical guidelines. ’‘There’s been a long " history of contention around cannabis and it has been difficult to do research," said , Grant. "This it the ~first study that’s " mulfidisciplinary. The state of California " has taken the lead here." ¯ Malay AIDS-Group - Protests Testing KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -" Malaysia’s biggest AIDS .aw.areness and, " prevention body has protestea a proposat ¯ in a southern state to subject "_ Muslim men to HIV tests before they are ¯ allowed to getmarried, anews report said. ." The criticism of the move by Islamic ¯ religious authorities in Johor state came ¯ fromPrimeMinisterMahathirMohamad’s o° daughter, MarinaMahathir, an outspoken : AIDS activist who heads the Malaysian AIDS Council. "The assumption is blood ~ testing is somehow preventive, unfortu- ¯ nately it is not," Marina was quoted as ¯ saying by the Beriiama news agency. "- Mandatory HIV testing was also a vio- ¯ lation of human rights, she said. AIDS ¯ activists would soon meet with state offi- ¯ cials to ’discuss the proposal, she was ~ quoted as saying. ° She told reporters that educating the ¯ public on preventive measures will be ¯ more effective in curbing the deadly dis- " ease in the predominantly Muslim Southeast Asian country where discussing sexual issues in public is taboo and where introducing sex education in schools is being resisted by conservattves. Over the weekend, top government officials in Johor proposed compulsory blood tests on Muslim men, a move that would affect men in the dominant Malay community. Johor chief minister Abdul Ghani Othman was quoted as saying by newspapers that it was part of efforts to check the alarming rise of HIV cases in the state. "In 1999 alone, there was a 73% increasein ttIV cases among Malays compared to the previous year,"he was quoted as saying by New Sunday Times. Clinton: "Break the Silence’ about AIDS ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - Africans must "break the siIence" about AIDS or risk losing hard-fought democratic and economic gains, President Clinton said Sunday as the White House highlighted more than $20 million in U.S. aid to fight AIDS, malaria and other diseases devastating Africa. "In every country, in any culture, it is difficult, painful, at the very least embarrassing, to talk about the issues involved with AIDS," Clinton said after touring a health center in the Nigerian capital and hearing the stories of several people living with the disease. Clinton’s two-day stay in Nigeria was intended to underscore U.S. approval of the 15-month-old democratic government in Africa’s most populous nation, with 123 million people. Along with dealing with the heavy themes of AIDS and debt relief, Clinton used the trip to get to know a country he deliberated bypassed on his last trip to Africa, in 1998, when it was under a military dictatorship. Led by a throng of singing children, he trudged through the Nigerian village of Ushafa on Sunday, past mud brick huts and flimsy metal sheds, with scrawny chickens scattering in his path. "We want to help you build your economy, educate your children andbuild a better life," he told villagers, wearing a cream-colored royal African robe given to him by the village chief. AIDS killed 2.8 million people worldwide last year, and is now the leading cause of death in Africa. The Clinton administration will spend $9.4 million this year for AIDS and HIV infection prevention and care in Nigeria, $8.7 million more for polio eradication and $2 million toward prevention of malaria. In sub-Saharan Africa, 13 million children have lost a parent to AIDS, and the disease is reducing life expectancies and Colle.ge Hill Presbyterian Church In response to God’s Love, College Hill Presbyterian Church is a community of God’s people called to tell others the Gospel of Jesus Christ through worship, service, and evangelism. To nurture our faith, we gather for worship, prayer, study and fellowship. Trusting in a living, loving God, we seek to become a compassionate voice for peace and justice. Our congregation welcomes all persons who respond in trust and obedience to God’s grace in Jesus Christ, and desire to become part of the membership and ministry of Christ’s church. Membership is open- to all people regardless of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition, marital status, or sexual orientation. Sunday Worship 1 lam College Hill Presbyterian Church, 712 S. Columbia Avenue, 592-5800 (One block west of Delaware and the University of Tulsa Campus) Financial Planning With A Clear Commitment. At American Express Financial Advisors, we want to make our Commitment to gay men and lesbians clear. Just as we have extended domestic partner benefits to our lesbian and gay employees worldwide, we are committed to providing ~ound financial advice that specifically addresses the unique financial issues affecting 3ur lesbian and gay clients. Nhether you’re single, in a committed relationship, or i:~ng for children, your American Express financial advisor can help you take control ot’~#~rfinancial future. We can help tOM: Establish savings and investment plans Protect your assets from unnecessary taxation /X,void financial restrictions placed on unmarried cou pies Avoid costly delays in the receipt of life insurance proceeds series of Seminars given by Theresa Barnard, American Express Financial Advisor Where: MCC United When: 7:00 P.M, 1623 N Maplewood Ave Financial Strategies for Gay Men & Lesbians Tuesday, September 5t" and Tuesday, October 10t" Retirement Explore Your Options ¯ Create your Retirement Income Tuesday, September 19th ¯ Estate Planning Tuesday, October 24th Please R.S.V.P. with Theresa at 9~18-748-8191 ext.121 dimming development hopes across the ; Fe Maria, who asked that only her first continent. "Is it harder to talk about these ¯ name beused, has gained weight and feels thingsthantowatchachilddieofAIDS?" ," better, although the medicines give her Clinton asked. "We have to break the ¯ headaches. silence about how this disease spreads ; Dr. Ellen Koenig, an An~erican physiand how to prevent it." ° cian who has lived and worked in the Power About 2.6 million Nigerians, 5.4% of: DominicanRepublicfor31 years, was the the population, are afflicted with AIDS. ° impetus behind bringing the trial here. That puts the country on better footing i And she insisted the company agree to than many of its neighbors with higher ¯ continue paying for treatment after the ~onnc~~-~e1 ., infection rates, but in danger ofletting the:test. disease gain ground, Clinton said. "AIDS ". "In some places, the drug companies can rob a country of its future," Clinton ; come in, do the trial and then they leave, ¯ said. "I know you are not going to let that ¯ and the people don’t have the money to happen to Nigeria.’" : buy the medicine," said Ceneyda Brito at I~lbl|¢ S~l’~ice Cenlpan¥ of Oklahoma He promised continued U.S. support " the Dominican advocacy group AIDS for Nigeria’s transition to democracy, but ," Action. euslomer Santice Is Now Available 9.4 did not, as Nigerian President Olusegun Hours A Day, Seven Days A Week. Obasanjo had hoped, agree to cancel or i Doctors Accused of cut the nearly $1 billion U.S. portion of . These days, traditional 8-5.business hours Nigeria’ s $32 billion foreign debt, amove _" Improper HIVTesting aren’t always convenient. So PS0 has made it thatwouldrequirecongressional approval.. Speaking to business executives later : JOHANNESBURG, SouthAfrica(AP)- easier than ever for you to c0ntaet us. Sunday, however, Clinton said he sup- ." More than 50 physicians here are accused of HIV-testing patients without their Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7 rpioartssperenddusctihnegetxhteradmebot,nbeyutoonnilmy pffroNvigineg- -° knowledge or consent - and then passing - offering ar0und-the-cl0ck answers to your lives anddiversifying the economy. ’q-here : on the result to the patients’ employers, uestions - and better access to service, must be a dividend to democracy for the ° media reported at the end of August. ¯ ° The University of Witwatersrand’s people of Nigeria," Clinton said. ¯ Now it’s easier for you to inquire Clinton, accompanied by danghter i AIDS Law Project has filed complaints against the doctors with the Health Prac- about your monthly electric bill. Chelsea, began his day with services at a ° titioners AssociationofSouthAfrica. The Or report a power outage. Or Baptist church in Abuja, and then ventured outside the capital to get a firsthand -" tests were performed at the request of the arrange to have your look Sunday at both the pageantry and ~ patients’ employers, the Johannesburg F.-verty of life in Ushafa, a pottery-mak- ° newspaper the Saturday Star reported. power turned on or ing center. ’‘icame to Nigeria to express ¯" Most patients were not given counsel- . off. Our professionally the support of the people of the United "- ing before or after the test, the group said, " States,"Clintontoldvillagersfromamake- ; adding that in some cases, test results trained, friendly and shift platform. ~"VVe snpport your democ- " were sent directly to the employer without ¯ informing the patient. knowledgeable customer racy. "" I~LhairatAbdulrazaq Gwadabe, whorep- A positive result meant almost certain service representatives are resents the village in the Nigerian Senate, " dismissal, the group said. In a fifth of the standing by to serve you. said she explained Clinton’s visit to vii- " cases, the employee was a domestic ¯ worker. "It’s nothing less than total dis- All day, every day. lagers ahead of time¯ "I had to translate it - as the king of the world himself is coming. : crimination. The doctor is not concerned ¯ with the well-being of the patient, just the To provide faster response The president of the world is coming to.. continued loyalty of the employer who to your needs, we have listed their chief," Gwadabe said. "o wants to know if their employee is HIV our t011-free numbers below. Dominican Republic : positivet,h"weitphroject.SaiJdennifer Joni, an attomey Hosts Drug Tests : According to the Health Practitioners ¯ Association’s rules, HIV tests can only be SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Repub- : performed without a patient’s consent if a lic (AP) - American researchers testing a o health professional has been exposed to new AIDS drug needed patients who had : infection by a needle. ~ never received any treatment. The Do- ¯ Possible punishments for physioans oi~ A~d Save mimcan Republic has them-by the thou- : found to break the association’s rules in- | sands. ¯ clude a warning, a reprimand, a fine of "It seems like a win-win," said Joy : less than 10,000 rand ($1,450), and sus- FoR 24 HOURS |I Schmitt, spokeswomanforAgouron Phar- : pensaon or removal fromthemedical reg- maceuficalsofLaJolla, California. People o ister. Abouta.2 million South Africans - TOt.k’FREE SERVICE i "are getfingtreatment., and we’re get- : roug.hly 10% of the populafion~ - are HIV I ting the patients we need for the trial." : pos~uve. Agouron is using Dominicans to test its ¯ Customer Services: 1-888-216-3523 | capravinne because it canbe hardin the : Police Arrest Man I United Statesand Europe to find patients Billing Inquiries: 1-888-216-3490 | who haven’t received any other treat-; For Spreading HIV Outage Reporting: 1-888-218-3919 I ments, between health insurance and pub- - | lic health systems. NATCHITOCHES, LA (AP) - For the Finding such people here was easy: ¯: second time recently, policehave charged I More than 2% of the country’s 8 million ° a man with intentionally spreading the Servici0 a Clientes: 1-888-216-3505 | people are infected with the AIDS virus - . AIDS virus. Eric Vashawn Alexander, Preguntas S0bre su Cuenta: 1-888-216-3491 I and few can afford medicines that cost : 26, was arrested and charged with inten- I many times the average income. "No one ¯ tional exposing of the AIDS virus. Palta De Suministr0:1-888-218-3924 ! helps you here if you have this disease," ¯ Alexander reportedly bit a man in the said Fe Maria, who lived 13 years carry- " back as he intervened in a fight between a I ing the AIDS virus without hope of get- i boyfriend and girlfriend, said police Lt. I - ting treatment before going on the trial. " Chris Stanfield. During their investiga- I ~"1~’~’.~ I Capravirine, which researchers hope" tion, officers learned that Alexander had ~~1~~,~ I will help fight off mutations of the-virus., tested positive for HIV. He was booked I has already been through the safety phase " into the Natchitoches Parish Detention of testing. In the current andcritical phase, Center. If convicted, he faces up to 10 Public Service Company of Oklahoma | 90 Dominicans and about 200 people in- years in prison, Stanfield said. Police also I the United States and Canada are helping ¯ arrestedEamestWest,,onthesamecharge ............. ¯t test its effectiveness. Some participants " after receiving complaints that he allegget a four-drug cocktail including " edly exposed four women to the AIDS capravirine; others receiveadrug cocktail ¯ virus through unprotected sexual contact. without capravirme. by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor As an author who prides himself on getting the facts correct (Never straight, always correct); I have to own up .to an error that appeared in print in the August issue. I mistakenly attributed the appearanc~ to RENT hiTulsato the auspices of ~d~brity. AttraCtions. Thins¯ Was false, it was actually SF~:Thea~cal Group with ¯ . . : .M~eh has been maded the- Norvell, who tm~e show, inc|udln criticism o{ lamo izlng a drug-rldden life. Not so. It poignantly points out the effects -0f such a llfe. What been promoting RENT. My apologies to all parties; the error was actually caught and corrected before press time (Thanks Kristin!), but the publisher used the unrevised version of the column at press time. To err is human, and it can happen to the best of us, no matthe show is about, in my estimation, is the pursuit of dreams: and the most common dream of all - finding.love;{or that is common to allof us. Gay, Straight. ter how careful we ,, try to be. Blael~. White. and so on... So,.n6~v that the . . "oopls,~.¢g60fed..... ’ " .,,- p0rfi6n 6f~h¢ ~61Umnis out of the ~vas, on withthe ~uia Stuff!-Hope you get a ~h’ance to see RENT, it’ s a powerful show, and as one friend ofmine remarked, is "bite) and zippy." I’ll leave it to the reader to interpret those comments-. I liked the choice of words, personally. The show does reach out and bite, and it does move zippily along. The only problems I had were that themix of the sound left the vocals muddy & almost inaudible under the guitars; and that some of the performers need to work on their diction. This observation was echoed by TFN writer Karin Gregory in Dallas, who saw the same touting show down there. This show is basically rock opera, sung through almost entirely. That requires the lyrics to be audible and clear, otherwise it’s impossibleto understand the plot. I knew the show, and still l~ad to strain at many points to catch dialogue or lyrics. Hopefully, these issues will be addressed for die future shows in the rnn. In all other’ aspects, ~t was a powerful evening of theatre and storytelling. Much-has been made of the show, including criticism of glamorizing a drugridden life. Not so. It poigriantly points out the effects of such a life. What the show is about, in my estimation, is the pursuit of dreams; and the most common dream of all - finding love; for that is common to all of us, gay, straight, black, white, and so on. "Love is love", to quote fantasy writer Lynn Flewelling. And as such, should be respected and honored no matter What form it takes. RENT illustrates this in an upffont, grab you by the shirt kind0f way?Sound of Music, it alia’ t, sobe prepared.- RENT explores the issues, of love and its pursuff~ finding iL recognizing it; and notletting fear, pri~le,and n~iSunderstanding, and the defenses we all build to protect ourselves deny the love we really want to have. Fear can be an amazing thing when it comes to that. In that sense, REN~ is also about overcoming those obstacles and recognizing that love is hard to find, and shouldn’t be tossed away when the genuine articleis found.Atimely " Issue right now; as a friend of mine is ¯¯ taking a journey down that hard road that I have taken so many times before, and am " in the middle of right now. Lots of things masquerade as love - ¯ control, fear, even hatred. The real firing doesn’t land in your lap too often. Lot of lookalikes do, the trick is distinguishing ¯ the real from the fake. And too often, the -real is waF.to0 scary, and so is refused. If you’ve got the real thing, hang onto it. Well, join me on my ramble, will you?Dunno where all that came from. ¯ . Well, I do, but that’s a whole book unto itself. RENT succeeds admirably inillustrating ¯the aforementioned ideas, albeit in a much less lOngwinded way (editorr s note: indeed)¯ The ~tandout songs were "I will cover you , ’X)ne song", m~d "’Without You", wlrich is by far the most beantiful and-evocative song in the whole show It captures exactly how one feels when you know the one real thing has gotten away from you, either by circumstance, or worse, by your own clioice. "Without you, the w.d,rld turns, but I die too.., without you.. ¯ .... Speaking of Dreams, Arturo Brachetti was fabulous. Let me rephrase that... Arturo Brachetti’s show was fabulous! I hope most of you caught it, as it was an excellent evening of theatre. The man is literally a cast of thousands unto himself. And his quick change of Scarlett pre and post curtains was worth the price of admission! His show was a fast paced conglomeration of incredibly quick changes that left yon wondering ’~aow did he ’o that?", mixed with comedy, magic, and excellent s torytelling. Andhe can do amazing things with his hands. Making shadowplays, I mean. His theme? Dreams... Finding them, ¯ follo::-ing them, accomplishing them; and : having, fun with your inner ~hild while doin2 it Alternatively hilarious and p0ignant~; his range ofcharacters and’ theatre is amazing to see. He is a prime example of what one can do with dreams, belief in those dreams, and hard work - the two main ingredients of magic. The other aspect of that was the fact that, regrettably, so many of Us h~ve that child within that still has those dreams of ~hildhood, and we lock them away. Arturo was all about letting that child out to play, and having fun, which showed in his production. The show was excellent in all regards, from the autobiographical structure that set up the changes and made it an intimate evening even for the PAC’s Chapman Hall. Themusic ran the gamutfrom dance/ techno to classical, the lighting was fantastic, and Arturo’s box was huge! Well, at least the one onstage that served as sets, movie screen, prop house, and costume storage. At one pointed, he enacted an old western playing every character, and it was truly indescribably hilarious. He also performed a series of vignettes in tribute te film director see Arturo, p. 9 septem;ber FRIDAY 8 pm SATURDAY’~NgH SUNDAY 3 pro° september 22 s~ptember 2~3 ~’;~ :?’ september 24 Altan "The hottest group in the Celtic realm these days." The Boston Globe September 12 at 8 p.m. Chapman Music Hall ................. Tulsa PAC, 3rd & Cincinnati TULSA PERFORI~ING ARTS CENTER TRUST Tickets $14, $16, $18 Call 596-7111 spo,,,o,~ Outside ~ulsa call 1-800-364-7111 ~ ......... ?~’ "~: Online: www.tulsapac.com .~" Presented by the .. Tulsa Performing And you thought the ice cream man brought joy to your street¯ Sure, popsides are great. But how about a truckload of new channels, including WGN? How about.a high-speed Internet that’s always on and better priced? How.:about service so thorough and sweet you, can almost ~taste it? Now these, these are the things you can sink your teeth into. We’.re in.gear. COMMUNII~ATIONI~ 665-0200 Tulsa’s PRIDE 2000! VIDEO RELEASE PARTY Now that summer’s end is in sight and cool weather a hopeful prospect, the time is ripe to celebrate the Pride Week events that began Oklahoma’s heat wave. The Diversity Celebration 2000was a huge success that attracted fabulous people, was spectacularly beautiful, socially concious, wi.ttyand revealing. And its all on tape. This year Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights has joined with BoyBlue Productions in making a.professional commemorative video. It will include highlights of all Pride Week events including: appearances by Greg Louganis, Rev. Mel White and Grethe Cammemeyer~ the enormous parade, the art show, follies, community heroes, festival and the Soulforce. workshop. Friday night’s release party will include.a preview of the video, live performances and dancing. Details are pending but mark your calendar for 8pro Sept. 29th. And you wilI of course be able to purchase your copy at the party. Proceeds from the sales of the Diversity Celebration 2000 Commerative Video will benefit the services and programs of TOHR Orders may be placed in advance with visa or mastercard by calling TOHR at 743-4287. Orders plaCed by Sept 22 will be .available for pick up at the Release Party. # For your copies of Diversity Fest 2000 Contact the Tulsa Gay Community Service Center, 743-4297, POB 2687, 74101 x $20.00 = $ MO, Check, Visa, MC, no cash please. exp. date Signature Federico Fellini, who passed away afew years ago. It was touching, but I don’t think the audience "gotit."I doubtmost of the audience had a clue who Fellini was. At one point, the box split, and the curtains were raised to reveal the work be-. hind themagic.Anice touch, giving honor and recognition to the work that goes on behind the magic to make it happen. It was truly a magical evening, and it was funny to see the audience go from the thought process of"What the hell is this?" to ’qhis is so cool!" Armro was different from anything Tulsa has seen, and it’s a good thing. He soon held us all in thepalm of his hand. Not as tasty as this writer would have liked, but it was the markof a true artist. Tulsa’s a tough crowd to win over, especially for anything avant garde, but Arturo did it magnificently. He’ll be in a sitcom this fall, so that’ll be something to watch for. For our Lesbian readers, as wall as Gay men, Janis Ian will be appearing in concert at The Oklahoma Center for Poets and Writers’ Celebration of Books, along with. poet Maya Angelou, This occurs September 29-30, and for more information, call 594-8215. In September, we have a few events wc.-th catching: On the 12th, the Irish music group Altan will make an appearance at the PAC. They have had rave reviews, and itlooks like a lovely evening ,,f traditional Irish music ahead. For tickets, call 596-7122 September 14-23, Heller Theatre presents "Art", a show about a painting that engenders discussions of the quality and meaning of.life itself. 746-5065. Theater Tulsa offers up some pop culture with the musical version of "Everything l Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" September 15-23. Tchaikovsky’s "Sleeping Beauty" wakes in Tulsa as Tulsa Ballet presents the venerable dance epic September 22- 24. (I wouldlove to see Matthew Bourne’s take on this one! He’s the man behind the homoerotic version ofSwan Lake. I doubt that will happen in Tulsa, though TBT is moving beyond a stdctly traditional approachunder Maestro Angelini.)Go see it for the music and the grace. For info, call 749-6006 Warren’s murder has drawnnational attention from Gay and non-Gay civil rights acti.vists, who fear he was killed because of his race or sexual orientation, or both. "At this point there is no evidence of abate crime," Marion County Prosecutor Richard Bunner said after the indictments were issued. "If any evidence is uncovered, appropriate action will be taken." Court records indicate Warren, Parker and Wilson argued twice the night of the beating - once about an unspecified rumor that had circulated about Warren and Parker, and the second timeabout $20 that Wilson took from Warren’s wallet: The beating began after the second argument. The grand jury met for about 90 rain: utes and then immediately issued the indictments. Wilson had soughtto block the grandjury fromhearing allegations against him, saying he should nothavebeen transferred to adult court. The Supreme Court mined down his petition 3-0. Wilson and Parker will continue to be held in a juvenile detention facility until their trial. If convicted they likely will remain in ajuvenile facility until they are 21, at which point they wouldbe moved to an adult facility. A trial date has not been set. ." TULSA - Furniture queens can now re- ¯. joicet Tulsa is now home to an Odds & Ends Outlet Store, the fourth in the US ¯ which the distinguished Baker Furniture ¯ has opened. The store is located at 4329 ¯ So. Peoria, near the old John Zink prop- " erty and is open 7 days a week. The store ¯ features Baker, MillingRoad, andMcguire ¯ furniture in a gallery like setting. ¯ Baker president, Chris Plasman, re- " sponded to questions about the choice of ¯ Tulsa, saying, "residents in larger cities, ¯ such as Chicago and Atlanta, have been ¯ clamoring to get but we chose Tulsa. ¯ Certainly Tulsa’s demographics are very ¯ favorable, butthe decisionwas alsoheavily ¯ imquencedbytheresidents’ reputationfor ." uncompromising taste and style and a genuineapp,r,eciation ofhistoryandcrafts - : manship... For more information, or store hours, " call 746-0329. ¯ He was also hospitalized for a week after being attacked with a knife by a group of men who called him derogatory names, he said. In 1995, he fled to the United States and requested asylum, but was de- At his hearing before immigration officials, a Latin American history expert testified that Gay men with female sexual identities in Mexico are heavily persecuted by the police and other groups and are likely to become scapegoats for Mexico’s economic and political problems. The expert said Hernandez-Montiel faced persecution if deported to Mexico. Federico Gomez, press director of Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission, acknowledged that homosexuals and cross-dressers still suffer from discrimination, but added that he believes Mexicans, in general, have become more tolerant of people’s sexual orientation. Gomez said he did not think the Hernandez-Montiel case "reflected society as the whole." Judge A. Wallace Tashima wrote that the appeals panel had determined that ’~3ay men with female sexual identities in Mexico constitutea protected ’particular social group’ under the asylum statute... and that Geovanm is a member of that group." The Board of |mmigration Appeals had contended that Hemandez-Montiel should return to Mexico, saying he did not estalJlish that he suffered abuse because of his membership in a particular social group. The appellate panel ordered the board to reverse its decision and grant Hernandez- Montiel asylum. 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 by Lamont Lindstrom When I was in highschool, my soon-tobe- Gay friend Carl spent all hi s spare time drawing fantastically elaborated plans for pipe organs. In his sketches, he piled keyboardbehindkeyboardand rank onto rank. (All those pipes and organs, of course, should have gaven me a clue.) Since that year, I have met many Gay guys with considerable creative talents, sometimes eccentrically applied. One friend constructs fantasy Christmas trees. Another designs websites. Another does flower arrangements. Another collects rococo pictures of the Holy Mother. Gays are deeply involved in the fine and less fine arts, from opera and ballet down to cheesy TV programs like Survivor. When the AIDS epidemic was at its worst, activists invented the "Day without Art" which foreshadowed how dull art and culture would be in America should all homosexuals ever pass away. Why all this Gay creativity - creativity which often is frenzied and even odd? Anthropologist Sherry Ortner, drawing on the Frenchfeminist Simone Beauvoir, once proposed that ’Man is to Culture as Woman is to Nature.’ Ortner was seeking a-reason for why, almost everywhere, people value what men do more than they value whatwomen do. She concluded that we associate women with nature, mostly because women have kids. Women are naturally creauve. Men, whose contributions to making babies are momentary at best, and much less embodied, have to express our creativity by other means. Ortner observed thathumans value culture over nature. Culture is what preserves us in nature. It tells us how to make a living off the land. Whereas culture protects, nature kills. Disease, aging, drought, famine, earthquakes and tornados may well be theendofus. Culture also needs continuous reconstruction and cultivation. We have to keep it all going and we have to make sure to pass it down to kids. Given this preference for culture over nature, Ortner concluded that men’s cultural contributions are valued more than women’s natural creativity. Others have also pointed tomasculinejealousy offeminine fertility. Womenunmistakably bring new life out of their bodies. Less natural men are driven to invent culture instead. And we are jealous enough to insist that our male creations - rituals, clubs, political parties, novels, symphonies, paintings, whatever- are somehow better, more noble, and more enduring that just another slobbery child. There is some truth here, too. An ordinary human being lasts little more than three quarters of a century at best. Cultural creations-such as political parties or rituals -may endure for generations. Gay men are particularly engaged in cultural production insofar-as many of us don’t contribute even the minor male donation to human reproduction. Instead of children, we have to live in our art, our books, our sense of style (or maybe our "...Anthropologist Sherry Ortner, drawing on the French feminist Simone Beauvolr, once proposed that ’Man is to Culture as Woman is to Nature.’ Ortner was seeking a reason for why, almost everywhere, people value what men do more than they value what women do..." dogs or cats). This is another instance- as with penis size - where Gays are hypermasculine. Gays who do not reproduce naturally specialize instead in masculine cultural creativity. Some have criticized Ortnerforoversimplifying cross-cultural nuances of male!female power relations. Another sort of complication comes from the fact that many people disbelieve an individual creativity. Everyone, of course, has a theory about where new things come from. But not everyone in the world credits individual creativity, orgenius, or talent for the birth of new things and new ideas. Even in ,our own culture, notions of creativity aren’t that old. The English noun "creativity" only dates back to 1875 or so. Before the modem era - and the triumph of indiw[ dualism - our ancestors talked instead of "inspiration," as others still do today. Once upon a time, the word "’genius" referred to an external spirit who inspired you with new ideas. It did not mean some internal, mental brilliance. Onthe South Pacific island where I once lived, nobody believes in creativity in the sense of some mysterious brainpower. Rather, clever people are those with good ties to the world of ancestral spirits. Nobody believes that men are naturally more or less intelligent, either. New ideas and new firings - if they are worth anything - have to Come via inspi- .ration from the ancestors. Clever people are those with good communicauve links with spirits, not those who claim inborn talent. Men, for instance, who come up with new songs insist that they overhear these in their dreams. Nobody would take credit for composing a song by himself. If he d. 1, how can it be any good? If you simply make up something on your own, it obviously can’t compete with music inspired with spiritual wisdom. But even on this Pacific island, men manasecultural production although they do so by monopolizing the means of inspiration rather than the means of creativity, as is the case here in America. Have a look around at your culture, goodand bad. Most of it is a male production, and a notable ratio of that is Gay male productioLna. mont Lindstrom, Ph.D., teaches anthropology at the University of Tulsa where he can be reached at: lamontlindstrom@ utulsa.edu Hospice ofGreen Country seeks volunteers to help provide care for patients and their families who are dealing with issues of terminal illness. Volunteers help run errands and provide companionship. For more information, call 747-CARE (747-2273). Volunteers are also needed at the Tulsa Gay Community Services Center, 743- GAYS (743-4297), to staff the Pride Store, answer phones, pack boxes, catalogue books and videos. Call for more info. Timothy.W. Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partnership Planning, Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma Weekend and evening appointments are available. Are You Gay or Bisex.u. al? Are You Native American? -Iulsa’s Two-Spirited Indian Men’s Support Group is here for ¯ Evening support group meetings ¯ Relationship workshops ¯ Short trips, outings and retreats ¯ Free HIV testing For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project Call 341; 6866 Int rn.ational ToursSormorein/ormat’on. Massage TherapyS~ Edgar O. Cruz, L.M.T. Pager: 918-889-5255 Voice Mail: 918-697-9282 Lic. #C4133 Country Cl ab Barbering Custom Styling for Men & Women David Kauskey 3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm lbody Tulsa’s only professional body-piercing HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH THUR’SAT 11-11 SUNDAY 11-3 by Karin Gregory, TFN correspondent " With election year just around the cor- ¯ ner, I want to ask you a question: Aren’t " you afraid? Many people want to bury ¯ their heads, but you just can’t this year. It’s too important. Are you registered? Do you know the candidates and what they support, tol - erate, condone, condenm, and deny? Looking athighlights of the Rep.ublican National Convention last month (What-youthought I’d watch the whole thing?), I was interested in many things they pointed out, one of which was the "leave no child behind" theme Bush espoused. Funny, when he was our govemor’for afew months before embarking on his Presidential campaign, his "leave no state behind without a governor" theme didn’twork so well forhim. Make no mistake grrls - this is one Bush you DON’T want to push an)’- where, especially into the ~Zqlite House! Let’s look at the issues facing all of us this year. Many have spoken of a "different kind of Republican" in George W. Bush. Hrnmmm, I wonder. The Republicans made a great showof including as many minorities as they could find on the streets of Philadelphia to join their little convention. Again, great appointing Supreme Court Justices, and Bush has at least one to appoint, if he’s elected. How many of you think he’ll appoint someone who’s sensitive.to Gay civil rights? If anyone if raising ’his/her hand - PUT IT DOWN "...What 1;es were working the floor the week of the i Republican "Convention? ¯ ¯ ¯ Our eonservatlve friends made a b;g deal about inclusion - Hispanies, African Amerieans, the GaylLesbian Community, the Pro-Choieers. Yep, they really want the votes, don’t they? These people were wooed and charmed in front of cameras, but what happened the ,’morning after"? " NOW! UnderBush,manylaws brought about by the Supreme Court, laws which helped to make us a demoeracy, could be overturned~ What would hap: pen if the Roe vs. Wade decision was overturned? It could happen very easily. Andwhat do youthink would happen to the progress of Gay and Lesbian couplelaws that have come about in the last few years? Gays? Lesbians? Able to have rights? Bush already denies that Gays and Lesbians should have "special rights". Read that as "equal rights" and you have the makings of a fascist country. The makings of amanwho would make Charlton Heston look liberal. But there’s another story to this "coupling" of Bush and Dick. Yep, you ’ know what I’m talking about. Or rather, who I’m talking about. It’s the old- i est story around. Weak Texas governor runs for President; weak Texas governor wins primary; weak Texas governor. picks running mate; rtmshow. The Republicans are like that, you know. Every few years they assume a different identity, muchlike a chameleon, so they can get votes by convincing peg.ple they’re something "different" this ttme. Each time (I’m talking Reagan and George, Sr. here) the public has been fooledby the rhetoric, the nicely groomed candidates, and the lies. What lies were working the floor theweekofthe RepublicanConvention?Well, let’ s go back to those people picked from the streets of Philadelphia. Our conservafive friends made a big deal about inclusion- Hispanics, African Americans, the Gay/Lesbian Community, and even the Pro-Choicers. Yep, they really want the votes, don’t they? These people were wooed and charmed in front of cameras, but what happened the "morning after"? Well, the Republicans got together and voted onNOT including same-sex recognition among couples, NOT including Gays in hate crimes legislation, NOT including Gay civil rights of any kind, and NOT including abortion for any reason. Yeah, lies, damn lies¯ Despite all this bravado show of inclusion, the Republican ticket ofGeorgeBush and Dick Cheney already shows aHUGE bias - Bush and Dick. See? They just had to get those "family values" in after all! Many may be wondering why I’m so worried about this election year. George W. Bush is certainly not a strong politician, given the fact he was a Texas governor, the weakest form of governor. And you may be saying, ’He doesn’t make the rules; Congress does." OK, but the President is responsible for ¯ ning mate has Lesbian daughter. WHAT? Dick Cheney, so hell-bent to do every- " thing Conservative in the book, has a Les- ¯¯ bian daughter? What I want to know is ¯ why would this man be a party to a party that denies his daughter equal rights?Why ¯ would she want her father to run in this ¯ party? : On yet another television news pro- " gram, host Cokie Roberts asked Mrs. : Cheney about the possible hypocritical ¯ effects this has on their family. Mrs. : Cheney said her daughter’s lifestyle was a ." "private matter." Well, Mary Cheney has ¯ been very out for many years and has ¯ ¯ worked for Gay civil rights for many years. And I resent Mrs. Cheney saying ¯ that her daughter’s Lesbianism is a "pri- ¯ vate matter" as if the girl has a disease. ¯ ¯ Sounds to me likemomis the sicko here. So why, if homosexuality is such a ¯ private matter, has George W. Bush sup- - ported every anti-gay legislation? If ho- ¯ mo~exuality is a private matter, why does ¯ he thiM: he has the right to tell me with ¯ whom I sleep? Why do the Republicans ¯ want to make such a federal issue out of ¯ such a"private matter"? Is homosexuality " only private to the privileged few, like ¯ Mary Cheney? Or is it a matter that will ¯ decide,muchlike the sexual revolution of ¯ the sixties, the very way people look at ¯ one another in the future? As human be- " ings, not as Gay, Straight, Lesbian, Bi- ¯ sexual, Transgendered, etc., etc., etc. ] You have a decision to make. If you ¯ want ANY possibility of equality, make ¯ sure you are registered. Then make a date ¯ ¯ with yourself to go to a little booth in November. You know what to do. Walk for Life 2000 8th Annual Tulsa AIDS Walk Saturday, Oct. 7, 9:30am Vete ran’s Park, 21 st & Boulder Fo.r more information, call 585-5551. Donations-will be increased by 50% with matching dollars through the generosity of -the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The Walk is sponsored by the Community Service Council, and will benefit the Tulsa Community AIDS Partnership (TCAP), The Walk is an all volunteer effort and there are no administrative costs. Tulsa Family News is proud to donate this advertisement in support of the Walk and the Tulsa Community AIDS Partnership (TCAP) Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2000] Tulsa Family News, September 2000; Volume 7, Issue 9 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohn Karin Gregory Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Hughston Walkinshaw Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, August 2000; Volume 7, Issue 8 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/604 2000 AIDS AIDS drugs AIDS research AIDs Walk aMUSEments arts and entertainment asylum Bars Boy Scouts businesses churches Community Center discrimination bans gay bashing Gay marriage gay parents Gay Studies hate crimes hate crimes bill HIV testing Jim Christjohn Karin Gregory Lamont Lindstorm lawsuit malpractice marriage equality medical marijuanan Murder Olympics Openarms Youth Project Partner Benefits performing arts Raging Lesbian Red Cross Red Rock Tulsa restaurants San Antonio Lesbian and Gay Media Project Tom Neal Tulsa Family News VAN Walk for Life https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/ef3c0f28c67ca333b982d6427b897bec.jpg 4128e90178c5b091e2410d7419f3f1f1 https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/43b5fc66dc24c80707e29a6ce1dd9cbb.pdf 19345a3f74a3dcb4cf99880d7b679aa7 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Police Censor Books at ° Gunman Shoots Six; Borders, Barnes & Noble Kills One in Virginia ¯ . ROANOKE, Virginia (AP) - A man accused of ¯ rehant$ Told to Wrap Up Art and fatally shooting another man and wounding six "History Books, Straight Sox How-to’s " others inside the Backstreet Cafe, a Gay bar, °n the : TULSA- Prodded by Tulsa City Councilor, Todd Huston, Tulsa " evening of Sept. 22 has been arraigned on first- " police vice squadofficers visitedBorders Books &Music at8015 " degree murder charges. ¯ So. Yale Avenue, selected a number of books, presented them to The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Attorney ¯ store staffand suggested that they "shrinkwrap" those rifles. This " Donald Caldwell said additional charges such as : was in response to a constituent complaint made to Huston ~ aggravated malicious wounding or malicious : according to Charlie Jackson, Deputy Chief, Tulsa Police. ¯ wounding were possible. Malicious wounding ¯ Jackson noted that after the visit to the South Yale Borders ¯ charges carry up to 20 years in prison, whereas ¯ -~ store about which there was a citizen complaint, vice officers of " attempted murder charges carry up to 10 years. : their own initiative went to the 2740 E. 21stSt. Borders as well " Ronald Edward Gay, 53, the man accused in the ¯ as Barnes & Noble Bookstores at 5231 E. 41st St. and 8620 E. " shootings, acted because of long-standing anger at "rrial o! Accused o! 71stSt. wheretheywent throughthestoreselectingbooks which thejokespeoplemadeofhisl~,tname, police said. bookstore staff say the police indicatesd they must shrinkwrap, "He admits to shootingpeople, police investigator Gay Man’s Death Moved " store staff also said the officers stated that they were no, ° Lt. WilliamAlthoff toldTheWashingtonPost. "He intending to arrest anyone, told us people made fun of his name... He told us FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) The first Marion County ¯ Accordingtobookstoresources,TulsapoliceSergeantCalhoun " that he was upset about that.’" teen-ager to be tried inthemurder of aGay black man ¯ and Corporal Best of the "sex crimes" unit said that the ¯ Dznny Lee Overstreet, 43, was killed at the willfacejurorsinRaleighCountyinNovember.Marion" shrinkwrapping was required under Oklahoma state statute, title" scene. One other victim, IrisPageWebb,41,wasin County Circuit Court Judge Rodney Merrifield late in ¯ 21, 1040.76. This statute regulates the display of materials " critical condition after being shot in the neck. SeptembersignedanordermovingDavidAllenParker’s ¯ "harmful to minors" and requires covering materials which ¯ According to police, Gay went to a tavern that first-degree murder trial to the southern West Virginia : depict "... nudity, sexual contact, sexual excitement, or : night and asked directions to the nearest Gay bar, county. A copy of the order does not set a trial date, but " sadomasochistic abuse...when thematerial orperformancelacks ’ telling people he wanted to shoot Gays. Someone JudgeMen-ifield’ssecretarysaiditistentativelysched- : seriousliterary, scientific, medical, artistic, or political value for gavehimdirectionsandimmediatelycalledpolice, uled for Nov. 15. Merrifield had verbally approved a ¯ minors..." with minors defined as less than 18 years ofage. ¯ whowerelookingforGaywhentheshootingreport change of venue earlier this week after a preliminary : Typically the "shrinkwrap" requirement has been applied to " came in. hearing that has been continued to Oct. 12. ~ sexually oriented magazines such as Playboy, Penthouse, Men, " John W. Collins, 39, was one of those wounded. Lawyers for Parker and co-defendant Jared Wilson, ¯ etc. but not to most books. Collins told the Post that the gunfire erupted just ¯ both .17, had suggested Raleigh County as a possible ¯ Chief Jackson claims that the officers did not threaten the ¯ after he and Overstreet, a friend, hugged. Gay venue, arguing media coverage of the murder in north- " bookstore staff with arrest but merely sought their cooperation. "stood up as I was letting go of the hug, and he was central West Virginia has made it too difficult to find " Bookstore sources who’ ve requested to remain anonymous in. turning and he was also reaching into his black impartial jurors. Attorney Stephen"Fitz said Monday ¯ order to protect themselves from retaliation characterized the trench coat," said Collins, who was shot in the that Raleigh has a diverse population and probably has ¯ police visit as intimidation- particularly in light 6f the arrests of " stomach. "I saw the gun come out of his pocket... had far less exposure to ~e case Prosecutor Richard " several sales clerks for the sale of Penthouse magazines a year or " Everything was like in a millionth of a second.’" Bunner did not object to the move. " so ago. They noted that the officer by mentioning that they didnot " Gay left the bar after the shootings but was later Parker and Wilson are charged with beating and ¯ intend to arrest at this time, raised the issue as a possibility and ¯ found by police about two blocks away. Officers kickingtodeath26-year-oldacquaintanceArthur"J.R." ¯ that they felt coerced into cooperating. " found a 9 mm pistol in a trash can near the bar. Warren on July 4, see Trial, p.3 " see Bookstores, p. see Shooting, p.3 Local HRCEvents HRC: More Benefits Gay Center To Hold Grand Re-opening TULSA-Local Human Rights Campaign (HRC) activ - ists in cooperation with the national organization are encouraging voter registration drive up fill October 13. Those interested in registering can stop by Democratic party headquarters, Republican party headquarters, the offices of the League ofW0menVoters, any tag agency, theTulsaCounty ElectionBoard (No; DenveratEdison). Call formore information at 584.2918. HRCwouldalso like to send voter registration volunteers to any event or ¯ organization andasks thatorganizers againcall 584.2918. For Halloween this year, HRC is sponsoring two" performences of Helga’ sHorribles, in "Scenes from ¯ Little Shop of Horrors" at Renegades on Sun, October ¯ 29 at 3pro and again at 7pro. Tickets are $10 each and ," "Domestic partner benefits are increasingly becoming a stanproceeds benefit HRC-Tulsa. Renegades is also a " dard business practice in corporate America," said Kim I. Mills, sponsor and there will be a cash bar. Youmust be 21yo. " education director of the Human Rights Campaign. "Employers Seating is limited to only 100persons at each perfor- ¯ have discovered that these benefits hdp attract and keep the best WASHINGTON (AP) - More employers - including more than a fifth of Fortune 500 companies - are offering health insurance coverage to the partners of Gay employees, according to a report by a Gay civil rights group. The study, by the Washington-based Human Rights Campaign, found that 3,572 companies, colleges and states and local governments offered or have announced they would offer health insurance covering their employees’ domestic partners. This was up 25% from a year ago, when 2,856 employers extended such benefits. The findings were included in the group’ s annual "State of the Wor,k~,lacefor Lesbian, Gay,Bisexual andTransgenderedAmericans. ¯ Law Group to Hold Hate Crimes Panel ¯ TULSA (TFN) - Tulsa Oklahomans for Human " Rights (TOHR) will hold a Grand Opening event ¯ for the recently relocated Tulsa Gay Community ¯ Services Center on Friday, October 20 at 7pro. The ¯ new location is 2114 So. Memorial adjacent to : longtimeLesbianbar,TNT’ s. TOHR’ s also will be ¯ holding a "garage" sale to benefit the Center on ." Saturday, Oct. 14 from 8am-noon. Donations of ¯ goods are welcome and may be dropped off at the ¯ Center before the sale. ¯ On Oct 14, TOHR will also sponsor a Feast for Friends dinner to benefit The NAMES PROJECT. ¯ The dinner, called "Tulsa - The Center of the Universe" will be al fresco at the downtown sculp- ¯ ture entitled, ’’The Center of the Universe" located mance. Reservations may be guaranteed by mail to 1107 E. 19th, Tulsa,OK74120 orby credit card over the phone. Organizers promise big drag, big hair, big voices & big fun - ’cuz size matters! HRC also is sponsoring an election watch party at 9pm on Tuesday, November 7 at the fabulous I.D. Bar on Brookside at3340 S. Peoria (formerly Concessions). There will be multiple video screens to monitor the election returns and lots of hot music to enjoy while the future is determined. There will be a $10 cover charge, but that will drop to only $5 if you are wearing the "I voted" sticker. Lastly, HRC is always looking for new members. Membership runs $35. Info: 584.2913. DIRECTORY P. 2 EDITORIAL P. 3 US & WORLD NEWS P. 4 HEALTH NEWS P. 6 ENTERTAINMENT P. 8 GAY STUDIES P. 10 ¯ workers, a critical consideration in the current tightjob market." ." The report called a "landmark move" the announcement in ¯ June by Big Three domestic automakers - DaimlerChrysler, General Motors and Ford - and the United Auto- Workers that ¯ domestic-partner benefits would be offered to their more than ¯ 400,000 employees. ’’This marked the first time that virtually an ¯ entire sector of American commerce, along with its leading ¯ union, decided collectively to provide domestic partner ben- " efits," the report said. ¯ Fortune 500 companies offering or planning to offer domestic ¯ partner benefits increased from 70 in August 1999 to 102 last ¯ month. In addition, 41 of the top 50 companies in America ¯ prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, the report ¯ said. -" "All the signs point to private and public employers continuing ¯ to institute nondiscrimination policies and domestic partner : benefits," the study said. However, it noted that there is nofederal ¯ law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, nor is ¯ there one in 39 states, although President Bill Clinton issued an executive order in 1998 prohibiting such discrimination in the ¯ federal civilian work force. ¯. The number of cities and counties that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation rose from 16 in 1980 to 116 in 2000. : next to the Old U~ion Station on the pedestrian ¯ bridge. The dinner is $20 and reservations may be ¯ made by calling 743-4297. Those who just want to ¯ attend the dessert finale may go the Allan Chapman Activity Center atthe University ofTulsaat8:30pro. A $10 donation is requested. : TOHR will also present a National Coming Out Day (NCOD) panel at its monthly membership ¯ meeting on Oct. 10 at 7:30pm, and at TU on ¯ Thursday, Oct. 12, the University ofTulsa College ¯ of Law Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Law Caucus will ’ sponsor a Hate Crimes Panel discussion from noon - 2 p.m. The panel, which will be held in TU’s Moot ¯ CourtRoom of John Rogers Hall located at Fourth ¯ Place and Florence Avenue, will address the valid- " ity of Hate Crimes legislation, opposition to the ¯ Hate Crimes Prevention Act and other topics of ". relevance. Linda Lacey, a TU college of law pro- , fessor, will moderate. ¯ The program is free and open to the public. For ¯ more information, call Courtney Sdby at 836- : 9107. Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants *Chasers, 4812 E. 33 *CW’ s, 1737 S. Memorial *Club Cherry Bomb,. 1926 E Pine *Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st *The Star, 1565 Sheridan *Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main *TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial *Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd *The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 712-2324 : 610-5323 583-2119 : 835-2376 : 744-4280...; 745-9998 ¯ 834-4234 : 585-3405 : 660-0856 584-1308 749-1563 Tulsa Businesses, ServiCeb~ & pi’ofessiohals "Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 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, 3807c S. Peoria *Cheap Thrills,.2640 E. 1 lth 918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615- POB 4140, Tulsa. OK 74159 e-mail: TulsaNews@ earthlink.net Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal Writers + contributors: Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117 Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700 Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 *De,co to Disco, 3212 E. 15th Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria *Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan Encompass Travel, 13161H N.Memorial Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th PI. 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, 308 South Kenosha .... *Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 *Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo *The Pride Store Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101 Richard’s Carpet Cleaning Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-79,21, Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square Paul Tay, Car Salesman *Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling *Whereh0use Music, 5150 S. Sheridan *Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum, Mary ¯ Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw ¯ Member of The Associated Press ..... l~U~d bh’o~lsdfbre the lit of ~gcti month; th~~ritite contents 743-1000 i 250,503:4 of thi~ °publication are protected by US copyright 1998 by 665-4580 : T~,~" ~:~ N~v~ and may not be reproduced either in 712-1122 -" whole or in part without written permission from the pub- 712-9955 " 494-2665 lisher. Publicafi0n of a name or photo does not indicate a 743-5272 ~ person’ s sexual orientation. Correspondenceis assumedto be 746-0313 " for publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & 295-5868 becomes the sole property of T~,~ /z~ N~v,~ Each r~ader is. entitled to 4 copies of each editionat distribution 749-3620 points. Additional Copies are available by ~1"1~’583-1248. 744-5556 ¯ 838-8503 " HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583~-6611 369-8555 ¯ *Tulsa C.A:R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834,4194 712-9379 ~ Holland Hall School, 5666-E. 81 st 481-1111 592-0460 : HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Educauon 834-8378 744-9595 " *House of the Holy Spirit Minstries, 1517 S. Memorial 224-4754 610-0880 " *MCC 7United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715 628-3709 NAMES Project, 3507 E Admiral PI. 748-3111 808-8026 " NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658 742-1460 " OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 7415~ 459-9349 :;--*OSU~Tulsa 744-7440 ..... PFI~G, POB 52800, 74~52 :;~_~.¯ 749-4901 745-1111 " *.Planned Parenthood, 1007 SYffeoria 587-7674 341-6866 ; Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152 712-2750 ; R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195 582-3018 ¯ *Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 . 584-2325 747-0236 : St. Aidan’s Epis(opalChurch, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882 582-8460 " St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E:-71.st 492-7140 599-8070 ¯ St. Jerome s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088 74%5466 " *Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171 585-1234 " *TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225 584-3112 "- Tulsa County Health Department, 46 16 E. 15 595-4105 663-5934 ’ Confidential HIV Testing -~by appt. on Thursdays only 664-2951" Tulsa Olda. for Human Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297 838-7626 : T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827 743-4297 " *Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule 747-5932 *Tulsa Community College Campuses 834-0617 ; " *Tulsa Gay Community Center, 1307E.38,74105 743-4297 747-4746 " Unity Church of Christianity,3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833 749-6301, ". BARTLESVILLE 260-7829 . Bartlesville PublieLibrary, 6!30 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353 481-0558 : OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN 835-5563 .. 743-1733 ¯ Borders Books & Music, 3209NW Expressway 405~848-2667 665~2222 "¯ Borders Books.& Music~ 300 Norman Center 405-5734907 592-0767 " TAHLEQUAH - www.gaytulsa.org - website forTulsaGays & Lesbians 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, 2207E. 6 583:7815 B/L/G/T Allian0p, univ: of Tulsa United Min: Ctr. 583~9780 ¯ Chamber of -comm~ide- Bld~:," 616 ~s. B6st6fi .... 585-1201 ¯Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th Pl. & Florence -" Church of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood 587-1314 " ¯Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale 747:6300 ¯Community UnitarianzUniversalist Congregation 749-0595 Council O~ ~en’s Cl~6rale " 748-3888 " ¯Delawar~Playhouse;-15il S. Delaware 712-1511 ¯ ¯Democratic Headquarteis, 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 ¯ ¯FrceSpirit’Women’sCenter, callforlocation&info: 587-4669 ¯ Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827 " Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438 ¯ Stonewall League, call for information: - ’~i8456-7900 Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church -9t8:456-7900 Green.Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360 -o .NSU School of Optometry, 1001N. Grand HIVtesfing every other Tues. 5:30:8:30~ ~tll for dates 501-253-7734 .... 50i 1253-"]4_47’ 501-253-6807 501-253-5445 501-253-9337 501:253-27761 501.-253-5332 50i-624-6646 501-253-6001 501-253-4074 417-623-4696 EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS Autumn Br~,e~,ze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 Jini & Breht "S Bisttt, I73 S. Main DeVito,’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. MCC of the Living Spring Geek toGo!,PC Specialist, POB 429 Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery Positive Idea Marketing Hans Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East White Light, 1 Center St. JOPLIN, MISSOURI Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 Scouting~for All Opposes the "Scout’s Honor Act" Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado has introduced counter-legislation, currently being referred to as the Scouts Honor Act (H.B. 5306). The bill was introduced along with twenty-three cosponsors, on T.Uesday, Sept. 26 Accorditi~ to AFA (editor’s note: Amerfcah "F~mily Association, a rightwing lobbying group) Director of Governmental Affairs PatrickTrueman,"AFA suppo.r.ts Colorado Rep. Tancredo’s, Scouts Honor Act, which prohibits the ¯ Useoffederal funds todiscriminate against, investigate, or deny access to public prop- " erty or facilities to the Boy Scouts of ¯ America. In addition, the bill says that no entity that accepts federal funds can compel the Boy Scouts to accept members ¯ who do not share their beliefs.’" The Scout’s Honor Act would protect ¯ the BSAwho dearly identifies as an organization that discriminates against gay ¯ youth and adults and atheists to not be ~ denied access to public facilities or funding. How can-we allow our tax dollars to ¯ support an organization thatprofesses bigotry against a segment of our society.’? Tiffs is unthinkable and should not be tolerated. Scouting For All asks that you speak out LOUD to oppose this ACT!!!! ¯ Rep.Tancredofeels thatifhecangetmany ¯ more sponsors on thebill, the Houselead- . ership may bring it to the floor for a vote. ." Encourage your congressperson not to ¯ support- the bigoted Scout’s Honor Act! ¯ ACTION NEEDED: Contact your member of Congress immediately and ~ ask that he or she not support the Scouts ¯ Honor Act which is an Act supporting , bigotry in our society. Contact your Representative by calling the capitol switchboard at (202) 225-3121. ~ Scouting For All also encourages you ; to send Rep. Tancredo a note telling him ¯ thathis actions are disgusting and support ¯ bigotry in America. He should be advocating that the BSA discontinue its discriminatory policy against our Gay youth and Gay adults and also atheists. His actions are a disgrace. Write to: - tom.tancredo@mail.house.gov - Scott Cozza,president, Scouting ForAll www.scoutingforall.org * is where you can find TFN. Notall are Gay-owned butall are Gay-friendly. Log ~Cabin Republicans to Bill Clinton Thefollowing is the text ofa letterfrom Rich Tafel, executive director ofLog Cabin Republicans, to President Bill Clinton on the issue offunding theAIDS Drug Assistance Program. September 27, 2000 Dear Mr. President: I am writing to you again on an ~ssue of great importance to millions of Americans -~funding for theAIDS Drug Assis- ’ tanc~ Program in theRyatr~White CARt~ Act. Since 1995, we have consistently ¯ asked your Administration to ensure that ¯ your annual budget requests reflect the : real ne~ds in. the ADAP program; and unfortunately your .bUdgets have fallen drastically short each and every year, and each year the Republican Congress! has put millionS:ofMollars more into the pro- , gram to ansv¢~¢~ the call. This year, your : budget request fell short again. ¯ In your budget request for Fiscal Year ~ 2001, you asked for a $26millionincrease ~ in ADAP funding, while the projected ¯ need was higher, see Letters, p.3 Unfortunately, theneed has only increased since then. Thanks to the enactment of an important minority OUtreach program, spearheaded by the Congressional Black Caucus, enrollment in the ADAP program by minority patients has increased throughout the year. This has given tremendous hope to so manyAmericans with HIV that they will have access to life-savittg treatments cnrrenfly out of reach. Overall, state and territorial AIDS directors have reported that the projected national need ftr ADAP will be closer to $130 million more than the previous year. Your budget request will not cover this additional need, and many of these new enrollees may face lotteries, rationing or simply a closed door. The Republican Congress has carried the ADAP program every year, despite the failure of leadership from your Administration. I respectfully ask again, Mr. President, that you become an active participant inmeeting the ADAP needs for so many Americans with HIV/AIDS, and submit a request to Congress for an increase of $130 million for this life-saving program in your Statement of Principles before budget negotiations end for the year. I appreciate your urgent consideration of this issue. - Sincerely, Rich Tafel, executive director "It sounded like firecrackers at first," said a woman who said she was sitting in a booth when the shooting began. She asked not to be identified for fear she might lose.her job. "I looked up and saw people falling to the ground," she said. "You could feel the wind off the bullets, they were so close." Darlene Overstreet, Danny Overstreet’ s sister, said her brother, who was Gay, visited the Back Street Cafe often. He worked as a telephone operator and lived alone in a house with his poodle. "He was a wonderful person. He helped everybody," Darlene Overstreet said. "He just stopped by to have a beer, that’ s all." Members of the Washington-based National Gay and Lesbian Task Force came to Roanoke for a candlelight vigil after the shooting. Flowers, cards and balloons were placed outside the bar by members of the community. Mayor Ralph Smith saidat anews conference after the event. ’Tm shocked and saddened by this terrible, terrible crime .... Any time one member of our community is hurt, we all suffer by that same hand." ¯ Censorship Through Inti midation ¯ by Tom Neal, editor &publisher The recent visits by Tulsa police to local booksellers raise very serious concerns about censorship, grand or petit, direct or indirect, by our local government. The method used is frankly ingenious in skirting First Amendment protections as it depends on intimidation to accomplish that which it is not legal to do otherwise. What I mean is that even though most, if not all of the materials which Tulsa police collected in the stores are clearly protected under the U.S. Constitution’s First ¯¯ Amendment, by merely showing up in the stores identifying themselves as law officers and requesting limiting ." access to these materials, Tulsa police succeeded in ¯ obtaining the collaboration ofthebooksellers. Andifthey ¯ self-censor, then thepolicenever have to prove their case, ¯ they never have to be held responsible for their probable ¯ misapplication of an Oklahoma statute. _" Note that the police claimed they were not seeking to .. make any arrests during these visits, see Censor, p.9 ! b~AAlIl Gthororeugh the years of our nailon’ s history, the American dreamhas unfolded with a deeper meaning. Today, it is : a mystery that Thomas Jefferson could have written the powerful and inspiring words of our Declaration of : Independence ~. and not free his slaves. Today, it is a mystery that our founders in Philadelphia could have written the United States Constitution ? yet not allowed women to vote. Yet America has taken the inner meaning and power of our founding documents, and given them new life in each generation. then nmning over him with a car to disguise his injuries as a hit-and-rtm. In his order changing the venue, Merrifield cited a vigil for Warren that drew more than 500 people to the courthouse steps days after the murder. The rally also attracted national Gay- and civil-rights activists and an anti-Gay group from Kansas. News organizations .have since saturated the region with coverage innewspapers, andonradio and television, Merrifield said. The Dominion Post of Morgantown and the Times-West Virginian of Fairmont have each file& more than 25 stories, he said. "Nearly. all of these newspaper articles have been located on the front page and, in fact, mostofthese articles have been thelead story for that particular day," Merrifiel~d wrot~ T.I~.~voe~ag¢ ,has con~ rained detailed infOiinafion~ about tbe.inv~ti~afion°and clearly illustrates that many Marion County residents "havebecome emotionally involvedin this case and have prejudged:the defendant’s guilt," he said. Parkerhas already confessed to beating.Warr,en~but the judge has ~yet to d~eide:~w.hether jurors will hear that confession.~ In his Statement-to Sheriff" s Detective C.L. "Chip" Phillips; Parker admitted beating Warren after discovering he had-toldrothe~ peo.p!.¢, about a sexual relationship he claimed to have with.~Parker. Wilson told Phillips that he went along with the beating because he was afraid of Parker, who had threatened to beat him, too. But defense teams argue that both boys’ confessions were improperly obtained. They say neither was informed of his right to an immediate juvenile detention hearing. They also contend Phillips delayed moving the boys from GrantTownto the courthouse sohe could dicit the confessions. Phillips denies any wrongdoing. NEW SUPREHES? Nationat Coming Out D~, Oct. 11 - E|ecUon Da!/, Nov. 7 COME OUTVOTING .* www.hrc.org El HUMAN RIGHTS : I believe very deeply that the time has come in America to widen the circle of fairness and dignity to include our ¯ ~friends, neighbors, ct-workers, and relatives in the gay and lesbian community. I am running for President to fight for ." all the people. That is why the ideals of fairness, equal opportunity, and non-discrimination are at the very heart of my ¯ campaign for President. - ¯ In the past seven years, we have taken.great strides. We have appointed the first openly gay and lesbian people to ¯ high-ranking posts in our nation’ s history. We have made our government the largest employer in the world with a : strong non-discriminati0n policy covetingsexual orientation. Wehave boosted funding for AIDS research, prevention, ¯ and treatment. We have created a new White House- Office of. National AIDS Policy. We fought insurance ¯ .discrimination against people with pr~--~xi~fing conditions Wehelp~lmore people with HIV-AIDS get access to health ¯ ! am.personallY very ~)roud tO have beenthe first Vice President ever to speak at a public event with a gay rights organization. I believe it is partly because of that record and commitment that I have been endorsed by gay andlesbian ¯ leaders and civil rights organizations across this cduntry. But ]~don’ t want to rest on that record ? I want to build on it. ¯ When people filled with hate target Gaysadd Lesbi~ang, Jews;Blacks, Latinos, and Asian-Americans, it is clear that hate Crimes are notjust like other erimes: As President, with your help, I will.lead the fight for a tough law to stiffen the penalties for crimes~of hate We need to do morb th battle HIV and AIDS 9 here at home and around the world..At the beginning of this.year, I had the opportunity tO address the United-Nations Security Council about the threat that AIDS poses to the stability and security of AfriCa and the world: As President, withy0ur help; I will lead a worldwide effort to fight HIV and AIDS. I believe wemust takebold stepsto~give all.ourpe0p!ethe best health care in the.world. Weneed to dedicate ourselves to provide access ,to.qua!ity heal~ coverage.to every.child and extend coverage to millions of adults by~ ~e:et~d 9f ~e ne~t t~residenfial term. :we needtO-~,tnfinue resear~into-HIV andAIDS and ~r~;clde ad~quat~ fhh~ng fdr i~."’~ riced to give real prescription drug benefit to senioi:sand people with disabilitie.s who are on Medicare. Weneed a strong, enforceable Patients’ Bill of Rights because it’ s time that we take the medical decisions away from ~ the HM.O accountants and insurance company bureaucrats, and give them back to the doctors, nurses, and health care ~ professionals. Americans:deserv.e the best health care, not just the cheapest.. " .... ~ ~’. ’ ’ ~ ...... ¯ We must also take strong new action to ban discrimifiation andmake sure every Americhn can re~iz~hi~.:6~ her ~. potential. As President, I will re-issue the executive order banning discrimination in the federal w0J:kfo~ce. An’d i Will ¯ fight to pass the Employee Non-Discrimination Act, which will prohibit job discrimination on the basis of sexual ¯ orientation. In this campaign, there are real differences on these basic issues of fairness. My Republican opponen.t strongly ¯ opposes hate crimes legislation. He opposes a simple law to outlaw discrimination inhiring, firing, and promotionbased ¯ on sexual orientation, In fact, right now, in Texas and in 38 other states, you can be legally fired just because of your : sexual orientation. If I am entrusted with the Presidency, we will fight to correct that injustice. ¯ The stakes are enormous in this election. We know what will happen if the Republicans take back the White House. ¯ And America cannot afford to go back to the neglect and divisiveness of the Bush-Quayle years. ¯ Instead, we must move forward to create the America of ~.highest ideals. That is why I need your help and your hard work. Join withmein this campaigii~and togetherwewill win notjust vttes, but powerful new victori~s.~oi dignity Lesbian Wins Visitations PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The Rhode Island state Supreme Court last month recognized new rights for Gay and Lesbian couples raising children. In a 3-2 decision, the courtruled that ConcettaDiCenzo could not prevent her former partner Maureen Rubano from asking the Family Court for the right to visit the son they raised together. The decision gives de facto-"in fact" - parents the same rights to petition for visitation as biological and adoptive parents. "The fact that DiCenzo not 0nly gave birth to this child but also nurtured him from infancy does not mean that she can arbitrarily terminate Rubano’ s de facto parental relationship with the boy, a relationship that DiCenzo agreed to and fostered for many years," Justice Robert Flanders wrote in the majority opinion. The ruling was based on state law allowing any interested party to "bring an action to determine the existence or nonexistence of a mother and child relationship." The justices also noted the Family Court has jurisdiction over cases involving the paternity of children born out of wedlock. Attorney Cherrie Perkins,whorepresented Rubano, a 53-year-old professor of clinical psychiatry at the medical school at the Unive,~sity of Massachusetts, said her client cried when she heard of the ruling. "She’ s now not on thin ice any more. She’ s on pretty solid ground," Perkins said. DiCenzo’ s attorney, Rosina Hunt, said the ease has drained her client emotionally and financially. "The big thing for her is she wants to keep her son in a Stable home and she doesn’ t want to go through this," Hunt said. Similar cases began surfacing in courts around the country in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and claims by "co-parents" generally were rejected, said attorney Mary Bonauto of Gay &’Lesbians Advocates & Defenders of Boston, which filed a brief in support of Rubano. Recently, however, courts in a handful of states, including Massachusetts andNew Jersey, have decided to recognize the legal status of non-biologi~ cal parents. "This decision puts Rhode Island in line with the majority of recent decisions on the topic, although this is an issue that is still hotly contested among the states," said Bonauto, who lead the fight to legalize same-sex civil umons in Vermont. Rubano and DiCenzo decided tO have a child together while they were living in Millville, Mass. DiCenzo underwent artificial insemination from an anonymous sperm donor and on Dec. 15, 1991, DiCenzo gave birth to aboy. Thecouple sent outbirth announcements identifying them both as the child’ s parents, and had the last name of Rubano-DiCenzo listed onboth the birthand baptismal certificates. The couple raised the child together for several years and the boy called Rubano her "heart room." In 1996, the pair split up and DiCenzo, now 43, moved to Cumberland. The next year, the two signed a Family Court consent order that granted Rubano permanent visitation rights on a periodic basis. In exchange Rubano waived "any claim or cause of action she has or may have to recognition as a parent of the minor child." But then DiCenzo, believing Rubano’ s visits were "disruptive and confusing" to theboy, told Rubano thatno further visitations would be permitted. Rubano appealed to Family Court, asking a judge to enforce the earlier order. DiCenzo argued the Family Court lackedjurisdiction to eater the order in the first place. The Family Court, unsure how to proceed, requested that the Supreme Court rule on the case. Perkins believes the decision clears the way for the Family Court to allow visitation. Hunt expressed coneeru that the finding may pave the way for third party parent claims from grandpareats, ex-boyfriends and others. The General Assembly may want to consider changing the law, she said. But Perkins said she sees the ruling as a boon to both Gays and heterosexuals. "You could be somebody’ s second wife or husband and essentially raise their children and if you got divorced, you could haveno rights," Perkins said. "We think that the court was actually looking for a way to redress alot ofholes in the law because’ families are changing over time and this was maybe the ease to do it." Idaho PFLAG Chapter Make Case for Inclusion SANDPOINT, Idaho (AP) --The area’ s Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays chapter will make its proposal tojoin the town’ s list of credible commtmity organizations. The organization hosted the ACLUsponsored slide show and talk, "The Gay Life in Idaho: Idaho’ s Little T01d History," created by Alan Virta, head of the Boise State University library’s special collections. "It’ s amazing what you find here and there in the official records," he s aid. "S ometimes trial transcripts give a lot of information." Virta’s 45-minute show includes Idaho’s reaction to the 1895 Oscar Wilde trial in London - the playwright was charged with homosexuality -and the 1955 boys ofBoise scandal, a homosexual witchhum. Parents Jim and Barbara Hansen started the Sandpoint Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. They say that, so far, they have not been the targets of harassment in an area of Idaho typically known for its conservatism. "I find this a very open-minded community," Jim Hansen said. "There’s more suppoyt, strokes, affirmations here than I ever thought possible. That keeps me going.’" Michigan College Offers Partner Benefits MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) - Northern Michigan University faculty members have ratified a three-year contract that gives them 3.5% annual pay increases and same-sex domestic partner health benefits. The contract for the Northern Michigan chapter of the American Association of University Professors was ratified by a 159-33 vote, The Mining Journal reported. The union has about 290 members. The university’ s board of control is to consider the agreement Oc~ 6. Other changes include retirement contributions of 15.64% of annual salary, and extension of health insurance benefits to same-sex domesuc partners. Gay Games 2002: Anyone Can Compete SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -For those who’ ve dreamed of competing in the Olympics but failed to meet the athletic requirements, there’ s still hope: they can sign up for the Sydney 2002 Gay Games. The event is open to everyone. "There is no minimum standard required to participate," Game Gibson, chief executive officer of the Sydney Gay Games, noted. "No one is excluded, regardless of gender, sextmlity, race or physical ability." Organizers expect the two-week event, which includes a weeklong cultural.festival and opens Oct. 25, 2002, to attract over 14,000 participants from at least 78 countries. There are more than 10,000 athletes ¯ competing in the Olympics. Gibson also said the Gay Games, whiCh will attract mostly Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual competitors, have found their biggest sponsor. San Francisco- based Gay.com, an online supplier of services to the homosexual community, has entered into a $1.5 million agreement to be the event’ s official. Internet media sponsor,.he said. The competition, which will run from Nov..3 to Nov. 9, 2002, has 31 sports; some with a distinctive Australian flavor, chairwoman Colette Steer said, including netball and touch rugby. Butother sports on the agenda include Olympic events such as badminton, baseball, athletics, field hockey, tennis, swimming and volleyball. The sports will be held in two main zones - Olympic Park and around Sydney Harbor. As well as the official sports, the sixth edition of the Gay Games will feature exhibition events such as surfing and surf lifesaving, dragon boat racing and what organizers are calling "mind games" - ehes s, bridge, backgammon and mahjong. Steer played softball in the 1998 Gay Games in Amsterdam. She recalled with emotion waving he,r "little pink flag, as one does" ~t the Gay Games opening ceremony. The Gay Games are "an opportunity to celebratewhatweare.., and to enjoy ourselves a United in God’s Love MCC.United Sunday Worship Reverend Cathy Elliot 11:00 am Pastor 1623 N. Maplewood 918/838-1715 Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community ofHope 2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595 A Welcoming Congregation HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, SundaySchool, 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Servic~ 6pm 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754 Sandra Hill M.s. Licensed Professional & National Certified Counselor, Certified Hypnotherapist Psychotherapy & Clinical Consultation After Hours Appointments Available 2865 E. Skelly Drive, Suite 215,745-1111 The Open Arms Project Young Adult Support Group Outreach Program Thurs. Nights Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment Call for meeting times and place: 918-584-2325 Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW Ghild, Family, Individual & Gouple Psychotherapy (918) 743-9559 2121 South Columbia, Suite 420 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518 The Pride Store 1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor .Tulsa Gay Community Services Center 743-GAYS (743-4297) 6-9 prn, Sunday - Friday 12-9pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC Certified Public Accountant a professional corporation 747-5466 4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135 TOM NEAL BUILDING & GARDEN DESIGN 583- 1248 Red Rock Tulsa Free Confidential HIV Testing Walk-in Clinics Tues. & Thurs., 5 -8 pm at the Center, 1307 East 38th Daytime appointments available. Call for more information: 918-584-2325 KIN WILKS Independent Consultant for 357-1757 in~a matter of hours o~P~-N~RMS,OPENMINDS,OPENHF_At~ Saint Aidan 4045 N. ~incinnati. 425-7882 Saint John 4200 S. Atlanta Plabe. 742-7381 Saint Dunstar~ 5635 East 71st, 492-7140 Trinity 501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128 The Episcopal Church Welcomes You in that fiee and open--and tolerant environment," Gibson said. Over 15,000 people competed in the Amsterdam Gay Games. The first Gay Games were held in 1982 in San Francisco. Organizers said the influx of nearly 35,000 visitors to Sydney for the games and festival will injectabout $55millioninto the region’ s economy. On the Net: www.Gaygamesvi.org.au Gov. Ventura to Offer Partner Benefits ST. PAUL (AP) - If his administration moves forward with a plan to provide benefits for domestic partners of state employees, Gov. Jesse Venturawould demand proof of a committed relationship, he said in September. "There will be documentation signed; there will be contractual things that will go on between these people," Ventura said. "It’s not like a fly-by-night relationship, where, ’Gee I met someone in the bar and now I’m going to make them a domestic partner for a week and a half.’ " Few other details emerged about the possible extension of health and insurance benefits to domestic partners, a still-in-the-works proposal Venture’ s ad.. ministration disclosed recently. Employee Relations Commissioner Julien Carter said if the proposal is confined to same-sex couples only, he expects it to affect about 1% of the state’s 53,000-member workforce, or 530 employees. It’s not clear if heterosexual domestic partners would be covered. "There are a series of decisions to be made and that definition of domestic partner is one of them," said Ventura’ s spokesman, John Wodele. If heterosexuals are included, Carter said his department’s best estimate is that 3% of employees would take advantage of that arrangement. "We just don’ tknow for sure what the best planning number is, but it seems to be in (he ballpark," he said. Ventura stressed during his weekly radio show that the state needs to do something to stay competitive with the private sector: Both are fighting to attract new employees in a tight labor market. "What are they going to pick?" Ventura said of prospective hires. "They" re going to pick the company that gives them the best benefits, the best working conditions. That’ s what this issue is greatly about." Even before Venmra’s staff finalized the plan, conservative lawmakers discounted its chances. "I don’t think it’s going to fly," said state Rep. Tony Kielkucki, R-Lester Prairie. "He’ s got more support for unicameral than he has for this one." An effort failed this year to get a constitutional amendment On the ballot for a one,house Legislature. Vermont, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington. and Massachusetts offer benefits to domestic partners, according to OutFront Minnesota, an advocacy group for Gay, Lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities. Fort Worth city council mulls ban on Gay bias FORT WORTH-, Texas (AP) - For the third time in eight years, a measure that would protect sexual orientation under Fort Worth’s anti-discrimination law is being discussed by.members of thecity council. The current drive to add sexual orientation is being led by Councilman Chuck Silcox; a conservative Republican who ended discussions of a similar proposal in January 1999. Under the proposal,. Gays and .-Lesbians would be added to the list of protected cl~S in Fort Worth’ s anti-discrimination ordinance. The list already indudes race, creed, color, religion, gender, disability, national origin and family status. City officials said violation of the anti-discrimination ordinance is a .nfisdemeanor. !n recent editio~as of the For/~’orth Star-Tdegram. Sitcox said his posit~o,? on tee issue changed after was approached by a Fort \Vor{h man who lost Ms job after .his employer discovered he was Gay "I didn" realize we had the kind of problems out there that we do," Silcox said. "I doff t like the idea t~hat people are losingjobs over this. Anytime there is discrimination, we need to draw the line." Nebraska Amendmentto Outlaw Gay Marriages KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) - The chief supporter and an opponent of a state ban on same-sex marriages predicted extremely different outcomes if the proposed constitutional amendment is approved by voters in November. The predictions varied from prohibiting homosexual couples from adopting children to outlawing all business partnerships between two people of the same sex. Initiative 416 would define marriage in Nebraska as a relationship between only a man and wo~nan, and prohibit any "civil union, domestic partnership or other similar same-sex relationship." At a sometimes-heated fonun before the state’s daily newspaper editors, an opponent of the measure argued that it is poorly written and threatens the legality of all relationships between two people of the same sex, such as business partnerships,joint ownerships and contractual agreements. "Passage of the amendment will lead to years of litigation that will be costly to the state and its taxpayers," said Linda Richenberg of Nebraska Advocate for Justice and Equality. The amendment would simply prohibit same-sex marriages from being recognized by the state, said Guyla Mills, chairwoman of the Defense of Marriage Amendment Committee, which collected more than the required 105,000 signatures to put the question on the ballot. Mills said many constitutional lawyers have reviewed the ballot language and say it is clear on its intent. "This amendment is not about taking rights away from anybody. It is about protecting the time-honored tradition of marriage," Mills said. Under the measure, homosexual couples - including someone who works for state government or the University of Nebraska system would be prevented from sharing state insurance benefits. It also would prevent Gay and Lesbians from adopting children. She said it will not impact the insurance providers in the state or the insurance policies of private businesses and corporations. Richenberg argued that if voters approve the ban. Nebraska will earn a reputalaon as a hostile place to work and live, prompting an exodus of ho~nosexuals and their families who have been productive members of the state’ s work force. "We don’ t want to see anyone leave the state because of this," Mills said. "Wejust don’ t think a minority ofpeople should have the right to redefine marriage for everybody." Mills pointed out several times that both of the state’s senate candidates, Republican Don Stenberg and Democrat Ben Nelson, plan to vote in support of the same-sex marriage ban. Richenberg said the amendment is unnecessary in a conservative state like Nebraska, where there is not a push to legalize same-sex unions. "A vote against 416 is not going to legalize same-sex marriages," she said. "Same-sex marriages do not exist in Nebraska, and there will be no change." The forum was sponsored by the Nebraska Associated Press Association. Lesbian Denied Right to . Legally Change Name NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - A Lesbian who wanted to hyphenate her na03e to in.cldde ’that of hbr longume partner i’s @pealing the decision of a judge who said a name change would create the impression the two women were married. The American Civil Liberties Umon of New Jersey has appealed Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Iuliani’s decision ~o deny Jill Bacharach’s application ’ to change her name. At a hearing m Augus|o !uliani deniext fi~e Cedar Grove woman’ s petiti-’,~, sayi~g he feared it wo~d create the appem’a~m~ that she and imr female ,~artner were roamed, said ACLU staff{" attorney J.C. :~Nver. Sam.esex uNons ~z,: not !egaily recogxfizcd in ~iew Jersa y arid in every state except. Vermont. "I have ~ever expecied this sort of discrimination from a court of taw’y said Bacharach, 32. Salver said the judge’ s concern about the appearance of a same-sex union is an improper basis to deny a name change. . . see Name, p. 7 Not EnoUgh Dollars : m~nt in emergency rooms, wbich is more For Homeless Sick " expensive than standard care. Emergency rooms also don’ t offer AIDS patients the NEW YORK (AP) - They carry their life’ s possessions on withering backs and hide death within their broken bodies. Some spent anentirelifetimeonthe streets, ¯ searching for a home under a molding cardboardboxin atrash-strewn alleyway. ¯ Others are teens who ran from something ¯ but stumbled into a life far worse; they " trade sex for a night in a bed. Still more " believe their luck has run out after re- ¯ centlylosingjobs,apartments and friends,. " But every day, a small handful of the ¯ thousands of homeless men and women living with AIDS in New York City make ¯ a tremendous effort rarely taken by their brethren. They seek help. They fight for ¯ life, no matter the inevitable future. Scientists haven’ t cured HIV or AIDS, but their powerful .drug concoctions that keep people alive longer create a curious " problem. Public and non-profit agencies already struggle to pay for their existing cases. Now they wonder: How can we " possibly help the new people infected " with the virus? "Today, people think the ePidemic is ¯ over," said Gina Quattrochi, the president " of the National AIDS Housing Coalition " andtheexecutivedirectoratBaileyHouse, : a private center in Greenwich Village ¯ helping homeless AIDS survivors. "The ¯ reality is people are living much ~nger, " but the vast majority are disabled. Currently, Congress is debating next ¯ year’ s budget. Advocates like.Quattrochi " requested increasing the $232 million budgetby $60 million- and were worried ¯ when President Clinton proposed upping " it to just $260 million. Disappointment " has turned to fear because Senate leaders ". don’ twantto increase the appropriation at ¯ all. "It’s thin. We have to get it up," said " U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., a longtime supporter of homeless _&IDS services who pushed the House to propose " increasing funds to $250 million. "This country i" s ro"m"ng i"n mortey." ¯ Expending millions of dollars .for AID.S- " exclusive assistance meets resistance m . every case. ’qqaere has always been pres- ¯ surefrom thefarright to portray itfor drug addicts and queers," Quattrochi said, adding that others question the need to fund specific AIDS housing when so much housing is already available. Quattrochi says only half of Bailey House’s residents are Gay or Lesbian. She noted that at least 450,000 Americans with AIDS nee~l, housing, and that’s a conservative estimate because some haven’t learned they have the illness or are mentally ill andmay neverknow. New York, the city that served 1,200 homeless people with AIDS in 1988, now assists more than 27,000. That total is steadily increasing as it has for the past few years, said Ruth Reinecke, a spokeswoman for the city’ s Division of AIDS Services. A Brooklyn federal judge’s decision earlier this week shows the city apparently hash’ t adjusted wall to the surging numbers. The judge, who slammed the Division of AIDS Services for "chronically and systematically" delaying or terminating assistance, ordered the agency placed under federal oversight for three years. The city plans to appeal the decision. Quattrochi says if members of Congress wouldlook at operations like Bailey House, they’ d understand why advocates plead for more money. The alternative, she says, is that health care costs will soar when homeless AIDS patients seek treatcounseling that could hdp decrease the spread of HIV. Bailey House, one of many nonprofit groups that assist the city in serving the homeless AIDS population, started when the virus was first identified and it was still consideredby many as homosexuals’ punishment from God. The 6 1/2-story building, set m the primest of real estate along the Hudson River, nurtured homeless AIDS survivors. In 1995, Bailey House added a vocational studies program because clients lived longer thanks to the drug cocktails and weren’t interested in just wasting away. Three years later, Bailey House opened the program to anyone with AIDS living in New York. "I wanted to do something productive with my life," said Sean Ransom, 31, who contracted the virus in the late 1980s and sought help four years ago. "I didn’ t want to... take my reeds and wait to die." Those medications - a triple combination of drugs - have doubledthe average time it takes for the HIV infection to developinto AIDS, said ProfesssorAlvaro Munoz of Johns Hopkins University’s School of Public Health. They also increased the average survival time ofAIDS sufferers from 18 months to six years. In the late 1980s, residents in Bailey House stayed an average of three months, and their stay almost always ended at a funeral home. These days, they stay abont three years, if not longer. !¢lany walk out on their own, often to Bailey House-assisted apartments. Beyond treatment, stable housing is crucial to every patients’ health, Quattrochi says. Two-thirds of AIDS patients cite housing as a top priority,just below medical treatment. Living on a friend’ s couch or moving between shelters, patients find ~t difficult and tiring to get continual care; the effort weakens the body and strengthens the disease - a deadly duo. Patients also must live with failing organs, and need refrigerators to keep their medicine effective. Stable housing becomes a primal urge, Quattrochi says. "Let me put it this way, what I always ask people is, ’Where do you want to be when you have the flu?’" she said. "You want- to be at home." These problems becomeremote when a homeless person wakes up after a night under crumbled, urine-stained newspapers. Medications? It’ s doubtful they have any. It’ s often little better in city-run shel- ¯ ters. Derryck, who declined to g~ve his last ¯" name, lived in emergency housing offi- ".. cially called Single Room Occupancy : Units, but known by residents as bare- ." boned welfare hotels. He could touch all ¯ four walls from the middle of his cubicle. "- Occupants shared a single bathroom, and he shudders when remembering the filth. ¯ Prostitutes, drugs, loan sharking, he re- : calls, this placewas amodernday Sodom : and Gomorrah.’And Derryck, who is 50, ¯ concedes he was lucky to live the,re. "There s even a lack of bad housing, he ¯ said glumly. ¯ But Derryck found his way to Bailey : House. Now hecansitonhisbedinhis 85- ¯ square-foot home, with its view of the ¯ Hudson River, watch TV, grab a snack - or his medications -from h~s mini-fridge, _" or use his personal bathroom. "It works ¯ for me,"he said with a grin as smoothjazz ~ sauntered out of his stereo’s speakers. : Behind him hung posters of singer Financial Planning With A Clear Commitment= At American Express Financial Advisors, we want to make our Commitment to gay men and lesbians clear. Just as we have extended domestic partner benefits to our lesbian and gay employees worldwide, we are committed to providing ~ound financial advice that specifically addresses the unique financial issues affecting our lesbian and gay clients. Whether you’re single, in a committed relationship, or caring for children, your Americar Express financial advisor can help you take control of your financial future. We can help ’OU: Establish savings and investment plans Protect your assets from unnecessary taxation Avoid financial restrictions placed on unmarried couples Avoid costly delays in the receipt of life insurance proceeds ~, series of Seminars given by Theresa Barnard, American Express Financial Advisor Where: MCC United When: 7:00 P.M. 1623 N Maplewood Ave -’inancial Strategies for Gay Men & Lesbians Tuesday, September 5th and Tuesday, October 10th Retirement Explore Your Options ¯ Create your Retirement Income Tuesday, September 19th ¯ Estate Planning Tuesday, October 24th Please R.S.V.P. with Theresa at 918-748-8191 ext.121 Financial Advisors TULSA TECHNOLOGY Si IOWCASE AN EVENT OFTHETULSA METRO CHAMBER 12.000 Interested in finding business solutions? Looking for business connections? Then plan to attend the Tulsa Business & Technology Showcase 2000 A comprehensive exposition dedicated to the needs of Tulsa’s business community, featuring 250 exhibit booths, Business After Hours, Power Networking~ ..Seminars ~conduc~ed by businessbuilding professionals and renowned luncheon speakers, a silent auction, door prizes, a car giveaway, and much, much more! Thursday & Friday, October 19 & 20 Tulsa Convention Center TULSA METRO CHAMBER Info: 560-0298 Sponsored by Tulsa Auto Collection, Media sponsors include KJRH TV2 Clear Channel Communication and the Tulsa World Power Connect. Public Service Company of Oklahoma Customer Service Is Now Avai|able 24 Hours A Day, Seven Days A Week. These days, traditional 8-5 business hours aren’t always convenient. So PSO has made it easier than ever for you to contact us. Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7 - offering around-the-clock answersto your questions - and better access to service. Now it’s easier for you to inquire about your monthly electric bill. Or.report a power outage. Or arrange to have your power turned on or ¯ off. Our professionally trained, friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives are standing by to serve you. All day, every day. To provide faster response to your needs, we have listed our toll-free numbers below. I I I, I I I I I I I I ! I I I I I I I I I I CALL 24 HOURS FOR TOLL-FREE SERVICE ~Clip And Save I I I Customer Services: 1-888-216-3523 Billing Inquiries: 1-888-216-3490 Outage Reporting: 1-888-218-3919 Servici0 a Cliehtes: 1-888-216-3505 Preguntas Sobre su Cuenta: 1-888-216-3491 Falta De Suministro: 1-888-218-3924 Public Service Company of Oklahoma I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I BobMarley and a pink flamingo. Beyond that, the window looked out onto the water. As he spoke, a sailboat sliced through gusty winds as it cruised south heading out into the open bay. HIV Prevention Ad Banned from TV SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A set of television ads that depict bare-chested men and a male-to-female transgender delivenng an HIV prevention message have been pulled from daytime TVat a Bay Area station. Rather than run the 30-second ad during afternoon talk shows, KGO Channel 7 offered to run the ads - which encourage HIV-positive men and women to practice safe sex and be honest with partners about their status - after 10 p.m. so that fewer children would see them. A Better World, the San Francisco advertising agency that purchased the spot, chose the original time frame because researchers have discovered 3 and 4 p.m. shows are popular with Gay men. However, KGOleaders say that the ads clash with afternoon viewer expectations. "With a Rosie (O’ Dounell) episod,°, with ’NSYNC, or another pop culture guest on it, it would be a little eyepopping for a commercial like this to show up," said David Metz, director of programming services at KGO. Les Pappas, president of the agency., called KGO’s decision homophobic. "We’ ve done the research to find out what our target audience is watching, and they’ re watching Rosie and Oprah. We don’t want to be relegated or banished until after 10 p.m.," Pappas said. ABetterWorldcreated the $345,000 ad campaign for the city’ s health department after a study last month that fond the rate of HIV infection among Gay men in San Francisco is climbing at an alarming rate. New HIV infections in the city increased form 498 in 1997 to 790 last year, according to the Health Department study. NYC Loses Case Over AIDS Care NEW YORK (AP) - A federal judge has ruled the city mistreated poor people with AIDS by subjecting them to bureaucratic mismanagement and delays in housing, health and other benefits. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Sterling Johnson said officials violated theAmericans with Disabilities Act by "chronically and system.- atically failing to.provide (AIDS patients) with meaningful access to critical subsistence benefits and services." Hecalled the consequences "devastating." The opinion stems from a class-action lawsuit filed in federal court on behalf of 25,000 plaintiffs dtywide whohaveAIDS or other HIV-related illnesses. Johnson’s ruling detailed testimony - heard earlier this year at a bench trial - by plaintiffs who described getting the rtmaround from the Division for AIDS Services for months, if not years. The judge appointed a federal magistrate to monitor the agency over the next three years. Michael Hess, the city’ s counsel, criticized the ruling and promised an appeal. "Very frankly, I think it’ s very flawed," Hess said, adding that thejudge’ s opinion was "very poorly done and contains a lot of errors that I hope will be corrected." Hess said Johnson relied on informauon that was more than five years old. Statistics cited by Johnson showed that in one out Of three cases, the city failed to meetits own30-day deadline for responding to requests for services. He ordered the city to comply. The ruling was the latest in which Housing Works has succeeded in forcing Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’ s administration to overhaul portions of its policies. In 1999, U.S. District Judge Allen Schwartz found that city officials had acted with "retaliatory intent" against the nonprofit group, which has been a relentless critic of Giuliani’ s policies on AIDS. Vatican Officials: Still Noto Condoms VATICAN CITY (AP) - A Vatican official said recently that two American Jesuits have distorted church positions b,,y suggesting that the Vatiean has become more tolerant" about the distribution of condoms to fight AIDS. Monsignor Jacques Suaudeau said the Vatican stance hasn’ t changed, although the church must not be seen as indifferent to AIDS sufferers and the battle to stop the disease’ s spread. Some in the church have been seeking a softening in the position of the Vatican, which has been accused by some governments of hindering the AIDS battle. Writing in the Sept. 23 issue of "America," a Jesuit magazine, the authors pointed to an April article written by Suaudeauin the Vaticannewspaper. They said it contained important signals: That while some individual bishops have repudiated local HIV prevention programs that include the distribution of condoms, "the Roman curia is more tolerant on the matter." The article was written by the Revs. John Fuller, an associate professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, and James Keenan, professor ofmoral theology atWestonJesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass. Suaudeau called the article a"pretext to relaunch the argument." "This is a manipulation. It is blown up and exaggerated," he told The Associated Press. In his article, Suaudeau endorsed sexual abstinence and chastity as the methods to prevent AIDS, citing church programs to promote that. Suaudeau’ s article went on to say that the use of condoms in Thailand "had particularly good results for these people with regard to the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. It said the use of condoms in those circumstances "is actually a ’lesser evil’" but then added that "it cannot be proposed as a model ofhumanization and development." Suaudeau said he wrote the article to show the Vatican was not indifferent to the AIDS problem. Easier Access to Needles in NM SANTA FE (AP) - State health officials want to change New Mexico’ s Controlled Substances Act to state that pharmacists who prbvide syringes to intravenous-di’ug users are not guilty of distributing drug paraphernalia. State officials say the change would help combat the spread of infectious diseases like HIV and Hepatitis B and C. The Pharmacy Board decided to back the change, which would need to be passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Gary Johnson. In 1997, Johnson signed into law the Harm Reduction Act that made New Mexico the second state in the nation to create a state-funded needleexchange progran~ for drug users. by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor ." homoerotically tinged moments, and it Happy Samhain! (pronounced "sow- ¯ features Amanda Bearse playing Straight. eft’- it’ s Gaelic) We turn in the wheel of " (She was the next door neighbor on"Martheyearto theseasonofthethinning ofthe ¯ lied With Children", who came out a few veils, when people all over the word felt ¯ years back.) Roddy McDowell is fabuthe shifts that marked th~ time of honor- " lous as an inept bachelor vampire hunter ing th.eir ancestors. " - One wonders why he never married - Samhain in pagan Celtic Britain, was a .* "nudge, nudge, wink, wink." The charactime forhonoring the spirits of those that " ter, I mean. And Stephen Geoffreys turns have passed on, as in a touching perwell as the day of - .I love vampire Elms, and f0rmance as the the dead in Spain " " lonelyoutcastwho andMexico.Itwas ~]alS is tlae ]~est tlme of year. gets seduced by an important boll- Chris Sarandon’ s day all over the Of course, ~t’s even l~etter ff ever-so-handpre- Christian some vampire. world, enough so ~t~s a darl~, w~indy, stormy Ue’s another one that when the that could show up Church took over, ni~lat w~tla t:launder craslaln~ outside my winthey renameditAll dow any time. It’ s Hallow’s Eve and and l~htnln~ flash~n~ and.., a fun film, and All Saints Day. It - worth the cost. shrunk from a oh~ sorry~ ~ett~n~ a bit caught Available on three day festival, DVD. to a one day cel- up ~n the deser~ptlon. For those that ebration. In Storms do that to me. like Tom Cruise Amelica, it was " " with fangs (he retrivialized into w]aere was I? fusedtodothekiss Halloween. So, with Antonio just for old times’ O1~ yes, vampires and film. Banderas - was sake, take a mo- " " this due to his inment that day to "’" security with his remember those loved ones who have own sexuality since it was inthe script?), passed on. "Interview With The Vampire" has been I love vampire films, and thisis thebest rereleased on DVD with new documentime of year. Of course, it’ s even bet{er if tary footage and a few other extras thrown it’sadark, windy, stormy night with thtm- " iu. Brad Pitt plays Lestat, and the now der crashing and lightning flashing and. quite grown up Kirsten Dunst turned in a ¯ oh, sorry, getting a bit caught up in the stellar performance as an adult trapped in description. Storms do that to me.. a child’ s body. Good for the moody vetowhere was I? Oh, yes, vampires and film. pire types. One of the best verslons of the Dracnla For fans of the original Hammer legend, although the critics ripped it to Dracnlas, there are two on DVD: Dracnla, shreds, is the 1979 Frank Langella fea- Prince of Darkness, the first sequel with ture. Langella’ s Drac would be welcome ChristopherLee, after"HorrorofDracula" to show up outside my window anytime (unavailable on DVD - dammit!); and and suck anything he wanted. The film, Satanic Rites of Dracula, which was the directed by John Badham, also stars Kate last Hammer Dracula with Chris I~e. It Nelligan and Laurence Olivier in his last was a rather inept handling of putting film performance. While there are times Drac in what was them "modem" times thepacingtrudgesabitslowly, overallthe (1973). Only for those diehr~;d film is one of the lnshest productions of "I)racufans". who can’t stand to have the legend I’ve seen, even though it is completecollections.Still,it’safunromp, based more on the play than the actual and the costumes are well worthlaughing book. That didn’ t really bother me, picky at. Did people really wear that then? LOL purist that I am, and the Dracula in this The only one with any style was Drac, in filmhas quiteadry sense of humor that is timeless black and long cloak. Dracula, easy to miss if you ares’ t prone to catch- ~" PrinceofDarkness, atleastkepthiminthe ing it. It is widely available on DVD, and " 1800’ s, although Lee is left with little to although the print they used to transfer . do but hiss and look menacing. Still, it’ s a from is prone to noise (specks where the ¯ much better picture, and a fun romp. film has started to come off the magnetic " Wemer Herzog’ s remake of Nosferatu strip it’ s on), it is still a great atmospheric " is available, but unless you want to be thrill for the buck. bored to tears with Drac’ s eternal anguish Stay away from Coppola’s version, . over killingthings, pass. It really is thoug]~ ~t~ s b!9ody awful and really sucks " "DraculaNeeds Prozac"., and Klaus Kinski - i’n a b~id’Wa~ (Pun intendedl) is So wtfiny in the part, that youjust wanna Nosferatu, the first Dracula film ever slap him after 5 minut,e~s. And talk about made, and regarded as a masterpiece of ° pace.., those 2 hours-seem like 2 days. th~Germanexpressionisticcinema,isalso Again, only for the hardcore collector, a~lable,.meticuloi~sly restored, and with although afterhearing so much about it, it a.~gry interesting commentary on DVD. was nice to finally see it. Or not. Always -?irected by F.W: Murnau, ,an openly spoken of as a "classic," it m~es me ga~ director, the homoerotic ~ndertones wonder wlm decides what w~il be deemed ~ake fi~ walt worth having, or at least, aclassic andjt~st how hard they need robe renting. Re-scored wifia the original or- hit upside the head with the inteliigencc chestra~:ion, it is a fascinating ,ook at d_m stick. Nstory. Produ~din !92~.,itacmNiyholds If 3 ou re m the moodfor something in tap wel! today, a more literary vein, I czm heartily recom-. For those seekiv.g .lus~ a fun romp mend "Desrnond", by Ulysses Deitz. A through vampire fi.hn!,’md with fang-in- weL writtensagaofamodemvampinthe cheek, there s l~ngm Night", about a Anne Rice tradition, this one does not shy vampireandhisghoul, who happens to be away from the fact that, yes indeed, the male. They have a couple of lovely vamps are Gay. see Jim, p. 9 Tuesday, November 7 Election Day HRC WATCH PARTY Because win or lose, it’s good to be among friends 9 PM 3340 South Peoria, Tulsa, OK Must be 21 - Cash Bar HRC envisions an America where lesbian and gay people are ensured of their basic equal rights. You can help us do our work by joining us for either or both of these events (or by joining HRC - it’s just $35, call 584~2913 or email hrctulsaoklahoma@aol.com). HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN~ TULSA Sunday, October 29th 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM Helga’s Horribles Present scenes from "The Little Shop of Horrors" !7th & Main, Tulsa, OK Limited Seating Call 584-~913 for reservations Must be 21 - Cash Bar A survey of books which Tulsa police required to be shrinkwrapped in Borders’ October 14 8:00 pm Friday O~tober 20 21st St. location turned up at least 20 wrapped tifles over half of which were Gay and Lesbian interest books, the other half being mostly how-to sex guides for heterosexuals. Among the Gay rifles were serious art monographs on the mid-century photographer, George Platt Lynes, controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, and photographer David LaChappelle. Also chosen were history books like "Who’s a Pretty Boy Then? 150 Years of Gay Life in Pictures" and "Nothing But the Girl, The Blatant Lesbian Image" and "Gay Planet, All Things for All Gay Men." Only one title of all those wrapped, an art book by Tom of Finland, appeared possibly to meet the standard for shrinkwrapping. The police move has raised alarm in local ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) activists andGay community leaders. William Hinkle, attorney, PFLAG and ACLU activist responded to the police actions, saying "[they] can’t d,~ that. ¯. absolutely [not]." Hinkle further characterized the law as "blunt instrument," that if indeed the books were in violation of an Oklahoma statute, then an arrest should have been made. Kerry Lewis, v?’g president of TOHR (Tulsa Oklaho~ mans for Human Rights) and an attorney with a prominent Tulsa finn, called the police actions "really kind of scary" and indicated that TOHR was very interested in the impact of this action. Lewis noted thafthere appeared to be some other actions on the part of Tulsa police, a recent i.d.-check in a Tulsa club, that raised concern about a resurgence of anti-Gay harassment by Tulsa police. Other issues: Police Chief Ron Palmer stated that he did not issue the order for this action. Nor did Mayor Susan Savage know of the incident. City standards do restrict city councilors (legislative branch) from directing city employees to-perform actions. City councilor Gary Watts said that the mayor and chief of police have given permission for city councilors to talk directly to majors and deputy chiefs but that had he had a similar complaint he would have told the constituent to call the police directly. Watts said if a city councilor gave an order to the police, it was wrong, and if the officer took the order, it was doubly wrong. Corporate spokespeople for both Borderand Barnes &Noble responded. Sandy Spears, district manager for Barnes & Noble said they follow state and local ordinances but we don’t censor..." Borders representatives in a conference call claimed that they have a"dear dedication to the First Amendment but they are also conscious of the community they’re in." Borders representatives claimed they have always shrinkwrapped some books and that some come that way from the printers. (All of the Gay rifles TFN examined had locally applied bar code tags under the shrinkwrap indicating that these had not originally been wrapped. Borders representatives also claim that any customer can remove shrinkwrap in order to view a book but also acknowledged that they post no signs to let customers know about that option. They also acknowledged that to some customers the presence ofthe shrinkwrap was intimidating - that it appeared to send a message that the materials were illicit. seeming concern about Gay patrons. Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris stated that he had not been consuited before this action commenting that he’ s often seen as acting in coordination with this,sort of action but had not done so. Borders spokespeople indicated that they will send their regional management to visit Tulsa stores sometime in the next few weeks to review the situation. See editorial: Censorship Throug,;~ Intimidation, p. 3 No dancing around the subject here. And it’ s a compelling story as well, with style and wit. One of my favorites. John Peyton Cooke’ s "Out for Blood" is another excellent book with wall-written characters and a fun romp through vampland. It’ s worth hunting for in used bookstores or garage sales, since it’ s unfortanately out of print. There are two anthologies out that are worth the reading - the stories are hit and miss, but there’ s more hits than misses, so it’s worth the time - "Brothers of the Night", and "Sons of Darkness", edited by Michael Rowe and Thomas Roche. The covers are awful, but it just goes to prove the saying,"You can’ tjudge a book, etc." I’d say about 95% of the stories are excellent, which makes the 5% bearable. And there’s something for everyone. I usually don’ t care much for anthologies, but these are worth picking up. Stay away from"Vampires Anonymous". That’ s the worst piece of dreck I’ ve read in many a year of reading vampire fiction. That’ s it for the "Things that go boink in the night section." I mean, bump, yeah, bump! Still, ifyouknow of anyone with a cape And there’ s something for everyone. ! usually don’ t care much for anthologies, but these are worth picking up. Stay away from"Vampires Anonymous". That’ s the worst piece of dreck I’ ve read in many a year of reading vampire fiction. That’ s it for the "Things that go boink in the night section." I mean, bump, yeah, bump! Still, ifyou know of anyone with a cape feti sh, hates daylight, and has been around 200 years but only looks 30-something, is allergic to garlic, and has a really good immune system, send him to me... being bitten can be fun, and the neck is one of my favorite e-zones... But by merely talking about the possibility of arrests, they clearly raise that as threat if the bookstore staff doesn’t do what the police suggest/demand. Also, troubling is the role of TulSa City Councilor Todd Huston. While Chief Palmer claims that Huston did not violate city standards by contacting city staff because he did not "order" them to take a particular action (councilors are not permitted to direct city staff but are required to go through the executive branch, i.e. the mayor or chief or deputy chiefs). But any casual observer will see thatcomment by an elected official to mid-level officers is more likely to be heeded than the complaint of an ordinary citizen. And given the scandal related to former city councilor Anna Falling about orders given to city employees, Huston should have gone through the chain of command of the mayor or at least the chief ofpolice. Surely then more consideration would have been given to the dubious constitutionality of this action, see Censor, p. 10 by Lamont Lindstrom Last week my friend Henry heard a thud. Henry was hanging out at his new boyfriend’s apartment in San Francisco when something big crashed upstairs. "It’ s that annoying yobbo in the third floor apartment at it again," or so they thought. Henry’s boyfriend explained that no one in the building.liked the guy. He was catty and manipulative- the Richard Hatch of the apartmentbuilding. No boyfriends ever knocked on his door. Three days later an ambulance arrived. Theparamedics carried down a body from the third floor. Unlike TV’ s Survivor, the neighbor was the first to go, not the last. He had been lying deadjust above Henry’ s head for several days. Luckily, San Francisco weather can be cool, even in September. The ambulance drove off but Henry still felt creepy. The guy upstairs was no more butstill a presen,.~ remained. A few days later, Henry was bending over working in the garden at the back of the building. Suddenly he shivered. It felt like someone was watching him. He looked up quickly at the blank window of the third floor apartment. Was somebody still there?Was that aface? His boyfriend’ s mother, too, got goosebumps in the garage when she walked by the dead guy’ s car. The bitter queen, it seems, was now a ghostly voyeur. Henry isn’ t thrilled to spend the night at ahaunted apartment house, even one with Gay ghosts. Death has been no stranger to the Gay community, especially since the early 1980s, andmany ofus are hauntedin one way or another. Still, lurking spirits who cling to home can be annoying (even if good apartments are hard to .find in San Francisco). Luckily, Henry’ s boyfriend had already made plans to move. The ghost can keep the place. My friends on Tauna - a South Pacific island I once haunted mysdf- were similarly nervous about ghosts. Folks there are prone to stumble across spirits at any moment. Even though people mostly run into the ghosts of dead loved ones (morn, dad, grandpa), they aren’ t toohappy about these encounters. If the dead are making themselves known, there must be a reason. Ghosts can help you. But they can also hurt you too, especially if they are I didn’ t meet a~y~Gay:gh~osts imTamaa but there is a rather tricky Bisexual spirit living on the island: the dreaded and seductive Nakwa. People have sex with ghosts. What we think are "wet dreams," Islanders ~+piaiii akOff~~akwa ~ptrit sneaking ~tb bai With :thdm~. A mail: (a straight on~ atl~ast)!~s that he is having sex With ti ~tiful:w0man ~ but it’ s actually the ~iiOst Onlypretending to be a woman. Perfidious Nakwa steals the dreamer’ s semen and then changes its sex from female to male. It next creeps into the bed ofa sleeping woman, appearing as ahandsomeguy. Ithas sex with the sleeper and impregnates her with sperm stolen from its previous victim. Such ghostly pregnancies can be deadly. The woman "...Anthropologist Sherry Ortner, drawln~ on the Freneh feminist Simone Beauvoir, ~,~nee proposed that ’Man is to Culture as Woman is to Nature.’ Ortner was seekln~ a reason for why, almost everywhere, people value what men do more than they value what women do..." ¯ may die unless her false pregnancy is ~ diagnosed and treated by local healers. ," Ghosts you meet while awake can also ¯ make trouble._ One day a young woman named Risi just vanished. Her family panicked. Nobody disappears in this intimate society where everyone always knows everyone else’ s business. We rushed to the graveyard and blew triton shell trumpets loudly to put-the spirit world on nouce: buuuuuuu! Village theory was that the girl’s grandmother, who had died the previous year, had come back to fetch Risi to keep her company in "the other side" - the world of the spirits. Four days later a somewhatbedraggled Risi wandered back into the village. It wasn’t grandmother, so it turned out, but rather a handsome ghost she didn’ trecognize. ¯ He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her off deep into the forest - ¯ highup on the mountainside where people ¯ ordinarily are afraid to walk. Risi admit- " ted that she had "cooked" for the spirit. ¯ Her folks immediately suspected that she ¯ and the ghost had had sex. When a girl ¯ ¯ cooks for aguy, she’ slikely offeringmore than just yams and taro. ¯ Somehow Risi managed to escape and ¯ find her way back home. Her family was ¯ going to have to be on guard the next few ¯ months to make sure that Risi hadn’t ¯ come home with a spirit child in her ¯ Womb. ¯ That was her story at least, and none ¯ doubted it - except me, just a little, but ¯ only becauseI’veneverrunintoanyhorny ¯ ¯ ghosts myself. But when Henry told me about his Gay ghost, I wondered if per- " haps randiness is why the spirit refuses tO ¯ leave the building. The guy. got no saris- " faction while aliVe; he now haunts lzs ¯ luckier neighbors ~ staring, for example, ," at Henry’s handsomebehind. Maybe ¯ Henry should ask the ghost out on a date. ¯ Hall6ween would be perfect. Last but hardly least is the failure of the bookstores to defend First Amendment protections. What is most troubling was the corporate response which was not to reassure Gay & Lesbian customers that our books will not be wrapped but which was to defend their fight to shrinkwrap books. Wrapping books, even if you can open them (if you knOW to ask)C-sends a message that some subjects a~ebad. It isn’ t grand censorship in theformofmaking the materials unavailable but it is petit censorship and it is still objectionable~ This may seem a small issue - after ,all it’ s just a bit of shrinkwrap -but this is how rights are lost, through a slow process of erosion. Citizens might want to contact their councilors and demand that we keep our police officers out of the bookstores (and who knows what next, our libraries?) and out on the streets. Timothy .W. Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partnership Planning, Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma Weekend and evening appointmenls are available. Are You Gay. or Bisex.ual? Are YOU Native Amer|can?. Tulsa’s Two-Spirited Indian Me¢n’s _ / ~uEpvpeonrtinGgrosuupppisorhtgerreoufoprmyoeue,tings ~j ’- ¯ Relationship workshops ~!~ ¯ Short trips, outings and retreats ¯ Free H V testing For information callTulsaNative American AIDS Prevention Project IGTA member Call 341.6866 nternationa Toursformoreinformation. Massage Therapy Services Edgar O. 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 :T]ulsa !s on!y professional body-piercing College Hill Presbyterian Church In response to God’ s Love, College Hill Presbyterian Church is a community of God’ s people called to tall others the Gospel of Jesus Christ through worship, service, and evangelism. To nurture our faith, we gather for worship, prayer, study and fellowship. Trusting in a living; loving God, we seek to become a compassionate voice for peace and justice. Our congregation welcomes all persons Who respond in trust and obedience to God’s grace in Jesus Christ, "and d~sire to become part.lof tlie~ membership and ministry of Christ’ s church. Membership is open to all people regardle..~s of race, ethnic origin, worldly dondition,madtal statuS, or , ’i, s~xual orientation. Sunday Worship 11am 712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800 (One block west of Delaware and the University of Tulsa Campus) by Karin Gregory ; By now votes are tallied and the facts ¯ speak for themselves: Dr. Laura ." Schlessinger’ s television talk show, after ¯ being on air only three weeks, is going ; into hiatus for "retooling." Doesn’ t that mean a major make-over? It does in my vocabulary. It also means "trouble.’" This is probably-due more to the fact that Dr. Laura’s show is BORING instead of controversial, and has also landed dead last in ratings among talk shows on television (and among many other shows as well). However, I figure that the people .over at stopdrlaura.com are giving themselves a pat on the back for a job well done since their first two protests, in Chicago and Dallas back in April, made the public more aware of this woman’ s dangerous rantings. These two major city demonstrations weren’t the last, and August 26, Austin, Texas held a protest outsideits CBS affiliate station, KEYE-TV, "The Eye of Austi..". The protest was organized chiefly by stopdrlauraanstin.com. How do I know this? I was on the front lines. Having broken my footjust a week earlier, I went down to march (as best I could) with other Gay/lesbian/straight concerned citizens who didn’t want the show to air at its scheduled 4 pm ttme slot. Their reason? CbJldren at home, many without parental supervision, would watch Dr. Laura and receive her message, thus ensuring that homophobia stays alive and dangerous in Texas. Every Fundamentalist Baptist is ensuring that as we speak. We don’ t need more help from a television talk show wannabe. Meeting with the assistant of stopdrlaura.com, Andy Thayer, was an experience. He’ s been to most of the Dr. Laura protests in most of the states in the country. That’ s lots of traveling. When I heard there would be about one hundred protesters, I was exhilarated and stopped thinking about the pain inmy footandmy hideous lack of sleep from the night before. But as 11 am approached, it was obvious there would only be about30--35 participants in this protest. The demonstmtionoutside the television stationlasted approximately anhour, alongafairlykigh traffic areain Austin. Mostcars that drove by included sympathizers, those agaiast the Dr. Laura talk show. Weheard from a local Christian miaister who had recently officiated at the funeral of a Gay boy killed in a bashing. He said that for a week after the funeral he listened to a local Christian radio station and heard endless Gay bashing from the "Christians." He made the point that not only should weblame Dr. Laurafor spreading hatred about Gays, and this radio station, but we should ultimately look to ourselves to see what .we could do to prevent this abysmal crime from happening again. Withonly35protesters present, it looked like the rest of the Gay/Lesbian] Bisexual/Transgendered community of Austin just didn’t care. Do you care? Do you have what it takes to stand on a street corner and protest? Sure you do. That’s the easy part. The difficulty comes in our everyday lives when we continually hide "...Do you have what it takes to stand on a street corner and protest~ Sure you do. That’s the easy part. The dlffieulty comes in our everyday lives when we eontlnuaily hide who we are, or when we just want someone else to take up the cause because it’s become too dlffieult beatin, our heads aCalnst that wall.. 7 who we are, or when we just want someone else to take up the cause: because it’ s become too difficult beating our heads against that wall. Having that door slammed in our face. Being turned down for thatjob. Tryingto reach a community that should understand one another, but instead tries to fight forMs/her space and keeps others out. Only when we stand united will anyone take us seriously. Look what that’s done for the religious right. They have a whole damn political party on their side. Join the battle for yourselves and your partners. As they sing in Les Miserables, "This is the music of a people who will not be slaves again." Join in the crusade. You won’ t know what you’ re missing until you do. ¯ Lesbian couples break up; separate--It was bound to happen, you say. It couldn’ t " last forever, especially in Hollywood. : Well, one couple breaks up ("I could have ¯ seen that coming from day one") and one ¯ couple separates ("This was out of left ." field"). The former quote could be said of ¯ the break up of the three and a half year ¯ relationship ofEllen DeGeneres andAnne ; Heche. Umm, not too surprising. In fact, ¯ since thenews was armounced1as tmonth, tabloids have announced the reasons for ¯ the breakup: Ellen Finds Anne in Bed ¯ With Another Woman; Ellen Finds Anne ¯ in Bed With Another Man; Ellen’s Ex Pregnant. I-Immm, why doesn’t ELLEN ¯ get any action? The day the couple an- . nouncedtheirbreakup, A~tme Heche"sup- ¯ posedly" went for a drive in very sunny, ¯ hot weather with the top down on the ¯ convertible. Not too swift for someone : SO fair skinned. Later, after "suppos- ¯ edly" suffering heat stroke,Anneknocked ¯ on a stranger’s door and began talking ." about God and spaceships. Ellen, if you ¯ were theonewhokickedherout, all Ihave ¯ tosayis: Waytogo, Grrl! ; More surprising was the. separation of ; rock star Melissa Etheridge and ten year ¯ partnerJulieCypher. Again, anotherpress ." announcement.Whatisitaboutthesefour ¯ women that makes them tell all to the ¯ world? In this case, Etheridge and Cypher ¯ split on extremely amicable terms, even ; buying two separate houses next d~or to ;- one another, so their children won t feel the separation. They will still have their ¯ two mommies beside them. Well, that’ s a ¯ way to do divorce all right, especially ¯ withchildreninvolved.However, theway ¯ Melissaimmortalizes her andJulie’ s fights ¯ into her songs, I can’ t wait for Melissa’ s ¯ next album, already being recorded. ¯ Can anything be learned from these ¯ separations?Well,if you’re a Witty come- " dielme, don’ t get involved with a flalse. If ¯ you have one of the strongest pers0nali- ," ties on the planet, then maybe you ¯ shouldn’tgetinvolvedwiththeotherstron- ¯ gest personaiiiy on the planeL in other ¯ words, You can "come to:my windoff" ¯ because ’Tmthe only one",b~tyoubett~ not be"stronger thmi me" or I n~ighthave ¯ a "breakdown." ¯ Gregory, a former schoolteacher and ¯ journalist is based in Ft. Worth. Her cur¯ rent theme song appears to beJillSobule ’s "I Kissed a Girl." Walk for Life 2000 8th Annual Tul,sa AIDS Walk Saturday, Oct. 7, 9:30am Veteran’s Park, 21st & Boulder For more information, call 585-5551. Donations will be increased by 50% with matching dollars through the generosity of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, The Walk is sponsored by the Community Service Council, and will benefit the Tulsa Community AIDS Partnership (TCAP). The Walk is an all volunteer effort and there are no administrative costs. Tulsa Family News is proud to donate this advertisement in support of the Walk and the Tulsa Community AIDS Partnership (TCAP) Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2000] Tulsa Family News, October 2000; Volume 7, Issue 10 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource October 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohn Karin Gregory Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Hughston Walkinshaw Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, September 2000; Volume 7, Issue 9 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa----Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/605 AIDS Al Gore aMUSEments and Friends of Lesbians and Gays arts and entertainment Bars Boy Scouts businesses Catholic Church censorship churches Community Center contraception Families gay bashing Gay Games 2002 Gay marriage Gay Studies healthcare HIV prevention HIV testing homelessness Human Rights Campaign Jim Christjohn Karin Gregory Lamont Lindstorm Log Cabin Republicans marriage equality Murder Openarms Youth Project Parents Partner Benefits partner rights performing arts PFLAG Raging Lesbian Red Cross Red Rock Tulsa restaurants Rich Tafel Tom Neal Tulsa AIDS Walk Tulsa Family News Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Tulsa Police Department https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/6b7e676bb8ca66b2d4d4e77ec98183bb.jpg 70277c751b7608bff4b6a6a9ebd57143 https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/a3ba05665eee0d1b153fdde340f774b0.pdf 6e78e6b1fae615e50dacbb10ea0a31df Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Deputy Police Chief To Speak At TOHR, Nov. 14 TULSA (TFN) - Tulsa Deputy Chief of Police Bobby L. Busby will be the featured speaker at the Nov. meeting of Tulsa Oldahomans for Human Rights (TOHR) at the Gay Community Services Center at 21st &Memorial.The meeting begins at 7:30pm. Topics for discussion with the ChiefBusby will include expanding Tulsa’s "diversity" training for new police recruits and for in-service training to include sexual orientation as wall as rate and etlmicity. Also on the agenda will be discussion of recent police visits to local Gay and Lesbian_nightclubs. All are invited to attend. TOHR will also hold a new volunteer orientation on Nov. 9th at 7pm at the Center. Center organizers also held an openhouse for thenew facility in October. They note that about 80 people attended the event including a substantial number of visitors in town for a leather event. TOHR also hosted a Feastfor,~riends dinner with raised over $1,000 for The NAMES Project. Hate In Vermont BROOKFIELD, Vt. (AP) - Mark Hackett was thunderstruck when he looked at the fence facing property he owns on Vermont Route 14. "Exaente the Fag," it declared, its message clear despite the misspelling. Hackett, who is Gay, rents the property to two families, one of whom has been feuding with the property owner next door on whose fence the hate message was spray-painted. Although Hackett as landlord has been only peripherallyinvolved in the neighborhood dispute, its message was obvious to him. "It’s clearly there for me to see.., the message to my tenant was,’ Seehow yourlandlordlikes that,’ "Hackett said. "I just think the ’Take Back Vermont’ message is making it OK to say stuff like that. I don’t have a problem with people voting Democratic or Republican or supporting any candidate they want... But you start seeing that stuff around the state and it’s not about politics, it’s about hate." And it is happening more and more around Vermont in this heated and polarized campaign season. In Burlington, the Outright Vermont office has taken to locking its doors and taking other security precautions after two differentmen walked into the office on Oct. 13 and threatened to kill a staff member. "The first one basically asked her what she was going to do to eliminate herself, then told her if she didn’t eliminate hersdf he would," see Vermont, l~. 2 DIRECTORY P. 2 EDITORIAL P. 3 US & WORLD NEWS P. 4 HEALTH NEWS P. 6 ENTERTAINMENT P. 8 GAY STUDIES P. 10 ¯ Servin Lesbian Ga Bisexual + Transg~n~er_ed ~ul__Fa~s_, ~r Fa~ili~.~ Friends : Gays Excluded From i Tulsa’s "Diversity" ¯ Metropolitan Ministry Lauds Local Mix : But Sees On!y Race, Religion + Ethnicity ¯ NEWS ANALYSIS ~- When is "diversity" not diverse? Only in ¯ Tulsa where "do-gooder" organizations, like Tulsa Metropolitan ¯ Ministry (TMM), the National Conference on Community and ¯ Justice (NCCJ), and others can sin~ the praises of interfaith ¯ tolerance andunderstandingwhile excluding or ignoringLesbian ¯ and Gay Tulsans, regardless of faith. In this case,TMMissued a"Statement in Support ofDiversity" ¯ which defines diversity only in terms of race, ethnicity and ¯ religion. TMM’s newexecutive director theRev. StephenCranford ¯ stated that he did not know if the omission was deliberate. However, TMM staff said that the text of the statement was written by TMM board president, Dr. Sandra Rana, who is a leader in Tulsa’s Islamic community. Members of Tulsa’s Is- " lamic community have made hostile remarks towards Gays on ¯ several occasions, most recently when a Muslim representative ¯ at a NCCJ Trialogue on Marriage said that his society would ¯ murder any Gay men who attempted to marry each other. Dr. ’ Rana did not respond to messages left about the "Statement in ¯ Support of Diversity". TMMhas a history of mostly ignoring Lesbian and Gay issues ¯ with one notable exception: the support of an amendment to ¯ Oklahoma’s hate crimes statute whichTulsa Representative Don : Ross introduced in the legislative session prior to last year’s. ¯ Radford Rader, pastor ofCollegeHill Presbyterian Church, an ¯ officially welcoming congregation of Lesbians and Gay men and ¯ member of the TMM executive board, responded that the state- " ment was meant to address racial and ethnic diversity because of ¯ the coming of the KKK. It was written right before the incident ¯ ¯ at the Jewish cemetery. Rader stated that he did not feel that the exclusion was deliberate. see TMM, p. 9 ¯ Gay Grandmothers Just Want to See Grandkids TULSA (TFN) - It’s a sad story when families get caught up in ¯ homophobia and prejudice. It’s common when couples separate after one or the other parent realizes that they are Lesbian or Gay. ¯ And when thelegal systemgets involved, often the Gay parent ¯ loses, though around the US and evenin Oklahoma, courts cases ." are holding that Lesbians or Gay men are not ipso facto bad ¯ parents. But when grandparents are involved, it’s even more ¯ difficult because the law defers almost completely to parents. ¯ That’s where two Tulsa women, Julene and Schrie, find ¯ themselves. Both were once married to men and have children ¯ fromthose relationships. ¯ Some of those kids have no problem with their Lesbian moms. ¯ And one of them didn’t have a problem with them, when she ¯ needed free babysitting and before she was married to a man ¯ who’s areligious fundamentalists. Now the daughter and the son- ¯ in-law who says he’s the head of the house find that "it’s in the ¯ best interest of the kids" that the kids not see their grandmother ¯ or her partner who’s just as close. ¯ Legal experts hold out little hope, and even if there were ¯ grounds for a court case, judges andjuries in Oklahoma are often ¯ .not sympathetic. But this does not deter friends of the women ¯ ¯ who praise them for their kindness and support to their friends and employees when they find themselves in need. ¯ The women own a local dub out on Garnett which while it is not a Lesbian or Gay oriented venue has patron who are remark- " able supportive of the pair. ¯ Bar employee, Tummy Peevyhouse, was particularly outspo- ¯ ken in her concern for her friends and employers, as was also a ¯ bar patron, Tommy Clown. Frustrated by the limitations offered by the legal system, Peevyhouse’s response was if the law allows ¯ this [situation], then the law needs to be changed. ¯ Meanwhile, the grandmothers just wait and have faith that as ¯ their grandsons reach legal maturity, they will reassert them- " selves and come to see them on their own. HEAR the Quilt World AIDS Day- Dec, 1 ¯ Council Oak Men’s Chorale Benefit ¯ TULSA-The fifth andlargestdisplay ofTheNAMES Project will behddat tbeTulsa Conventi,o,.n Centeron ¯ on December 1 - 3. The event entitled, HEAR The Quilt" will open with student tours during daytime ¯ hours on World AIDS Day, Friday, December 1. The opening ceremonies for the general public for ¯ "HEAR The Quilt" will be proceeded by the tradi- ] tionalWorldAIDS Day candlelightmarch.Themarch ¯ will begin at the Courthouse Plazajust west of 5th and ¯ Denver at 6:30, Friday evening.Marchers are encour- ¯ aged to bring organizational banners andbells; candles ¯ will be provided. Parking is available at the Conven¯ tion Center garage. The march will follow a short ¯ route through downtown Tulsa and will return to the convention center for the Quilt’s opening at 8pro. This display of the Quilt will feature 188 sections ¯ of the Quilt, each twelvefeet square. The display will , be free and open to the public. Organizers note that ¯ the Quilt has the power to teach, to touch hearts, and ¯ to change minds. In conjunction with the "HEAR The Quilt" Dis- " play, the Council Oak Men’s Chorale under the ¯ direction of Rick Fortner will perform at Hope Uni- ¯ tarian Church, 8432 South Sheridan Road, Tulsa on : Saturday evening,December2 atT:30pm. Admission ¯ is free, with a suggested $10 donation. Proceeds will ¯ benefit the NAMES Project Tulsa Area Chapter. There also. will be an interfaith worship service (coordinated by Reverend Cathy Elliott, pastor of MCC United Church) to be held at the Quilt display ¯ on Sunday, Dec. 3at 9:30am. ¯ For more information, call (918) 748-3111 or send e-mail to info@TulsaQuilt.org ¯ Maine To Vote Again On Gay Civi,I Rights ¯ HALLOWELL, Maine (AP) - Maine’s latest refer- " endum on civil fights for Gay citizens resurrects ¯ familiar arguments on both sides, but this time propo- ¯ nents have polished the proposal and picked up a ¯ potentially influential ally. In wirming support from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, backers have sought to buttress an exemption for religious ¯ institutions. They have also sought to counter claims ¯ that the measure would award anything special or ¯ endorse specific sexual behavior. Last time around, the Catholic church sat out the ¯ dection debate, saying it could not support a law ¯ enacted by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Angus ¯ .King because of ambiguities in its language. The ¯ enacted measure was repealed in February 1998 ¯ before it ever took effect by a rare "people’s veto" ¯ referendum vote. The outcomein that special election : was 51% for repeal and 49% against. ~ This time, with numerous other matters on state ¯ ballots expected to produce a bigger voter turnout, ¯ approval of Question 6 would again expand the ¯ Maine Human Rights Act. The proposal would in- " dude the category of"sexual orientation" in a list of ¯ groups protected against discrimination in the areas ¯ of employment, housing or access to public accom- ¯ modations and the extension of credit. The new version, however, approved by the Legislature and signed by the governor in April, is more limited than the repealed law. "We’ve repeatedly said work needs to be done to clean up the language," says Catholic diocesan spokesman Marc Mutty. "And we did that." Besides the religious exemption, the new version specifies thatno change in affirmative action requirements is intended and see Maine, p.3 Tulsa~Clubs & Restaurants *Chasers, 4812 E. 33 *CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial *Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine *Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st 712-2324 610-5323 583-2119 835-2376 744-4280 745-9998 *The Star, 1565 Shelida~, 834-4234 ~ *Renegades/Rainbow Room, i649 S~. M~in 585,3405 *TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial §~920836 *Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd ~ 1584-1308 *The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 749-1563 Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41 Body Piercing by Nieole, 2722 E. 15 *Border~ Books & Music, 2740 E.21 *Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria *CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria *Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. llth Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 743-1000 250-5034 665-4580 712-1122 712-9955 494-2665 743 -5272 746-0313 295-5868 581-0902, 743-4117 622-0700 749-3620 744-5556 838-8503 369-8555 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 834-7921, 747-4746 749-6301 260-7829 481-0558 835-5563 743-1733 665-2222 592-0767 *Deco to Disco; 3212 E. 151h Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria *Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 551h P1. 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 planniug Mark T. Hamby, Attorney *Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly *International Tours Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 151h *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, 308 South Kenosha *Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 *Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo *The Pride Store Rainbowz on the River B+B,POB 696, 74101 Richard’s Carpet Cleaning Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square PaulTay, Car Salesman *Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling *Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan *Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615 FOB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159. e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal Writers + eontributom: James Christjohn. Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche. Lament Lindstrom. Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw Mem~ber of The Associated Press.. ~ _ ~ ~ , Issued 0ffor,befot~ th6 1 ~t of~ each month,~entire contents Of this publicatioxi are protected by US 6opyright 1998 by To/.~/:k~,,~ N~and may not be~ptoduce~ eitherin whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s sexual orientation. ~orrespondence is assumed to be for "pi~blication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes the sole property of TM-€~/c¢,,,,~... Nv~,. Each reader is entitled to 4 copies of each edition at distribution points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248. ¯ *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 SpiritWomen’s Center, call for location&info: 587-4669 ¯ Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827 ¯ Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438 HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd, 583-6611 ¯ *Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194 HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378 ¯ *HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstries,1517 S. Memorial 224-4754 ¯ *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 ¯ PFLAG, 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 : 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. for Human Rights, c!o 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, 21st & Memorial 743-4297 ¯ Unity Church ofChristianity,3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833 .. BARTLESVILLE ¯ Barflesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353 ¯ TAHLEQUAH : Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900 ¯ Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900 ¯ Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-936~3 ¯ EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS www.gaytulsa~.org - website for Tulsa Gays & Lesbians : Autumn Br~,eeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734 T,,t~ ^~-~.A~=~~ Cha;-bh~i; ~:chOOIS&~. Universities "- Jim &Brent s Bistro 173 S. Main 501-253~7457 A!~r~ ~Xrr~t+~,~~r~tT~ 7’h~:~ [-’ ~ ’~ ~ ~ :~ "~~-95~....~eVito~s’R~S~L -5 Ce~ter~ St.’’ t. ~ ..... ,. ,: 1, ~ ~,1-~53~ ~1 So~sU~Ch~ch, 2952 S. Peofia 743-2363 : ¯~dR~nbow, 45 ~!~ Spnng ’St: .....5.01.2.5.3 ~5 Black & ~te, ~c. ~B 1~01, T~sa 74159 5~-7314 ¯ MCC of ~e ~ving Spring 501-253-9337 Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 B/.L/G/T-Alliance, Univ, of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston *Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. Church of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood *Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale *Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation Council Oak Men’s Chorale *Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 583-7815 583-9780 585-1201 & Florence 587-1314 747-6300 749-0595 748-3888 712-1511 Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253~2776 Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332 Positive Idea Marketing Plans ....... 501-624-6646 Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East 501-253-6001 White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074 JOPLIN, MISSOURI Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696 * is where you can find TFN. Not all are Gay-owned butall are Gay-friendly. said Keith Elston, executive director of the group dedicated to Gay and Lesbian youth. "The other one was much more blunt that he was going to ’kill fags.’ " Burlington police are investigating the incidents, but there have beenno arrests and cOauretffUiglhatbVoeurtmtro~nntgh.at9s pbregcvoidme~e .msauf.ec.hty mt°oir.tes staff, volunteers and especially its clients. From tasteless bumper stickers to graffiti on highway pavement, it’s apparently become socially acceptable in the political climate of 2000 to use derogatory terms for Gays and Lesbians that once were considered epithets. There have been scattered but persistent reports at schools across the state about anti-Gay incidents and harassment. On the pavement of the road approaching the Champlain Bridge near Fort~i~conderoga inNew Yorksomeonerecently spray-painted in large white letters "FAGS," with arrows pointing over the bridge into Vermont. "How much more explicit can you be about creating an aura of fear for day-to-day life?" said Lynne Bond, a psychology professor at the University of Vermont who has studied Gay and Lesbian issues. Vermont’s new civil unions law, granting most of the rights and benefits of marriage to same-sex couples, clearly has prompted a broad public discussion about the lives of Gays and Lesbians. There are deeply held beliefs about the morality - or some would say immorality - of homosexuality. But before the civil unions debate, those beliefs were rarely expressed in langnage that’s so offensive to Gays and Lesbians. "It seems to me that some people, have broken out of the social constraints of civility that I think people were honoring during thelegislativeprocess," said BethRobinson, the Middlebury attorney who argued the lawsuit that led to civil unions. People who oppose civil unions say they’ve been unfairly maligned becausejust they don’t agree with the law. They complain that they’ve been described as bigots, hate-mongerers and homophobes. They say that their ’Take Back Vermont’ signs and other political placards havebeen knocked over, defaced with Gay symbols and stolen. "I think there have been ugly incidents on both sides," Republican gubernatorial candidate Ruth Dwyersaid atadebatein Lyndon Center last week. Still, it once was eousidered ill-mannered at best to use such terms as fag and dyke aad queer in civil conversation. The anger over civil unions appears to have erased that unwritten rule in Vermont, at least for the time being. And that makes many Gay and Lesbian Vermonters feel as if they’re under attack, even if it’s a small minority of civil union opponents who:are behind the hate. ~ : ~ ~P~@I’O~6*~[re~, frimtrated lthat 1 didn-t~get ~d~* ~ivil ~iOrls bill killed Legislature, some of them have taken it. upon themselves to link an ominous, mystical Gay agenda to the civil union bill," - Elston.said. ’,’They’ve.been-falsely suggest~ ing that there s something in the civil unions bill that requires the teaching of homosexuality in schools. They’ve been foolishly suggesting that Outfight teaches homosexuality in the schools, that we’re distributing pornography." see Vermont, p.3 World Watch: News Not Covered in Our Daily by Tom Neal, editor/gadfly/publisher It’s old fashioned to place as much import on a daily newspaper but then as a newspaper publisher and editor of now seven years, I am somewhat committed to the concept. Unlike the internet, radio and television, those more ephemeral of media, the printed word, even on acid filled newsprint leaves a legacy, a picture of where we are and where we were, in a way that is more accessible and probably more permanent. This new and irregularly published column, like much ofthis newspaper’s coverage, intends to bring to attention things which otherwise might not get addressed. Andwhile our daily newspaper, The Tulsa Worldis not the worst newspaper in America, it does have some foibles, some journalistic lapses which stem from its parochial circumstances: a privately owned, smaller town paper with a historically greater emphasis on coverage of wealthy whites, rather than minority citizens and issues. It’s better than it used to be but... We are in the height of the United Way campaagn, and as in years past, The Tulsa World is a major supporter of TulsaAreaUnitedWay (TAUW). This is notintrinsically a bad thing. TAUW does do much good for many. But TAUW also funds organizations which engage in discnminatory practices and itself may discriminate. There are ongoing questions about the true percentage of funds which go to services rather than administration. Onemight think that The Wormwouldat least look into these issues. But year after year, The World’s coverage of United Way is a public relations flakmeister’s dream, with shamelesslypromotional stories aboutTAUWfunded agencies which nm during the United Way fundraising campaign. Canwedoubt thatifTAUWwere funding’~penly racist or anti-semitic agencies that The World would write about it? Despite claims of separation between the newsroom, and advertising and ownership, The Worm has a clear conflict of interest between its promotion of United Way and its commitment to good journalism. The World will change when they know that their readers like you andme find their practices unacceptable. Not to pickonJoe Worley, executive editor butultimately he’s responsible for the decision to coddle Tulsa Area United Way and its bad mannered (and in one case, clearly lncohapetent) management. Joe’s ntunber is published on page A-2 everyday. Let him know when The World’s doing a good job of covering Lesbian and Gay issues (overall, they’re doing better these days) but also let him know what’s not working too. ’In the current, embittered political atmosphere, it is difficult to counter such arguments. And so it feeds on itself and results in slogans that once would have been considered epithets being painted on a neighbor’s fence. Although it’s unpleasant for many Vermonters, regardless of their homosexuality, people who have been involved said they will continue speaking out. "You have to just keep on.telfing the truth, over and over again," El~n ~akl. !’Everyti~n~,thCy ~ylie~ ~a~bgut you,’yqq l~av¢ t~ exp0~e. ~em ~s [i~e~ on~!,Y0q ~aYq ~to ~t~lil,th~ .tnifl~ people hear that message." "They Don’t Want Civil Rights, They Want Special Rights" Early this morning, before I was really awake, or maybe late last night drowsing with the television on, the history channel was showing footage about the struggle Black Americans had to end legal segregation. This part ofrecent American history is a particular interest of mine but this was mostly things I’d heard or seen before. But then there was an image that caught my attention, one I’d never seen before. An old black and white image showed a white Southerner marching with a placard Saying, "They don’t want civil rights, they want SPECIAL rights!" And here I thought that particular carnard wg~ newly minted to mischaracterize the desire of Lesbian and Gay persons to live our lives relatively unmolested, with a some semblance of the same opportunities which non-Gay citizens enjoy. Perhaps I should not have been surprised. In the fight over whether Lesbian and Gay Americans should serve openly in defense of our country, almost word-for-word rhetoric was trotted out to oppose Gays as was used to oppose racial integration of the US military. Prejudice, like taxes and death, is, it seems, fundamental to the human condition, with Americans, like others, occasionally transcending our biases. After many shameful years of oppression, Americahas slowly set aside some of its racism. But different prejudices, seeing a void, have come forward. In response, we can do several things. Many simply seek to live their own lives, quietly, avoiding harassment as best as possible. Others speak out as best they can. But all who are citizens can vote, and after the election, can contact those who are supposed to be representing us. Of course, in Oklahoma, this is often an exercise in frustration. Our elected federal leaders are nearly all dedicated to attacking or restricting the rights of Lesbian-and Gay citizens - and their staff are usually rude and arrogant. But not to hold them accountable is to let them assume that all agree with their prejudice. Needless-to-say, in this election, if you are reading this before Nov. 7th, please consider the difference between the Republicans and the Democrats. As bad as the Democrats may be in Oklahoma, on a national level, that party has clearly talked and walked the talk. Positions for fair treatment of Lesbian and Gay citizens are in the Democratic platform and have been honored in action by the national party, not perfectly, but under Clinton and Gore, more than ever before. Bush and the Republicans may have moderated some of their anti-Gay, neo-nazi rhetoric (though not the Oklahoma party) but this is the party which brought us years of indifference to the HIV/AIDS crisis under Reagan, as well as a documented hostility to addressing anti-Gay hate crimes, let alone civil rights issues like employment, fair housing, military service, legal recognition, of our relationships and families, etc. It’s not that I especially like Gore, or that Bush isn’t an idiot, it’s just that given the choice, we have no choice. This guy will be making the next Supreme Court appointments. And decisions which have been crucial to our lives (like Bowers v. Hardwick which said that straight oral sex is constitutionally protected but the same act for Gays can be a felony crime, Dale v. the Boy Scouts of America, Colorado’s Amendment 2) have all been mostly narrowly decided cases. Another Scalia, or Clarence Thomas, the type of choices we’ve seen from Republican presidents, would not bode us well. Vote like your life depends on it- in many ways, it does. -Tom Neal, editor & pubisher that there would .be no. requirement for employers to provide benefits for the partners of Gay and Lesbian workers. "The diocese has never been opposed to any of the proposals," Mutty says. But he says changes this year not only made it possible for the church to sign on as an advocate, but were also aimed at making the measure acceptable to a majority of people statewide. Michael Heath of the Christian Civic League of Maine, a leader of one of the major groups opposing the measure, says the shift from neutrality to advocacy by the Catholic diocese was a major setback. The prospect of a busy balloting day is also a concern for opponents, he says. "If there’ s a big turnout of voters, then a lot of sort ofimpulsive voters are going to be there," Heath says, fretting that those unfamiliar with details of the proposal may not appreciate its impact. Heath says the morality of homosexuality remains central to the debate and that conferring rights with this proposal could lead to further Gay demands. "It lays the foundation for a lot of other things," Heath says. Observers on both sides suggest much of the Maine electorate appears-to have grown weary of the issue, which in one form or another has occupied debate on public policy for at least two decades. In 1992, the first local Gay fights law was passed by the Portland City Council. Three w.gr~s later, Maine~ vot.,¢,r~,~rejected a proposal to prevent municipal and other government bodies.in the state from passing laws barring anti-Gay discrimination. In 1997, after years of legislative warring, a state civil rights law was enacted. But just months later, the people’s veto vote forced by opponents repealed that. "It was very close the last time it went around. I know there’s been a lot of work on both sides," says bakery worker Sara Wagner in Hallowell. "I hope it passes." In a brief, streetside interview, Wagner said her awareness of discrimination facedby people sheknew ofmade the ballot questionmore than an abstract matter of principle. "It has real life implications," she said. Heath, in contrast, maintains the proponents’ claims of acturd discrimination are specious. "It’s obviously not widespread," he says. Earlier this month, in response tO an inquiry by one of the referendum bill’s leading legislative champions, Attorney General Andrew Ketterer advised that ~at least the threat of discrimination is real under existing statutes. "The federal and state law, as currently written and interpreted by the courts, do not prohibit the denial or termination of employment, the denial of credit, the denial of public acco~nmodation or the denial of housing because of sexual orientation," Ketterer wrote. The most recent campaign finance reports show that supporters from the Maine Coalition for Equal Rights, now known as YES on 6, reported donations of nearly $260,000 and expenditures of $240,000. The Christian Action League collected $37,500, but is also opposing proposals on video gambling and doctorassisted suicide. According to a recent poll by the Portland research firm Critical Insights Inc., respondents favored the referendum by 59% to 29%, with 11% undecided. Question 6 on Maine’s ballot asks: "Do you favor ratifying the action of the 119th Legislature whereby it passed an act extending to all citizens regardless of their sexual orientation the same basic rights to protection against discrimination now guaranteed to citizens on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin in the areas of employment, housing, public~acco.ram~datipa~.a~d~cr~edi[ .and where th~ a~t expregs’ly~s~te~ confers legislative approval Of, or sp~,i~ d’gtig tb; any person or group of persons?" ¯ Okla. Reps. = Total Zeros : Not that it should come as any surprise to anyone, but ¯ the Human Rights Campaign, HRC, reports in their ¯¯ scorecard for the 106thCongress thatOklahoma’s Representatives and our Senators, Largent, Cobum, Watkins, ¯ Watts, Istook, Lucas, Nickles and Inhofe received total ¯ zeros on 10 questions about legislation of concern to Gay ¯ citizens. This is why voting matters, friends. - TFN Scouts Fire Gay Man SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) - A Boy Scout executive was stripped of his Eagle Scout status and fired by the Boy Scouts of America National Council 10 days after he publicly admitted he is Gay, his attorney said. Len Lanzi, Boy Scouts Los Padres Council executive director, worked for the scouting organization 14 years before he was terminated by mail. "We plan to pursue all legal remedies available to him," said Lanzi’s attorney, Steven Serratori, whose Century City firm specializes in employment law "I think it’s fair to say that everybody is surprised at the arrogance of the Boy Scouts," Serratori said. "To think in this day and age that they think they can fire someone based on their sexual orientation..." A U.S. Supreme Court rnling last summer upholding the Boy Scouts" right to exclude Gay members does not apply to its employees, the lawyer said. Lanzi, whose territory includes Santa Barbara and SanLuis Obispo counties, is believed to be the highestranking Boy Scout executive to publicly acknowledge his homosexuality since the Supreme Court ruling in June. Los Padres Boy Scout boardmembers told the Santa Barbara News-Press their options were limited because of the national council’s policy on Gays. "We could contradict the national Boy Scout policy, and possibly risk the whole council being decommissioned, orwecan go along with firing him," said Karl Eberhard a member of the Los Padres Boy Scouts board. "I maintain that the whole thing is completely idiotic," he added. Neighbors Don’t Mind Alabama Ga " Nudists WAVERLY, Ala. (AP) -h grovel road winds through John Bales’ wilderness resort. It looks like any of the paths leading to huntinglodge_s wherecountless Southern men spend weekends this time of year. Then, you come to the sign: "Clothing optional area." This isn’t your ordinary, out-of-the-way spot in the woods of east Alabama. Bales owns Black Bear Camp, a 33-acre resort catering to Gay men who enjoy nature au naturel. Black Bear Camp isn’t for hunting. It’ s for socializing. The clientele tends to be Gay men best described as the rugged type: Many have beards and bellies and would rather sit around the lodge watching football on TV than go to a Gay bar. "Probably more than 50% of our customers are married or divorced with kids," Bales said. "’We don’t get the flamboyant type." There were rumblings when another clothing-optional campground for Gay men opened near the south Alabama town of Geneva a couple of years ago. A Lesbian-operated retreat where guests wear clothes, Camp Sister Spirit, drew heated protests in 1993 after opening in rural Mississippi. But Bales hasn’t heard any complaints from surrounding Lee County or nearby Waverly, a town of " h 160 people, many,of them elderly. I know my ne.l.g .- bors. They know I mGay, and they know I opened ttus place," he said. "There hasn’t been a problem with it." Many residents don’t know the camp exists: Bales doe’Sn’t adverd~ locally, and there are no signs indicatinglthat a dbfhing-opti0nal resort for Gays is just off busy U.S. 280. But people who do know about the camp don’t seem concerned about what’s going on in the woods north of Auburn. "If that’ s what turns them on, let ’em go on," said Waverly town clerk DeLene Cawley. "If I belonged to a nudist colony that’s where I’d want to be." A leader of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Alabama isn’t surprised by the lack of controversy. "As long as there’s no loud music and people keep to themselves I wouldn’t think people would have a problem with it," said David White. Bales, a 57-year-old math professor at Tuskegee University, didn’t set out to get into the clothingoptional resort business. He began buying land around Little Loblockee Creek in 1982 and began building 1ears later with plans for the camp to provide a source of income when he retires in 2009. There’s bunk space for 24 in the 3,600-square-foot lodge, whichhas a tin roof and all the comforts ofhome plus some: Internet access, satellite TV, a hot tub and an above-ground swimming pool with deck. Bales has had as many as 30 customers on a weekend, but the more typical crowd is six or seven. "It was not my original intention to be clothingoptional," he said. "But shortly after I opened, I began to get inquiries from clothing-optional groups asking whether that was allowed. "It didn’t take me long to realize that the remoteness and seclusion of the camp made than a natural option and a good niche market to enter." With prices ranging from $8 for daytmae guests to $40 a night for double occupancy bunks, Bales hopes to break even this year as far as operating costs go. He weeds out the occasional unannounced visitor just looking for a good time. "No one wants to come down here and have people who are looking at naked guys and propositioning them for sex," he said. "That will drive away my business.’" Journalist Group Calls For Partner Benefits COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The Society of Professional Journalists approved a resolution calling for news organizations to provide benefits for domestic parmers of their Gay and Lesbian employees. . The measure was opposed by some SPJ members who said the professional organization should not get involved in employment matters such as benefits. Delegates approved the resolution by a margin of 85 to 36 at SPJ’s national convention. Sally Lehlman, SPJ’s diversity chair, said the resolution would ensure that Gay and Lesbian journalists are not treated "like second class citizens in the newsroom." "It’s not about employment from our perspecfive. It’ s about fairness and accuracy in content, which emerges in part from fairness in the newsroom," she said. Mark Scarp, an editorial writer for the Scottsdale (Ariz.) Tribune, and member of SPJ’s executive committee, said the group should follow its precedent of leaving employment issues up to unions. "I personally support domestic partner benefits but I believe it qualifies as an employer-employee relations issue," Scarp said. "We’re a professional association and I felt it wasn’t appropriate for us to make a determination on such an issue." A few years ago, SPJ comuussioned a survey on reporters’ salaries, but would not get into trying to persuade employers to improve pay, Scarp said. Gay Couple Get Abducted Child Back CATHEDRAL CITY, California (AP) - A 10-yearold boy abducted by his grandfather who accused the child’s caretakers of promoting a Gay lifestyle has been returned to the couple. Miguel Washington was surrendered to authorilies by relatives in Pennsylvania and returned to the home ofhis uncle, Paul Washington Jr., and Timothy Forrester. "Right now he’s really happy to be home," Washington Jr. said. "We’re absolutely elated. Our family is united again." An attorney for Paul Washington Sr. and Sandra Washington, Mignel’s grandparents and Washington Jr.’s parents, said his clients intend to pursue custody. "My clients don’t feel that’s the best home for him," said attorney Bill Hence Jr. "I’m very disappointed in the agencies that were supposed to be protecting the United in God’s Love MCC-United Sunday Worship Reverend Cathy Elliot 11:00 am Pastor 1623 N. Maplewood 918/838-1715 Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community ofHope 2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595 A Welcoming Congregation HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754 The Open Arms Project Young Adult Support Group Outreach Program Thurs. Nights Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment Call for meeting times and place: 918-584-2325 Mingo Valley Flowers 9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145 918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-444-5934 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 Store 21st Street & Memorial Tulsa Gay Community Services Center 743-GAYS (743-4297) 6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday 12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center 3 Strand Communications Long Distance 4.9C/minute $4.99 monthly fee 24 hours a day - 7 days a week Call 447-8602 Red Rock Tulsa Free Confidential HIV Testing Walk-in Clinics Tues. & Thurs., 5 -8 pm at the Center, 1307 East 38th Daytime appointments available. Call for more information: 918-584-2325 KEVIN BURLESO N Keller Williams Realty 712-2252 Burleson@kw.com 2651 East 21st Street, Ste. 100, Tulsa 74114 An Independent Member Broker Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC Certified Public Accountant a professional corporation 747-5466 4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135 fights of the child." A hearing was scheduled for December. Miguel was born to Angelena Washington, the younger Washington’s mentally disabled sister, who was impregnated while living in an assisted-care facility, family members said. At the time, family members informally agreed to have him raised by Washington Jr., a hardware store salesman, and Forrester, a teacher. Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Tex Ritter said his office had not decided if charges will be filed in the abduction. The elder Washington picked up Miguel for an overnight fishing trip on Oct. 6 andnever brought him back, Washington Jr. said. Instead, Washington and For/ester received a letter from a Los Angeles law firm Oct. 7 stating that Miguel had been removed from their home and accusing the pair of "actively promoting or influencing a Gay lifestyle for the minor." The letter cited Miguel’s participation in ballet and "Gay art class" instead of baseball as one reason for the boy’s removal. Germany Ready to Recognize Gay Partners BERLIN (AP)-Germany’s governing coalition wants to pass a law giving equal legal status to Gay couples early in November, politicians stated. Leaders from the Social Democratic and Greens parties said they plan to have the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, approve the bill Nov. I0. Conservatives, however, control a majority in the upper house of parliament and have criticized the law. To get around their opposition that could scuttle the bill, lawmakers laid out a plan Friday to divide the legislation into two parts. The government majority in parliament would pass administrative regulations creating the legal frameworkforGay couples without the upper house’ s agreement. However, the upper house will still be called on to approve lifting the disadvantages to Gays contained in labor and tax codes. ACLU Trying Bias Reduction Program ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia is one of three states chosen by the American Civil Liberties Union to pilot a program to educate teachers about bullying of Gay and Lesbian students. The ACLU says students who identify themselves as Gay are more than four times as likely to suffer bullying than heterosexual students. Gary Weber, legal director of the Georgia ACLU, said Gay students also have higher rates of absenteeism and suicide. The program will use panels - including a Gay student, perhaps a parent of a Gay student, a school administrator or classroom teacher and an attorney - to explain the legal liabilities schools face if they ignore harassment. TheACLU will begin contacting schools in November to schedule traimng sessions. Districts that refuse the training may be called by an ACLU attorney to briefly explain legal liabilities. Kentucky and Indiana are the other two pilot states. No date has been set for expanding theprogram, which was developed in northern California, to other states, ACLU spokesman Eric Ferrero said. Big .Brothers, Big Sisters Bans Gay Volunteers OWENSBORO, Ky (AP) - The local chapter of Big Brothers-Big Sisters, which links children with adult mentors, will no longer allow Gays to participate in the program. The board voted 10-9 to bar openly Gay volunteers following a closed-door meeting. Board members had raised concerns about health issues and fear that it would create confusion among childr+n over sexual orientation matters, said Sue Krampe, executive director. The debate on whether to conunue to allow Gays to mentor children surfaced recently after Brian Combs, a case manager and minister at Christ View Christian Church, quit after learning a homosexual was a mentor in the program. The board was deadlocked in a vote earlier this month. Combs had been the only person to raise a complaint prior to the first vote. But since then, the agency has fielded 18 telephone calls in opposition to allowing Gays in the program, Krampe said. Volunteers had been asked their sexual orientation during the initial screening process and parents were allowed to veto amatela based on their answers. Nationally, only a "handful" of the 500 chapters of the American Big Brothers-Big Sisters prohibits homosexuals~ from mentoring children, Krampe said. Each local chapter can set ~ts ownpolicies on the issue. she said. Newspaper Chain to Offer Partner Benefits GRANDRAPIDS, Mich. (AP)- Six of the eight Booth newspapers in Michigan will offer benefits to partners of Gay employees starting in January. The papers that will offer the benefits are The Ann Arbor News. The Bay City Times, The Flint Journal, The Jackson Citizen Patriot, the Kalamazoo Gazette and The Saginaw News. The eight Booth newspapers are owned by Advance Publications, based in New York. George Arwady, publisher of the Kalamazoo paper, said the new benefits were "pretty well accepted" by employees. "It’ s a matter of equitable treatment for our employees," Arwady said. "We have not made a big deal out of it, mad it’s not a big deal." Margaret DeRitter, an editor at the Gazette, said she was pleased by the amaouncement. "I wasn’t aware of employees internally pushing for.it," said DeRitter, who is Gay and a 12-year employee of the paper. "I thought it was great the company would do this without any prompting from the staff. It says they value all of their employees and want to be fair and equitable." Mother of Slain Soldier Appeals Army Decision WASHINGTON (AP)-The mother of a FortCampbell soldier who was murdered in iris barracks is seeking to overturn the denial of her $1.8 million wrongful death claim against the Army Kutteles sent an appeal of the Sept. 27 decision by the military to Army Secretary Louis Caldera. Kutteles, of Kansas City, Mo., said fellow soldiers believed Winchell was Gay and harassed him for months before he was beaten to death with a baseball bat while sleeping in his cot July 5, 1999 at a post in Kentucky. The Army knew about the harassment but did nothing to stop it, she said. Pvt. Calvin Glover of Sulphur, Okla., was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Winchell. Another soldier was given a 12 1/2-year sentence for lying to investigators. The Army inspector general issued a report in July on Winchell’s murder. The report found evidence of low morale mad anti- Gay behavior among members of Winchell’s unit, D Company, 2nd Battalion of the 502nd Infantry Regiment. It concluded, however, that the chain of command at Fort Campbell responded,a:ppropriately with respect to enforcing the Pentagon S policy of permitting Gays to serve in the military so long as they keep their sexual orientation private. Kutteles says should Caldera side with her, the Army wouldbe taking full responsibility for Winchell’s death. "We have to do this for our son’s sake. He died, and I want his death to be meaningful," she said. "I want other mothers and fathers not to have to go through this." Easier-to-Swallow Anti-AIDS Pills WASHINGTON (AP).- The government approved a new easier-to-use version of a standard AIDS drug that may ease patient complaints that the medicine is too hard to swallow. The drug is ddI, often used in the multi-drug cocktails that AIDS patients take to fight the virus. Until now, patients havehad to chew, or dissolve in water, two large, bitter-tasting ddI pills twice a day. Those pills also frequently were blamed for diarrheaand other gastrointestinal side effects. The Food and Drug Administration approved a once-a-day capsule version of ddI. Swallowing the capsule, to be sold under the brandname Videx F_C, means no nasty taste problem. An FDA spokeswoman said thenew ddI may cause fewer dangerous interactions with other medications that AIDS patients take, because the capsule does not contain abuffering ingredient used in thechewable version. Also, manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb contends a special coating on the new version means it may cause fewer gastrointestinal side effects. Although Bristol-Myers never ddirecdy compared the old and new ddI to prove that, the FDA said getting rid of that old buffering ingredient may indeed help. Bristol-Myers did notreveal whenVidex EC would begin.selling, or if it would cost the same as the old version,-,. Researchers & Drug Co. Dispute Results CHICAGO (AP)-A study suggesting that a vaccine-like AIDS treatment is ineffective has provoked a public dispute between the manufacturer that paid for much of the study and doctors who say the company tried to squelch their research. The study’s conclusions, published in a recent Journal of the American Medical Association, echo doubts aboutHIV- 1 Immunogen that were expressed several years ago by advisers to the U.S~ Food and Drug Administration. The results suggest that when added to the drug regimen for HIVinfectedpatients, HIV-11mmunogenfailed " to reduce the risk of devdopingfull-blown ¯ AIDS. The drug cames the brand name .. Remune. ¯ Immune Response Corp., the drug’s " manufacturer, contends that researchers " omitted favorable data and skewed the results. The company entereda fairly com- . mon arbitration process during which it " tried to produce "a more balanced manu- : script," said Dr. Ronald Moss, the ¯ company’s vice president of medical and " scientific affairs. Instead, the researchers " ~~:.~¥i~lated daeir~eonttaomalagreement and i r. 1~blish~in~oinpletefindings;Moss ~aid.~ .... "It seems like tabloid journalism that " lAMA would not investigate this further" " before publishing, Moss said, HIV-1 Immunogea was developed by ." the late Dr. Jonas Salk, who created the ." first polio vaccine. It was developed be- ." fore powerful "drug cocktails" including ¯ protease inhibitors became standard HIV : treatment, and Immune Response says : subjects’ use of such drugs affected the : findings in the JAMA study. ". Dr. James Kahn of the University of California at San Francisco, the smdy’s lead author, said the company withheld important data and then tried to suppress publication. The company denies both claims. In an arbitration complaint last month, Immune Response also demanded $7 million to ; 10 millionfrom Kahn and the tmiversity, claiming dissemination of the negative findings caused,it financia], harm, university attorney :Christopher Patti said. The university contends Kahn was-allowed to publ.ish the results. The study of2,527 patients inthe United States found that Remune did boost levels ofinfection-fighting white blood cells, but the authors questi,o....n~fl whether the effect was clinically significant. JAMA editor Dr. Catherine DeAngelis defended thejournal’s decision to publish. ’q’his study stands on its own scientific merit," she said. "It was peer-reviewed as ~uch." In a JA1V[A editorial, she said the dispute illustrates what can happen when disagreement erupts between researchers and a funding sponsor who "has a proprietary interest in the findings." Moss said the study was published without the consent of some of the researchers. The company and one of the dissenting researchers, Dr. John Turner of Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia, drafted a letter Monday to DeAngelis, decrying publication of a manuscript that contains "incomplete and inaccurate information." The final manuscript contains "some major statistical flaws," said Turner, who believes HIV-1 lmmunogen can slow disease progression. "ff I were HIV-positive, I would batter down any door necessary to get it, period," Turner said. Doctors Org. Cites Conflicts of Interest CHICAGO (AP) - A funny thing happened to Dr. Jerome Kassirer at a recent lecture to medical students about financial conflicts of interest for doctors: It turned out the free buffet was provided by amajor drug company. Kassirer had a blunt message: Medical schools and training programs "must teach that there is no free lunch. No free dinner. Or textbooks. Or even a ballpoint pen." From freebies for medical students to research funding that can taint study results to the growing practice of marketing prescription medicine direcdy to consumers, drug_companies have a growing and sometimes unseemly influence on doctors, according to articles, studies and editorials published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The relationship between research and indus~try appears to beunde.r growing scm- ’ fihy~The edit6fof, the:New’ E~tgl~tnd Journal of Medicine wrote an extraordinary critique in May, saying scien.ce_ is being~ compromised by the growing influence ot induslry money. That same month, the Harvard Medical School said it would not ease its conflict of interest standards, considered the toughest in the nation, and Dean Joseph B. Martin called for a national dialogue on the issue. Most experts agree that research needs industry dollars. The top 10 pharmaceuti- Power Connect. 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Saturday, November 11, 10 - 6pm 2727 East 56th Street 743-6740 Oklaiaorna NAI,L.\I... covdia!iv ~.t~,v~v~ v,ott to a chocolate and champa~r~~ ~ete in support of abortion and reprt~d~ctive rights in Oklahoma Celebrating 27 Years of Choice Sunday, November 12, 2000. 1:3(.1 - 3:30 p.m. :"~’° fob~heldat Resonat~~e - " ~ Champagne, Coffee, Chocolates $25 per ~ndividual [’lea.~ R.S.V.P. to the NARAL L)ffice: 4.4-9585 cal companies spent nearly $23 billion on : days, washing the condoms with water clinical research last year- more than the ¯ and soap afteruse. Researchers will check nearly $18 billion provided by the Na- : the condoms for rips or tears and examine tional Institutes of Health, JAMA editor ." the participants to make sure that’reuse Dr. Catherine DeAngelis said. ¯ doesn’t cause rashes or irritations. The problem is when researchers have " "In terms of the whole spectrum of birth f’mancial interests in companies funding " control, it’s not the best," Said Barbara their work. DeAngelis said such research ¯ Lea-Kruger, spokeswoman for the Viris lower in quality and more likely to " ginia Department of Health’s HIV/AIDS report findings favorable to the company, division."Butifwe’retalkingaboutwomen One study found ,that. 7,6 percent of the : who don’t have access to other forms of faculty researchers at the University of ¯ birth control and who come from a culture California at San Francisco~aad personal " wheremenareless willing touseacondom, financial ties to their drug company sport- " it’s a Viable alternative." sorslastyear.Mostwereshort-termspeak- : ing engagements or consulting agreements Seniors & HIV/AIDS with minimal payments. ¯ State and federal-guidelines require re- CANTON, Ohio (AP) - Older people searchers to disclose certain financial ties, . sometimes have an awkward approach to and a UCSF policy prohibits faculty in- ¯ sexual issues that puts them at risk for volvedinindustry-sponsoredresearchfrom " HIV, health counselors say. receiving any compensationfrom the corn- " SusanJ. McCollum, who teaches people pany during the study. 50 and older about the risks of contracting Elizabeth Boyd and Lisa Bert, with HIV, said older people must be aware of UCSF’s Institute for Health Policy Stud- the risks. "It’s dangerous for any group of ies, said a campus committee "worked to people to think they’re immune," said accommodateallbutthemostovertlycon- McCollum, a counselor for Planned Parflicting relationships in the interest of en- enthood ofStark County. couraging its faculty, and, presumably, According to the U.S. Centers for Disencouraging future outside investment in ease Control and Prevention, the number the university." of older people becoming infected is in- The authors suggested that financial ties creasing. An estimated 10.9 percent, of may be more prevalent at other universi- men with HIV and 9.4 percent of women ties with less stringent policies. A 1998- with HIV are 50 and older. 2000 study of 89 major universities found "People that age have not grown up with that only 17-19%- had specific limits or condoms, like people who are in their prohibitions on relationships with indus- 20s," McCollum said. "For a woman in try. While most had co~fflict of interest her 60s to talk to a man about condoms.. policies, the3, were not as effective be- ." McCollum also said it’s an awkward cause they don’t spell what is prohibited, adjustmentforpeoplewhoarenewly single the authors said. after having been in along-term marriage Dr. Jordan Cohen, president of the As- or relationship. "Women4Oandolderdon’t sociation of Americau Medica! Colleges, want to grow old alone," McColhma told announced that the group is forming a task The Repository for a story published Sunforce to investigate conflicts of interest dav."They’reputtingthemselvesoutthere, and reach a consensus on what types of but they don’t know enough, or they’re not relationships with drug companies should able to talk about condoms. It puts them at be allowed, a real disadvantage." Around the world, an estimated 85,000 Women’s Corldo[~ women, middle-age and older, have been infected with HIV. McCollum has had May Help HIV Fight young women come for HIV testing who want her to talk to their mothers about NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - A condom for risky sexual behavior. women that never quite caught on in the KimJackson, spekeswomanfortheOhio United States is being studied to see if AIDS Coalition, said that while her group reusing it can make it more economical does not offer educational programs speand help fight AIDS in developing coun- eifieally targeting seniors, older people do tries. The United Nations AIDS program participate. "We have a general education has been distributing the Reality Female program for people of all ages," Jackson Condom to women in areas such as sub- said. "We are seeing more people that age Saharan Africa, which has been-devas- attending our programs. We had several tated by AIDS. people in their 70s at our last program." The key to providing female condoms, Bonnie Bolitho, executive director of which retail for $2 to $3 apiece, to poor " Planned Parenthood of Stark County, said women is making them affordable, said ; many older people have the incorrect idea Dr. Susan A. Ballagh, the clinical trial’s thatHIV-AIDS is a "homosexual" disprincipal investigator~ ..-~ :. ~ ; :;~ .ease~~ thatit aff~ts O~[y yo~mgtpeople. ~;- -TheChicago-basedF.emal¢H~althCom~ i :. "rl~ere~.s tl~tse~e~that :~It-cot~’’~t"~pen’ to pan~,theproduct’ssolemannfaclurer, sells ~ me,"’ she said. "You’re talking about of the condoms to international family plan- ¯ group of people who have been monoganing agencies for as little as 70 cents a , mous for most of their lives. Now, they’re piece. ; at a different stage of life. Some haven’t But women’s condoms could be even ¯ put a lot of thought into how it (HIV) more economical if they were reused. Re- ¯ affects them." searchers at Eastern Virginia Medical " According to Bolitho, "It’s the age-old, School arerecntiting 80 couples to test the ; overarchiugproblemoftalkingaboutsexu_ condoms. Half the couples will use the ¯ ality, and it’s plain old-fashioned denial. condom once. The other couples each will ; Denial is one of our great enemies." use a single condom five times over 15 ~ by Jim Christjohn, entertaiment editor ] child out once in a while. I wasn’t expect- Hey folks, welcome to the time of the ¯ ing a great movie, but it surprised me. The year when we celebrate the fact that the " filmis well acted - hard to find in a movie Indians helped the pilgrims onlyto be thanked with slaughter and removal from ancestral lands. Go America! The first thanksgiving was basically afour day celebration/ party wherein the Native Americans provided the food, fun, and games. It really wasn’t about religion at all, as the lore surrounding it wouldhave youbelieve. Anditwasn’t too long after that whentheEuropean invaders started getting a bit greedy for the profits land conld bring from new immigrants, and so, in the name of- God, "took" the land from the Natives. Oh, and there was a religious aspect to it, once the "pilgrims" figured out how to work the land from the Natives and didn’t need them anymore..,,It was either convert or die for the heathen Nafives. Ah, the things the don’t tell you in school - or church. On to more cheerier thoughts - I drug my curmudgeonly editor to afilm recently. (Well, OK, he wanted to go, too, and hasn’t been terribly curmudgeonly lately.) We saw "The Little Vampire." OK, now stop laughing. It’s good to let the inner li...We saw "The Little Vampire." OK, now stop laughing. It’s good to let the inner child out once in a while. I wasn’t expeetlng a great movie, but it surprised me. The film is well acted - hard to find in a movie starring children; well written; and superbly filmed... " starting children; well written; and superbly filmed. And it had something for everyone - it didn’t "talk down" to kids, nor did it avoid being funny in an adult way. The film is ’~’:~-m~bout a young Americanboy who moves to England due to his father’s business. HE’s miserable,being an outsider - and picked on at school, in particularby two twins. It certainly broughtback some memories in that respect. I knew a pair of twins who were the scourge of Hurst Junior high, and it was kind of like watching a flashback - except with better accents. Anyway, our hero has a fixation with men in capes - sound familiar? (Hint: Read last month’s column.) And Io and behold, he meets a boy vampire, and they form a close friendship. This results in many misadventures, including foiling a would be vampire hunter and the aforementioned bullies. I highly recommend seeing this film, because it’s a fun ride, entertaining, while putting forth some good-thoughts. A lot of care andlove went into this film, and it shows. GIFTS OF THE S£ASON! COUNCIL OAK MEN’S CHORALE ALL SOULS UNITARIAN Tmditionalists,ofcourse, abhorthat each " Choralewillperform.AndonDec.9,there year December holidays begin earlier and " will be a gala dinner in the Great Hall, earlier. Christmas in September isincreas- ¯ Chaired by friends to the community, ingly a reality. Catherine Seger But one of the local traditions which we don’t mind seeing early nearly so much is Philbrook Museum’s annual holiday celebration and exhibition, Home for the Holidays. The event kicks off with the Festival of Trees. T,he ~Fe~sfival tures trees, wreaths, and more by local artists, designers and school children. The event is chaired by Lou Hodgson and caterer Mark Lackey is artist liaison. At the museum members’ opening on Dec. 2 at noon, the Council Oak Men’s and Hillary Kitz. And of course, local A-listers, Talmadge Po-well and Steve Wright are helping out by chairing the Patron Party and Treeview. The featured artistforHomefor the Holidays is Lisa Regan of the GardenDevaSculpture Co. Regan, whose work is seen through out Tulsa’ s gardens, has been shown in Better Homes and Gardens, shows her work at Mayfest. Her commemorative ornament, shown " above, .is an aluminum tree with bead ¯ accents. E[ecUon Day, Nov. 7 Who Will Pick the NEW SUPREHES? Decisions we make at the ballot box will resonate for decades, including the make-up of the Supreme Court. Our choice: continue the path of progress or take a sharp U-turn back to the anti-glbt politics of the ’80s. We need your voice for our jobs, for our families, for our lives. HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN COME OUT VOTING ¯ www.hrc.org Tuesday, November 7 Election Day HRC WATCH PARTY Because win or lose, it’s good to be among friends 9 PM 3340 South Peoria, Tulsa, OK Must be 21 Cash Bar HRC envisions an America where lesbian and gay people are ensured of their basic equal rights. You can help us do our work by joining us for either or :both of ~the:se~ ev~t..s~ (or by jgining ~HRC - ’ ii~’~ !j~ :i~3-" ~i ~li !~8~[2913 €;r emaii hrctulsaoHahoma@ aol.com). HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN~ by Tom Neal, editor/publisher Although the National Conference for Community and Justice claims to be an anti-hate group, for at least the last 4-5 years this anti-bias organi~tion has activdy discriminated against Gay & Lesbian Tulsans as well as failing to speak out when Gay & Lesbian Tulsans were targets of physical violence as well as recipients of legislative and other attacks on their civil rights. At their Trialogue on Marriage, hosted by Boston Avenue Methodist Church (a church which has been host to several events at which Lesbian and Gay Tuls’ans were attacked or excluded), Trialogue organizer Mr. Levson, then cantor of Temple Israel, stated that JOI g 0 II B HATE he and other NCCJ organizers deliberately excluded same gender mamage from discussionbecauseitwouldhave been"too controversial." This was done despite thefacts that the issue could not have been more prominent in public discussion because of court cases in Hawaii, and even though the issue is still in debate in many Christian denominations and in several Jewish organizations. NCCJ has repeated been asked to reform their actions: to add openly Gay or Lesbian persons to their board of directors, to speak out on legislative issues, to live what they say they are about. To date, they have refused to do so, preferring to raise substantial sums from Tulsa "society" events such as honoring Bob Lorton, owner ofThe Tulsa World for his "human rights" work despite the fact that The World for at least 15 years had documented anti- Gay business practices which they publicly defended and despite The Wordls acknowledgement of racist hiring practices in their newsroom in response to an EEOC complaint. Some Gay community observers, however, wonderhow it is that the hate groups, like the KKK, don’t manage to forget Lesbians and Gay men including them in their hate rhetoric, but the folks who supposedly are "allies" manage only to hear the KKK’s racist and anti-Sem~itic comments. Groups who endorsed the "Statement in Support of Diversity" include a number who have been supportive of Lesbians and Gay men. These include: Community of Hope, All Souls, Hope and Community Unitarians, Fellowship Congregatxonal ¯ Church- UCC, Jewish Federation ofTulsa and even the Metropolitan Community ¯ Church United (MCC). Calls to All Souls, MCC-United, and Fellowship Congrega- ¯ tional were not returned. Perry Simons, ¯ executive director of Jewish Federation ¯ said that organization does not discrimi- : hate on sexual orientation. ¯ In contrast, Father Rick Hollingsworth, ¯ oftheParishChurchofSaintJeromewrote ¯ a letter in protest of the the "Statement in ¯ Support of Diversity" ¯ In it, he notes that, "The Parish Church ,¯ of St Jerome is certainly in support of celebrating and supporting the wonderful ¯ diversity, which surrounds us in our beau- " tiful city... I am concerned however that ¯ the statement on diversity see TMM,p. 10 Name Games by Michael Craft Reviewed by Barry Hensley Tulsa City-County Library It takes a speci~ talent to pull off a murdermystery novel andone ofthebetter Gay mystery series, Mark Manning mysteries by Michael Craft, has a clever new entry, Name Games. Delving into an unlikely topic, the world of minia- .tures, Craft has created a fun, although not particularly suspenseful mystery. Set in rural Wisconsin, main character Mark Manning is now the publisher of the local newspaper and leading a very open and out life with a longlime partner, while raising a neglected nephew. The big news in town is the upcoming Midwest Miniatures Society Exhibition, which attracts enthusiasts worldwide. Two of the most prominent figures in this little underworld, Carroll Cantrell and Bruno Herisson , who happen to be arch rivals, are being "...Anthropologist Sherry Ortner, drawing on the French feminist Simone Beauvolr, once proposed that ’Man is to CultUre as Woman is to Nature.’ Ortner was seeking a reason for why, almost everywhere, people value what men do more than they value what women do.. ¯ " homophobic District Attorney, Harley Kaiser, and a New Age feminist, Miriam Westerman, who is somehow convinced that Gay pom"hurts women." Add to this, the nephew, Thad, trying outfor the school play and Mark’s lover, Nell, who is trying to decide whether to move his architectural practice to the small town from Chicago. When Cantrell (who has man3, health problems) is discovered murdered, the exhibitionis turned upside down and things really get uncomfortable when the Sheriff becomes the primary suspect. Manning, aided by his sleuths at the newspaper, set out to clear the Sheriff. The characters inName Games are nicely drawn, if a bit stereotypical ]]ae town, Dumont, is remarkably (and a bit unrealistically) progressive and unconcerned about the iGay influence~ ofManning and his cohorts. (Could there really be a town like this in today’s America?) flown in. Grace Lord, a sweet little old lady,is hosting and coordinating the ev~nt. The Sheriff, Doug Pierce, a closeted Gay man, is in the midst of a reelection bid while dealing with a pornography trial involving "dirty book stores" on the edge of town. The trial is being pushed by the is not as broad as it should be. This is evidenced I believe by the omission of Sexual Orientation as part of that diversity in the statement. Gay and Lesbian persons are an integral part of Tulsa’s rich diversity which When joined together with other forms of diversity create community. When Rabbi Marc Fitzerman was speaking this last Sunday at the rededication, He was very dear, ’Those whohate Jews, usually hate Catholics, Those who hate Catholics usually hate Gay and Lesbian people...’ As a Pastor of a Parish which primarily serves the Gay and Lesbian community and as a religious leader who is openly Gay, I am unable to sign the document without the inclusion of Sexual Orienta- The obligatory sex scenes are really just ¯¯ uninspired dream sequences, and leave a little too much to the imagination. The ¯ mystery is a fun and exciting ride, but it is ¯ certainly nothing special. In fact, this ¯ novice mystery reader managed to figure ] our whodunit long before the end of the ¯ for Human Rights (TOHR) said that the lack of inclusiveness raised concerns and ~ would likely be addressed in upcoming : organizational meetings for a formal response. : : and love diversity. We have many reli¯ gions, many nationalities, many cultures here, and we’re taught to respect them. ¯ When the hell ~s someone going to respect ¯ us for our diversity? If you want to do : something to help, there’s a number to ¯ call, and an ever popular website to visit. ¯ It’s the Human Rights Campaign Founda- ¯ uon, 800-498-0382, or www.hrc.org. ¯ When we stand up and show people that ¯ we do exist, especially in great numbers, ¯ then things are going to happen. Or, as ¯ Melissa Etheridge said, "when you free uon as-part Of that .,diu~si.ty..._,: i ¯ " your mind, a rockin’ jam will follow." If Our people have~J~en, the Unfox~:unate .:, we can each one of us find one person, or victims of bigotry, prejudice and hate ¯ child, to reach, then we’ve taken the first crimes for centuries, including the holocaust. To not speak openly about these issues promotes the silence, which has imprisoned Gay and Lesbian children of God for far too long." Father Hollingsworth toldTulsa Family News that he read his letter to his congregation and that the response has been overwhelmingly supportive of his position. Greg Gatewood of Tulsa Oklahomans ¯ steps in stopping fascism. Hitler ended up ¯ in a bunker, having shot his wife and ¯ sticking the guninhis mouthbefore shoot- " ing. I think many Other fascists (read ¯ fundamentalists) forget that fact. Hatred ¯ turns inward, but not before the hater has ¯ devastatingly hurt others. Something that ¯ shouldbetaughtinEVERY SundaySchool -" class. And please remember one thing: : VOTE!!!!!!! Timothy W. Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partnership Planning, Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma Weekend and evening appoinlments are available. Are You Gay or Bisexual? Are You Native American? Support Group is here:f0r yotJ!:~’ " ~’~’~.~" ~-’-" ¯ Evening support group meetings ¯ Relationship workshops ¯ Short trips, outings and retreats ¯ Free HlVtesting For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project 918.588.1900, x4275 or x4276 -International Fresh Start Seeking men & women to help with expansion in the area. Must be independent, goal-oriented, have a great attitude and excellent people skills. Call 663:5323. Country Club Barbering Custom Styling for Men & Women David Kauskey 3310 E. 51st, 747-0236,~ues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm ody TI- ,ll Tulsa’s only professional body-piercing - College Hill Presbyterian Church In response to God’s Love, College Hill Presbyterian Church is a commtmity of God’s people called to tell others the Gospel of Jesus Christ through worship, servzce, and evangelism. To nurture our faith, we gather for worship, prayer, study and fellowship. Trusting in a living, loving God, we seek to become a compassionate voi~ for peace andjustice. Our congregation.welcomes all persons who respond in trust and obedience to God’s grace in Jesus Christ, and desire to become part of the membership and ministry of Christ’s church. M~a~~s!~.9~ ~-:,Opt: ~-.~i!...~9,Pl..~. regardless of race, .ethnic origin, worldly condition, marital status, or sexual orientation. Sunday Worship. 1 lam 712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800 (One block west of Delaware and the University of Tulsa Campus) by Karin Gregory "Man Shot in Local Gay Bar", "TeenagerAssaulted Because Suspects Believed HimGay","’We Don’t Have Hate Crimes in Brown County’". Seems everywhere you look now, there are hate crimes against the G/L/B/T com- ~’munity, or-alleged hate "!crimes~ or people denying ;hate crimes exist. There are even those very few Who deny homosexuality exis ts, and I believe our Dishonorable George W. Bush to beamong them (I don’t~ve up a chance to let you all know you MUST vote November 7). Interesting news about the teenager. Not that it doesn’t happen at every .school, but the school where this took place is the same one from which our disti9,guished arts and entertainment editor .graduated. Back in those days, we didn’t have hate crimes. Wall, we did, but we didn’t call them that. Boys who were Gayjust had to be beaten up and take it "like a man", or they had to develop those queen-like attitudes of death that would scare any quarterback into his tiny, homophobic, neanderthal area of his body called a mind. One of my friends, the one who thinks we’re all going to hell, says all Crimes like murder, assault, rape, etc. are hate crimes. I disagree. There are certainly crimes of passion. There are premeditated crimes. There are even assaults with deadly weapons with intent to kill. But they are for a purpose - to either get rid of someone so disturbing to you (like a wife, husband, mother-in-law), or to get money to buy drugs, cigarettes, or "fabulous" outfits. The people committing these crimes may hate the person AT THAT TIME, but not always. In other words, the criminals aren’t their own self-proclaimed Adoif Hitlers, who have decided to take all logic and reason and bury them, sending us back into theDarkAges. But thereAREpeople who are self-proclaimed Hirers, whether they want to believe it or not, spreading NOT the words of Jesus, but the words of hate to a nation. Maybe they weren’t the ones who beat up Matthew Shepard and lefthim to die, or the ones who had a direct hand in James Byrd’s death, or the people who raped BrandonTeena, only to shoothim to death repeatedly, later. But they had a hand in each one of these deaths. For eachone you-reading:this..fight now, there are at least 20 (at least in Texas and Oklahoma) ignorant people who believe that homosexuality isn’t something you’re born with. That you can change if you want to. That you’ve chosen to be laughed at, beaten up, fired from your job, ostracized from your families. These are the people who have raised the suspects in the above headlines. They’ve "carefully taught" their children to, as the "South Pacific" song goes, "hate -"...Bach in those days, we didn’t have hate crimes. Well, we did, but we didn’t call them that. Boys who were Gay just had to be beaten up and take it "llke a man", or they had to develop those queen-llke attitudes of death that would scare any quarterback into his tiny, homophoble, neanderthal area of his body eafled a mind...." all the people their relatives hfite." Many of them, of course, in the name of Jesus. Stealing a line from an old Woody Allen movie,"ifJesus came down and saw what was going on in his name, he’d never stop throwing up." If you’ve read my columns from the beginning (and I thank BOTHofyou,by the way!), you know I’m a fledgling, coming out only after everyone else has not only blazed the trail for me, but made that trail a four lane highway! So no, I’ve NEVER experienced what most of you have in your "out" lives. I still think I can walkhandinhand with a woman in public, or kiss her on a residential street in Dallas (and have!), and not receive any flack from it. But I taught public school for eight years, ten years toomany, and Iknow whatkids say to each other, not caring that their words hurt. More importantly, I’ve heard teachers and other school staff go on the attack against gays, saying that the Bible doesn’t condone it. We’ve had this discussion before, but I just want to let you know that your childrenmay be being taughtbyahomophobic teacher. And believe me, teachers still do have influence on children. So children are taught to hate another child because that child may be different. Obviously, if I can look through a gay newspaper and pick out,just by going through one quarter of it, three separate stories on hate crimes, there’s a problem. One that needs to be addressed. Well, it’s been addressed, but many ar~turning their heads. While crime is rampant on the streets, and hate crimes against the G/L/B/T community has skyrocketed, thelegislature still cools its heels over this issue. It shouldn’t have to take television to fire me up, but watching highlights from the "Equality Rocks" concert onVH-1 did it for me. During the evening, the parents of several hate crime victims, Matthew Shepard’s parents and James Byrd’s parents among them, gave a small speech that had the more than 45,000 audience crying openly. Then Melissa Etheridge, herself not able to contain tears, sang her song about. Matthew Shepard, "Scarecrow." How can people, after watching that, still believe that these boys should have died? How can anyone hate a group of people just because they .are different? How can they facethemselve~inthemom- *. ing,-knowin~ thav they~ce*contril~me~.., in ANY way, to these deaths? How many times can we turn away and do nothing? We have a revolution going on in this country. Most people don’t want to believe it. They’d rather dose their doors. Hell, so would I, but I can see the revolution coming even stronger than before. .The one consistent thing thatI was taught mschool about the United States is that we are a melting pot see Lesbian, p.lO Healing VROJECT AIDS Memorial ~.uilt ~ wareness" World AIDS Day Candlelight Memorial March Friday, December 1st, 6:30pm Tulsa Civic Center Plaza, 5th & Denver The NAMES Project Quilt Opening, 8pm This advertisement is donated by Tulsa Family News. TFN appreciates the opportunity to support this showing of the Quilt, and The NAMES Project. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2000] Tulsa Family News, November 2000; Volume 7, Issue 11 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource November 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjonh Karin Gregory Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Hughston Walkinshaw Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, October 2000; Volume 7, Issue 10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource Englsih Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/606 2000 AIDS AIDS drugs AIDS Quilt AIDS research American Civil Liberties Union aMUSEments arts and entertainment Barry Hensley bias reduction program Bobby L. Busby Boy Scouts businesses Christmas churches civil rights civil unions contraception family HIV HIV testing homophobia Human Rights Campaign Jim Christjohn Karin Gregory NAMES Project National Conferencce for Community and Justice nudism Openarms Youth Project Partner Benefits performing arts Philbrook Raging Lesbian Read All About It Red Cross Red Rock Tulsa restaurants seniors Society of Professional Journalists Tom Neal Tulsa Family News Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Tulsa Police Department Two-Spirited Indian Men's Support Group World AIDS day https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/0846012a916f00b5f8064a33169fa46f.jpg 13403bd37042323904e6a8ac35051af8 https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/b5db2b9cd9a0fc88f1298d18b284ac33.pdf 33ead70d0ebc045633099ac2421f8edf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Gay Students Start LGBT Scholarships NORMAN, Ok - The Oklahoma Lambda Intercollegiate Coalition (OLIC) has announced the creation of the Oklahoma Lambda Youth Scholarship which they claim is the first such program in Oklahoma. The Coalition is an umbrella network of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender student groups from Oklahoma colleges and universities. According to OLIC spokespersons, Kent Doss of the University ofOklahoma andMandy Whitten, the President of University of Central Oklahoma Gay Alliance for Tolerance and Equality (GATE), the purpose of the scholarship is to promote pride in youth activism and foster leadership at Oklahoma college campuses. Oklahoma high-school graduates who intend to remainin the state throughout their college careers will be eligible for the $1,000 award. Applicants will be selected according see OLIC, p. 3 Tulsa ChamberAdds "Sexual Orientation" TULSA - The Tulsa Metro Chamber, which recently changed i ts namefrom the MetropolitanTnlsaChamber of Commerce, also has revised its non-discrimination policies to add the term "sexual orientation" to more traditional statues like race, religion, age, national origin, sex (gender), etc. According to Michael Hightower, media spokesperson for the organization, the .addition of "sexual orientation" waspart ofacomprehensivereview ofChamber’s internal policies. The Bank of Oklahoma’s Human Resources Dept. conducted this effort for the Chamber. This revision is part of a trend on the part of businesses to attract employees by committing to fair hiring practices. According to the Human Rights Campaign, a Washington based civil right group, 494 of the Fortune 500 companies have added "sexual orientation" to their policies. Anumberof majorTulsaemployers,including American Airlines, Kimberly-Clark, AEP/PSO, Dollar/ Thrifty Auto Group, and others have done the same. Kerry Lewis, president-elect of Tulsa/Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR) expressed surprise and applauded this Chamber move. TFN publisher Tom Neal noted "as one of the few openly Gay members of the Chamber, I am really proud to.see the organization welcome us. We need to support them in return." DIRECTORY P. 2 EDITORIAL P. 3 US & WORLD NEWS P, 4 HEALTH NEWS P. 6 ENTERTAINMENT P. 8 GAY STUDIES P. 10 ¯ Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends TMM’s Exclusion of i oGfayDs iDscelriibmerinataetiAocnt ¯ Pastor Says "Sexual Orientation" Was ¯ Added But TMM Board Never Told ¯ TULSA - While the incident, a KKK visit, to which a local ¯ "diversity" statement sought io i’~spond is well past, the state- " merit continues to brew controversy. Tulsa Metropolitan Minis- " try, an "interfaith" religious organization issued a statement -.¯ which defined Tulsa’s "diversity" as being composed of race, religion andethnicity, without mentioning sexual orientation. ¯ Earlier, it appeared that the failure to mention "sexual orienta- ¯ tion"mighthavebeenanoversightbasedontheKKK’ s historical ¯ ¯ attacks primarily on Jews and Blacks. However, in a return call to the Tulsa Family News, the Rev. Russell Bennett of Fellowship Congregational Church, UnitedChurch of Christ, stated that ¯ he participated in themeeting to draft the statement, and specifically he called for the inclusion of "sexual orientation" in the : statement. Bennett noted that he heard no objections to his ¯ request, and he said that he expected that "sexual orientation" ¯ would be included. : Perry Simons, executive director of the Jewish Federation ¯ attended the meeting at Fellowship Congregational Church with : Nancy Day of the National Conference for Community and Justice, Dr. Sandra Rana, representing Tulsa’s Muslim commu- : nity, the Rev. Clark Shackleford of Sand Springs, as well as ¯ Bennett. Andwhile Simmons says he does notrememberBennett ." calling for adding "sexual orientation," Simons says he feels he ¯ shouldhave raised theissue. Simons noted that Dr. Rana took the ¯ notes of what he described as a "stream of consciousness" ¯ discussion. ; However, the Rev. Radford Rader of College Hill Presbyterian ¯ and a-member of the T!VIM executive boardstated that the ¯ executive board never saw a version see TMM, p. 11 Michigan Elects First Gay Rep. ¯ LANSING, Mich. (AP)- Newly dected state House Rep: Chris ¯ Kolb heads to Lansing in January as the state’s first openly Gay ." lawmaker, but he said he has a lot more he wants to tackle than ¯ simply civil rights for Gay-people. Kolb, 42, admits his role is ; important, but it’s not his only focus. "I don’t wear it on my : sleeve. I am who I am, but I don’t bring itinto every discussion," ¯ he said of his sexual orientation. "It’s not my one and only ¯ crusade in life." : The election of Kolb, a Democrat from Ann Arbor, puts ¯ Michigan among 22 states that have an openly Gay man or ¯ Lesbianin their legislatures. TheAnnArborcity councilman first ¯ got interested in politics after receiving his bachelor’s degree in .. natural resources from the University of Michigan in 1982. He ¯ started with local government, distributing campaign literature ¯ and knocking on doors for candidates. After serving as aprecinct ¯ captain and secretary of the local Democratic Party, he won an ¯ open seat on theAnnArbor City Councilin 1993. Eventually, he ¯ became mayor pro-tern. 2 " Working on the Democratic-controlled council with former ." Ann Arbor Mayor Ingrid Sheldon, a Republican, has already ¯ helped Kolb learn to forge bipartisan alliances, a key skill in the ¯" state Legislature. Sheldon admits she and Kolb were competitors, but said he never made his sexual orientation an issue. "You ¯ do not think ofhimas being the stereotypical Gay person inAnn Arbor," Sheldon said. "He’S a regular person the way you or I ." would want to be relating to a person." Kolb said he will work at improving the state of civil and human rights in Michigan,but he’s also interested in tackling ¯ education and environmental issues. He wants to work on legislation that would make it illegal in Michigan to fire employees ¯ based on their sexual orientation, something already prohibited ¯ in 11 states. "I’mnotkiddingmyself as to howfar theLegislature will be able to be moved," he said. "But civil and human rights : are along struggle." ¯ Kolb will be one of 14 new Democrats and seven Republicans ¯ to begin their first two-year state House terms inJanuary. He will be seated across the aisle see Michigan, p. 3 I TOHR Celebrates 20 Years of Se.rvice Only MCC Is Older ,n State ¯ TULSA- Itwas a different world then. Therewas no ¯ Will and Grace, few Gay or Lesbian images in print ¯ or on the airwaves, HIV was not yet discovered, and ¯ what was later called AIDS was just beginning to be seen in New York City and San Francisco. The ¯ Stonewall Riots had only ocurred 10 years before, ¯ Gay people were still subject to arrests and harass- " ment in most of the US, and world. ¯ In Oklahoma City, community activists began a group calledOklahomans forHumanRights (TOHR). ¯ Tnlsans joined that group and then formed a Tulsa ; branch. This group lead by three Tulsa attorneys, ¯ Dennis Neill, Bob Inglish andMikeGreen and others ¯ later created Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights, ¯ Oklahoma’s 2nd oldest organization after Tulsa’s ¯ Metropolitan Community Church United. ¯ Twenty years later, the world has changed. Tulsa ¯ has support groups in the public schools for Lesbian ¯ and Gay young adults, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgenderedpeople are verymuchvisibleinAmeri- ¯" can media and society butTOHRis still here provid- ¯ ing community services as at the beginning with all volunteer, staffing and not that many dollars. ¯ Longtime TOHRmember and former boardmere- ¯ ber Jonathan Stanley remembers being a member as ¯ early as 1980 or 1981, adding that he recalls Bob ¯ Inglish as president and meeting in a small upstairs ¯ room in Stonehorse, a building now known as the ¯ Consortium. A particularly vivid memory of those ¯ early days was the controversy whenTOHR rented a ¯ city pool for an event and cityofficials had the pool ¯ drained because Gay p_eopl_e_had, used. it..This was in the very early days of AIDS when the disease was associated exclusively with Gay men and little was known about HIV transmission. ¯ During these years,TOHRhas provided a commu- ¯ uity information telephone line, civil rights advo- ¯ cacy, anonymous HIV anti-body testing (eventually ¯ with paid staff and HIV education outreach workers ¯ - a program which has spun off as the H.O.P.E. ¯ Testing Clinic), and for the last several years, a ¯ community center. The Center was in the Brookside ¯ neighborhood was first known as the Pride Center ¯ and featured a 5x8’ flag which flew over the building ¯ until it was repeatedly stolen. Now the Center is ¯ known as theTulsa Gay Community Services Center : and has relocated to 21st & Memorial (2114 So. ¯ Memorial), ironically sharing a wall with one of ¯ Tulsa’s oldest Lesbian bars, TNT’s. ," However, TOHR president Greg Gatewood and ; the proposed new officers, Kerry Lewis, president, ¯ 1st v.p. Vance Reed, 2nd v.p. Don Glass, secretary ¯ Curtis Evans, and treasurer Beth Persac, are hoping ¯ the current location will be a short-term one. TOHR ¯ has announced a capital raising campaign, the Pyramid Project, to purchase a permanent commtmity ." center. ." According to Gatewood, the Project has in hand ox : in pledges and grants, $65,000 of their goal ot ¯ $250,000. And the organization has set up legal restrictions such that all gifts to the Pyramid Projec! ¯ arerestricted to that useonly. Also, thoserules (whicl: ¯ were reviewed by outside legal counsel and CPA’s" ¯ restrict overhead expenditures to a maximum of ¯ and all labor for the project is volunteer. : Gatewood notes that the organization is setting uI web sites for TOHR and the Pyramid Projec ¯ (www.tohr.org and www.pyramidproject.org) whicl ¯ they expect to be available in mid-December. ." To celebrate the 20th anniversary of TOHR, th~ ¯ group will hold a Holiday reception and silent auctiol : on Dec. 10th from 4-7pm, see TOHR, p. Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants *Chasers, 4812 E. 33 *CW’s, 1737 S Memorial *Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine *Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Sqtmre *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E 31st *The Star, 1565 Sheridan *Rene~ades/Rainbow. Rooni, 1649.S. Main *TNT’s, 211,4 S. Memorial ! *Tool Box, 1338E! 3rd " 712-2324 610-5323 583-2119 835-2376 744-4280 745-9998 834-4234 58523405 660-0856 584-1308 *The ’Yellow Brick Road Piab; 2630 E. 15th 749-1563 ’ Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41 Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15 *Borders Book~ ’& Music, 2740 E. 21 *Borders B0oks’ 8~ Music, 8015 S. Yale Brookside JeWelry, 4649 S. Peoria *CD Warehri~,:3807C S. Peoria *Cheap Th~ills,~::2(~iOE. 1 lth 743-1000 250-5034 665-4580 712-1122 712-9955 494~2665 743-5272.. 746-0313 295"-5868 Cherry St. Ps,yEtirthdt~py, 1515 S. Lewis 58’1-0902, 743=4117 Community’CI~ihiiig~’Kerby Baker . " 622-0700 Tim Daniel, At~tonie~ 352-9504, 800-742-9468’ *Deco to Discoi" 3212 E. 15th 749=362Q. Doghouse 6n-.Brr0kside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556 *Elite Boules-& Vi~t~0S, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503 Encompass,Travel," I3161H N. Memorial 369=8555 Ross Edwar~l:Sal6ii i 584~0337, 712~9379 Events Uniimited;; 507S. Main ¯ 5920460 Floral Design-S~dioi~3404 S,. Peoria " " 744~9595 Four Star ImpOrt.AutOmotive, 9906 E. 55th P1. ’ 610-0880 Cathy Furlong;PhiD.~ 1980 Utica Sq..Med. Cir.- 628-3709 Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808~8026 *Gloria Jear;’~ .Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st" 742-1460 Learme MTG’rO~s~’En~i~ance &financial pl,.~a~.ng. 459~9349 Mark T. Ha~by~A’ttOrney *Sandra J. I~ll,M~S;Tsychotherapy, 2865 ~i ~kelly745:74427414101T *Internafiol~al T~urs...... 341:6866 Jacox Aniraal Cliifie, 2732 E. 15th .... 712-2.750 *Jared’s Antlques;"1602 E. 15th - - 582-3018 David KauSk~y~:~otmtry Club Barbering 747-0236 The Keepers; HoUsekeeping & Gardening 582-8460 *Ken’s Flowers; ’1635 E. 15 599-8070 Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #21C -’ 747-5466. *Living A~tSpaee; 308 South Kenosha 585-1234 *Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd 584-3112~ Mingo Valley’Flowers, 9720c E. 31 663-59341 *Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664-2951 Puppy Pause: IF,1060 S. Mingo 838-7626 *The Pride StOre............... 743-4297 Rainbowz’0~ 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 481-0558. Venus Salon, 1247-S: Harvard 835-5563 Fred Welch, LCSW, Cotmsding 743-1733 *Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222 *Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767 www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays &Lesbians 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 of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood 587-1314 *Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300 *Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595 Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888 *Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511 918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615 POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159. e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom, Esther Rothblum. Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw 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 ~oL~/:~,~Nt~v~ and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part wi~out written permission from the publisher. Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes the sole property of, T.oLu~./:~.’.. N~. Each reader is entitled to 4 copies of each. edition at distribution -points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248. ¯ *Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457 ¯ Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics’& ¯ Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74t70-1475 " ~ 355-3140 ~Fellowshipcongreg.Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777 ¯¯ -*FreeSpiritWomen’sCenter, callforloeation&info: 587-4669 Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 " " 747-6827 ¯ Friends in UnitySocial 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 ¯ HOPE,-HIV Oiitreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378 ¯ *HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstries;1517 S. Memorial 224-4754 ¯ *MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715 ¯ NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral PI. - , 748-3111 ¯ NOW;Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658 ¯ " ,OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157 *OSU-Tuls~ seefrom anumber oflawmal~ers who signed a letter earlier this year asking the state Department of Education to invesugate Grand Haven High School for allowing Gay speakers to talk to students about being Gay during "Diversity Days." House Speaker-elect Rick Johnson, RLeRoy, and~GOP Rep. Valde Garcia ;o_.[ DeWitt were two. of the nine. staie House members who signed the iletter. Both,say, they wi!l not have_any problems worki,r~g with Kolb. The House will retain its 58-52 Republican majority when the new session starts. "I don’t agree with the philosophies of the Democratic Party, but that doesn’t mean I don’t work with Democrats," Garcia said. "Just because I don’t approve of his lifestyle doesn’t mean I can’t work with him." ¯ Kolb’s experience in government and : ability to handle himself well even when ! others disagree with him will help him in ¯ Lansing, said Jeffrey Montgomery, executive director of the Detroit-based Gay rights ¯ group Triangle Foundation. "He’s been ¯ aroundmany,many,,ch~lenging situations," .: Montgomery said. He s going to be able to : handle ahar;dful ofignorantlegislators very ¯ easily." ¯ While Kolb believes the media makes a ¯ bigger deal about his election than anyone : else, he knows his role~is important. He says ¯ the ultimate benefit of his election is as an ¯ example to members of the Gay community. "Any young person, regardless of their ; sexual orientation, whohears about this will ¯"- .t~-.G, POB 52800, 74152 ." ~*Planned Parenthood,1007 S. Peori~a ....tMme-’Timers, P.O: B.ox52t 18, 74152 -- R;A:L N:; Regional AIDS Interfaith Network - ¯Red.Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 St. Aidan’S Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinriati " StTDu~stan’sEpiscopal, 5635 E. 71st .*St: Jerome’s Parish Church; 205 W. King ¯ *TulsaArea United Way,- 1430 S..Boulder ~-*TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian.Health Care. 582-7225 ¯ Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 ....... 595-4105 .......~.,2Confideufial HIV Testing -by appt. on Thursdays ionly " :.~.Tulsi!O!d.a.T0rH,.t!m.an Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297 "..- ~.U.L.S.A.iTulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827 - .2 T~s~a City Hall, G~0und Floor Vestibule ;.... Tiii~ii CommUnityCoil~ge Campuse~ ~ *TulsaGay Community Center, 21st & Memorial 743-4297 ; Unity Church of Clirigtianity,3355 s. Jamestown 749-8833 "BARTLESVILLE "-B~fl~svill~Piibllc Library, 600S=. Johnstone 918-337-5353 TAHLEQUAH .......... ¯ Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900 49-490t ¯ "’ realiz.e..that ~ere’s a world of opportunity," 587 76?4.... he said..,~oo often, that s not the message our community and others hear." . - , _. 749-4195 584-2325 425-7882 492-7140 582-3088 583-7171 ¯ Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church ¯ ~Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 ¯ EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS ¯ Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 ¯ Jim & Breut’s Bistro, 173 S. Main ¯ DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. ¯ Emerald Raiiabow,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. U1.34 918-456-7900 918-453-9360 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. Notall are Gay-owned butall are Gay-friendly. Memorabilia from the years will be on display as well as auction items from artists and ¯ merchants such as Antiquaries inTulsa, P.S. , Gordon, DavidHoot, T.A. Lorton, Kathleen ¯ Pendergrass, Rand’s Art & Antiques, Mary ¯ Schepers and others. Curt & Marj’s Cater- " ing will offer refreshments as may other ¯ Tulsa restaurants. ¯" On Dec. 1 lth, TOHR and PFLAG, Par- ¯ cuts, Families and Friends of Lesbians and ¯ Gays will hold their annual joint Holiday potluck dinner at the Center at 7pm. The : entree will be provided as will soft drinks ." and tableware. Attendees should bring veg- ¯ etables, salads and desserts and may call ¯ 743-4297. to know which of those to bring.. ¯ Gatewood also notes that planning for ¯ next year’s Diversity Celebration 2001, ¯ which includes the Parade, a post-parade ¯ ¯ Festival and ablack-tie dinnerwill continue a mid-January meeting. The precise date ¯ will be announced later, t 7pro. The entree- ¯. will be provided as will soft drinks and tableware. Attendees should bring veg- ¯ etables, salads and desserts and may call the ¯ Center at 743-4297 for which of those to ¯ bring. Gatewood ~so notes that planning for ¯ next year’s Diversity Celebration 2001, ." which includes the Parade, a post-parade ¯ Festival and ablack-tie dinner will continue ~ a mid-January meeting¯ The precise date ¯ will be announced later. World AIDS Day by Chris Labonte, semorpolicy advocate Human Rights Campaign As we commemorate the first World AIDS Day of the 21st Century,itis important to bothcelebrate our achievements over HIV and AIDS and work vigorously to ensure there will be continued success in thcfuture. With success in treatments, we risk the danger of resting on our laurels. Instead,:we :mus~ rededicate ourselves to building upon these victories anff creating a future without HIV and AIDS. ~People with the diseas~e live longer and healthier lives yet the number of those’whbar¢ newly infected in our country each year remains steady at 40,000. The.new barrier to treatment andprevention is complacency. It comes from a variety of places and appears in many forms. New highly active antiretroviral therapies have contributed to the welcome steep decline in AIDS deaths in our nation. Media and advertising campaigns for these therapies signal that one can live and should live a robust and long life - you can go rock climbing, ski down the highest mountain, and continue to do fulfilling work. While all of this is true, they fail to mention that these therapies require years of medication, multiple dtses of pills each day - sometimes with possible side effects- and all at a great expense. This somewhat slanted view of our treatment success may contribute to our prevention failure. Although gay ¯ and bisexual men hage made strides in reducing the percentage of HIV infections attributed to male-to-male sexual contact, men who have sex with men still account for approximately 40percent ofnew infections each year. By not recognizing the tree costs ofHIV infection, young gay and bisexual men are engaging in risky behavior; such as intentional unprotected anal andoral sex.Arecent study suggests that the more optimistic memwere about the new treatments, the less likely they were to use safe sex precautions or limit their number of sexual parmers. Moreover, existing health ~disparities among commm nitieS of color tuake treatments particularly out.of reach for them. For the first time, the numbek Of gay men fromcommunities of color - African Americans, Latinos, Asian Pacific-Islanders, Native American. and others - outnumber the number of white gay and bisexual men in new AIDS cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the federal agency :primarily responsible for prevention of HIV/AIDS. Prevention is also particularly concerning with communities of color, where young gay and bisexual men of color are often confronted with both homophobia and racism. We must address this situation immediately and offer prevention strategies targeted to the unique needs of gay and bisexual men of color so they ¯ can also benefit from treatments available to others. We also cannot ignore strategies that we know have been successful in reducing HIV transmission in the past. Far too often, policy makers ignore proven science to score political points at the expense of peoples’ lives. Needle exchange programs and abstinence are two of the most vivid examples: Successful risk reduction programs also save money on future treatment costs. The CDC has set forth an ambitious goal to reduce new HIV infections inour nation. In addition, the independent and science-based Institute ofMedicine recently released areport, "No Time to Lose," that supported the use of cost effective methods of reducing HIV transmission, including needle, exchange programs. A recent study from .the Heury.J. Kaiser Family Eotmda_tign~f.o_und that p.arents think schools should have more comprehensive sexual education curriculum and cover topics that are not generally covered, such as sexual orientation. Effective prevention methods deserve support - both financial and political support-from Congress, the administration, the public health community, and other impacted communities. We must strive to continue to find even better treatments, furthe~ reduce the number HIV infections, provide additional assistance to nations around the globe and develop a vaccine within a reasonable time frame. These goals are attainable. In a nation as wealthy and creative as ours, we should expect nothing less. ¯ Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry: Gay People Need Not Exist ¯ by Tom Neal, editor &publisher ¯ committee process and edited out that inclusion. Because It might come as quite a surprise to you to learn that there " of their and their organization’s past involvement in acts are no Gay people in Tulsa. There are no Gay bars, no Gay " of anti-Gay discrimination, it looks like Dr. Sandra Rana churches, no Gay households, no Gay parents, no Gay kids ¯ and Nancy Day of the National Conference for Commu- - you get the idea. : nity and Justice wereresponsible.TMM’s executive board At least that’s the message that Tulsa Metropolitan " never saw an inclusive version. Ministry (TMM) is putting out. While"cel- This does not excuse the executive ebrating" Tulsa’s "diversity" specifically, claiming to "... support each other’s right to live and prosper in this great community. ¯ ." TMM. somehow managed t3 "disappear" Gay Tulsans. Wehave long known that some groups in TMM are deeply prejudiced against Lesbian and Gay persons. Usually these people are identified as Tulsa’S Muslim community, some of Tulsa’s Black churches and Tulsa’s Orthodox Christian commumty. No matter how repugnant their views are to us, morally and theologically, wehave to ¯ support their constitutional right to hold : those views. But usually their objections are to.-us having those basic civil rights protections which they enjoy themsdves. They want for it-to continue to be legal for us to be firedfrom ourjobs, or thrown out of our homes or have our children taken from us. They have objected to characterizing assaults on us as hate crimes, even if the "... apologlsts for TMM ma~e the excuse that Gay Tulsans have to be sold out in order to appease the Muslims, or the Blaeh churches or the Orthodox. Gay people are ashed, again and again, year after year, to go along because some good comes out of it..." board. In this city, and in this time, it is very hard not to know that Gay and Lesbian people exist. But their oversight lacks the malice of deliberate exclusion. Many apologists for TMM make the excuse that Gay Tulsans have to be sold out in order to appease the Muslims, or the Black churches or the Orthodox. Gay people are asked, again and again, year after year, to go along because some good comes out of it. But this statement goes too far. It demands that we collaborate in the denial of our own existence. And those.who sign it knowing better, knowing thatTMM’s "diversity" statement is profoundly a lie, are no less collaborators with evil than those who kept silent in the face of Nazi horrors. TMMhas long tolerated a double standard. Gay people are asked to recognize that Tulsa Muslims and others are "funda- ¯ mentalists" and we are asked to tolerate same act is a hate crime when they are the target. : Butthey hadn’t before soughtto deny our very existence. This is largely a symbolic act but in some ways, it is more ~ powerful than the others. Even when our fundamental civil ¯ rights are denied, we are atleast acknowledged as existing. ¯ Ironically, part Of the impetus for this "diversity" statement was a visit by a particularly virulent part.of the Klu- Klux Klan. Traditionally, theKKK’s principle targets have b~nJews andBlacks.But as Gay and Lesbian people have become more visible, we have been included very explicitly in Klan hatred. This Klan visit was-no.exception. And while the Klan did not forget us, Tulsds "do-gooder" hypocrites pretend that we don’t exist. Now not all of TMM’s members take this position. Russell Bennett of Fellowship Congregational Church sought to add sexual¯ orientation to TMM’s "diversity" statement. But ina deeply disturbing and shameful action, one or two commi ttee members appear to have violated the to three equally weighted categories; community leadership, scholastic merit, and financial need. This year,the scholarship selection committee is .comprised of a student representative from five of OLIC campus organizations, and five OklahomaGLBT community leaders..The chair-person of this year, selectiOn committee is Whitten. The organizers add that applications will be available Dec. 1st from our OLIC organizations, at the Oklahoma City and Tulsa Gay Commlmity Centers and online at www.geocides.’com/okolic/. Applications will be due on Feb. 15,2001 and the winners will be announced in late March. Also, the Oklahoma ]mmbda IntercJall:egiate C0aii~0~ hold a fundraising reception in Tulsa Oli December 2’ls( from7 - 10pm at thehome ofRick and Susan Doss in Tulsa. Funds raised by this event will be used for the Oklahoma Lambda Youth Scholarship. RSVP to 405-325-4452. A donation of $25 is suggested. The goals of the Oklahoma Lambda Intercollegiate Coalition are: I. Raising awareness of GLBT youth ~ssues within our community, schools, and society; II. Sharing information and resources in an effort to provide the best possible programming for sponsoring organizations; their bias agaanst us even as Muslims, Jews, Christians, and. Unitarians somehow manage to respect each other. White supremacist groups, like the Christian Identity movement and .others who use theology much like the Muslims do to justify their prejudice, are not welcomed into.TMM. Buta special place is carved outfor anti,Gay prejudice, It is finally too much. And it is time that good people who know better stand up for their neighbors and friends and families, ff this means that Tulsa cannot support its real diversity, then at least we’ll be telling .the truth. Muslim Tulsans might have to acknowledge that they cannot object to anti-Muslim bias while oppressing Gay Tulsans. Black Tulsans ought to know better..And Jewish Tulsans mightneed to do for Gay people what was done for them by non-Jews in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s,which is to be vocally and visibly advocates for civil rights. It’s time now for this change. ¯ III. Supporting a Queer youth movement to impact the : politics of our state and nation; ¯ IV. Providing resources to the Oklahoma GLBT youth ¯ community including political and health education, a ¯ safe social environment, and an opportunity to cultivate : leadership skills, and; ¯ V. Fostering the conception and growth of new GLBT : student groupsacross Oklahoma. ¯ For more information, contact, Oklahoma Lambda In- ¯- tercollegiateCoalition 900Asp,OMU, P,m. 363,Box 169, Norman OK 37019-4058 or telephone to.405-325-4452. ¯ www.geocities.com]okolic i Stout Wins Okla.Mr.Leather : T.U.L.S. A~ (Tulsa Uniform Leather Seekers Associa- ¯ .ti.’9fa):held the annual Oklahoma Mr. Leather contest "! ~ O.cto~b_dr 20-22 at the Silver S’t~tr in Tulsa. Four Contestants from the state competed in c~ate~ories that included inter, view, streetwear, physique and full leather image. Seven judges from the US and Canada judged the contestants. International Mr. Leather 2000 Mike Taylor was among the distinguished panel. Contestants were Jason Pelkey of Tulsa, Jim Stout of Ramona, Stephen Scott of OKC-Mr. Sooner State Leather 2000, and Mark Goins of Tulsa-Mr. Tulsa Leather 2000. The weekend event began with a tour of the local clubs and Tulsa’s Gay Community Services Center. The interviews were Saturday morning and the rest of the contest was held that night. Stephen Scott was first runner-up. Scout Troop Defies National Anti-Gay Ban PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A second Rhode Island Scout troop is defying the national organization’s ban on homosexuals, Members, leaders, and parents from Boy ScoutTroop 28 have sentaletterto the Narragansett Council of Boy-Scouts saying they will ignore the policy. The troopjoins Cub Scout Pack 88, which sent a similar letter, The Providence Journal reported. ~ .The national policy is root~,in a 1910 oath that Says Scofi~- ~’.st ke~p~el~s-~ ,.ni0ralty straigl~t:~’iThe ’ !. b~via’g tlplldld~y!th~ Siipr~aid CourtthisS~er,but ’"about ~:d~ozen~ trbb~ ~at~oflwlde have stud thaiwill The leaders of Pack 28 said the words "morally straight" have nothing to do with sexual orientation. ....’The oath didnotmean to banhomosextmls but to keep .....on the straight and narrow and do what is right," said Y"Allen M. Dennison, an assistant scoutmaster with Troop 28, who has four sons in Scouting. Our assessment of whatis right is that everyone be included, and " that includes Gay leaders and Gay Scouts." ..... The Narragansett Council will forward the letter fromTroop28to theBoy Scouts ofAmericaheadquar- ’ ters in Irving~ Texas, as it did with the letter from Pack 88, said state ¢o,.u~,ci! Spokesman David Preston. Pack 88hash theard from the national Boy Scouts regarding its status and calls to the Boy Scouts of America were not returned. Officially, troops that " ignore Scouting rule~ Will have their charter revoked. To date, however, the Boy.Scouts of America has not revoked thecharter of a troop or council for ignoring .the banon Gays. The ban made news inRhode Island last year, when a 16-year-old Eagle Scout filed a complaint with the Rhode Island Human Rights Commission saying he was denied a job at a Scout camp because he is Gay. Maryland Can Ban " Anti-Gay Discrimination ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Gov. Parris Glendening~s :plan to add Gays to Maryland’s anti-discrimination law likely would not violate the First Amendment guarantee of free exercise of religion, according to the state attorney general’s office. Assistant Attomey General Kathryn M. Rowe issued the four-page legal opinion this week at the request of-Delegate Sandy,I. Rosenberg, who is expected to use it to counter religious-based arguments -.. against the proposed legislation. "I did this so we would have a:.iegal opinion on the matter instead of rhetoric that is not precise," Rosenberg said. "In an - issue as emotional as .this, everybody should do their best not to misstate the law." Rosenberg asked for the opinion after a representative of the Diocese ofWilmington testified against the governor’s plan at a public heating in Salisbury.The diocese includes Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The hearing was conducted by a commission ereated by the governor to solicit testimony about discrimination against Gays, Lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals "The teaching o.f the Catholic Church and societal tradition does not accept homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle," the diocese said in a position paper presented at the hearing. Thepositionpaper alSO said the proposed legislation "significantly and Wrongfully encroaches (on) the First Amendment, free-exercise rights of religious institutionsand ofpersons whose actions are dri-ven by their religious beliefs." In her opinion, Rowe said there wasprecedent for laws with "the incidental effect of burdening certain religious practices" - as long as the laws do not single out one religion. There is also precedent suggesting that the hiring of ministers would be exempt from the proposed bill, Rowe said. : Navy Ends Harrassment : of Former Seaman ¯ ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP)-A former midshipman who : resigned from the U.S. Naval Academy amid accusa- ¯ tious ofhomosexuality won’thave to repay the govem- ~ ment for his education, the Navy has ruled/The deci- ¯ sion means that Tommie Watkins, 25, will not have to ." reimburse the Navy the $86,000 that covered his train- . ing and tuition, plus interest. i Watkins, president of his classand an aspiring Navy ~ ~pil0t; ~s~id bewas pres’sured to. resign ~and did so ~ ~ beeau~e he feared ht~mophobia ’would preve~t him ~- fromreceiviffga fair trial:’After leaving, he acknowl- -" edged being Gay. Officer trainees who drop out or are ¯ expelled during theirjtmior or senior years are required ¯ by Pentagon policy to repay the government for their ¯ education, either ~in cash or through enlisted service. ¯ The Navy’s Board of Correction of Naval Records ." said last year that he was a victim 6f,"error and ¯ injustice," and recommended the academy waive the ." payment. That decision was overruled in March by ." Carolyn Becraft, the assistant secretary ofthe Navy for ¯ manpower. Watkins sued, and on the day of the dead- : line for the Navy to respond, his lawyer got word of the : reversal. ." Watkins, who works in Miami as the project director ¯¯ for an AIDS and HIV ministry, called the decision ¯ "long overdue and totally justified." "It’s kind of ironic, because the Navy says its core values are honor, ¯ courage and commitment," he said. "It seems like I had _. to exhibit those qualities to win this case.’" ¯ Officials from the Naval Academy declined to com- ." ment on the decision. ¯ Iowa Order Banning Anti- Gay Bias to Be Reviewed ¯ DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - It’s up to a Polk County ¯ district ,judge to rule on the legality-, of Gov. Tom ¯ Vilsack s’ci~il-rights order. District Judge Glenn Pille heard lawyers’ arguments about the order during a ¯ recent hearing. ¯ Vilsack issued an executive order in September 1999, forbidding discrimination against Gays, Lesbi- ¯ ans and Transexuals in state government employment. : The move sparked a legislative debate. Conservative ¯ legislators were particularly angry that the order ap- ¯ plies to Transsexuals. A majority of lawmakers voted ¯ to repeal the order, but Vilsack vetoed the legislation. ¯ Twenty-three legislators led by Republican Senate ¯ Majority Leader Stewart Iverson, challenged the order ¯ in a lawsuit filed in July. They said that Vilsack ¯ overstepped his authority and thathe, in effect, rewrote ¯ the law. ¯ Vilsack has said he is carrying out a state law ¯ providing equal opportunity in state employment to all : persons. Iowa Deputy Attorney General Julie Pottorff ¯ represented Vilsack at the hearing. She said the dispute ¯ is a legal question, and that Vilsack acted within his ¯ auth6rity ensuring that legal protections apply to all ¯ executive branch employees. ’°-l’his is no more than a ¯ ¯ political disagreement," Portorff told Pille. Des Moines lawyer Mark McCormick is represent- " ing the legislators and a former state employee. He ¯ argued at the hearing that the order infringes on the ¯ constitutional separation of powers and said "The ¯ governor has no power by- ~xecutive order to create ~ ¯ law." - : Vatican in Tizzy About ¯ "Fake Marriages" ¯ VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican has blasted ¯ lawmakers for givinglegal recognition to so-called"de ~ facto" unions - including those between Gays - and ¯ said attempts to allow adoption by Gays were "a great danger." A 77-page document made public in Novem-~ Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community ofHope 2545 South Yale, Sundays at 1 lam, 749-0595 A Welcoming Congregation HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm ¯ 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754 The Open Arms Project Young Adult Support Group Outreach Program Thurs. Nights Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment Call for meeting times and place: 918-584-2325 Mingo Valley Flowers 9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145 918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-~.4-5934 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 Store 21st Street & Memorial Tulsa Gay Community Services Center .743-.GAYS (743=4297) 6-9 pm! Sudda~ ".-.!F~’{day, ~ ~ . ~ ~ ° ! 12,9~,prn~ ~Saturday, all sales benefit the C~nte? Important Information Call 212-461:2976 Interested? Call 918=447-8602 Red Rock Tulsa. . Free Confidentia!.HIV Testing Walk:in Clinics Tues. & Thurs., 5 -8 pm at the Center,. 1307 East 38th Daytime appointments available. Call for more information: 918-584-2325 KIM WILKS Independent Consultant for 357-1757 ~n just a matter of hours .Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC Certified Public Accountant a professional corporation 747-5466 4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135 ber by The Pontifical Council for the Family was built heavily around similar denunciations over the last few years by Pope JohnPattl II. Italian Gay groups, stung over the summer by the Vatican’s moves to try to block Gay pride events in Rome, denounced the latest pronouncement on homosexual unions. The Vatican’s council on family matters also presented a proposal to make sex crimes against children, including "sex tourism" exploitation, crimes against humanity. But .the bulk of the positions ,pr.esented. hammered away at unions betwb.en Gays as well as legal recognition for.~tmm.arried hetgcosexual~couple~. While not citing any particular, .country, thd .,Vatica.n,. spoke of ’~great concern" aboutlawiiaakers’ efforts "in many countries with an ancient Christian tradition" to give legal status to unmarried couples. Earlier this month, Germany.granted legal recognition to Gay couples, following similar moves.ove~ the 1~ decade by other Western European countries. " De facto unions ~e the result.of private behavior andshoul’d remain 0ni~e pri~at~ 1,ev_el ," . the Vatican said. It described as a ~erious sign, of.the-contempo,~ rary br0~tkd0wn in the s0dal an~ ~oral.conscilence, political eftbrts tO give institutionalstatus to delfacto couples. It Said attempts to legalize thead0ption of children by Gay. ~Q~ple,s .added ’!an elemen_t.of ~reat danger." - .. NY Town offers: Benefits GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) -The Gr.eenburgh Town Board voted un’aJaim6u~ly" tO ’offer health-be]aefits to same-sex domestic partners 0f municipal workers. "We want to treat all our employees as if they’re valuable to us," said Supervisor Paul.Feiner. New Yoj~k ~stiite,. Ne~: Yori~ City;._a~nd/~Ve’stchester CounU,.plus several ~orporation~,~.rpv.id¢~sach:benefits to homosexual couples. Of Westchester s-municipalities, only. Eastchester has..acted before Greenburgh. Under the measure;, which goesinto effect JnJanu- ..ary, an uumarried,.town, employee who.says-in an affidhvit that he or she has hadan exclusive relationship for a year can extend medical.and dental coverage to\the partner. - " . )_ Phelps at Phillips Exeter EXET.ER, N.H. (AP) - An anti-Gay ch~ch group opposed to Phillips ExeterAcadem~~ s p0!~gy .alirwing homosexuals to be dorm parents protested outside the school recently, v~aving.signs with messages .that included: ’q’hank GodforA!DS." About adoZenfol!owers of the Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro B.aptist Church of Topeka~ Kan., ~rrivedat ~eS~hob’i~r’rund noon after making similar demonstrations in’Ve~ont and Maine earlier. The, ,church members, oppose a measure Phillips Exeter truste~.,S approved in May that al!0ws.Gay and ,,I~,.sbian faculty and staff to serve as dormitory parents. ’ it’s destroying the fabric0fthis nation~ the~r~ls/.hat this nation ,does have," s,aid Sam Pheligs~Roper’~ the Rev.Phelps grandson.".It saslippeDi~lopestraightto hell and that’s where this.country is’headed. This is a ing match toward the end, when a group of University of New Hampshire students arrived to denounce the church group. "Relax! It’sjust sex," one student shouted. "I preach God’s word." "You preach hate." But that’s an accusation Phelps’ followers don’t deny. They maintain that God hates homosexuals and will destroy any society that condones homosexual behavior. ’q’he Christian belief is rooted not only in the love of God, but also the hate of God. You can’t have one without ,the. 9~er.,’~’. . .Pt!_dps-Roper said. "That is definitive. Th,e~ is~no.question, that Gq~t!ha,t~s, p~9..p!e.]’, ,, -~~W.~[bggQ Baptist ,O~,ur..ch ~s. ~gu,t 2Pq i~im~ers. . They have picketed~a~ ~e fun~€91s of. homosexuals, including that of Matthew Shepard,.a Gay man.who was brutally beaten and tortured in Wyoming in Octo~ ber 1998. "He’s in hall. And everyone else who.lives daat lifestyle will likely be in he!! with him unle{s.they repent," Phelps-Roper said. "Of ~.course, he could.have repented, but there’ s a snowball’, s, chance of tha~;happening." _. ¯ The Rev. Phelps did not attend, the demonstr.a_.tion. ~ His grandson said Phelps,:was .geeded back at his ¯¯ c,,h.t~h tominister But Phe!ps~Roper.saidthe growing acceptance of homosexualit~ made,:their message to ¯ iEx~ter all the more importan.t. ’;7~..’s.isimportant ~tuff. ¯ This is a ,matter of life and ~death,’:etemRy h~-re," phelps-Roper said. "When G.0~as said something is : ~.abomination, you don’t mes~.~ith it." ¯ Representatives of 14 churches from the region ¯ j6i]aekl the university students.i0PPosing Phdps? fol- 19wers. They said that thoug~flaey:don’t all agree on ¯ the moral status of homosexu~fity, they univers~ally oppose Phelps’ message. ."While we recognize their, right, to express their p,ersonal views freely concermngAcademy policy and : ~e subjectin general, we take,~.trong exception to/heir ¯ rhe.t.ori9and signs denigrati.ng0~r~eighbors,,, the,Rev’ ¯ ¯ DanielWeaver of theExeterUnitedMethodistChurch said: ~’We wholcheartedly agree:thathatr’ed, expressed ¯ or implied, as well as the adVo~icy br promotion of ¯ haff~lis anathema. It is certaird:y notitt the spirit of the ¯ v0~b~dsOf Jesus, ’Love your°neiIgl~bor~ as yourself."’ ¯ Accused Murderers of " Gay Man to Stand Trial FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) =T.w,o,teen-agers will stand : trial ear)y next year for the murder of a Gay black man from.Marion County, a judg.e., ruled~ in November. : David Allen Parker, whose lawyers may argue a di- : minished .capacity defense;,is ser~ to stand trial in ¯ Becldey on Jan. 16. His co-defendarit, Jared Wilson. ¯ will l!0t be tried until February...... ¯ Par~er, 18, ofGrantTownan~tWilson, 18, ofFairview : ar~’charged with first-degree.murder in the July 4 ° beating death of Arthur "J.R." Warren. Police say the teens pummeled the 26-year,old acquaintance with : their fists and feet, then ran over him four times with ] Parker’s car to disguise his injuries as a hit-and-run. ¯ The assault allegedly began after ~Warren told others ¯" about a sexual relationshiphe claimed to have had with : Parker. ~ Circuit Judge Rodney Merrifield said he will likely message that they need." ¯ rule within 10 days whetherjurors at thetrials will hear ~ ~..m,,d~nts, at .tl],e neari~y,22Q=ye~o!d pri~vate ,high : the teens’ confessions. Defenselawyers argue sheriff’s Schorl: apparently ~v~r~fi t irit~Stc;d~j~"h~g it~ ¯ deputies inappropriately obtained the statements the Many students and faculty members_wore x~row- :, gtay, 9.t" Lhe_.murd,er,;an accusatton, the deputies have colored pins, a symbol of support for homosexuals ¯ denied on the Witness ;/arid Judy Quirm, spokeswoman for Phillips Exeter, said " Prosecutors say Warren’s DNA showed up in evithe school’s roughly ’1,000 students decided not to attend the~demonstration; and instead .-organized a diversity celebration in another part of the campus. "The values of inclusion and diversity have been hallmarks of Phillips Exeter Academy since its formding," she said in a written statement. "The fact an objection to these principles is what brings this group to Exeter is indeed regrettable " The otherwise peacefifl protest erupted into a shout- : dence samples taken from the interior, exterior and : undercarriage of Parker’s car, as well as on wood : paneling and molding from the house where the bea~- ¯ ing began. : Parker’s attorneys, Rebecca Tate and Stephen Fitz. ¯ also asked the judge for a delay so they could hire ~., ~ expert to study their client for a possible diminished o capacity defense strategy. Bayer Seeks New AIDS Treatments BERLIN (AP) - Bayer AG, Germany’s biggest drugmaker, said Tuesday it will join the search fornew AIDS treatments as part of a shakeup of its drug research activities: The Leverkusen-based company, best-known for developing aspirin, will look for substances effective against resistant viruses, said Wol,fgang Hartwig, head of research in’Bayer s pharmaceuti- : cal busine.ss group. The company declined to specify:how muchit will invest in AIDS research. In 2000, it budgeted a total of 1 billion euros ($845 million) for research and development. Bayer said it expects to identify the first substances suitable for precliuical HIV testing within two years. Pharmaceutical research will in the future be focused on 13 fields, including seeking new treatments in urology, Alzheimer’s dementia and Parkinson’ s disease. Bayer saidit will stop its research activities for osteoporosis, fibrosis of the liver and stroke. Key Protein in AIDS. Virus Found WASHINGTON (AP) - A protein that does housekeeping chores inside cells plays a key role in spreading the AIDS virus to other cells of the body, researchers report. In studies appearing in the Proceedings of the National AcademyofSciences (PNAS), researchers say that _HIV, the AIDS’virus, uses a group of proteins, called proteasomes, to assemble new viral partitles and to spread those new particles.to uninfected cells. Ulrich Schubert of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said test tube studies show that blocking the action of the proteasome proteins can reduce the spread of HIV infection by about 98%. Schubert, the first author of one study in PNAS, cautioned that the research was conducted only in test tubes and it is not known if the proteasome inkibitors would work against HIV in humans. "We would never inject this drug into an HIV-infected person because we do not know what would happen," said Schubert. Theproteasome inhibitors will be tested in monkeys before any human tests are considered, and those animal studies could take months, he said. Dr. Jonathan W. Yewdell, a NIAID researcher and a co-author of the study, said that althoughinhibitingproteasome shows promise as a strategy for treating HIV, "it is possible that it may not have any effect at all." He said the proteasome function is essential for healthy cells and that a drug thatblocks thatfunction could affect every cell in the body. "It is possible that the HIV-infectedcells will be more sensitive or that there are effects against the virus before" the healthy cells are affected, said Yewdell. Yewdell and Schubert said cancer researchers are experimenting with proteasome inhibitors for the treatment of prostate cancer and early studies have shown no side effects in cancer patients. The drug, however, has not been used in HIV-infected patients, they said. Proteasome’s job inside the cell is to identify and destroy old or unneeded proteins. Another PNAS study, by researchers at Pennsylvania State University, suggests that amolecule calledubiquitinplays akeyroleinhow viruses use theproteasome function in a cell to make new viral partitles. Still another PNAS study, by researchers from the Dana-Farber Caneer Institute, Harvard Medical School and the University of Padua in Italy, also demonstrates that ubiquitin plays a role in HIV particle formation. HIV spreads its infection inside thebody by forcing white blood cells, called CD4s, to make new viral particles. These partitles are released from the cells and can then infect other cells, spreading the infection throughout the body. The final part of this virus-making proeess is called budding. During budding, a new viral particle wraps itself in a membrane from the surface of the infected cell and completes its development. When the budding process is completed, the virus particle is released and can then attach to an uninfected CD4 cell and continue to spread the infection. The researchers found that HIV uses the proteasome molecules, particularly ubiquitin, to complete the assembly of a new viral particle at the cell membrane. When the pro.teasome action is blocked, HIV particle formation is crippled, they found. "Inhibiting proteasome causes fewer viruses to detach from the cell and what viru~ is madeis notas good," saidYewdell. Proteasome is most active in the budding phase of making a new HIV viral particle. It is different from protease, an enzyme that helps the HIV virus assemble precursor proteins into active proteins. Some HIV drugs, called protease inhibitors, work by blocking the action of the protease enzyme. Power Connect. Public Service Compa~ny of Oklahoma Customer Service.is Nb~Available 24 Hours A Day, Seven Days A Week. These days, traditional 8-5 business hours aren’t always convenient. So PSO has made it easier than ever for you to contact us. Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7 offering around-the-clock answers to your questions - and better access to service. Now it’s easier for you to inquire about your monthly electric bill. Or report a power outage. Or arrange to have your power turned on or off. Our professionally trained, friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives are standing by to serve you. All, day, every day. To provide faster response to your needs, we have listed our toll-free numbers below. ¯ Leftover Medicines Help in Haiti + More CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - The jar of AIDS medications that Moses Alicea plucked from among pill bottles and vials spilled across the table were bound for the dump - worthless in the United States. But in Haiti, where the lifesaving drugs will be sent, they are priceless. The medications - about $20,000 worth of protease inhibitors that can suppress HIV and prevent progression of AIDS - will be sent to the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation to help people who would otherwise never receive the treatment. At the root of the salvage effort is the vast gulfbetween availability of the medications in affluentcountries tike the United States and developing countries like Haiti. "This is importantbecause there’s peqple living with HIV who can’t get the meds like we do," said Alicea, 36, who gave his ownleftoverAIDS medications. "ffI can’t use them, somebody else can. There’s alot of stuffoutthere that’ sjustbeing dumped." Some 95% of the more than 33 million people with HIV and AIDS in the world are in poor countries, according to the World Health Orgamzation. In those regions, the so-called drug "cocktails" - Clip And Save " p I I I I I I--I I I I III CALL 24 HOURS FOR TOLL-FREE SERVICE Customer Services: 1-888-216-3523 Billing Inquiries: 1-888-216-3490 Outage Reporting: 1-888-218-3919 Servicio a Clientes: 1-888-216-3505 Preguntas Sobre su Cuenta: 1-888-216-3491 Fa]ta De Suministr0:1-888-218-3924 Public Service Company of Oklahoma I I I I I I I I i I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Medical Excellenc.e And Compass.lonate Care S nce 1926. a ¯ ST. JOHN MEDICAL CENTER q P Medical Excellence-Compassi’onate Care whichcan costupwardof $20,000 per year in the United States -are about 30 times the average monthly income and far out of reach for most people, according to the group Doctors Without Borders. The issue of global drug acess has becomeheated. Protesters doggedVice President A1 Gore last year about drug prices in Africa, and the issue is apriority for institutions like the World Health Organization that are trying to combat the disease. Clients of the group Cambridge -Cares About AIDS are collecting the drugs from friends and family members - even from their own medicine cabinets. Most of the donated drugs are left over when a person with AIDS switches drug regimens because of debilitating sitle effects. Since last December, the group has delivered some $200,000 worth of medications to Parmers in Health, a Boston-based organization with a clinic in Haiti which distributes them to people with AIDS and HIV. Partners in Health executive director Dr. Jim Yong Kim said between 50 and 100 people in Haiti are regularly receiving the medications gathered by the Cambridge group. But there’s an enormous unmet need that this effort cannot even begin to solve without global attention - and a global solution- to the drug crisis, he said. "This is now an absolute disaster and an absolute crisis," Kim said. "It’s a moral problem, but it’s also an economic and political problem.’" TheWorld Health Organizationhas protocols for donated drugs. But the organization does not have separate guidelines for AIDS medications, which generally involve complex daily regimens of 15 to 20 different pills that require close medical supervision. And the medication supply must be consistent, because interrupting the regimen can result in the HIV virus becoming resistant to treatment. Only a handful of groups send unused AIDS drugs overseas. Kim said agencies like his are "writing the book" on salvaging AIDS drugs. There is no agency overseeing the practice, no way of knowing how common it is or whether groups are adhering to WHO guidelines for drug donations, according to Michael R. Reich, acting chair of the Department of Populationand International Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. But he said that while donations will never fill the need for drugs in poor countries, this effort highlights the problem. "Troubling questions arise from gaps in access," he said. "Haiti is a country with extraordinary needs for good drugs, and donations provide a mechanism for trying to address the gap." James Russo, spokesman for the Partnership for Quality Medical Donations, an organization composed of drug companies and non-govemmen.tal organizations thatTdistribute free drugs o~¢erseas, said it is a"perfecfly reasonable and understandable and decent thing to do." Such donations may not technically be legal, because the recipient is not the person for whom the drugs were prescribed, he said. But if the drugs are properly used and distributed, thenpublichealthbenefits override such legal issues. "The fact that it needs doing is, to me, a tragic observation about the state of public health policy," he said. "Nothing but good can come from ¯ something like this." ¯ Sitting beside Alicea, Katherine Gaynes, : 54, takes a thick marker and strikes from a ¯ bottle the name of the original patient, the ¯¯ doctor who made the prescription and the pharmacy that filled it so the pills cannot ¯ be traced back to the original recipient. ¯ She said the huge overseas need for medications frustrates her, but she’s glad she’s ¯ been able to do some good. "If the rest of ¯ the world doesn’t get better, then it doesn’t ; get better for us," she said. . ¯ Rise in HIV in Gays And Natives Feared ¯ TORONTO (AP) - New numbers on HIV infections in Canada point to a worrying : trend away from safe sex in some segments of the Gay community and a steep ¯ increase of infections among FirstNations ¯ people. The number of new infections ¯ amongmenwho have sex withmenjumped ¯ by 30% from 1996 to 1999, according to ¯ the latest report on HIV and AIDS preva- ¯ lence issued by Health Canada. The hum- : ber of new infections among Aboriginal ¯ Peoples rose 91% over the same period. : Some headway hadbeen made over that : time in cutting the number ofnew cases of _" HIV infection among injected drug users, ¯ the report said, noting the number of new : cases declined 27% last year over 1996. ¯ "But no sooner did we do that than Gay : men are starting to rebound again," Chris ¯ Archibald, Health Canada’s chief of HIV/ ¯ AIDS epidemiology and surveillance, said : from Ottawa on Thursday. ¯ Before 1996, Health Canada reported a ¯ steady drop in the number of new cases of ¯ HIV among Gay men, the population most ravaged by HIV and AIDS. Gay men accounted formore than 80% ofnew cases in : 1981-83; by 1996, they made up less than ¯ a third (30%) of new cases of HIV infection. Archibald said the upward trend has ¯ VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - ." A group of health-care advocates and in- . jection drug users is aiming to make Vancouver the first city in North America to offer addicts a safe site to inject drugs. ¯ Whether the facility is a"hole in the wall" ¯ or a comprehensive health center will be ." determined by funding, says the Harm ." ReductionActionSociety, whichreleased ¯ its pilot project proposal last month. ." The society would like to have support ¯ from all levels, "but let’s get this straight, we are going to do it," said board member Dean Wilson. "One way or another, there ¯ will be such a facility or facilities," said Ross Harvey, the executive director of the ¯ B.C. Peoples with AIDS Society. The society would like to have a facility ¯ open before Valentine’s Day. The group, ¯ formed earlier this year, recently sent con- ¯. sultants to Frankfurt,Germany,where they visited five sites set up in 1994. The city ¯ released proposal recently that included a ¯ safe-sites proposal,butMayorPhilipOwen ¯ rejected the idea, saying it would be a magnet for drug addicts. ¯ also been reportedin the United States and ." the Netherlands. Vancouver Looks At Injection Site sung. And the lyrics aren’t too bad, either. He’s been performing since he was 6, and appeared in the film "Latin Boys Go To Hall" singing a song "... Siegfried and Roy have never been involved ..m ~r~ming an.i.~.ii.a.lk. i"n the’ ir h,2ves. They mold things around the personality of their animals." And maybe, if the rest of. us learned’ thattriek - love ~hOUt the ne~ for~.e~ntrol - we’d h~ve better ofhis owncomposition. He’ s played some ofthe most resi~ected venues in NYC to critical acdaini. ’ ~ He ~is also named by HXmagazine as one of the ten hottest menin NY. Judging from the press photos, I’ll second that. He’s currently working with song- .writer DesmondChilde, knowi~ for being a ’ hitwriter forRickyMar- .... ~ tin,Ch~,.and Ma~10nna. He’il surprise you. YOu’.dnever .guess he was anice.Jewish bpy relationships as well . frOmNew York - he~s ---got: that ~0ul sound by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor Merry Yule and Winter Solstice, everyone! This year has moved fast - hard to believe we’ll be starting a new millennium soon. Hope everyone h~ a ha~pp.y hoR.day. ~. ~- ~l~a ’frijOl, ~-Jim~ ’ Brf~l~iffa~ ~rbtflrh~:t~o Tut~d D~em6~r~5~il fdt a a romantic ,evening bf musicandfun. Ifyou’ve ?iaot seen his show be- 7~ore, .or ~ ing, it s well worfla it. i?And he’s:iher~ ~ith ¯" ~onny oshioiia,’W~Ch ~’should 7~I’11 miss John Trbnes, a i, family m.-..~~m~l~ ,~ho ~’ was here~th year, but"J~bgt Doimy does a grea~jdb ~i~the songs. Ji~ can~take a huge thOt~.~d make . it seem " room, and :he’s gOkgcous to boot - very handsom~],~,Sf;.~tl~6~:~;i~uals are as good as ’the musi.~;.ye~, ~I,know...you really " didn’t exp~t ~e t without .mgn,ti.0~ngl something like that, did you?.~tf!~y!~mmended; especially as an earl~’. Yule gift for that sigfiffieant other. 596~7111:fo€ fix. If yo~J;~:i’6bidiag for nifty gffties of an entertaiifi~ s0~t,’I have a few recomme,n,- dations: Fir~ oifth~’list is "Chicken Run’, just outOgDVD~dVHS. TheDVDis the preferencehe~e, due to the fun extras they threw ina~d the".claance to see the film as it was preSgntetion screen, instead of only half the.p.ivRtr¢fformatted to fit your TV) on the VHS version. There’s two documentaries 9n ..tal.ent and how they made. those chickens ttm; and it’s fun to see thecast men~!~erswfiose ,v,oices you hear. And it is so eff.~ecti~e.you I1 never eat chicken pot pies again:-’ Favorite line: Ging,er Chickefi,.:~.’.fig’ to explain why they re having ~toi~i~aS escaping the chicken farm/pfi~on"~to g doubting member of the flock, says’ Do’you know what the problem is? ~[]ie:fe~i~S.. aren’t just ’round the farm, they’reuphe~e-in yourheads !" The other chick~ep!ies,"Aw, give it up, ducks. There’s.amillion toone chance we’ll ever get out of her,e:, Ginger, mustering up thelast bit of hope she has (All done with the eyes), rep!iles, "Well . . there’s still a chance then." And then there’s Nick and Fletcher, a pair of rats who have a rather mteresturg relataonship... And that s al I’ll say about that, except I am surprised at. a: c"ertai.n::’a:c"t.lw.?s~t2m. :t~o:,w~n; w;~ho~ di¯ dN, O""T"~fi.1re ~ff a s~i-ies:.6fl6tters aboi~t Gay i~dople" being represented as rats... Even though they’re really cute rats, in that rat-like way, and help the chickens to escape. A new artiste on the Gay scene, Ari Gold, has a new CD out, and unlike many artists capitalizing on the "I’m Gay and out, so even if I suck, you should still buy my stuff", it’s actually a really good CD, filled with dance grooves and soulful ballads that are slickly produced and well down. He deserves our Support, because he dell,v~rs.the goo~s: Mostpr6moCDsfrom Gayarfists ’end UPas coastdts 6tmini-frisb.ees. This one’s akeeper. Great for dancing and romanc¯ ing, I give-it fivesnaps. He’ sgot awebsite: WWW.ARIGOLD.COM ¯ For those~vith.cabl~;~the’Americanized ¯ ,)ersion of the British series "Queer as ~ ’ .F01k" begins airing On Sh0w~me Decem- ~ her 3rd. For.those Without c,],,ble, fihd a ¯ ’ friend that has ~it,; The~iow delivers a :" Slice of.gffy life~th~t’ ~ ~corn~ellitag, ~pto- ,)ocative, and unlike any showyou’ll see. For 22 riveting episodes, these unforgettable men.andw0in~nr~veal tfiemselves - i:eally reveal themselves - as no TV characters ever have." Well,Iknow some folk,- who are queer, who~ve seenthe original British series, and if it’ s kept intact and not Americanized todeath, it sh.ould be good. : Happyw~ffChing! .... " Open now is a duo offeline proportions ¯ ."in "Siegfried and Roy: The Magic Box." i Now, I wonder if .we get to find out just .*. :Who has that’magi€ box? "Siegfried and : ’Roy: The Mhgic B6~" i~an’iMAX biopic ¯ ~Which includes’their Las V~gas a~t~ well ¯ as abiographical storyin-azstory ofhow .’- the two men met .-as-boys in war-tom ¯ Germany, combining a love of magic, ’ ~animals, and each other to become the ." "world’S greatestillu~R~nistS." ¯ Anthony Hopkins Narrates the story of ¯ the two boys who meet on a cruise ship ¯ (oh, the fodder for puns that provides) and ~ form "a differen,,t kind of i~agic act using ¯ exotic .snimals, .: an~" als0 ~"forni ~an~ .ex- ¯ -ty.~me|y lohg ~erm ~-ela~o~s~i~. oli, the ~° :jokbs that come tomind. So much material ¯ to work with, so little space. ¯ Actually, they have my admiration and ¯ all due respect. To work and live together ¯ as long as they have and not to have killed " each other in the process, and to have ¯ remained together, is no easy task. I have ¯ heardthem speakofthat, andhow attimes, . you just wanna kill your parmer, but un- " derneath it all is the love that keeps you ¯ working together - see Amuse, p. 10 GIFTS OF T!tI S ASON!: COUNCIL OAK WISHING YOU A JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON & A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR PLEASE JOIN TULSA OKLAHOMANS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AS WE CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS.{ HOLIDAY RECEPTION HONORING TOHR’s 20TH ANNIVERSAF~Y & SILENT AUCTION AN ~,.RT, AHTIQUES & FINE DINING.SHOWCASE SUNDAY, DECEMBER | 0 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM TULSA GAY COMMUNI’~Y SERVICES CENTER 2114 S MEMORIAL PARADE OF LIGHTS Come celebrate the spirit of the holiday season at the AEP-Public Service Company of Oklahoma Christmas Parade of Lights, Satu rday, Decem ber 9, downtown Tulsa at 6 p.m. View parade floats up close, Friday, DecemberS, at the HolidayFest (Brady Arts District) from 7 - 9 p.m. PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF OKLAHOMA® by Karin Gregory GEls, have you ever had that Gay male friend who does everything with you? A Will to your Grace?AJack to your Karen? The oneman-for some of you, theONLY man - to whom you’d tell your secrets? Who is warm, caring, loving, a great listener, and in many cases,has betterfashion. sense than you? The one man you can talk to all night long? That guy who will, even across the miles, allow you to cry on his shoulder about your girlfriend? And you still remember your own tearstained shoulders from when he knocked on your door at 3 a.m. Most ofus, if we’re lucky, have a guy who would be the perfect partnerforapolitically correct" family value" couple if he became a woman and we became a man. ButI’m nottalking about him here. This is another Gay man who possesses none ofthe abovequalities. Sure, he can be a nice guy- whenhe wants to be. And he DOES have better fashion sense than I, although that’s no stretch. Butwhile I embracedmy.Gayness before embracing another woman, he did his embracing, and whatever rise (eeeewww!) earl~, on, and never really learned to enjoy being Gay. "How sad," you might say. Don’t feel sorry for him. Especially when you find out where I’m spending my days lately. Great house, DirecTV, MUCH cleaner thanmy place, and the perfect party home. I had become - how shall I say? - financially non-existent and couldn’t pay my rent (sounds like a musical, doesn’t it?). My friend - let’s call him Vincent - offered to put me up in his house for a few months. OK, let’s talk realism. He was looking for someone to help him with the house payments. I would get oneroom and a bathroom, as opposed to my car. Most people in my situation wouldjump at this arrangement. Although it .would save me $400, the cost in psycffiatric visits overmy lifetime would soon absorb the savings. Let’s just say that we were the other"Odd Couple." Picture a much more obsessive/ compulsive, anal retentive Felix Unger, who is also emotionally constipated, and you have Vincent. You’re not where I am now, and I hope you never are. Let me tell you how I got here through a progression of nightly entries. ¯DAY ONE - Got to Vincent’s house about 10:45 tonight after work. I can already tell our work schedules are going to conflict as he made a great show of"having" to be up this late. This was HIS idea, remember. He showed me the alarm system. God, it feels like Fort Knox in here, motion detectors and all. He also gave me an extra key and garage door opener. It all feels so official. This IS just a trial run, after all. I’m relegated immediatdy to my room, as small as a nun’s cell. He said I could have one piece of furniture, but there’s no room for anything else. i’ve ¯ been calling and calling my girlffien.: all : night, getting nothing but a busy sig:m! : That makes me anxious and frightenex~, se : I tall Vincent what’s going on, hoping to ¯¯ get some sympathy. While I try to hug ¯ : : ~, : :, "ra.m,.~.com.p~,.a~ps.....Oh "...G~gr~|s,. ,halve you no," in’d very pugquttbhe of voi~qe; his~us~tml t0ne. He e erMd Gay pU s n< "ar0 a.me male friend whodoes VERY gingerlg: try’ing to everythln~ with you? A Will to your Grace? A Jack to your Karen? The one man - for some of you, the ONLY man - to whom you’d tell your secrets?.. ?’ much me as little as possible, as if I’m a Lesbian leper. After he leaves, I get into the closet (I thought I’d left that for good!) so as not to wake him, and call my friend Jim. He gives me a bigger hug over the phone from Tulsa than I got from Vincent. I pull out my CD player and listen to Melissa Etheridge (who else?). Somehow it makes me feel dominant. DAY TWO - After dedaring thatmy alarm woke him from the other side of the house, he leaves. Now I can walk aroundlike I want. Ooops! I forget that he leaves the kitchen blinds open. Well, his neighbors will just be confused. They thooght they were living near a Gay man!.Oa my way to work, I find my girlfriend has called to let me know she’s all right, which should put me at ease, but the thought of having to live with Vincent depresses me. It already feels like I’m giving upmy life to live according to his schedule. WhenI arrive at his house, I’m in less than a pleasant mood. Anger sets in when I realize that I forgot to tape "Will and Grace." It doesn’t help that Vincent goes on andon abouthow this was the funniest episode he’s ever seen. "Did youtapeit?" I askhopefully, already knowing the answer. "No, I was home to watch it," he says, cleaning up the kitchen in a "don’t youdaremake amess" way. Selfish bastard! This further proves my point that when a man asks you into his life, for whatever reason, he really means, "I want to live my life as I always have, with no compromises. You’ll just be around when andif I need you." NowonderI’m Gay! He woulddrive Pat Buchanan’s wife to Lesbianism. I pop my popcorn (the only thing I’ve had since noon today), and the only thing allowed to me. I once again listen to Melissa, who has a strangeway ofempowering me. I fall asleep, dreaming of using a stun gun on Vincent repeatedly. DAY THREE-Today’s finally Friday, and I might be allowed to watch some TV tonight. I’m fine all day until I enter Vincent’s abode. We’re eating pizza, and he’s buying, an obvious splurge. But we disagree on TV programming, so he watches something in his room while I have the living room all to myself to watch a Beatles special. I’ve figured out one thing - never trust anyone who hates the Beatles. It’s positively UnAmerican! Another night of silence until he comes into the living room to switch channels so he can watch the news. seeLesbian,p.11 by Lamont Lindstrom "Gifts make slaves just as whips make dogs," or so says one bit of Native American wisdom. Keep this in mind during the upcoming holiday orgy of giving and receiving. Grits aremorethan just tokens of affection. They are’als0 ~gminde~s of obligati’On ahdl du~. Giging is politiCak ~Pd]~h~ps~ I give you a present because °I like you. Butifyou accept mypresent,you also accept that you are indebted to me - at least until you can pay me back. Ihad, once, a studentfrom Saudi Arabia whose father was in the rug trade. "I’m contacting my father," he told me near the end of the term. "I’d like to give you a carpet." Oh no, I thought, visions of Baluchis and Kilims dancing inmy head. How amI going to g~vehim the "D" that he deserves? Luckily, he presented me with a cheap synthetic prayer rug decorated,with garish neon cameIs, worth only a few dollars down at yourlocal bazaar. I wasn’t that muchii~’his debt after all, and I graded him down with a lighter heart. l~erhaps we all have had an experience of over-receiving. Somebody g~ves us something that is waytoo much. What can he have in mind? What does he want in return?A pesky acquaintance surprises us with afine leatherjacket. But what does he expect?A closer friendship?A date? Need we give it up? The fancy anthropological word for gift giving is "reciprodty." I give something to you, and you give something back to me. Such exchange can be balanced or imbalanced. Either way,. this says something about power. If we engage in prolonged, imbalanced gift giving, we find ourselves in an enduring relationship of inequality. Those fine presents have made us into dogs and slaves. Parents, for instance, give a lot more to children thanchildren giveto parents. This exchangeimbalancefuels parental authority. Few morns and dads hand their children, on their 18th birthdays, a bill for $186,000. Ratherthan reciprocating the exact dollar cost of raising us, we repay parents in obedience. "As long as you live inMYhouse, you’ll do what I say!" Those gifts come with strings. . To avoid, obligfiroh~ we must balance gift giving. Only balanced exchange cre: ates equality. If some one gives us a holiday present, we feel pressured togive a present in return. Failure to reciprocate means either that we don’tmind shouldering this debt and its obligations, or that we want to break things off altogether. Does morn send out the family’ s holiday cards? What does she do when someone fails to reciprocate? Cross him off the list! Sometimes exchangeimbalancepersists ¯ for years, however. My dentist sends me a ¯ Christmas card annually. Butdo I sendone ¯ back? Nope. In this case, I amrude enough ¯ to take without giving. But I understand ¯" the deal implied by this imbalanced exchange~ I take my mouth around to his office every six months. My friends in the South Pacific go to huge efforts to raise and give away pigs just to get their neighbors’ pigs in return. If would be far easier for all villagers to eat their own pigs. But what of us? .We are madcap enough to enrich the Post Office every December by mailing, around a blizzard of Christmas cards. I send out about 60 each year, and in return I receive 60 back. But if I really am so desperate for cards to clutterupmymantelpiece, why don’t I just keep those that I buy? I’d save a 10t on postage that way. My island friends are fanatic giftbalancers. They keep exact records of how ] many pigs, baskets, and mats they receive ¯¯ so that they can give the same in return. Butthey sometimes over-give- just alittle. ¯ This iitfleextra gift, which al~O must be "... Perhaps we all ~have had an experhne¢ of over-reeelvlng. Somebody gives us something that is way too much. What can he have in mind? What does he want in return? A peshy aeq~intanee surp~ses us ~th a fine l~ther ~aeket. But w~t does he expect? A closer friendship? A ~te? Need we give it up... ?" repaid at some point, keeps the :relationship moving along. Balanced exchanges celebrate the fact that we are still investing in the relationship. Youremain important to me. Butif I amto stay your equal, I need to give you about what you give me. I am embarrassed if I return too little OR ff I return too much. Imbalance in either direction implies either that I don’t care about us as much as you do, or that I am trying to obligate you. Given the importance of exchange balance, it is perverse that we remove price tags and wrap presents. It’s a bit of a game. We see through these pretenses that "it’s the thought that counts." As experienced givers, we are pretty good at striking a balance despite the absence ofprice tags or the concealment of gift-wrap. When a friend drops off a gaily-wrapped present for you, shake that box! Make a mistake in what you give back and it could be the doghouse for you! Lamont Lindstrom teaches anthropology at the University of Tulsa. and frommurdering each other. They have also managed to survive a business that chews you up and spits you out. It’s easy to makejokes at their expense, but you know, there is a magic there, that they’ve been able to survive that business - andremain together, whenI’m sure there were many times it wouldhavebeenmuch easier to split under the pressure. see Amuse, p. 11 Timothy W. Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic .Partnership Planning, Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma Weekend and evening appoinlrnenls are available. As Seen On Oprah Wireless E-Mail Send and receive Internet mail Exchange wireless notes Receive information updates Chat privately Only $99.99, Motorola T900 2-Way . after $50 mail-in rebate to order: www.acninc.com, Click on the pager icon. Rep. Ruid 0429895 IGTA member Call 341. 6866 International Toursformoreinformation. Fresh Start Seeking men & women to help with ,expansion in the area. Mustbe independent, goal-oriented; have a great attitude and excellent people skills. Call 663-5323. Country Club Barbering Custom Styling for Men & Women David Kauskey 3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, .T,ues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm ody Tulsa’s only professional body-piercing College Hill -Presbyterian Church In response to God’s Love, College Hill Presbyterian Church is a community of God’s people called to tell others the Gospd of-J~sus Christ through worship, - service, and evangelism. To nurture our faith, we gather for worship, prayer, study and fellowship. Trusting in a living~ loving God, we seek to become a compassionate voice for peace and justice. Our congregation welcomes all persons who respohd in trust and obedience to God’s grace in Jesus Christ, and desire to become part of the membership and ministry of Christ’s church. Membership is open:.to all people regardless of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition, marital status, or sexual orientation. Sunday Worship 1 lam- 712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800 (Ohe block west of Delaware and the University of Tulsa Campus) This without saying a word to me. After - seeing how the candidates STILL can’t " decide this election, I put on my pajamas. " That’s all, I swear. When I come out at ¯ 9:20, the TV is turned off, along with the ¯ lights. My dorm mother has declared my curfew. One thought goes through my " head - I’m going to kill him; I’m going to ¯ kill him; I’m going to kill him. Big kitchen knives flash through my mind. I go to bed " at 9:20, again listening to Melissa. She’s " giving me the wrong kind of strength, : think. DAY FOUR- This is the last day, but I " have to spend it with HIM. I see my stu- ¯ dents at my Saturday class, knowing this : will probably be the last time I teachi I’ve ¯ made up my mind as I arrive at Vincent’s. " He ignores me, as usual, while he watches ¯ gymnastics on TV, laughing for some tea- ¯ son. Hewon’t laugh forlong. Even though ~ I hate the color and look bffd in it, orange : jumpsuits will be my style for the next 20 years. Hey, they let you write,letters~in ¯ prison. Ev~nLestian~olumns, I veheard. : "Goodbye Vincent!" 5" by Karin Gregor #2238769480, Cell BlockH ¯ ofthe"diversity" statement whichincluded : "sexual orientation," saying he wouldhave : noticed its inclusion. ¯ In response,’sev~al ~gregation have commi~ted to re=examining their endorse: ment of the document? College Hill Pres- ¯ byterian Church and’ Fellowship Congre- " gational Church will’bring the.issue back to theirgov.ernmg boards. ,Andsomemere- " bers of MCC~United, Tulsa s Metropoli: ¯ tan Community Church, members of predominatelyLesbianand Gay denomi- " nation, are concerned about their church’s ¯ endorsement of a statement which does not acknowledge the existence of Lesbian -" and Gay persons. : The welcoming committee of Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation ¯ has drafted a letter to TMM saying, "we erred in our endorsement of this state- " ment"because thefailure toinclude sexual ¯ orientation is in conflictwith the values of ¯ the congregation and the letter further says ," that they wilt not endorse any future state- " ments which are not inclusive. ¯ Other groups such as Holland Hall ¯ School, the Episcopal Diocese of Okla: " homa, and the Eastern Oklahoma : Presbytery -: Presbyterian Church USA, ¯ have been asked to explain their support : for a statement which is not compatible . with their policies. In the case of the Episcopal Diocese and. Holland Hall School, : staff and religious leaders were not sure if ¯ the organization’s names had been used " with permission. ¯ Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights : (TOHR), the state’s oldest civil rights or- ¯ ganization has discussed the issue at a " recentboardandmembershipmeeting and president, Greg Gatewood stated that he ¯ would seek a meeting with Rana and Day : to request an explanation of the exclusion of "sexual orientation" from the state- ¯ ment. Further action on the part of the organization will vary depending on their responses. Other congregations which signed the "diversity" statement, like the city’s Episcopal parishes and its Unitarian-Universalists congregations, all of whom have histories of being fair to Lesbian and Gay Tulsans are also being asked to consider withdrawing their support for the statement because of the failure to include "sexual orientation." And they’ve remained incredibly successful throughout the years andups anddowns that showbiz life provides. Living with someone 5 years is a major feat, much less working with them as well. And even in relative anonymity, it’s hard enough. To have survived and remain together as long as they have - 43 years - is a major feat. FYI, Royis 5 years younger thanSiegfried. About the biographical aspects of the film, Roy says "It’s ~way~ a difficult step to open yourself up beeauge ~ou make yourself very vulnerabl~. That fneans you have to let your guard down andeveryone has access to you." Scary iild~gd. The cameras were allowed full access to the home and grounds of theirestate’. He goes on to say "I have to say;~it’s~ been pretty good to do it. It goes way badk" to when I was a boy. I had a catching smile, but in reality I was a loner. I wa~ n0t too good with people. As a mattel: offact, I didn’t trustinpeople. I trustedmy animals more." I can relate to that. The interesting thing is that,-aozording to producer Bernie Yuman,’"Roy has a bond with these animals whereby there’s no force. Force createsforce. There’s alot of love. There’s a lot of.voice intonation and camaraderie - and a lot of meat - but affection and conditioning, Roy’s never trained an animal, and Siegfried and Roy have never been involved.in, training ammalsin their lives. Theymoldthings around the personality of their animals." And maybe, if the rest of us learned that tricklove without the need for control - we’d have longer lasting relationships .as well. Food for thought. And so, for all the nasty S&Rjokes I could make, I find I reallyjust have too much respect for what they’ve accomplished to make them. In the film, you get behind the scenes visits to their home - which is like designer overkill, given their taste_~or opulence. And you get to see their private wildlife sanctuary, where they live with and raise the white tigers used in the act. Their love of the animals is evident. It’s filmed in 3-D, so you’ll be able to see Siegfried and Roy up close and personal. Numerous digital techniques were used to recreate the Europe of their childhoods. As for the magic shots, they were specifically filmed uncut as master shots, so that the audience would no that no camera tricks were used. Andrew Dunlap, who plays young Roy, was also in the all male version of "Importance of Being Earnest," which was interesting to note. Also playing is Fantasia 2000 and 3D Mania: Encounter in the 3rd Dimension; 71st and Highway 169. Healing E E ECT IIII AIDS Memorial Quilt re.n.esS World AIDS Day Candlelight Memorial March Friday, December 1st, 6:30pm Tulsa Civic Center Plaza, 5th & Denver The NAMES Project Quilt Opening, 8pm This advertisement is donated by Tulsa Family News. TFN appreciates the opportunity to support this showing of the Quilt, and The NAMES Project. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2000] Tulsa Family News, December 2000; Volume 7, Issue 12 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource December 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohn Karin Gregory Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Hughston Walkinshaw Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, November 2000; Volume 7, Issue 11 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/607 2000 AIDS drugs AIDS research aMUSEments anti-discrimination laws arts and entertainment Bayer Boy Scouts businesses Catholic Church Chris Kolb Christmas churches Fred Phelps gay bashing Gay Studies Gilcrease Museum harassment hate crimes HIV HIV testing holidays injection site Jim Christjohn Karin Gregory Lamont Lindstorm military inclusion Murder NAMES Project Native Americans Oklahoma Lambda Youth Scholarship Oklahoma Mr. Leather Openarms Youth Project Partner Benefits performing arts Raging Lesbian Red Cross Red Rock Tulsa restaurants Tom Neal Tulsa Family News Tulsa Metro Chamber Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Tulsa Uniform Leather Seekers Association Westboro Baptist Church World AIDS day https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/e181f6c6530068cbbde7af4e3b18d6e4.jpg 2c40b31811b78ff984b44cc99cce355d https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/0e1d93a20d0f36f97760b60694395484.pdf 3a360adc92fa2eb2bcd9c77cca5b25a0 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Lesbian To BeExecuted- i Would Be First Woman Killed In Oklahoma : DENVER(AP)-A womanwhois scheduled,tobecome : the first female executed in~i°fOklalioma has ¯ filed~ an emergency appeal ~’_~10th U.S. Circuit : Court of Appeals. ’, -~-_.......... ~ .Wanda Jean Allen wants all 10judges-of the court to : stop her scheduled Jan. 11 execution, even after athree- " judge panel from the court-reftmed to overturn her : sentence in January. The U.S. Supreme Court~efusedtO -: consider her case and she was:denied clemency earlie~ ¯ this month. Alien maintains- as she has throughout_her previous appeals - that her prior counsel was deficient: ." AsSistant Attorney General Sandra Howard said her " office will oppose Alien’s request. : Allen was convicted of the: 1988 murder of Gloria " Leathers, her lover, outside The Village police station. " Tulsa Family NewsAdded State HistoPical Archives Allen had earlier been convicted Ofinanslaught~r. : Oklahoma’s Catholic, Episcopal andMethodist bishops have called on Gov. Frank Keating to establi.sb~a moratorium on all executions in the state.... ¯ commentary by TomNeal, editor &publisher " " OKLAHOMA CITY/TULSA - You would have thought it was : .simple to do a little "historical" research. Just as in elementary ¯ school, you go down to the Central Library and look up the ¯ . material. After a friend.mentioned some stories in The Gayly : Oklahoman that were published before this.newspaper existed, I : tried to dojust that, only to fmd thai’our library threw out its Gay ¯. publications after six months - so much for minority history! ¯ . Ha¢ing donated seven years of copies of TFN thinking that a : -portion of Tulsa’s LGBT history was being perserved, I was ~ : concerned. Suppression of Tulsa’s minority history_is hardly ¯ new. Tulsa’s Centennial celebration and book deliberately excluded any mention of the existence of Gay people, and Tulsa covered up some events, like the Rathe Riots of 1921, for years. Tulsa City County Library System (TCCLS) had reasonable excuses: they don’t have space to archive hard copies, they need to have the materials on microfilm, etc. True enough. Large newspapers, like The Tulsa Worm and The Daily Oklahoman, monopoly dailies with huge profits, of course can and do pay for their own filming. Those film rolls are then purchased-by TCCLS. However, small minority publications dearly don’t have those sorts of resources. However, The Oklahoma Eagle is in the TCCLS archives. How so? The Oklahoma Historical Society is committed to preserving more than just Oklahoma’s "mainstream" history. And in contrast to Tulsa’s usual response to its minority citizens (give us your tax dollars, keep your mouth shut andjust don’t getuppity), theOklahoma Historical Society was delighted to add Tulsa Family News to its collection including microfilming the new~paper so that OHS (and TCCLS we hope) can better reflect minority as well as majority history. ¯ With the interest of preserving as much of Oklahoma’s LGBT : historyas possible, I left amessagefor Paula Hand Brown of The ¯ Gayly Oklahoman to encourage them to provide theirback issues ¯ to the Oklahoma Historical Society. seeOHS, p. 10 NGLTF .Lesbian and-.. Gay Democrats-Concerned About Journal,sin Scholarships i AsbcroR as Attorney General WASHINGTON, DC-The National Gay and Lesbian : WASHINGTON (AP) - Several influential Democrats said ¯ So.ulforc,e-OK to Host :Noted B,ble Scholar ¯ Prof. Scott to Address.Bible Passages, + Soulforce .Goes to Rome~ MLK Parade ¯ TULSA - Dr. Brandon Scott will givea lecture this ¯¯ month based the passages in the Bible that are regularly used to attack Gay and Lesbian.people. These ¯ are the so-called "clobber" passages seen as con- ¯" demning homosexuality. Dr,~Scott is a well known New TestameiR scholar, -" a Jesus Scholar and teaches at Phillips Theological ¯ Seminaryin Tulsa. The event is open to thepublicand ¯ will be held the January 22nd Soulforce in Oklahoma ¯ meeting from 6 - 8pro at TheGay Community Ser- ¯ vices Center, 2114 S. Memorial. ¯ This event will.begin the education and training for ¯ local actions to take place, in Tulsa along with a "¯ interdenominational panel discussion on February ¯ 26th also at the Center at 6pro, to understand where : different denominations stand regarding this issue. ¯ Soulforce is an informal network of volunteers : -committed to teach, and apply the principles of non- " violence as taughtby Gandhi and Martin Luther King ." on behalf of sexual and gender minorities. Sodforce ¯ was founded in 1998 by the Rev. Mel White, author ¯ of Stranger at the Gate and his partner, Gary Nixon. ." Thewebsiteis www.soulforce.org. Innortbeast Okla- ¯ homa, contacts are KarenWeldin"Karen@cwis.net" ¯ and Susan Knanse "knalig@worldnet.att.net" ¯ "Soulforce believes that religion has become the ~ primary source of false and inflammatory misinfor- ." mationaboutLesbian, Gay, Bisexual, andTransgender ¯ people," says Sue Knause, Soulforce in Oklahoma volunteer. "Fundamentalist Christians teach that we ¯ are ’sick’ and ’sinful.’ Liberal Christian denomina- ¯ tions teach that we are "incompatible with Christian ¯ teaching." Most conservative and liberal denomina- ¯ tions re_fuse to marry us or ordain us for ministry. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that our orientation is ’objectively disordered’ and our acts of intimacy ’intrinsically evil.’ They teach that we should not ¯ marry, adopt, co-parent, teach children,, coach youth TaskForcerecentlyannouneedaFeb, 15,2000deadline to submit applications for the.NGLTF Messenger: Anderson Scholarships. The NGLTFMessenger-Anderson. Scholarship Program next year will award four $5,000 scholarships to high school seniors or undergraduatecollege students whoplantopursue abachelor’s degr,.ee in journalism at an accredited four-year college ¯or umverslty. The NGLTF Messenger-Anderson Scholarship was established by Larry Messenger and Jim Anderson in memory of Lawrence and Sdina Messenger. "The Messengers believed that there is a pressing need to encourage Gay and lesbian people to become more involvedinshapingmediaeoverage,?-’- e,,x,plainedNGLTF .Execufi.ve Director ElizabethTolbxlo.. ’Fair coverage of ISSUes important to the Gay,. Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendercommunity depend~uponthebasiepremise that all of us are created equally. But media coverage foday often begins with thediscriminatory notion that equality for GLBT people is somehow a matter for debate. By encouraging GLBT students to pursuejournalism andby assisting them with their Studies, theTask :Force hopes, to improve the way the GLBT comrnttulfies, ..a~_d moyemen.t are. covered.’" see. Scholarship,p. 3 DIRECTORY ...... P.2 EDITORIAL P.3 US & WORLD NEWS -. P. 4 HEALTH NEWS P. ENTERTAINMENT - P, BOOK REVIEW P. 10 : Sund~t.y that they .are distressed by President-elect Bush’ s cabinet , choices to date, mentioning .attorney general-designate John : Asheroft as. a particular problem, because.of his. opposition_to : abortion, gU~.¢ontrol measures, and anti,Gay positions, ¯ Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., called-Asheroftrs prospects at : Senate..confirmation for at[orney general "hardly a done deal’r : and said he is "truly worried" that Asheroft.would not.enforce ¯ federal laws. bannitlg violence against abortion clinics ~or laws : that restrict gun. ownership. In fact, Schumer commented that ~ Asheroft would work to repeal those~laws. "He is far and away ¯ the most troubling choice," Schumer said on-ABC’s-’-’TMs : Week." *’The questionis will Senator Asheroft enforce.thelaw of ." .the land on things thathe’s morally opposed to." : HoweveL Sen..,Orrin Hatch, R~Utah, appearing,,on the. same ¯ program, said he would be surprised if the Senate does not : confirm Asheroft,-the outgoing senatorfrom Missouri who has : served~that state’sattorney general and governor. "Heis aman : ofintegrity. Heis amanof great experience:’ Hatch said. "I have ¯" no-doubt, as a former attorney~ general and hopefully as-this ¯ attorney general, he will enforce the laW~.regardless of whether : he agrees with it or not" : Senate Minority ’Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D, also expressed ¯ concerns about Asheroft, saying that he and other DemoL’rats ¯ intend to ask.him tough questions during hi~s confiymation ¯ hearings~,sp~cificallYwhether he intends to enforce civil rights ¯ laws that pr,o,tect~minorities and statutes protecting equal rights : for women: -He has-to convincea i0tbf his eoliehgU~s~d fflrt : of those who are concerned.., that he Can do that," Daschle told : NBC’s "Meet the PressY ¯ Senate Republican Whip Don Nickles.of Oklahoma said he : doesn’t understand-why Ashcroft’s critics are "taking-these ¯ unfair cracks at him:" "I think some people are .... lookingfor an ¯ issue. They’re looking for a fight,"Nickles told NBC.. "They : .want to ha~ea big divisive battle. " see Ashcroft, p. 11 ¯ or serve in the military. Our goal is to. confront and : eventually replace these tragic untruths with the truth thatwe are God’s children, too, created, loved, and ¯ accepted.-by God exactly as weare," Knanse adds. ¯ During-the past summer Soulforce launched the ; "first stage" in their campaign to STOP SPIRITUAL ¯ .VIOI~ENCE noted Karen Weldin, Sodforee volun- ," teer. "We trained 1,000 volunteers on site at the : national conventions of the United Methodist, South- ¯" ern Baptist, Presbyterian, and Episcopal Churches. After silent, candlelight vigils, more than 500 of us : were arrested in carefully planned acts of nonviolent : dissent. On November 12-14, 2000 we conducted ¯ similar vigils and protests at the National Conference ~ of Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC." ¯ Mel Whitehas announced Soulf0rce,s plans to take : thenonviolentcampaignagainst centuries ofspiritual ¯ violence and anti-Gayteachings oftheRoman Catho- ¯ lic Church to the Vatican on January 5-6, 2001. ¯ Supporters of Soulforce and Dignity/USA plan to : place their specific demands for inclusion for all ; peoplein the Church on the doors of the Vatican, in ¯ amoveechoing that of Martin Lutherat thebeginning of the Reformation. ¯: Soulforee in Oklahoma is als0 joining PFLAG, HRC-Oklahoma, and TOHR in the annual Martin : Luther King Memorial Parade .on Monday, January ¯ 15th¢2001. The Parade starts atCincinnati and Pine at 1 tam and ends in the Greenwood district. March- ¯ ers are asked to arrive 30 minutes early and look for : the Rainbow-colored banners. Parking is very limited, marchers are encouraged to share a ride if ¯ possible. Formore information, Call the Commuuity Centerat743-4297between 6-9pm,Monday through ¯ Friday.. . ~,--.-.. Tulsa C[0b~"& Restaurants " -~lS.583.I248,:fax:!583.,461~!-~,i. ,, , :!! -~......: "" *Chasers, 4812 E. 33 712--2324 " POB 4140, Tulsa, OK’Tzt159. e-mail TulsaNews@earthiinlcnet ...... " *CW’s, i737S.’NIriiiofial ": 6i0-g3"~3 " Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal . " ~ " . 2.2 *Club che~:136mb~1926 E. Pine " -: -: 58~22~1~9 "" .~iii~rs’~- ~oniiibut~rs’: ~ames Chris-tjohli, Kaiin Grgg~Si%~Barr3) . Polo Gfi11’~’2038 UtiCa Square . -. - 7~-4280 i~.I ~ Rotl~blum.,Mar~ Scl~epets Hiaghston.Wall~inshaw *St. Michilel’~ Aii~ Restaurant, 3324-L E’:-31st 745£9998 -- ° ................. . *TNT’-~,~2:i-~:4N-i’l~iein0rial : : - i" ;~° 660~9856~,~" !.ssued.aroundthe’lstofeachmonth~tlieenfireconti~ms~ofdliz:i "’~ *Tool Brk; :f338 E~’3rd " " ’- i584-]308..~ p_ubli~cation are prot._eqted.~ by US cop.yEi..’ght 2001-,b~ Tulga~ *The YelliS~: Bi:i(KR0ad Pub; 263OE; 15th’ "~4~f5~~’d "v~’am~lY New~andmaynotbereprdduc~’eittle~in.ffholerri~n, TulsitBU~’~n~Ss~s, Services, &Profession~l~;..... .L.o~ p~..without.writtenpeimi~ion-frbm-.the.pi~titisher;.Publica4. ,; Assoc. in_. M._ed, ,&~ Mental Health, 2325 S. ~Arvard 7~43:~00.0; " tion of a name’or-photo:doesnot indieate, apei:son:S.~extml: Barnes & Ng-b"!e;B0oksellers, 8620 E 71 - 250,50- 3"" 4 "~6iqetltafion. Correspondence is, assumedto,befor-pabiicaiion;. " Barnes & NOble~Booksellers, 5231 E. 41 .... 665:4580-- :.’: ~.q~!eS.~S, othem¢se’note&must b~3ighed &,lSe~omes.~t~e gole- Body Piet~i.-ng~) Nicole, 2722 E. 15 ..... property oP~’ut~t~amity’New’s.: Eaeh.r~a~ter-is,entitted to ~.,, i. ’.. 21.22-!A22~ ~, copies of each edition atdiskribiafionp0iia’ts. : i,,,..:: *BorderS-B~ol~s:~&:~)[usic, 2740 E. 21 ......... 712-.9955 .o *Borderal~ooks:&’Music, 8015 S. Yale : "::. 494~266~ ~: Ad~fi0nal copies-are’available by calling-583d:248.. ........... ~-, *CD Warel~;il~i-3807c S. Peoria *Cheap ThTi!ls~26z}0 E. 1 lth ..... 295-58ff80" ! IMgnity/InteN~)idf Tiiisa -:Lesbiiln& Ga~ Cafll61i~~& . ...... Cherry S.t; psyc.hQ..therapy, 1515 S. Lewis "-581-0902, 743,4t17~ .;. : _Ep.~.scopali~; ’P.’.~17~0i?~75,7~170-1:4"~5 .? ,:’ :. 355:3140:" : Commt~ty.~leaning, KerbyBaker " i." 622-0700., : *Fellows.hipCo~gr,e.,g..ChN.ch,2.90~)’~.H~iffd’:;......747:7777 ¯ Tim Daniel, Attorney 352:9504, 800-742-9468 ’."~*’FreeSpifitWomen sCenter:,-cdl’[~’orlb~iirh&ifif0: 587-4669! ; Doghouse on Brookside; 3311 S. Peoria>".’ 2’ 744-555.6~ : Friend~ in Urfi~ g0diai’Orgi,POB 8542~74101 ..... . 582;0438: : *Elite Books & Videos, 821S. Sheridan " . 838:8503~ -~.: HIV-ER Centbr, 4-138 Chiis. Page Blvd. . ’ " 583-661I’ ¯ Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial 369,8555 :- *TUlsa.TC.AIR:E.S.:;~ 3507~.~.E. iAdmiial ....... ’ ....: 834-419z[ -" Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379 ." HOPE, HIV Outreach,Preventi0n; EduCatldti . " i 834-8378 ~ Events’Unlimited, 507 S. Main " 592,0460: : *HousepftheH0iySpiriiMin;tri~s,il,~!JS.Mgmorial 224_-4754 : Floral Design Studio, 3404. S. Peoria ..... 7/1:4-9595 ¯ *MCC United, 1~52) N. MapleW06Ll ~ 838-1715 ¯ Four Star Import Automotive, 990.6 E. 55th Pl. 610,0880 :_ NAMES ProJect, 3507 E. Admiral H. 748-3111 : Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica S~. Med;.ctr. 628:3709 : NOW, Nat’.l:Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159" 365-5658 . Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026 " OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9!~:~2~~5~ " ¯ *Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st 742-1460 ¯ *OSU-Tulsa ...... Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial p!apping 459:93;49: :-PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 " - .......... /749-4901 Mark T: Hamby, Attorney 744:7440~ " *Hanned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria .....587:7674"- *Sandra J, Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E." Skelly 745~-’1111 ¯ Prime-Timers, P.O~ BoX 52118, 74152 *International Tours ’ 341-6866 ¯ ’-R~.A.I:N:; Regional~AIDS InterfaithN&~v0rk . 749:41,95 ; Youhaveanopportunity, too, toreachout Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 71252750 ; *Red-.Rock Mental~Center, 1724 E. 8 . ..... - ~ 384-2325 - : and listen to the concerns of Gay, Lesbian, *Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th - 582:3018 ~ ’St’. Aidan’s~scopalChurch,4045N.Cincinnafi ."425-7882 : BisexualandTransgenderedAmericansand David Kanskey; Country Club Barbering 747-0236 St. Dufistan S Episcopal, 5635 E. 7tst ............ 492-7140 ¯ their parents, families, friends and allies. It The K,eepers, Housekeeping & Gardening --- 582-8460 -. *St.Jerome’s ParisliChurch, 205W. King _ . ’582-3088 ; is saidthatoneinfourfamilieshaveafarnily *Ken s Nowers, 1635 E. 15 ...... 599~8070 , : -Soulforce-OK; Rt.4,# 3534, SfiglerT~2 58713248~452-2761 " member who is Gay or Lesbian~ Weare sick Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 747:32166- : : ,Tulsa-Area united Wa~y, 1430-s:Bgiiider....583-717i . ’and fir.ed of fighting thosewho would.prefer . that we all go back in the closet- and;itrp *LivingArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha ....~ 585:1234 ¯ ’*:Tlq~,7iPP (Native American men),’IndiatIHeath Care" ’ 582-7225 *Midto~i,nTheater~319E..3rd ...... 584:3112 ¯¯ ...........:..... ,:,.~ - : _~,............... ¯ seekingjustice, safety and respect for those ~utsat~ountyt-teatmJJepartment,-4o~b,e. ta........ ’,a:~a.-4tua ; welo~eThatfs ev " " -- " Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720cE. 31 ..... 663-5934 : ...... .................. -........ ; .... - " ’ ’ ..... ~~ :~ " ’- " . . ,..’, ~.~ *MohaWk MusiC, 6157 E 51 Place........ 664~-2951 :~ ; ’ 297-" : : e~Pv,°.~Ussb~Y~t.°~isakexet~fa~f~.-~cel.,n. Puppy PauselI, 1060 S. Mingo ....... 83857626 . :-T:U-,L:.S.A:.Tnlsa~Uniform/Leath~rSed~i-s A~rC "298~827. :-"- ~, !Y’~’~Y’ ¯ ’ _ ~ " " " ¯ genQerco/Mllerlcans are trcaieo. *The Pride Store - -- " ..... 743’:z~297 : ’*Tulda ChyH-~lt;rrotmd FloorVestibnle ’"~ ......:...... ~ . Rainbowzon the River B÷B,POB 696, 74101 " 747-’5932 : *Tnl~ii~cism’ifi~Unii) CollegeCampu~es ..... "........ : ................. ~ ~ Nowli~kE is this more important thatt in Richard’s CarpetCleaning ~-- 834-06q7 : ~*TulsaG~Coi~fiiimii3iC~ter;2/st&Memorial .. :1743-4297 ¯ ..our s~hools. I have been struck by .your TeriSchutt, Rex’ Realtors 834-7921,74’7.~746 :-Unity~hur.chof(2hti~tiAnit~;3355S:.Janies-trWn ¯ -.749-8833 -’:P.assjOn fOr excellence in the educati°n we Scribner’s -Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square; ...... 74-%6301 BAFITLE~VIt2LE .................................... ... give Our youth. I share that passion.’l~Ut I Paul Tay, Car Salesman. " " 260-7829 i’ iBm’tlesvillePublic.Librai’y,600 S~ Jolma0nd ~i 918~3~7-53531~ i mfalStl°loe’l~~rt.t.Os:~~W’.~eotohlas,t’"~ulnelveessns othuear cbhesiltdftreeancehersa,nd *TnlsaComedyClnb,.6906S. Lewis " 8.4~.~55~38 : TAHLg:QI.JAH _ ¯ the be’t:’fi~terials will not make the differ= Venus Salon; 1247 S. Harvard °2 .- : ~:l’7~q 7 : :.Stonewall League, call for information .... 918-456-7900 ~ ence they should. We know that: Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling _._-.o___ : - . ...... " " " " - 66522222 :." Tahl.-eq-ualrUmtanan-,Umversallst Church .... 918-456-7900 ¯ * Virtually all students in public schools *Wherehouse:Musi¢; 5150 S. Sheridan *Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592 0767 ~ Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 ~ ....."918-453-9360 " regularly report heating anti-Gay remarks www.gaymlsa:0rg .... website forTulsaGays &Les-bians- ": EU" RFKA SPRIHG" ~, ARKANSAS - " " "¯ fMroamsspaceheurss(eett.sg.G,9o7v%erinnoar1is9C93oRmempiossritoonfthone Tulsa Aoenei si Churches, Sehools&0niver iiiO " "Autunm Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734 " Gay and LesBian Youth; and a March 1997 AIDS Walk Tulga’, POB 4337,q4101 ...... 579-9593 " Jim &Brent’s’Bistro, 173 S. Main. 501-253~7457 ¯ All Souls:UnitariaWChureh, 2952 S: Peoria - - ........743-2-363 " DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center.St. - ¯ ¯ .’.. ~ 501,253-6807- :. :smdYby’hi"ghsch°o1 studentsinDesM°ines" Black & White, Inc: POB 14001 Tulsa 74159 587-7314 ¯ Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring-St. " - 501-253-5445 ." Iowa, found that students reported heating , ¯ anti-Gay epithets 25 times a day). Bless The Lord atAll Times Christian Center.2207 E. 6 583-7815 MCC of the Living. Spring 501-253-9337 " * Harassment of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780 " Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253-2776 ¯ or Transgendered youth often goes well Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201 " Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332 : beyond verbal harassment to physical as- *Chapman S_tudent Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th Pl. & Florence " Positive lde;a Marketing Plans 501~624-6646 ChurchoftheRestorationUU, 1314 N.Greenwood 587-1314 " Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East ........ 501:253-6001 : sanlts. All too many of our PFLAG parents " have been devastated by the physical and *Community of Hope Church, 2545 S: Yale 747-6300 " White Light, 1 Center St. - 501-253-’4074 ¯ emotional harm done to their children by *Commtm~_’ty Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595 " dOPLIN, MISSOURI "- their peers - unchecked by administrators Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888 ¯ Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696 " and teachers. *Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware ..... 712-1511 " * iswhereyoucanfindTFN.NotallareGaY-0w.nedb.utallareGay-frieadly. ¯ see PFLAG, p. 11 " An Open Letter to President-Elect George W. Bush Congratulations on being elected to th~ office of- President of the United States:of:.: America. Like you, I am a patriotic An~¢ii~ can and a.person of deep faith. But I am also the motherlof a Gay son and the Executive .Dire~to_r~0f Parents, Families and Fri~ids ~f.: ._Lesbi.aas.,,.and Gays. (PF:I~.G)~ Through~o,. ¯ -lifetimegf,,working for equal justice~J have, foun~d~that di.vision catmotbe solved without .. compassion and inclusion. I h6pe that vision and values of "compassionat.e;eon.:. serv.a.tism"have taught you the sam~:_ .: In.yo0r .acceptance remarks, you_.men--. tioned then.eed"to address some ofsociet~yis., ¯ deeper:problems one person at a time~.by,. eneotlr~ggi~tg andempowering thegoodhe,art~_. and ~j~!i~i,orks of theAmerican people.!T!n esse~€¢i: this is what PFLAG does. We are.. peopi,,a~cro~s this country who reacho~i.in. lovg.tO~ those who differ from us, and.come. to u~.d¢~rstand and appreciate them.......... P.~.FL~..G_members share with you.~de..: sireAQ protect the rights and ens_ure potential, of all Americans. Youhave-a great opportunity to assure that all claims ~ that anyone was turned away from the polls ,or discouraged from voting because .of their race or ethnic origin are rigorously.and sympathetically investigated and pur.s.ued by your administration. As anationwemust face up to the continuing existence ofracism in our country and do everything we can to eradicate unfair treatment because of race. ¯" Otherwise we will not be able to reap the :.o.¯ benefits o~ourproudcommitment to liberty ¯ and.justice for all.... Thompson, HHS & An LGBT Agenda by Elizabeth Toledo, Executive Director National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Thefirst time I picketedinfront0fthe Reagan Building in Washington, D:C. was in protest of ii visit by Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson. He had signed some 0f the most misogynist legislation in the country, includingthe most restrictive atiti-abortion legislation implemented " since the Supreme Court in Roe v Wade recognized abortion as a constitutional right in 1973. He also: engineered Wisconsin’s onerous wdfare law, which kicked off the trend that resulted in punitive measures at the federal level - measures that made scapegoats of many lower-income people who lacked access to educational opportunities, job training and affordable child care. Imagine then my surprise to pick:up,several publications that serve the gay, lesbian, bisexti,~l:~dtransgender community and read an uncritical analysi~ofThompson~ whom President-designate George W. Bush has nominated to .be Secretary of Health and Human Services. Replace Donna Shalala with Tommy Thompson? The dismal reality of the presidential dection has begun to sink in. Thequestion arises, what vision and leadership will we in the GLBT movement provide over the course TFN: Beginning by Tom Neal, editor &publisher I usually write this editorial late in November because : we published our first issue midway through December in ." 1993. At the time, I’d been writing andlaying out the Tulsa section of a now defunct Kansas-based rag. Eighty-four issues have now been printed, documenting - ,, the life.and issues of our commumty, if not . . . Eighty-t~our issue~ perfectly, then better than has ever been done¯ Certaiul.y, The Gayly Oklah~man, our sister, and elder, publicationhas been around ¯ longer but as Tulsans havelong complained, : their coverage of our city has iaever been as ¯ thorough. We’ve long argued that you can- :. not successfully provide newscoverage for ¯ a town in which you don’t live. Unlike many .LGBT, let us say, Gay, for _" brevity, newspapers, Tulsa Family News is : available in a number of mainstream ven- ¯ ues: Tulsa City Hall, Tulsa City-County ¯ Library System, Barnes & Noble, Borders ¯ Books &Music, anumberofTulsachurches, ." as well as at some" Tulsa dubs, and other ¯ venues where Gay papers have been longer have now been printed, documenting the life and issues d our community, if not perfectly, then better than has ever been done.., it has been a labor of love, not money. Tulsa seems full of people who think that there are hig welcome. This easier access Should hardly buel~s to be-made in Our Eighth. Year ¯ day-out. But you find in minority communities, a mentality that we should not hold our leaders and programs or : others up to a public standard. . Clearly we disagree. ¯ Anewspaper (unlikelocal community magazines which ." seek to highlight "good things" about Tulsa and to sell advertising) exists to seek the truth and to publish it. Sometimes that is "good stuff" and sometimes, alas more often, it’s bad. Tulsa Family News seeks to be fair in our reporting and dear in our editorial Writing. Sometimes we have not been either which we regret. For example, we wrote in last month’s editorial that there are groups involved in Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry who oppose civil rights for Lesbians and Gay men. I regret that my writing was not dear. As written, it appears that I attribute that position to the ministry itself rather than constituent groups. But as I pointed out to one TMM staff person, our editorial pages are open to other points of view and that we have published letters to the editor, even when they are extremely critical of this newspaper and its writers. I am disappointed that of thenexftour. years9eIns iot u.,ghtosay that Tommy ," be taken for grantewd- therhe waes timne. .. local publlshi,n~. TMM’s. staff decided not to write with Thompson is not as bad an appointment as-Bush could ~ the only place Y0U.could find a Gay paper ~,, ~ .... . ,, their concerns. . have made~-Is itenough to say that the nomination ofSen ? ¯ ¯ v~as in a sexually oriented bookstore, or in l"lease think .again.... So with seven years down, and more to John ’.A~h~0ft to be attorney general is somehow miti" i ." adub- v~fiue~ ff~ch sofii~ifiay.bg.ungom~ " i~ ~ " . i " go~ God, advertisers, printers and writers oated’bvth~nominafionofthenrO-choiceandnro-GLBT :" fortablefr~iu~ti~g,o~ttherS,thoseunder21 for example, " "’.i~illing~wewillcontinuetodowhatwedo, hopefully with New Jersey Guy. Chi~stine Whitman~to :be head of the " may not always tiavea.c_cess. . ........... ¯ .~feweramstakes and maybe even more ads. . Environmental Protection Agency9 " ’: - :.~ ¯ :/" ’* And unlike many Gaypapers, TFN has~always limited. ::..i Particularthaiaksis~luetoourwriters,mostparticularly, Let’s give credit where it. is du~: As-Ch~afr of "the" :"the sex~tiall~ oi:itlii.".~. ~~.~i9~f.,0.urp.ag~:~¢a~e not aiiti-~ .’. myfrt~fid, form~rc0mpanion, and still neighbor, ,entercommitteethatdraftedtheRepublican’Partyplafformlast : sexbutd0t~ffni~etllaipageafterpageof-explicitpht~tos ¯ tainmentcriticJamesChristjohn.He’sbeentherefromthe summer, Th0mnson did lead the effort tO remove some ~ ¯ and personals may be profitable but push ~e llnaits of the ;i.~b’eginiiing and h/is put up with much along the way. Also, not alF:~ Of th6 ~OP’s anti-GLBT language (A measure :-:..~’:mainstream" community’s’t3feranc~",.W,e~O.ra~..e.r,g~.t.:the. :;~.’deser~,~ng of th~ a~e writers Barry Hensley, Lamont condemning recognition of same-sex Tel~ ~atioushi~s re- : hews to all, eveni~f ,i.t,’ ,c0’..s,t~ .u~.i~o,’ ~,~"~i’-; ...... . ..... :, Lindsttom, Mary Sch¢ppers, Jean-Pierre LeGrandbouche mained in Thomt~son’s draft and other~disciiminatorw ~ ¯ Which brings us-to this: it ]ias.]~,en.~a:i~biJi 0Yl0ve, nut’s. ~ (~ho t~ally, really is not me!), Karin Gregory, long-time measurea~Were later olaced back in the’platform after ¯ .~oney. Tulsa seems trUli oF people.who.thmk that thergare ;. ,advertasers Kelly Kirby, Tim Darnel, Vanessa Welch, St. religious fi~ht activist~wresfled the dotuineiit away fro~~’~:7’big bucks to be,made, in loCa!...pub!is.h~ Pl,,eAs~..e tlfink ¯ ." .Michad’s Alley, TOHR, MCC United, David. Kauskey theVvV~scon~in ~overnor) ............. ,, .’i~:L~ain. 1-iSi:6iiiiseyoutha~it~Xl0t,s~.The~¢i~areas0n that i. ~.madt]~e.bthers who make it possible to print thisnewspa- Thomp~iJn al~o has b~n a positive advo~ate for AIl~g,." 7 Lhave anothgr,j~b ~, ~,e,ll as pubii a this, fiJ paper .per~ And I must add particular thanks to our printer (and fundin~"He~stron~lv suooorted the R~an-White Care Act. : .-, Of€ourse, it wg~lfidn thur(ifinbi:etfTulsa s Gayxxwncd ;..hi.sogo,ood and patient staff), who despite beingafaithful andh~litMe~,aid~aiversforHiV_~p0sitivepeople,,. :_, i~us~iiesses"a~.~.i~Tg,~_~:i,~tio~ ~ere supporting,..u~., ,!~ can :, ,~.uth~..rn Baptist, s~d we had a right to get .our,news who are"~i~t-normallv elioible for Medi~d until they:." ""thinkofadoge~i’~sdwhocould~doso.,Graatcdi~ma.’ghtnot ": printedaudhasdone~0f°rmostofoursevenyear*,71oour have dev~’iooed AID~ s~toms. : : . ..... ~ ~’~: :. ~:ltfin~-thefii2as much beaef~t. ,~. ~ ~a~:W~.r!~d..gr.~ban : ::~adei:’s,-Ialsoaddmythanks foryourinterestand.ev,eryonce That’s two marks m favor of Thomp~qn - and in ....:l:ulsaa~tbut~t,als0.,w..o0!~...t,,,eg,~s~t,a t,eg~th.~f.:pne percent as ., m,a while, your feedback.......... oppos~ih~Tli6mpson’s nomination as Secre.,.ta:rY of Health. i~ much. ~Atld ~e,,r,e,, ~i~s;~,s0.m..._e.._.~.’n_go to_ .~e. zaid~;f,o.r, su.pporti.n.,g ; .7 ~.Las.t,:I..ran pr,oud to, n.ote th~at~, Tu~,a F,amily~,N¢.e~v~s ~.h~ nndlffii~t~h’.q~rviee~ the National Ga~aJ~sbianTask "~ your own,.as wett as not,justsupporlingguDncattons wtm ~ ¯ ,o.e,eu 0a.Oed to me arcmves oI me uraanoma rUs.totacat FoBrcuetadtogersii~~ointlterldvlaanl~dzte~rtohgeriersismivepoGrLtBanTcYen.i.tfvement for _¯. acnotm~-mGuanyithyl,stwoenreesalt~L,yi~~ol~ons¢,tl-iskuep,.tph0er.tWe~~,cL.Od,,,o.,a~0e,d~.~Le~.!r7.,y.~E.;,.e~sn;,.a :o:. -~:~m.9e9pxea.pt~erTwh,em.Sc,nocm~,eetyn w.~~itlu!saals~t~o,tbye~t_m.olcurnotfyil~L.mtoi,r’angtT,c,o~~py~s¢t8,eomf soclal~ustace must demandbetter....................... ¯ ,"¯ ¯ .N.o.w.su.ing.,w.il.l ~a.y. t;h.a..t..s.b..e.c..au:s..e..w...e..w.._.n..t.e.t.h.i.ngs which .o .¯ w-ill b. e ,abl to add to their permanent collex~ta¯ on¯ T¯ ulsa As ~’Cb~ia scott Kin~ recently noted at NGLTF’~-~:_,o_anger p.~0pl,g (.o,.r.00W t.c~ver things ,,vhich-anger~ some.¯ ,.,Faintly.News al_~_O ~c,alled and encouraged the.Gayly Oklarecen( ci(eatino Chanoe ~,onferen~e:~n~’~f the stories ¯ others). We have pubiiSl~l’e~/ti{als,critical of ctmml~- : : , ho~aan to donate €opies of their productionto.th¢.OHSso behind’th’e~No~en~ger ~{~00 election is~l~3~recedented : nity leaders, articles which, were. ~’n’~l-c,hl .0f. I=I!Vii.A_ifi.s : :, ~eof Oklahoi~a’s Lesbian and Gay.history,win be coalition’-buildin~ "In a way we hav~t~s~id an object ’: i~o~bans, eVoi~fiti’~tl ofL~sbianown,ex!r.estaurants,local ¯ ¯ preserved.TFN will alsobe donating our copies ofdefunct lesson in’t~e nower of coalition unity:’~Mrs Kin~ said "I " and nanonal theatrical producuons, and-more; .-.That ,s, of ¯. Oklahoma LGBT pubhcattons to the OHS as w~ell.. think we havre just seen.the future~ Am~fican°dem~€: : course; precisely what.,The.Tul~a:Wor~d doe~ daydn_aiid : .. Here’s to a good year in 2001 for you and for us. racy flash before our eyes last Tuesday (Nov. 7). The " coalition.that gave AI Gore a popular majority can surely be as powerful as theNew Deal coalition that transformed America in an earlier era." Quotingtheimmortal words ofherhusband, Mrs. King ¯ said, "We -are~all ~tied together in a: single garment of. ~.! destiny...An inescapable network of mutuality...I can never be what I ought to be until you are allowed to be what you ought to be." " So in envisioning abroad-based, progressive coalition, I think we must think of those who have suffered and will " suffer under a Bush-Tommy Thompson agenda. Based " on his record, how would we expect Thompson to treat ." poor GLBT people who need social services? If he ¯ punishes poorwomenfor having too many children, how " do we think he’s going to treat GLBT parents who need hdp providing for their kids? How will his support for a ." During each year of the program’s duration, four Messen- .gerzAnderson scholarships .will be available at a rate of $5,000 the first year, renewable at $2,500 the next two years for a possible total award of$10,000. Winners are required to.participate ,in a paid Messenger- Anderson Scholarship Intern Program atNGLTFoffices in Washington, D.C. or New York City during the summer of 2001. To download scholarship guidelines and an application,. please visit www.nglff.org/about/messenger.htm. For questions about the scholarship, email delliot@ngltf.org. No phone calls, please. ." Applications fortheNGLTFMessenger-Anderson Schol- : arship .Fund must be postmarked by Feb. 15, 2001¯ Win- . pro-heterosexual-marriage agenda in wdfare policies : ners will be announced this spring, and the awards, will be impactOUt:eoramunity?., ~,, ~., ., -,.’." .;. see .NGLTF,,p, 11, ,.:- ~distributed~’in~August.-~200~l,:, .’A, committee ,of, working ~ : journalists, communications specialists and GLBT activ- ¯ ists will select the .winners.. The scholarship competition ¯ is only open to undergraduate college students and to : graduatinghigh school seniors. Applicants mustbepursu- ¯ ’ing a bachdor’s degree in journalism. In instances,where ¯ colleges or universities do not offer such a degree, appli- : cants must be able to.demonstrate that they are pursuing a : career in either journalism or commtmications advocacy, ¯ Foundedin 1973, NGLTFworks to eliminate prejudice, violence and injustice against Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and -Transgendered people at the local, state and national level. As part of a broader social justice moyement for freedom, justice and equality, NGLTF is creating a world that ¯ respects the diversity of human expression and identity ,.where all people ,may.fully participate in society: ......... Anti-Gay Petition Filed ¯ SALEM; Ore. (AP) - Just weeks after Oregon voters defeated an anti-Gay rights measure, Lon Mabon and his Oregon Citizens Alliance have filed-a similar initiative petition for the 2002 ballot. Mabonfiled the initiative, dubbedthe Student Protection Act II, with Federal and-state constitutions forbid s~hools from banniug books because officials disapprove of their vlewpoxnts. Enterline said she ordered the books over the summer because the library lacked biographies and she wanted students to havethe chance to learn about Gay the secretary of staters office. If it qualifies for the andLesbianrolemodels.’qThebooksarenotaboutsex. ballot, it would .be the OCA’s fourth anti-Gay civil ".. They are just about people, who have ledlnteresting, rights ballot measure.. Voters rejected measures in i producti. ve-lives. an,dal.so.ha.pp.e.n¯.to.b.e Gay,"_ .s.a.i.dTom 1992 and 1994. " .... Kovac; the school s hbrary- technician. Measure" 9 would have prohibited instruction in ¯ It isn’t the first time the district bahned booKS’. TWO public gchools~aat "encourages, promotes or sanctions" behaviors related to homosexuality and bisexuahty. Th~new xmttattve says sexual onentatton shal notbe taught inOregon public schools in iimauner that would express approval of, promote or endorse homosexual ot bisexual behaviors." Sexual orientation and homosexuality are defined as yielding, whether x thought of deM,_respectivdy, to urges fr~iiaptations to en~a~eifl sexu~ activity with members of the same gender. :~ :~’ -:’ :~ ’ In th~ fall ~afiapaign, lV!easure 9 oppoif~n(s said the meastii~~fifil(ed ~Children s health beCMii~’ it wou~! limitAIDS;edt~ation in schools and le~d (6 increased teen suicide. 7 ~ " The iie~¢’initiative says.the,,propos~AiS~te sh.o.u!,d not be~ci)fi~i,e,d,,ias limiting: age-appt.o.p~ate, ot~jective,~" dt’aetual ’AIDS educati,o,n, in~ii-ii~fi’bn reg~d~ ing hum~iii ~exuality, t~aching affi~.")i~"~the hnniim wortli~Of"alI~st~dents,’ or suicide consoling. The statute al~0 ~hould not cause the firing!.ofbpenly Gay teachers, the proposal says. Ellen L0we, who worked on the Nd 6n 9campai~i, said the new effort would not persuad~ :~;0ters WI~ rejected the measure to switch side~. "I sense that people really dounderstandthe motive~,0fLonMabon. I don’t know that they are going to be fooled," Lowe said. In a fund-raising letter dated Dec. 18, Mabon, the OCA~s executive director, told supporters that ~e antt-"Measure 9. campaign "spent close, to- a million dollars, promoting this lie" about A!DS educataon: "We must file right away to keep the homosexual activists in our schools from:taking more license w!~ our innocent children," the letter said. School Charged With. Censorship of Gay Bios SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - Two students sued the Anaheim Union High School District for removing 10 biographies on homosexuals from their school library in what they contend is a violation of constitutional free-speech rights. The Orangeview Junior High School students.said in the U.S. District Court lawsuit that the district censored a book series called "Lives of Notable Gay Men and Lesbians." Thebooks include biographies on tennis player Martina Navratilova, economist John Maynard Keynes, and writers Willa Cather and James Baldwin. " The American Civil Liberties Union, whichfiled the suit oi~ behalf-of the two unidentified students, demanded that the district immediately return the books to the library shelves. "We all know why these books havebeenbanned;" ACLU attorney MarthaMatthews said. "The books were banned because they had a . positive statement to make to kids about Gay and Lesbian people.. ¢Fhe books were banned because of deep-seated prejudice." Principal Barbara Smith removed the books and took them to the district office in September, the suit said. No reason was given by administrators, Orangeview library teacher Chris Enterline said. "In my heart, I know it’s because they. are about Gays and Lesbians, and it says so on the front of the book," Enterline said. Telephone calls to Smith weren’t returned. : years ago, the district removed the Pulitzer Prize- : wiariinghoog,~"Beloved;r$~-f~y Toni M0rrison;.because ¯ of complaints that it was too graphic in its descriptions of a strivewho kiils l~er daughte~ instead 0f-ha4ing her ~ live as a slave. ,.;.......... ,Baitimore:,officialSlams : Gays,,ThenGets Arrested B’ALTI~(~RE’(AP)" ~-’The ~city s ~housing .~,-~- ii sioner was arre,sted after refusing tO lea~i~-a b~, ~vhere ~ h~b~htter’eomplained-~the commissioner made repeh~ ed-disparaging remarks~ab0utp.atrons h~ Su~spect~,,ed ! ~ff being Gay. "You "gttys° are fags;~ and-"-ttfi~ whole : ~ra~ i~’friil’ 6f fags"~were’amofig the r~maik~:~ ph~flT. GT~fii~6 ~lS~t~dlym.ade, a,€~ording ,fil~d, b,~Offi~r E~cert ~Lutadeju. :" Gr’a~iano,47,:~cas arre~t&l ~Bertha and restaurant in the historic Fells Point waterfront : diSLri~fi~p6li~e~pokeawomar~Ragina A~erdl’a ~Sitid. .i :Afi~r t~in~’t~i~nore~ the~remarks, the t~V~i:~at~fns, i~ Jason E~w~rd, 2~, and Prasad Narasimhff Ki~duvhlli, ; 33, asked the bartender to ask Grazi.ano to leave, the : ¯ "Police v~eiie ~alled because Mr. Graziano hadb~n -~isked,to leave and refus~.ed~ to dO :so; , Averell~-s~tt~~. ¯ "P61iC~ were called to.the sceneandheSfill refli~ed’~o ¯ leave~ .and- he-was ptaced..under arrest. The officer. i .advised the-suspecii repeatedly, to leave;and arrested,, Gra~iimo after he Said ,I don’4 have to go anyw.here~I the report said. Graziano, who was initially, charged with disorderly conduct, was released from the-city detention center later the morning of his arrest, the police spokeswoman .said. Gtaziano, a senior adviser and former general manager of theNew York City. Housing. Authority,. ,was appointedinOctober afterformercommissionerPatricia Hayne resigned following disagreement with Mayor Martin O’Malley over.how to run the department. ¯ Graziano will notbe prosecuted, said Deputy State’s ¯ Attorney HavenKodeck. "Based on our guidelines, we ¯ determined that prosecution was not warranted," : Kodeck said. "The situation was abated by Mr. ¯ Graziano’s arrest and removal from the situation;" A ¯ telephone call by The Associated Press to OrMalley’s ¯ office was not returned. " Conneetieut Scouts Try to Explain Anti-GayViews ¯ HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut Boy Scfut ." officials have distributed more than 25,000 copies of a ¯ pamphlet explaining the national organization’s tea- -" son~ for not accepting openly Gay members or adult ¯ leaders. "It is a statement of who we are and what our _" belief system is," said Douglas Ktofina, executive ¯ director of the Yankee Council, based in Milford. ¯ The pamphlet, called "In Support of Values: A ¯" Communication Tool for Parents, Leaders and Friends ¯ of Scouting," outlines the policy that was narrowly ¯ up,h~eld by the U.S. Supreme Court. ¯" "I’his is a complicated issue, but our critics are jumping up and down saying we discriminate," said ! Krofina, whose council serves 25,000 youths in most ¯ of New Haven and Fairfield counties. ~ ’q~he court said we have a First Amendment fight to II "- 11 " ’ M( c’United._..:i :~end_C~thy Ellioi~ : 1623 N~ Maplewood 918/838-1715 Community Unitat: Universalist Congregation ~t Cbthinunity ofHope 2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595 A Welcoming Congregation HOUSE. oF THE HOLY sPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study, 7 pro, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pro 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754 The Open Arms Project Young Adult Support Group Outreach Program Thurs. Nights Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment Call for meeting times and place: 918-584-2325 MingoValley Flowers 9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145 918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-444-5934 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 21st Street & Memorial Tulsa Gay Community Services. Center 7432GAYS (743-4297) 6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday ’ . 12-9pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center Important Information Call 212-461-2976 IntereSted? Call 918-447-8602 Red Rock Tulsa- Free,Confidential HIVTesting Walk-in Clinics Tues. & Thurs., 5 -8 pm at the Center, 1307 East 38th Daytime appointments available. Call for more information: 918-584-2325 KIM WlLKS Independent Consultant for 357-1757 in lust a matter of hours Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC Certified Public Accountant a professional corporation 747-5466 4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135 associate with whom we choose," he said. "Professed " The husband looks at the wife and says, ’did you see athei"stscan_’ t-beScout~leadersormembers el"thex:Had....-.¯.. ~who he called honey-?’ They were uncomfortable and the atheists been more organized, they would have ° we were,uncomfortable. If you eliminate that factor, it reached the Supreme Court first, and the court would -have-niled the same. way," ..... The naiion’h highest court ruled in July thatothe Boy Scouts may bar Gay.s.,from:servmg as troop,leaders, 6oncluding that forcing the Scouts to accept Gay )..eaters w~dyiolate~eo~ganization’.s First ~anendment right of free’expression. ~ . The .a~pplieation. for adult leaders does not ask.a candidate’s sexuall orientaffon, and Scouting has-~an unofficial "don’t ask, don’t tellY.policy similar to the militm-y. ’.s,;Krofina said.... Charlotte Begins: Gay. . Center Fundraisers CHARLOTI’E, N.C. (AP) - Backers of a proposed communitycenter for Gays in the Charlotte area have be.g}m a campaign to generate financial support for the project. The center would serve the region’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender population with child care, sporting events, support groups and educational seminars. The center’s soon-to-be-announced board of trustees plans to begin a fund-raising campaign to buy a site. "We are looking for a place that is going to be accessible tomost ofthe community," saidDanKJ!’.sch, a member of a committee putting together the fundraising campaign. Kirsch said the center also will welcome memberships from Charlotte’s non-Gay population. Depending on the success of the fund-raising cam, paign, supporters expect a centerloeation to be secured in two or three years. Lone ,Star Living: Gay Camping Near Waco WACO,Texas - Located off.a bumpy~.gravelled road, with an inconspicuous sign and a line of trees blockin,g the ,scenic lakeside view, ,it might be said that the Rainbow Ranch has been in the,closet for the past five years..The Gay and Lesbian campground, whichisjust outside Groesbeck, has become one of Central Texas’ best kept secrets, said Nell Johnsen, a guest turned ranch manager. "We, are. remotely located, and not highlypublicized, so alot ofpeople don’rknowthat we are out here," Johnsen said." Even’Jolmsen and his partner, Kelvin.Winn~. wlao manage, the campgrbtmds~, stumbled upon .the xanch accidentally while taking a.two~year, trip .around the United States. "We ca~e here almost by mishap," J6tmsensm"d. "I found theWeb page while we were in Arizona, and we decided to stop in and. see..It-was going to be a two-week stop, but we’ve been here £or the past nine.months." Theserenity Of the location, with campgrounds overlooking Lake Limestone and a small forest teeming’with wildlife, helps to draw many regulars to the ranch from major cities through0tit Texas and"the entire country. But it’s reallypriyacy and.the comfort of being able to spend time out in the open with their partners that keeps couples coming back. ~ "It’sjustthe simple things,like holding your partner’s hand as you walk through the wood~," Johnsenaaid. "It can’be uiieasy for f01kswith a partner of the same sex ’t6be thi~m~elves af.othef campgrounds’; so the comfort factor is areal draw here." " Sinc~ beginning theif travels at their li0ni~ Vmi~ouver, Wash’,, J0hii~en mid Wimi li~tg~ experiefi~ d theanxiety Of Staying’ el’s’ewhere: ................ °°’W~wetestaymg.ata’ very niceRV park, and I was OUtsx" de gn"lfi"ng,"’ JOlms’ en sai"d. ’~I stu" d"s’~om’".e..t.hi*n’ g""~s" basic as; ’Honey, can you pasgm8 ~li~’tong~?’ ~d you couldjiist f~ei th~i00ksfftfi~ the 8"6iipi~in th~ext’R~( ¯ makes [t;aiot easier to have a good .’.time." : To ensure that that sense of security is maintained at .." -all times, owner Peggy Thomas does not allow hetero- .¯...sexuals to c,amp by themselves at the xanch. "I will allow tffemili~ey come with Gay,campers, but not if ¯ -they come by themselves," Thomas .said.."I think it’s ." important to have a place where you can. be yi)urself, ¯ ._ hereyoudon t have to have strmgkt,peoplestarlng at .you. I opgned it because I liked Caml~i,ng and i didn’t : like being stared at." -..... ." Thomas said she picked out the location near Groesbeck because the land was cheaper than in other areas..Another nice aspect, she said, was. a tree line separadngmost of the grounds from the road outside, ." affording campers a little more privacy. That barrier ¯ makes campers feel more comfortable about being ¯ near such arural town, said Winn, althoughhe says the ¯ people of Groesbeck have been nice to them. ¯ Although the camp hasn’t had any trouble with the .. residents of Groesbeck or any other local people, the ¯ camp’sWebsite did experience asetbacklately. While ¯ tryi~,g to locate the camp’s site on several search ; engines, Johnsen found out that it had been kicked off ¯ most of them - an act that requires some kind of ¯ complaint lodged against the business. ; Becausemost of the camp’s business is generated by Internet searchers, thathurt camp attendance, he said. e found outpurelyby accident thatwe weredropped ¯ from the search engines," Johnsen said. "But werereg- : istered with all of them, and in 8 months we have had .. over 10,000 visits, and business has picked up." ¯ "It really amazes me, the perceptions that still exist ." that we are out here doing something strange, but it is : really just like a typical campground," Johnsen said. ¯ "Our sexual identity is just a part of us, but this is a ¯ place where thatis not anissue andwecan do the things we enjoy, whether it be fishing or boating or hiking. There’s just really something for everyone here." ¯ Group Asks Mormonsto ¯ Change Anti-Gay Policy ¯ SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A group of more than 300 ¯ Gay and Lesbian Mormons and their family is asking ¯ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to ¯ change its stance on homosexuality. The loosely knit ¯ group "Mormon Advocates for Further .Light and ¯ Knowledge" ran an advertisement with a petition in ; The Salt LakeTribune late in December. ¯ : The document.calleduponMormon general authori- ¯ taes to repudiate church statements about homosexual_ ; ity that are false and misleading. The petition said that 7 would include the church’s position that "same-sex .. attraction is an undesirable and unnatural emotion, ¯ Which, whenacted upon results in sinful, Satan-in- ] spired behavior." Church spokesman Dale Bills said it ~ is too early to respond to the petition, but that "President Gordon B. Hinckley has repeatedly expressed the ¯ .Church’s. compassion toward homosexuals." ¯ The.petition’s author, MacMadsen, said the petition ¯ is a last-ditch appeal to church leaders for meaningful i -dialogue about homosexuality. He said he has pleaded ¯ for two years with church leaders to hear them out. The ¯ .former Weber_State University healthy-lifestyles pro- : fessorandmen’s golf coach saidhemailedthepetition ¯ to churchleaders more than a year a.g0 _.a0~d he_r~eg.ei.v_ed ¯no response.. ] Madsen originally planned to run the ad during the ¯ Church’s Octo.~berGeneral Conference, butlackedfunds. Nonames appear due to space constraints;but Madsen said more than 300 individuals from 12,countries and ,most states,.backed it. Madsen initially, hesitated to have his name.printed, hoping to protecLhis daughter, , .who is a LeSbian. But, he said, "thereis~nothing in the :petition that I’m ashamed of or that’s inaccurate." Gay, Black And Positive in Chicago CHICAGO (AP) - Harsh is a word that could describe the streets of Chicago’s struggling Austin neighborhood, where ¯ trust is scarce- and twomenwalking hand " in hand might fear for their lives. : It’s the sortofplace whereDerrickHicks, whois openly GayandHIV-positive, could " wither away unnoti.ced, another statistic ¯ for a dusty filing cabinet. And withering ¯ away he is - though he is hardly going ." quietly. Even as he struggles to lift his " increasingly thin frame out of bed each." morning, Hicks is still one of Chicago’s most vocal advocates for the U.S. popula- ¯ tion hardest-hit by the AIDS-epidemic: " poor Blacks. : So when Frank Oldham Jr. - a bigshot ¯ AIDS administrator who’s run programs in New York and the District of Columbia ¯ - came to town two years ago, it surprised ¯ no one when Hicks welcomed Chicago’s " new AIDS czar with a friendly warning. " "Hi, my name is Derrick Hicks," he " said, shaking Oldham’s hand."And I’m ¯ going to be your worst nightmare." Qui- ¯ etly, however, Hicks was hopeful. He al- " ready knew that he and Oldham had some things in common. Oldham, too, was a ¯ Black, Gaymanin a city where the combi- " nation of thoselabels canmake for aheavy " load. " In June, Oldham made another public revelation. "I... too, am a face of AIDS," the 51-year-old New Yorker said’,-revealing his HIV-positive status in a speech at a conference for Midwest AIDS agencies. SomeofOldham’ s owncolleagues were stunned, but not Hicks. By that time, the two men had forged a friendship, a bond that has supported their respective fights against a virus that is sapping theii very lifeblood. "Heknows moreaboutmyhealth thanmy ownmother," said Hicks, whohas fended ~off three bouts of pneumonia in 2000 aloneand often directs theWest Sid~ neighborhood health services agency he foundedfrom home. "To have one likeme there," he say~ of Oldham, "’has made all the differenc~,"~ Though:..th.eir~openness is rare, Hicks andOld_arefarfromalone. Whilethe~ make up abgut !3%of~the nation s pop - iation, BlaCk .p~op!e represent about 37% of thenearly ~05,-.000AIDS cases report~ nationwi,d.~ through Dee. 1999. And the n.umber; Qf ,those who’ve develop~ full-blo_wnl .AIDSI .or-died from it la~is dropped .dr~matica!ly in som.e ~.uarter.s, the drop.~h~...beenmuch less stgnilicant the Hispanic..an~, particularly, Black communities, ~ ~ ...... ; "A lotldf i~{r.ei~tes to lack of access to health .cax¢~’~:~.s~y.s~ Victor Barnes, deP_U.tY director .f~ov~g.. ~,DC’s !-IIV prevention ,unit:But_~e.~ad:d.~_ that~Blaek people who ,are:HIV_~po.si,_ti~ve, o£te,~.~ seek ~reatment in the later-~Lgtg¢S: of .the illness. "And that often has.~Q, d9, .W!.~ stigma - and dem , Barnes:said~ In.~.,cago alone,3,670blaek residents; or 57%,of the total cases, were living with AIDS at the end of June 2000. That compares:with 27% for whites and 15% for Hispanics. Meanwhile, the number of deaths in major cities nationwidehave helped make AIDS the leading illness-related killer of the nation’s black men, ages 25 to 44, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. And still, there is a hesitance to address it openly, even in the black community itsdf. "Evennow when someone dies with AIDS, people will say it was pneumonia," says the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who is among a growing number of black church leaders who are preaching about AIDS from their pulpits andpublicly getting testedforHIV. They hope to raise the comfort level among black followers who are worried aboutbeing tied to themostcommonforms of transmission - namely Gay male sex and intravenous, drug use. It is no easy task. In 1998, employees for Howard Brown Health Center, a Chicago clinic long known for its care of AIDS patients, carried a banner in the annual Bud Billikenparade-ahuge event founded by the city’s most prominent black newspaper publisher - and recall being met with hushed stares. The following year, officials at the nonprofit agency filed a complaint with the city Commission on Human Relations, claiming that a South Side Chicago realtor told themhe couldn’t rent them a space for a new clinic for fear of losing other.tenants. They have since found a space elsewhere in the neighborhood. Oldham has had challenges ofhis own - namely trying to unite nonprofits that, before his arriv~al, were warring over limited funding while dealing with a growing number of HIV-positive people who were surviving, but still in dire need ofsei’vices. Gay vs. straight~ black vs. white vs. Hispanic, rich vs, poor - the divisions : -were deep in a city WhereMayor Richard -. Daley was sometimes,booed,and even : pelted with .condoms, over. the way- his :¯. administration had handled the.epidemic ¯ in the early to mid:i1990S. ~Even...now, ¯ Oldham- has, about$20 millionin funding " , to dole, out~ to AIDS,agencies: thathe says : could easily put; te~ times that much-.to ¯ good use.,~ ~ ¯ ~ -.~ ¯ Still, though it hasn’t alivayS been~easy : ’ ~or thisadmi_’tted!yprivate man.to shat’~ his : ,story, Oldham*is wetl’-versedinadversRy. ,-A rising:star in-.the~.administrations-’of ~i -,former ~lqew. York,m~yors-Ed Koch-and ~" David Dinkins,. Oldha~ t’6ok a~,leave,,in :1 1994 tO run. ~the Di.st.ri.ct.o.f:.C.ol.um.b.ia., s - ¯~A,IDSprogramTsho~yafterRudyGinliani ~" ,~became ,New Y~rk. s,mayor: .:Frustrated ;: -with the,sloiw,pace,of, progress in.Wash- : °ington, Oldhammo~cedba~k to N~w York ¯ afterjustsix months; inpart; to care for.his i -elderly,parenW-who"were,-slippi,ng into ~i : senility~fid.someiimes’forgetfing’me~very ¯ face of their.0nly ekild.- : In the months that followed, he began i ;what he~c~.l,e~.~:~a’~Mp,w~n.~arii ~pjrtfl~7~He ~lso d~id~ i~ ~t test~xt for HIV- to ¯ .finally ’~tiifiTfiii wha~:lle’d already:, sus- ¯~tea ’~tti F~rlil~e~ ~".oujust~vant-to ’w’~~lkd"o~vn"a~oadandjts’~keep:g~ifi~ti,~,, -the road runs butandyoufall’0ff the rift,’ ~Oldham Says: of:thai period inhis-life:- " It was hardy th~ life lie hadenvisioned ¯ in the early 1980s.H~was h jazz Singer : who took acting class’€s-on the Side and ¯ dreamed ofmaking ’CDs. Butwhennearly ¯ 20 ofhis frleiids-ineludingthebest friend : who was also his composer Lbegan dying : ofamystefious, ruthless ldllerCalledAIDS, Power Connect. Public Service Company of Oklahoma Service Is ~Now Available 24 Hours A Day, Seven Days A Week. These days, traditional 8-5 business hours" aren’t always convenient. So PSO has made it easier than ever for you to contact us. Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7 - offering around:~h~clock afiswers to your questions - ~d~e~ter access to service, Now it’s easier for you to inquire about your monthly electric bill. Or repor~ a power outage. Or arrange to have your power turned on or off. Our professionally trained, friendly and : knowledgeable customer service representatives are standing by to serve you. All day, every day. To provide faster response to your needs, we have listed our toll-free numbers below. ri-! CALL 2q.= HOUl FOR I I I I I I I I ’1 I I I -:: Custo~fier Services: 1-888-216-3523 I I I I I I I I I I .....i#fl|ing Inquiries: 1’888~-2~6-3490 Outage Reporting: 1-888-218-3919 Sevdcio. a.Clientes: 1-888..216-3505 Preguntas Sobre su Cuenta: 1-888-216.3491 Falta De Suministr0:1-888-218-3924 Public Service Company of Oklahoma I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC Certified Public Accountant a professional corporation Lesbians and Gay men face many special tax situations whether single or as couples: Electronic filing is available for fastei:refunds: 4021 South HarvardAv hue; Suite 210, Tulsa 74t35 Are You Gay, or Bisex.ual? Are You " Tulsa’, Two-Spirited Indi:~’‘ Supra Group ~s here for you! ¯ E~ening sup~ group.~ ~gs Relation~ip workshOp~ ¯ ’ Sho~ tdps, .outings an~~ats ....... ¯ Free HIV testing For information call Tulsa° NatiVe American’AIDS:P~evei~ti6n ProjeCt 918.588.1900~ x4275 or x~,27& " more pressing matters took over¯ Nearly two decades later, Oldham saw Chicago as a chance to start the fight anew. To do it, he quickly enlisted help from everyonefrom political types and activists like Hicks to South Side pastors and anyone hooked into the city’s Gay club scene. The CDC’s Barnes calls therelationship that Oldham has built between grassroots AIDS organizers and his agency, the Chi- . cago Department of Public Health, "a national example." Others agree. "Frank has brought us some sense of civility and diversity and commonpurpose," saysGregHarr"is,chi"ef of staff for Chicago Alderman Mary Anne Smith, whose Ward includes Chicago’s largest Gay neighborhood. That neighborhoodis filled with trendy shops and restaurants on a main drag lined with rainbow columns that mark it as Chicago’s "official" Gay neighborhood¯ It is a stark contrast to Hickg’ side of town, where his own agency tries hard to blend in. There are no rainbow flags and the word "Gay" is hardly uttered. "To lay with another man is a sin; a lot of 0eople would like to say that just doesn’t happen," Hicks says, describing what he calls the general attitude in the black community. "It’s not talked about." So even his organization, which serves Gay, Bisexual and Black clients, has a nondescript name: the Greater Chicago Committee. And when they come to his agency’s food pantry or clothing bank, he asks whether they are "sexually active" and encourages them to get tested. "You have to meet them where they are," Hicks says. Oldhamagrees "Ifyou’re African American,_ you’re fighting racism.; if’ you:re African- American, you’re probably fighting poverty.. Sonow in your own community-,, you’re .going .to fight homophobia?" Oldham says. "You’dhave .to b~n awfully strong individual with a lot of support to come, up .and-say, ’I’m African American and I’m v~r~.proud to be Gay, very proud to .be Lesbian and this ¯ is .my partner,~ ?2 ~Thete are.days when:taking:the lead on all of thosefrontstakesitstotl,onOldham. But~’even~ when?ressed~ he.talks more .about-the health o£those around him than his-0~n.~ Still, ,Hick~. says.ilie~ liears the fatigue.ifi" his friend’S xoice,-, especially wh,,e,~n,’they charon the phone.late a,t night. ." Wefietoeaeh~the~,.:. but~we reb~ .starting- to- feel, our, a£gand, Our.,illness ;’ .:sa~* Hicks,, ~,ho:dedines.to. giY.e his own age~buLpredicts his own death in. the next five year.s.’~ut-not before-he.gets more ~ markdone.,, t,have a,mission,’LHicks says. "And it’s not my Teens: orailsn,t Sex MESA, Ariz.. (AP).r.,~t,d,~,,zP,.n.,a. ,19,ealth expertsLare.., c9,~cerned abou[reSults of a’ na- :.ti0nal. s~dY. s.h.~)wi~g ~’~ ~ies~nts believe sexually, transmi [ted diseases can only.be ,contracted through .sexual intercourse, and not other .typ~s. Of. physical contact. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevehtion study Shows that 15% to 20% of young men and .women will be-. come infected with herpes by.the time they reach adulthood. Doug Hauth, public information officer ¯ for the Maricopa County Department of : Public Health, said that this year alone ¯ more than 1,700 girls between the ages of ¯ 13 and 18 have been diagnosed with : chiamydia in Maricopa County, "and the ¯ numbers don’t include everybody," Hauth : said. ¯ Judy Crider, program manager .at the ¯ Scottsdale Prevention Institute, said she ¯ believes there is no disparity between the : national Survey and local teens. "Unfortu- ¯ nately, there’s a myth out there that if you : have oral intercourse, you’re not going to ¯ getdiseases,"Cridersaid.Cridersaidteens ¯ unfortunately internalized one of the argu- ¯ ments used by President Clinton when he ¯ defended his affair with intern Monica : Lewinsky by proclaiming that oral sex is ¯ notsex.ThehugepushinAIDS awareness ¯ education, meanwhile, leads kids to be- " lieve they can only get the disease from ¯ traditional intercourse, she said. Diaphragms May Reduce STD Risk ¯ EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A University of : Oregon researcher plans to study whether : women are willing to use a diaphragm not : just to prevent pregnancy but also to pro- . tect them from sexually transmitted dis- . eases. The National Institutes of Health : has awarded a $1 million grant to the ¯ three-year project, which will interview ¯ current and former diaphragm users and .try to get young women at risk of contract- : ~ng STDs to use the device. : It is estimated that today just 2% of ¯ contraceptive users rely on the small,disc- " shaped cap that a woman fits over her cervix, creating a physical barrier to preg- ¯ nancy. When used correctly, diaphragms : ,arejust as effective as condoms inprevent- ¯ mg pregnancy. They are’also known to ¯ prevent some STDs, such as gonorrhea i and chlamydia, although it’s not known if " flaey guard against HIV, the virus that can Iead to AIDS. Currently, reSearCh is underway on new methods for "preventing the spread of STDS‘ such as miCrobicides. ¯ But Marie Harvey, research director at ¯: the UO’s Center for the Study of Women fn Society, said diaphragms mayheldfill a i niche for women at rihk o,f getting STDs .": ~tntil new methods are proven. -" Harvey is conduc~t~.g the ’study,, along i with co-researcher Sher~[ Bird. If the diaphragm protects against (some) STDs ~agnd pregnancy, and might ,offer prbtection against HIV, it ,co,.uld ~.-h.’. Wonderful op- , tion for women~ Harveysai& -. .~ Harvey got the idea-0fstadying the ’_ -~ffectiveness of diaplir~igms>~use of ~ another study she’s doing that shows high- . risk couples how to ~)i?ote~t :themselves : :during sex, primarilythrdugh ~the use of a ¯-~ondom. It’s clear the’ d6iidttm protects : against STDs, but~it~ md4~S C~fil~Olled~by ¯ -the male-and some.atien~,gcOn!t~uste them, ¯ she said. The benefits of the diaphragm is ¯ that it can be iusert~t ~p’to’"two hours "before sex, is not vislbl’e"and the man [ doesn’t have to know thewoman is using it, Harvey said. " ....... Harvey believes the diaphragmis avaluable tool for women. "I.fWOmen can’t get a man to use a condom, the diaphragm is a good option, period," she said, "even if we don’t find out it protects against HIV." 2~2 ¯ -and’performingin Houston. .. Happy Ne~ year! H~d to believe it’s ~2001. I hop~:iihelnew~iyear brings your " .was .beyond,my reach at the, time,, or I hopes and d~anS’~fi~tion, would have .been the~e. I read of a few .:.Great nev~!~ern2iidette Peters returns : moreperformances,maiulyatPoorDavid’s ::tO~ Tulsa Jan ~i.an.d~6~-.th for a~, evening of : Pub.in Dallas, but usually ! learned of the ,showtunes ~ao,.d;gl~am~our! S~e s one of the ¯ performanceafter.thefact.~d~inceithas :fewpeopleI~es~performherethatcan : become a t~adition fin tliis column, she ~rap an entire audience . ¯ performed a Stevie ¯ arot~nd her fi~igerwith " everyone should },Iicks song from the s~emingly, eff0rtle~s~ ~ "" ~ - . ~ . " 1981Steviealbum, Belease. Sheperform~vith her show, espeeaally just to ladonna 2 "The High- .thePhil, andifyouwant see ff she performs wayman." I really wish I’d been there for that! Unforttmatdy, the price of the benefit to see a true star, then don’t miss her concert! For tickets, call 596-7111. I really think that everyone should see her show, especially just to see if she performs "Making Love Alone" again. (I heard the song on her "Sondheim, etc.: Live at Carnegie Hall" CD, a recording of a benefit she did for Gay Men’s Health Crisis. And yes, it is about what you might think, and she wasn’t going to perform it last time she was here due to the rep Tulsa has of being, well, prudish. Can’t imagine why, what with the preying hands and all. Happily, Robert Reed, then artistic director of the Phil talked her into it, and the audience loved it. I was able to thank her for including it after the show. Shffs,. a lovely woman, and so tiny! You’d never think so to see her onstage, since she projects such a larger, than life persona. Andnever underestimate the power of big hair! Again, this will be the don’t miss event of the Phil’s season. So don’tmiss it! I am pleased to announce the new CD "Love Decides", Jane Oliver’s new recording is one of the most rewarding listens I’ve had in a long time. For those who haven’t heard her name, she was a cabaret diva and recording artist of the 70’s an~ 80’ s. No one can beat her whenit comes to’ wringing every bit of emotion out of a lyricl Her phrasing is impeccable, and her voice is angelic. She made four successful recordings from 1976 to 1982, which are still in print. She was rumored to have died of cancer at one point, since she never recorded anyCDsafter 1982’s"Jane Olivor in Concert". (Fhe other albums are "Jane Olivor - First Night" 1976; "Jane Olivor - Chasing Rainbows".1977; "Jane Olivor - Stay the Night" 1978; and "Jane Olivor - Best Side of Goodbye" 1980. All are well worth a listen. Her version of "Vincent" and "Some Enchanted Evening" are the definitive recordings of both songs.) Well, I later found.she never had died. .(Good it~gii,~’!:el~e:~e new CD would : .definitely~i~fi,~L~K~ so. y0~~expected .2iiie to 16~ti~i-:’0~portunity~;~ass by? ~Puhleeze.) She,had.retired from recording due to being gyppedby the record company she had~recorde~&the albums for. Left with a bitter taste in her mouth from the ,,experience, she :p.efformed live at small ..,.venues. To,.my ~s~e, she was practically in my!ba~k.;y~d?~I was living in Fort ~-Worth when,I,read sh~ was to perform at .~ an AIDS benefit in:Dallas, and was living "Makln, Love Alone" a~aln .... And yes, it is about what you might think... " "Love Decides" is her first album in 18 years, and if you have a lover, it’s the perfect Valentine’ s gift, and if you don’t have a lover, get it for your- ." self. Her voice wraps around you like an ¯ old friend’s hug, and can make the hardest " bitterest heart melt to mushy goo in no ¯ time flat. And yes, I speak from experi- : -ence. The tide track, "LoveDecides".is an ¯¯ . ode to thefact that sometimes, feelings can take youby smprise, tuming somcone you ¯ wouldn’t ordinarily be attracted to into the : love of your life, and you will have no ¯ choice in the matter. So enjoy it. My other ; favorite is "Night Song", telling the story : of realizing someone that you’ve grown ." fond of could be apotential love. She does ¯ a great cover of October Project’s "Bury ¯ MyLovely" - no not about murder. More ¯ a song of how you are wrong for this ¯ person, and basically they should forget ¯ you. The song I identify with~0stis "I ¯ had A Man." Get out of the gutter. More ¯ like, "Well, I could’ve done this or that, ¯ but... I had aman. So I didn’t. Now he’s ¯ gone, and I’m stuck here, with thelife I’ve : created. Damn, I should’ve done it!" : "Could’ve been we,~ffing rubies, Could’re ¯ been takin’ bows... Could’re been high ¯ society,-~could’ve been someone ¯ proud...Should’ve had my silver spun, ; weaver that I am.., Should’ve been getting ¯ my work done - but I had this.., man.7 So, : not all treacle and sweetness. "In The ¯ Moment" isa lovely upbeat rune, about ¯ living in the now, and loving in the now. ¯ So,it’s amanic depressive’s dreamCD. "I ¯ Believe in You" is a lovely ode to friend- " ship and support; and Jane covers "Colors _" of the Wind" with a magical quality that ¯ Vanessa Williams could only hope to ¯ achieve. ’Tll be Hei’e" wraps you up in a ¯ warm blanket, a perfect song for those .. down moments that crop up every, so of- . ten. : Jane has an intimate quality that makes it seem she’s singingjust for you, an amaz¯ ing thing to achieve on a studio recording. I would love to see her at the PAC - she, ¯ like Jim Brickman, could make that hall ¯ seem like her living room, and make you ¯ fe~i like a gues~t in h.e.r li.,v~ng ~Q~om bythe fire. Best Buy has the be,stprice On theCD : at $12.99,, andfor theperfe~t r0manfic gift, .you can t go wrong with any of Jane ¯ Olivor’s recordings, Ha.ve I ever.steered ¯ you wrong? Sodi~.the, ~igh~s,:!ight the ¯ candles, .se_elaMuse p. 9 Congregation i.ii’P~esents uriah Featuring Ellen Kushner Hostof Public RadiO’s Sound& Spirit as heard on KWGS 89.5 Saturd~y,Janl 27th, 7:30pm, Tickets $5 1719 So. Owasso Avenue, Info: 583-7699 Come, listen and be enrap Saturday, January 13, 2001 . 8pro Tulsa P~rjbrmingArts Center Ed~oin O~t~oater, conductor Jennlfer Koh, ~iolin Thea Musgrave Rainbo~o- Mozart Violin Concerto No. 4 Dvo~Lk Symphony No~ 7 . Otfi’-january Masterworks.e+en~: features the stunning ariimT ofviolinist Jennifer Koh in Mozart’s beloved ViolinConcerto No. 4. Special guest conductor Edwha Outwa[er joins her on stage for thishighly anticipated performance, also featuring the haunting beauty of I)vo~ik’s Symphony No. 7. Tickets MO to $45 by Karin Gregory Oh.-: .My...God! I think I should revise Melissa Etheridge’s lyrics.slightly to read: "Wake me up when we hit 2005!" For the new millennium (we all know it-begins THIS year) Imade a wish list that includes open:minde&Iess acrossthe board.However with our new administration, we can kiss that wish goodbye for at least four years, Now I’mnogoodatmakifigresolutions (I’just break’them before I start); but I added today "hope chest" while -the restof the~ountiy was drinking to forget the past few months~andespecially the outcome! -~ ° In the spi:rit of the Season "..._Maybe we’re so erltleal of the other bemuse we’re all tryln$ so desperately to llve normal lives when the rest O~’~e{ety views us as abnormal.., to :just ~ast, I’.m~fediiigOpfi- present a eampaiSn for :misfic"despite’ ’geeiiag the " equal ~$,}at~s, we need to ~l~ngs-~f"the Reli:gious ’:Right piippet-masters ’en- show the rest twining OurgM£ W. (and ’I Amerlea tlmt we -Ollircmvfevenrmnmngme ¯ word -busk.-anymo~;e!). :, a* e~luals. , . : Being a’child of~eSixties," " " I~,s.tillllave a hope’ that Our country will: "" ~. ) Adopt i Ve~ont .s. generosxty. The least theotherstates ’cafa dois to feel for it " /by taking,some of flue. weight off the " q’e~slat~e s Shoulders. After all, I’m sure :~;&~ran:re~idents in this tiny state are still ¯ tottering over th~ de~lslon to make"those " Gay bobs" equal; steeling themselves for ¯ . ~¢hat they must thinkwillbe Gay bars hti~ " dildo stores on every comer. " 2) Put education"a~’ the top of the list. O,K, as a teacher I think this was a given for ¯ m~. But if you really look at the serious- . hess of ignorance(and many of you have ¯ first hand experience of this that I can only ¯ imagine), you’ll agree tliat theONLY Way , we can stop homophobia is by educating. ’ My goodness, I ~nkI just putmy butt on ¯ the line by promising to actually do some- ¯ thing besides rage against a seemingly " unforgiving God. Only through spreading " the word, 10iidly but not angrily, can we ; change v~ews. Look at what happened to ¯ the Dr. I.aura campaign. If you’re asking, ." "Dr. Who?" -then the campaign suc- " ceeded! ¯ 3) Become a true democracy. Yes, I ¯ know this is autopian ideal. Homosexuals " have never been anyone’s favorite, but we " were always pushed to thebackbeeause of ¯ the Native Americans, the Irish, the Jew- " ish, African Americans, Hispanic,s, Japa- : nese-Ameficans, etc. Now we’re in the ¯ limelightbecauseracial andreligious preju- ¯ dice have (finally0 become socially unac- ¯ ceptable. And look who S left standing in : line to be hated! Ratherthan certain gov- : emmentofficials complaining thatwewant ¯ "special rights", my hope is for them to " take a look back over the past two centu- ~ ries to see that all anyonehas every wanted : are EQUALrights ! 4) See a united Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/ : Transgendered community. I know I’m : new to this so I should quitgriping and get ¯ offmy duff to help unite. What I see in the " community makes me understand that the " war won’t get wonunless we conquer this : battle in front of us: accepting each other ¯ as a community of equals, rather than ¯ "dyke", "fog", "traitor", "freak." I’ve got ¯ Lesbian friends who Wonder why I have : Gay-male friends. I know a few. who : wouldn’t let a man into their’lives even if ¯ he’s a doctor, lawyer; veterinarian. Then : there are the Gay male friends who gripe : about Lesbians asifth~y’ve only seen the stereotypes on TV, rather than getting to know us. I’ve heard from some :of th~ cfmmunlty that t~iseximls are just Gay men who cxm’t get off the fence (and the-inevitable jokes about that!). I don’t knfw how my friends feel about Tr~insgend,ered people, but I do k~ow’ :the topic never comes UP." Maybe w&re so cridcal of the Other because we’re all trying so desperately to live normal lives when the rest of society views us as abnormal~ In other words, to present’a campaign for equal’ tights, ’we need to : show therest of Americathatwe consider ¯ each other in the community as equals. Look what it’s done for the Religious Right. They may have their squabbles, but we the public don’t get to see it. They present a united front, bigoted though it may be, and have a President to play with for the next four years. That’s power! I realize we’re talking about a basic belief system and moral code as opposed to MANY belief systems with many other moral codes, but you learn from the enemy. If the only tip we want to take from the Religious Right is unity, then we need to study them. And finally... 5) Above all, respect us as valuable, irreplaceable, andEQUALhuman beings. Hell, in Texas I’d sometimes just wish we were considered HUMAN! But we can’t settle. With TV exposure of Gays and Lesbians at its highest (thank you NBC and Showtime!), you’d think we’d have it made. And that soon, in part due to the public’s viewing of such shows as "Queer As Folk" and other programs, we can soon hold hands and kiss in public without fear of being arrested, being stared at, and sacrificing everything. Maybeone day soon we’ll be stared at just because someone else wants the relationship we have, and for no other reason. Hey, I told you I was optimistic. My evil twin will return next month. Happy New Year! draw a warm bath, put this CD on, and invite someon, over. Or, make love alone. With Jane singing, you can’t lose either way. As for events around here, Theater Club presents "The Vagina Monologues" (God they can talk, too?) Jan 11-27. Call 857- 9154 for ticket info and location. Heller Theatre presents Steve Martin’s "Pieasso at theLapin Agile," the story of a fictional meeting between Picasso and Einstein. 746-5056. see amuse, p. 10 "Christ-Like" by Emanuel Xavier ¯ become his f.,,a~}ly. Membe.rs of me gangs, reviewed by Barry Hensley " form "houses to protect tlaemselves anti Tulsa City-County Library " each other andin every way fulfill the role Where does onestart when reviewing a ] of family to Mikey. His good. look.s and violent and disturbing novel about brutal, ~ shrewdness allow him to get rata me reyoung, Gay, Hispam’c gangs whoselives revolve around carefully crafted sets of, rules and, at the same time, no rules at all? These arecharacters from ferocious families Who understandnothing but deceit, confusionanddrug induced brutality. The easiest thing to say is that Christ-Like is simply a Dennis Coopernovel set among Gay, Latino gangs in New York City. Our protagonist, Mikey, is born into an incredibly~ dysfunctional family in a distressed neighborhood, where Mikey’s role model " These are 0 o ¯ ekaraeters from feroelous ~amilles who understand nothln~ but deedt, eonfuslon and dru¢ induced brutality ... It’s hard to understand why the reader would eare about this arrogant, mls~uided and eontemptlble youth, but I couldn’t put this book do~..." is a neighbor, yelling up from the street, Come on Mmam. I don t wanna come up thestairs! Just throw tl},,e, baby outthewindow! I’ll catchit! I swear!’ Mikey’s mother soon has an abusive boy~,,. friend, and a heartless relative, teenag,e Chino, stays with them, sharing Mikey s roomwhile secretly abusing theboy, physically and emotionally ..... As he grows upin. thischaotic, environment, Mikey, of €ourse, has no idea ~.at n0t all families arelil~e thls and, despite b-is intelligence and basi~gbodness, starts down the wrong path. And what a path it is! Unable to understand healthy relationships, hebecomeS-se~ua!!y active and abusive with almost anyQne,.and starts busfling on the Westsidei~i~L He discovers drugs and the in~bnd~ ~that comes with dealing. He tougi~e.nS ~p ahd picks fights so he can rob afidinj~.e, i(often i_nnoce.n.t) people. He beans t0 ~ pride in ms viciousness wi~’d~iii~.~i’_~lee. V~nen he hits adolescen~;:it~ ~er kicks him out, not becans~ i~f~fiiS~ess behgvio,r, but because he’i~iG~@~,~d~suddeulY he s onhis own. ;~ ~.o~; ,b,’ ~ ~. In Mikey’s bi~’~ reality, the underground subcul~e,of homeless hustlers stricted clubs where sex, drugs and competitiveness flow freely. This club scene is particularly dangerous. Aguy bumps you accidentally? NO problem! Just stab himright there or wait until later and beat him withabaseball bat! Hehad it comin’ to ’ir!! It’s hard to understand why the reader would care about this arrogant, misguided and contemptible youth, butI couldn’tputthisbook down¯ Perhaps because we know that Mikey is, deep down, a good kid shaped by his environment, we want him to be able to rise above being a monstrous criminal ~and realize that there isanother, world out there. But, whenev~er.h~ s.tax~tS a ~ewreia:’ tionship, we know it will end in chaos.. When he quits ~d~gs, we ~.kn~v~ h¢’!l~,, ~ start using again. Whenhe gets beaten,.w.e know it iS what he ~:~pected. ~rying p~sages to quote ff,0~ exiilain his predicament proved diffiCultL The Tulsa Philhi~monic pfesents a mati; nee performan~rf ,Peter and The Wolf with the Magic Circle Mime Companyon the 14th. 747-7445. For the artsy.craftsy~crowd, Mayf6st is seeking artists and artistes tO display their wares and worksat the 2001 Mayfest. Jan 12 is the deadline to apply for space. Musical types have to apply’the 5th. "’If I were a rieh.m~ ~.~diddle deedle dicdle diddle dee: .or, as tti~ Southern version would haveit; "Eiddle dee dee.""Fiddlcr on the.Roof’~ ~illbe appearing overhead at the PAC fiom the 16-21 with Theodore Bikel as Teyve. Yes, this is the show Bette Midler got her start on Broadwayin the 70’s, as a chorus girl. I don’t ttfink Timothy Daniel Attorney at Law . An Attorney. who will fightfor justice & equality for Gays & LeSbians Domestic-Partnership Planning, Personal Injury; Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1~800-742-9468~or-918::35.2-9504 128 East Broad~.~i,~i)promrigh!:OklahOma Weekend and evening appointments are available. ¯ the copies we have.of the miscelleneous ¯¯ defimctpublications whichTulsa’sseenat ¯ one time or another. Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights also published a news- " letter, TheTOHRReporter, formuch ofits ¯, 20 year history which documents much of ¯ Tulsa’s Lesbian and Gay history. virtually~every paragaph is,pepp~,r,e~, over,ly colorful l’an~ge Sr events. It s haid for a whit~--i3r~ad reYi’~ei ~Vi~o In addition, Tulsa Family News will send ..... .NeW Year .....:, .NewCareer Get a iaeM Siatt,bi~ ~your New Yearsresolution If you~are responsible and self’ifi*ofivated ar~dhave:a posfive .attitude. We.ii;iii’:N~!’p’)~u fulfill, ~our resolution. cati,665,,3401 TULSA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC ~P’A- R T-Y: Country Club Barbering Custom Styling for Men & Women David Kauskey 3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat: 8-5pm ody Tulsa’s only professional body-piercing ........ Co![egg Hill Presbyterian Church In-response to God’s Love, College Hill Presbyterian Church is a communit¯.y of God’s pe_ople called tO tell others the Gospel of Jesus Christ " " ’~" - tiirough service; and evangelism. To nurtureour faith, we gather for "worship, prayer, . .... StUdy andfeilowship~ Trusting i~i a living, loving God, we.seek to become a compassionate voice.f6r:pea~ce and justice. Our congregation" wdcomes all persons who respond in trust and obedience to God’s grace . - in Jesus Christ, and desire to become part of the membership and ministry of Christ’s church. Membership is open to all people regardless of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition, marital status, or sexual orientation. Sunday Worship 1 lam 712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800 (One block west of Delaware and the University of Tulsa Campus) L,.i teach our students that we will reach our full potential individually_and collectively............ ¯ only when we learn to appreciate our diversity. We need to. do’::a better job of How will his Support for privatization of ." teaching our youth- our couittryfs proud ourpublie~cho0i~act~e:employment ¯ history of welcomi~!p~le~f different rightsofO~B~i~ch~tpri~)ateschool~9" ;’ religions, racial and ~,~ offgins, gen-" Or)the fight’of. :GLl~;f~ids not to gei "’." ders and opinions. Ithasnff been easy and harassed and kicked out Of those schools? " we donft always do it well, but Welcoming ,On the issue ofabortion, whaf will it ¯ diversity is at the h~gf-what has made n~ to*h~Eq.~.,(Ol~-h.ea3.~[h and human ! ournafion great. Thi~i~’whatean unite ser~ices0ffic~,r.eJi~t~!ie~un.damen~right ’. now and in’the future! We"~oW need to privaey?If lldh~s ~e rightt0 interfere : national.effort to realiz¢ihat:o’~’lives: in a deci’sion’t~~trbi~6u~reproductive ; be-enriched as individu~!~.;:a~~familie~(as ~ de~siom~~.h’&dsec~n =and frill-he do..-- communities, and asia ~atibn if We em-" to’ &ntrofOiil fii~es~..-.:........... .- .i[.:b.e.he.ve.fil..e..G..L...B...T.. community ought to" "~i "Bbirsaecex,uarlatahnerdtThraannsfegaern,d6e~r-eGdi~byro;tLheerssbiaannd, co.n~sider.issue~;~iik~~ reproductive heaith~ ¯ sisters, r ’~ an~pov~rty aceii,tr~il p~rfof our concerns : You have an awesom~ 0p~i~ty and f6r~any~,~,:~~-i~ ~er’all;’a~ignificani~i’ ; responsibility ahead of!yoi£’ We wiint to Portion of our c0.~m~,,ttt~~ty .grapples witlE q,~ work by your side to make-b~~€laools and 9e e issu~ in @e~ personal lives. And ¯ our country healthier. We .~all on you to mere are homophone policies and prae- ’: keep us - all of us who love, admire and ti~ in @.e.,i~.sf!~mtioos"that control these,;._ care about someone wh6 is Gay, Lesbian, serwces. :" ............... . . ¯ Bisexual and Transgendered - in mind in E{ut ev~ri’fdr’th~S~’~,BT activists who" ~ the days ahead. rejectamoteindii~i~,~’agenda, thereoug,ht " - Kirsten Kingdon, executive director to lit least be a mention of Thompson s " re~rd on.’~ese.spcialjs~sues. Does anyone : really beh’~ve t~at a politician who treats ,. women andpoor people lwith, such disre- : spect will hold our cximmunity in esteem? "’ I think they’re picking on the wrong per- A movement must have a set of values - ¯ son with John Ashcroft." °therwisewearejustadisconnectedgroup :- Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., told CBS’ of people who are outside the norms of " "Face the Nation" he believes Ashcroft heterosexuality. i urgeus to embrace a set : will eventually be confirmed, but not beof values that represents the struggles of - fore he is thoroughly questioned by skepevery segment of our community. Let’s ." tical Democratic senators. Likewise, Sen. thank Tommy Thompson appropriately ." Harry Reid, D-Nev., told"Fox News Sunfor his few gestures of support. But let’s ¯ day" he knows of no reason why Ashcroft reserve "praise" for a nominee who has ¯ would be rejected outright. ¯ exwn.ed it........ ¯ While Ashcroft’s nomination brought Founded in 1973, the National Gay & ; some criticism, Bush seemed less willing I2sbian Task Force works to eliminate ~ to join an ideological fight over whether prejudice; violence and.injustice against ¯ Gays may serve in the military. Former ga~, .lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered " Indiana Sen. Dan Coats, a candidate for People at the local, state,and nati0-nal level. " secretary of defense, lost out on the job " whenhereportedly told Bushhe warned to ¯ scale back accommodations made to : womenandGays in the service, Newsweek : reported, quoting an unnamed source. AnotherBushCabinet choice thatraised harass, bully and assault our youth be- : questions was former Colorado attorney cause of thdr sexual orientation or gender general Gale Norton, nominated for Seeexpression do nbt fit the stereotype of : retary of the Interior. She has expressed hate-filled extremists, but are average ¯ support for oil exploration in the Arctic youngpeoplewho~ftens.eenothingwrong ¯ National Wildlife RefUge, an idea that with their behavior. ~ Bush favors and many Democratic sena- ~-Anti-Gay harassment - as well as ha- ~- tors oppose. Norton as Colorado attorney rassment based on religion, race, ethnic , general defended Colorado’s anti-Gay origin, or any other prejudice - destabi- : Amendment 2 which was ruled unconstilizes the learning environment for all stu- " tutional. dents. No child can learn well when they " The bigger question, Democrats said, is are scared. No child should be afraid that ¯ whether Bush can work with a Senate that they will be harassed because of who they ; ~s split evenly between Democrats and are. We need to do a much better job of " .Republicans. "He’s going to have to show teaching respect for all in our schools and : m programs and policies a willingness to in ending the toxic atmosphere that exists ¯ work with Democrats, to work out comin all too many of our schools today. We : promises with us..." he said. needyourleadershipatthefederallevelto Hatch said ~ush’s stated intention to send the message that anti-Gay harass- reach out and work with Democrats is ment is wrong, genuine. We particularly ask you to Keep us in mind as you appoint a Secretary of Education. Wewill be watching - and hoping - to see if that is someone who is dedicated to an excellent and safe education for all our children. There is so much to be done. We need to The majority of young .people who Saturday,~ February ,. ....... Midnight The"Brad~.Mansion.,~ 6.20~~N. .orth~~De~nver DJ, Hors res:, ~. h,~Bar, Live Ente~ai~me~ Dr, ;~ ~Mild to Wild .Door prizes for Dressed Tickets: .....~-or $20 a~)! the door "~-~ ~va~lable The TU~;~ GLBT CommunityCenter 211~ S~!t3th~!~e~fi~i~ Drive 918~743.4297 and select~Ven-dors listed on the website. Proceeds benefit The Pyramid Project "Building a Home- Funding the Future, for the Tulsa GLBT Community Center." Made Possible by Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR), www.PyramidProject.org Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2001] Tulsa Family News, January 2001; Volume 8, Issue 1 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource January 2001 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohn Karin Gregory Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Hughston Walkinshaw Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, December 2000; Volume 7, Issue 12 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/608 2001 AIDS anti-gay activism arts and entertainment Barry Hensley Black and LGBTQ Boy Scouts businesses censorship Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints churches Community Center contraception Elizabeth Toledo execution George W. Bush HIV testing homophobia Jim Christjohn John Ashcroft Karin Gregory National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Native Americans Openarms Youth Project performing arts Raging Lesbian Red Cross Red Rock Tulsa representation restaurants sex Soulforce STDs Tom Neal Tulsa Family News Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project Wild Hearts Ball https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/f061325d38e6da549e9a56e4b036c108.jpg 388c9d4d13c234452b45ff6df2aace45 https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/4e1445f6b83a2cb5999d574b0bf89371.pdf f42a616a6a5cc6fecfeb4cec27576541 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document trkansas’Sodomy’ atute Challenged LITI’LE ROCK (AP) - A judge heard motions for a judgment in a lawsuit filed by a group challenging the state’s anti-sodomy law in late January. Last February, Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge David Bogard rejected arguments that the state had sovereign immunity from lawsuits. He cited an exception allowing officials to be sued in their official capacity when the remedy sought is injunctive rdief. Bogard dropped Attorney General Mark Pryor as a defendant but said the group challenging the 1977 law could proceed with its suit-against local prosecutors. Both sideshavefiledmotions for snmmaryjudgment, asking Bogard to decide the case on the basis of briefs and affidavits without the need for a trial. Seven Arkansans sued Pryor and local,prosecutors, including Larry Jegley, in an attempt to vold the 1aw that prohibits certain sexual conduct see Law, p. 3 COMC and Tulsa Oratorio to Host Russian Choir TULSA - The Kamchatka Vocal Ensemble will perform contemporary works, ancient liturgical music and Russian folk songs at Holy Family Cathedral on Sunday, March 11, at 7:30 pm. The Council Oak Men’ s Chorale and Tulsa Oratorio Chorus havejoined to bring this exceptional world-class ensemble for one performance only. Kamchatka Vocal Ensemble was founded in 1967 in Petropavlovsk, Kanchatski, and is famous in Russia for their high quality performances of challenging work. Fromthe masterpieces of Rachmaninoff, sacred liturgical pieces to native songs of the far east masterfully arranged by its artistic director, Evgeny Morozov, Kamchatka’s repertoire exemplifies the Russian experience. The ensemble is a featured choir performing for the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) national convention in San Antonio, Texas. A. PozdnyakoV, Professor at Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, aptly described the group in a recent review, "listening to Kamchatka Vocal Ensemble,it is difficult to believe it is a community choir. Its harmony and pureness of sound, the tonal balance ofparts, all are impeccable. A subtle musician and a master of his art, Evgeny Morozov, has managed to put a superb performing group inKamchatka, thoughit is appreciated as one of the best choirs within Russia." Ill DIRECTORY P. 2 ~ EDITORIAL P. 3 US & WORLD NEWS P. 4 ~.~ HEALTH NEWS P. 6 Z ENTERTAINMENT P, 8 GAY STUDIES P. 10 Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends Gay Folk + Friends March In M. L. King, Jr. Parade Soulforce in Oklahoma at theparade TU’s BLGTAlliance marched as well as Tulsa PFLAG. Ambassador Hormel Opposes ! TOHR n. February: Black +iGay in Tulsa TULSA - On Tuesday, February 13, Tulsa Oklahomarts forHumanRights (TOHR) will hold its monthly meeting at the Gay Community Center at 7pro. The speaker will be Derrick Davis, longtime HIV/AIDS educator, speaking about being African-American and Gay in Tulsa. TOHR will also hold the Wild Hearts Ball on Saturday, Feb. 17, 8-miduight at Tulsa’s historical Brady Mansion at 620 N. Denver. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door and are available at the Community Center, 2114 S. Memorial, 743-4297, Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15th, on Cherry Street and at Tulsa Floral Design in Brookside at 3404 S. Peoria. Proceeds from the event will benefit The Pyramid Project, the effort to build or buy a permanent home for Tulsa’s Gay commtmity center. Speaking of which,TOHR’ s board of directors has voted to amend the name of the commtmity center to The Tulsa Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center. (editor’ s note: TFN will respectfully abbreviate this when possible to LGBT Community Center or just Community Center). see TOHR, p. 3 Ashcroft as Attorney General WASHINGTON (AP) - James Hormel, who became the first openly Gay U.S. ambassador over the objections of then-Sen. John Ashcroft and others, is retttming fire in urging the Senate to reject Ashcroft’ s nomination as attorney general. "I get no satisfaction from this," Hormel told The Associated Press. "I am extremely disturbed that he was nominated for this very sensitive post, and it concerns me greatly that he might be serving as attorney general, given his stated positions on a variety of issues." The controversy over the nominee’s stand on Gay civil rights issues widened at the end of January, when a health care expert said Ashcroft asked him about his sexual orientation during a 1985 job interview. Ashcroft at the time was governor of Missouri and the applicant, Paul Offner, was applying for a statejob. "His first question was, ’Do you have the same sexual preference as most men,’" Offner, of Georgetown University, told .~ WTOP radio in Washington Thursday. "I was stunned. He ¯¯ launched fight into it." Offner’s story was first reported in The Washington Post. ¯ Asheroft told his confirmation hearings that he has not dis- " criminated against Gays while serving as governor and senator, ¯ andwouldnot consider sexual orientation in hirings at the Justice ¯ Department. ¯ Offner said Ashcroft’ s statement "certainly didn’ t seem to be ¯ true in my case." He said he contacted the Senate Judiciary .. Committee about the 1985 interview. A friend of Offner, Kathy ¯ Sykes, said Offner told her about the interview right after it ¯ happened. "I remember he said, ’You won’t believe this,’" ¯ Sykes; a federal employee, said in an interview. ¯ Mindy Tucker, the Bush administration’s spokeswoman on the Asheroft nomination, has said Ashcroft does not recall the : meeting, nor would he begin an interview with a question about ¯ sexual orientation. ¯ Ashcroft and other conservative senators opposed the 1997 ¯ nomination of Hormel to be ambassador to Luxembourg. Tulsa Oklahomansfor Human Rights, photos: TFN ¯ Long-Term Battle. Seen Over Gay Marriages ¯ By David Crary, AP National Writer ¯ NEW YORK - Like rival armies locked in trench : warfare, activists supporting andopposing legal rights ¯ for same-sex couples are regrouping after bitter elec- ¯ tion campaigns and girding for future struggles that ¯ willlikely divideAmerica formany years to come. In ¯ state capitols, courthouses andcorporate boardrooms, "_ Gay marriage and its variants - civil unions and ¯ domestic partnerships - will be an inescapable topic ¯ ¯ for policy-makers, executives and religious leaders. . In Texas, conservative legislators will try this year ¯ to make their state the 35th to adopt a law or consti- ¯ tutional amendment banning Gay marriage. In New : York and Rhode Island, Gay lawmakers will intro~ : duce bills to legalize it. ¯ "It isn’ t going to happen overnight - there will be ¯ setbacksandright-wingbacklash,"saidEvanWoffson, : a leading Gay civil rights lawyer with the Lambda : Legal Defense and Education Fund. "That’s exactly ." how every civilrights movement in Americanhistory ¯ has proceeded." ¯ Last spring, Gay civil rights activists were elated ¯ when Vermont enacted its landmark civil-tmions : law, becoming the first state to extend the rights and ¯ responsibilities of marriage to same-sex couples. In November, Democratic Gov. Howard Dean - ¯ who signed the bill - survived an election challenge ¯ by a foe of civil unions, but more than 20 legislators ¯ who had supported the law were defeated. In Ne- ¯ braskaandNevada, ballotinitiatives proposing to ban ¯ same-sex marriage were approved with 70 percent ¯ support. ¯ "This will be along-term battle, like abortion," said ¯ Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth, a ¯ Washington, D.C., seeBattle, p. 2 Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants *Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine *CW’ s, 1737 S. Memorial *Play-Mor, 424 S. Memorial Polo Grill, 2038 Utica.Square *Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st *Schatzi’ s, 2619 S. Memorial *The Star, 1565 Sheridan *TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial *Tool Box II, 1338 E. 3rd *Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan *The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 832-1269 ~ 610-5323 : 838-9792 ~ 744-4280 ¯ 585-3405 : 745-9998 ". 280-1316 834-4234 ¯ 660-G856 ~ 584-1308 : 835-2376 ¯ 749-1563 ¯ Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals Assoc. in Med: & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231. E. 41 Body Piercing by Nicoie, 2722 E. 15 *Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21 *Borders Books.& Music, 8015 S. Yale Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria *CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria *Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 743-1000 250-5034 665-4580 712-1122 712-9955 494-2665 743-5272 746-0313 295-5868 581-0902, 743-4117 622-0700 749-3620 ". 744-5556 838-8503 369-8555 584-0337, 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 834-7921, 747-4746 260-7.829 481-0558 835-5563 743-1733 665-2222 592-0767 www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays &Lesbians Tulsa Agencies, Churches, SchOols & Universities AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579-9593 *Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria *Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial Ross Edward Salon Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. P~oria Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th P1. Cathy Furlong,-Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare *Gloria Jean’ s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21 st tzarme M. Gross, Insurance & financial plamaing 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, 308 South Kenosha *Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 *Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo *The Pride Store Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101 Richard’ s Carpet Cleaning Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors Paul Tay, Car Salesman *Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard Fred Welch, LCSW, Counsding *grherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan *Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 B/L/GiT Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston *Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. Church of the RestorationUU, 1314 N.Greenwood *Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale *Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation Council Oak Men’s Chorale *Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 743-2363 587-7314 583-7815 583-9780 585-1201 & Florence 587-1314 747-6300 749-0595 748-3888 712-1511 918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615 POB 4140 Tulsa, OK 74159, e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche. Lament Lindstrom. Esther . Rothblum. Mary Schepers. Hughston Walkinshaw Member o! The Associated Press Issued around the 1st of each month, the entire contents of this publication are protected by US copyright 2001 by Tulsa Family News and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Publica- ¯ tion of a name or photo does not indicate a person’ s sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for publication unldsk otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes the sole 9roperty of Tulsa Family News. Each reader is entitled to 4 copies of each edition at distribution points. Additional copies are available by calling583-1248. *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 SpratWomen s Center, call for location&info: 587-4669 Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827 :riends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438 *Tulsa c.A.R.E.S., 3507 E0 Admiral 834-4194 HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378 *House oftheHoly SpiritMinstries,1517 S. Memorial 224-4754 *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 PFLAG, 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 St. Aidan’ s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882 St Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140 *~t. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088 Soulforce-OK, Rt.4,# 3534, Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761 *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. for Human Rights, Gay Comm. Center 743-4297 TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvocacy Coalition,POB2687,Tulsa 74101 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, 21st&Memorial 743-4297 Unity Church of Christianity,3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833 BARTLESVILLE Bartles~cille Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353 TAHLEQUAH Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900 ¯ Tahlequah Unltarian-Unlversalist,_~CCCh~ur,c~h,,,, 918-456-7900 Green Country AIDS Coalition, r~D ~om 918-453-9360 EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734 ¯ Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main 501-253-7457 ¯ DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 501-253-6807 ¯ Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445 ¯ MCC of the Living Spring 501-253-9337 : Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253-2776 ¯ Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332 ¯ Positive Idea Marketing Plans 501-624-6646 ~ White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074 ¯ JOPLIN, MISSOURI ¯ Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696 * is where you can find TFN. Not all are Gay-owned but allare Gay.friendly. group th~,~ opposes legal recog~.".tion of Gay couples. The people on our siae are every bit as committed as the people ontheir side," he said. While Nevadans must vote again in 2002 ~efore that state" s constitutional amendment takes force, the Nebraska constitutional amendment has gone :into effect - and already is a prime target for the Gay civil fights movement. The American Civil Liberties Union, backed by other groups, is preparing a law.- uit challenging the amendment,whichgoes urther than other states’ laws. The amendment bans legal recognition not only of Gay marriage, but also domestic partnerships, civil unions "and other similar .same-sex relationships." - ?,. "It’ s bee~ sold as a Defense of Marriage amendment, but it’ s really an anti-family maendment," said Tim Butz, executive director of the Nebraska ACLU. "It makes it difficult, if not impossible, for a Gay or Lesbian family to plan for the future, for the adoption of children, division of property." Butz expects the legal challenge to take several years and likely reach the U.S. Supreme Court. "This is a national battleground here," Butz said. "If this amendment withstands the legal challenges we’ re going to mount, the other side can go forward with more confidence elsewhere." Indeed, backers of the Nebraska amendment are urging other states to broaden their existing Defense of Marriage laws to address civil unions. The aim wouldbe to deter couples from going to Vermont for a civil umon ceremony, then returmng home to claim legal recognition. "Homosexual activists have been very crafty in calling homosexual marriage by another name," said Guyla Mills, a leader of the campaign on behalf of the Nebraska amendment. ’T ve had many states contact me, interested in doing the same .thing we did." Mills movedafter the election to Virginia, taking ajob with Kerusso Ministries, aChristian group that encourages Gays to change their sexual orientation. In a telephone interview, she spoke repeatedly of animosity ,g,e.,n~ated during the Nebraska campaig9. It s becoming harder and harder for people to express any kind of opposition to the homosexual agenda for fear of being called hate mongers," she said. ’Tm not one to throw in the towel... We’re going to hold ground. We’re going to take back ground.’" Amy Desai, a policy analyst for the conservadve group Focus on the Family, said proponents of Gay marriage underestimate the grassroots opposition to their cause. "It has been debated in ivory tower settings, by the Holl~wood crowd, the political pundits," she said. "Your average morelanddad voter, up until this point, hadn’t viewed this as a real threat. Now they’re waking up and saying, ’You can’ t force such a radical i change on us without us becoming very ¯ In Texas, where state law explicidy de- ". fines marriage as between a man and a ¯ woman, some conservatives still want to join the majority of other states in enacting a Defense of Marriage law. State Rep. War- ; ren Chisum, who unsuccessfully sponsored ¯ similar bills see Battle, p. 11 Sound + Spirit: A Lost Opportunity by Tom Neal, editor and publisher ¯ as well as Rebecca Ungerman who is openly Lesbian, it is " Last weekend, Congregation B’nai Emunah, Tulsa’ s ¯ baffling not to be included. ." Conservative branch Jewish congregation, held an un- Ungerman did perform with a wonderful group from ¯ usualconcert,"SacredLove, SoundandSpirit",hosted, as ¯ B’ nai Emunah, Kolot, whoseperformance was ahi ghlight " is the radio show of the same name (Sound & Spirit) by : of the concert. But that group hardly becomes a Lesbian ¯ Ellen Kustmer. ¯ group because of her presence. Some argued that COMC It was a remarkable event in many ways. The sanctuary : was full almost to capacity despite the sleety, threatening ¯ weather. The performers were many and although a few ¯ were off key, and others couldhardly be heard due to poor soundmixing,itwas amostly sweet, almost’-’alleMensChen , ~verden bruder" kind of event - that is unless you were ¯ Gay or Lesbian. " As one PFLAG mom said afterwards, "it would have ¯ been perfect if they’d just had the Council Oak Mens Chorale too..." And why not have the Chorale (COMC)? " After all, the program was a textbook example of pro- " forma Tulsa-style "diversity" reflecting both this town’s strengths and its serious prejudices. Boston Avenue Methodist represented uptight, homophobic large white Protestant Christian churches, a guitarist from Saint Francis Xavier/Our Lady of Guadaloupe did double duty for Catholic Christi~ins and Latino Tulsans, All Souls’ Youth Choir pulled in the Unitarian-Universalists,andtwo Black choirs represented old-line Black Christian congregations and new big-boxbuilding evangelical/pentecostal/fundamentalists. Just to round out our "diversity," Archie Mason, Osage flutist; performed and the City of Tulsa Pipes and Drums (minus the drums - just the bagpipes were present). So where were the Gay people? We were present in the audience. Dennis Neill, TOHR co-founder and business associate and’family friend of B’ nai Emunahcongregationpresident Stacy Schusterman, attended as did Jack Wallace, a Tulsa boardmember of the Cimarron Alliance. It Wash’ t that Gaypeople weren’ t interestedin the event. COMC artistic director, Rick Fortner, approached the organizers about participating but was blown off. Now that probably wasn’t from any malice or anti-Gay values but rather that the organizers had already filled up their program and there just wasn’t any time left. In fact, two key organizers, Laura Well and Sarai Brachman Shoup both stated that they are sympathetic to Lesbian and Gay people. But the problem is, fundamentally, we, Gay and Lesbian Tulsans just weren’t on their radar. When the effort was being made to represent Tulsa "diversity", it should have been just as high a priority that along with Blacks, along with Native Americans, along with Hispanics, that Gay and Lesbian people be remembered. Given that the special events con~nittee includes a number of people who work with or are friendly to Lesbians and Gay men (Terry Silver-Alford of the TU Theater dept., Jason Brimer, and B’nai Emunah’ s rabbi), might not properly be included because it’ s not a religious . group though certainly muchof-its music is religious and ¯ could have fit the program. ¯ "... Gays llke Jews are not "on-sight" : mlnor~tles - we are not known by the color " of our skin or by an epleanthle fold but rather by our behavior - the manifestation . of our bellefs~ And llke Jews who have " hlstorleally been forced to convert in order " to avoid perseeutlon, Gays frequently are . asked to convert, or at least to hide any . evidence of who we are..." However, with the inclusion of Archie Mason whose participation was rationalized by saying" Native American music is’ spiritual’," the organizers moved onto shaky ground. But with the invitation to the City of Tulsa Pipes and Drums~ a clearly non-religious group included because allegedly the Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church, USA claimed that this was "Presbyterian music", the orgamzers hope for a consistent application of standards for inclusion flew away. As one Gay man who attended ~ked, why not have invited Saint Jerome’ s choir, or Community of Hope, or one of the other local churches who are known for their inclusion of Lesbians and Gay men. Organizer Sarai Brachman Shoup, on staff with the Schusterman Family Foundation, quipped that she should not be expected to know that there are six Christian congregations with significant Gay membership, since she’s Jewish. Indeed. Shoup’s neither a Black Christian, Native American, nor a bagpipe player nor a Latino Catholic guitarist, and she found those folks. It’s a much better excuse that Shoup’s relativdy new to Tulsa as is Weil. Others on the conmaittee should have known better. So what now? The event is over and most everyone, indeed, many ofTulsa’ s mostprogressive, probably thought it was just great - wasn’t it so "diverse"? Some will complain that this critique just spoils a lovely event. But Gay and Lesbian Tulsans do have the right to call to account those who wave the ~’diversity" banner when they between people of the same gender. The seven say their constitutional rights are being violated because similar contact between heterosexuals is not illegal. The state argued that because the officials named in the lawsuit ignore the sodomy statute, they should not be sued. A lawyer for the seven had argued that the prosecutors were sued because they would be the key people in deciding whether the law should be enforced. Susan Sommer, supervising attorney for the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, said that she will argue that Arkansas’ law "violates the right to equal protection because it singles out Gay men and women for cnminal puuishment and stigma for engaging in the identical conduct that is free tO their heterosexual neighbors." She said the state’s only justification for the law "is perceived public moral disapproval of homosexuality." "This is just another way of saying that because th~ public disapproves of Gay people, it can subject them to a special rule that applies criminal sanction to their conduct but not to others," she said. She also said the government "should not be peering into Arkansas bedrooms to investigate adult consensual intimacy." She said Arkansas, Oklahoma~ Kansas and Texas are the only states that have same-sex sodomy prohibitions in force. Bogard said Jegley could be sued because of his authority to determine if legal actions would be brought in his jurisdiction. fall short of the standards which they themselves set. And because Gaypeople share withTulsa’ s Jewishcommunity similarities in the condition of being minorities, it is reasonable to expect to be treated fairlyby thatcommunity in particular. Gays like Jews are not "on-sight" minorities - we are no.t known by the color of our skin orbyan epicanthic fold but rather by our actions, our behavior - the manifestation of our bdiefs. (Obviously, racial or ethnic minority Lesbians’ and Gays’ identity as Gay persons is not "onsight" even if their racial identity is.) And like Jews who have historically been forced to convert in order to avoid persecution, Gays frequently are asked to convert, or at least to hide any evidence of who we are. Also like Jews, the prejudice and discrimination we face is often minimized by some whopoint to those in ourcornmunities who are successful despite the obstacles. Tulsa’ s Jewish community, although small in number, has been particularly successful and is wall placed to do for others who are fighting for fair treatment and equal opportunity that which was done for them not so many years ago. The struggle for social acceptance, an end to restrictive property covenants, the condenmation of open prejudice, etc. came through the efforts ofmany non-Jews as well as the efforts of Jewish Tulsans. These are the origins of NCCJ, now the National Conference for Community and Justice, formerly "for Christians and Jews" in Tulsa. Tulsa’ s deep rooted anti-Gay prejudices are not going to go away by themselves. And it’ s more than evident that it takes more than the members of a particular oppressed group to end that oppression. It tookmen to get women the right to vote. It took whites to hdp end segregation, Christians to help Jews, Jews to help Muslims, and it will take all of the above to create a world in which Gay people can live in Tulsa with the same options as all others. But to get there, neither Tulsa Jews, nor any others who seek to do what is right, can sit passively aside, saving political and moral capital. Jewish voices have influence beyond their numbers - wejust need to begin to hear them -just as we hear the voices of non-Jews coming to the defense of the Jewish community when it is attacked (or even when it is offended - like with Christian symbols inappropriately placed on a fire-station). And imagine if at the next such concert or event, the voices of Council Oak Mens Chorale might be heard, perhaps even ending the event with"We Shall Overcome" - that old spiritual which speaks to the struggle of all, whether Jewish, or Black, or Gay to survive oppression, whether slavery, imprisonment, bodily and psychic assault, or Nazi horrors. Maybe even Ms. Kushner will come back for that. (Editor’s note: Despite misgivings about the inclusiveness ofthis event, Tulsa Family News donated an advertisement to the Sound & Spirit event.) 2001 board members are Kerry Lewis, president, Vance Reed, 1st v.p., Don Glass, 2nd v.p., Curtis Evans, secretary, Beth Persac, treasurer, Wil Bruner, men’s outreach coordinator, Greg Gatewood,marketing coordinator, Scottie Hale, events coordinator, David Hoot, volunteer coordinator, Lisa Pottorf, meeting program coordinator, and Lindsey Vandeventer and Raven Ezeel, youth outreach coordinators. Planned for March but yet without a set date, the Center will host a meeting of GLEAM, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgendered Employees of American Airlines. Call the Center to cheek the date. On Feb. 17 from 10-1pm, the Center will host a Gill Foundation training program, Fundraising Fundamentals. ¯ TheDenverbased Gill Foundation selectedTOHRas one of 10 US sites for this training For more information, call the Center at 743-4297 between 6-9 pro, Mon. - Fri. Civil Unions Bill Filed in Hawaii Legislature HONOLULU (AP) - A bill introduced in the state House wonld grant Gay and Lesbian couples all the legal rights ofmarried couples. House Judiciary Chairman Eric Hamakawa and Rep. Ed Case introduced the "civil unions" bill. Hamakawa said he would have to discuss the issue withfellow Democrats andcolleagues on the Judiciary Committee before he could say if. the bill would be given a hearing. Case believes-the Legislature in 1997 committed itself to provide same-sex couples with some of the benefits that married couples enjoy. Although legislators passed areciprocal beneficiaries law that extended dozens oflegal benefits to registered same-sex couples, Case said la~vmakers should do more. The bill introduced by Case and Hamakawa would repeal and replace the 1997 reciprocal beneficiaries law with a new legal relationship, "civil unions." Senate President Robert Bnnda said civil unions aren’t a priority for the Senate. He said the same-sex mamage debate split Democrats, and he does.n’ t want to see that kind of division in the Senate agmn. Mike Gabbard, chairman of the Alliance for Traditional Marriage and Values, said civil unions would be same-sex marriageby a different name, and calledit .an insult to ~,oters who rejected same-sex mamage m 1998. Anti-Gay Adoption Law Rejected in Arkansas LITTLE ROCK (AP) - Opponent~pf a bill that would prohibit Gays from adopting didnr t get much time to make their case, but they emerged victorious anyway. AHousepanel voted 10-9 to reject abill by Rep. Randy Minton, R-Ward, thatwouldprohibit Gays fromadopting or being foster parents. More than a dozen people in the crowded committee room wore stickers saying ’Vote No on HB 1026, - For Kids’ Sake,’ while others had buttons that read .Good ¯ Parents Come in Many Packages.’ But only one person on each side of the bill got to have their say, as the committee bogged down in questions for Minton and a strongly worded speech by chairwoman Jo Carson, D-Fort Smith, trying to discredit research Minton offered in support of his bill. Minton cited several studies, including those by Family Research Council psychologist Paul Cameron, that he said showed children raised in homosexual homes face greater risks. He said suchhomes are unstable and that many homosexuals are more promiscuous.. "Homosexual households are not a suitable enwronment for children because of their instability and hostility toward a natural family," Minton said. "We do not need to experiment with the lives of children." Carson questioned his studies, and brought out a report from the American Psychological Association, whose research she said found that Gays’ parenting styles are no different than those of heterosexuals. "Cameron’s research methodology has been firmly rejected by his peers in the research community," Carson said. The Arkansas Child Welfare Agency Review Board recently approved aban onhomo~s,e~xual fo~ste_r_..p.~en~t,s~ Since October, the Department oI tauman aervl~ asked prospective foster parents d, tttey are tJay. ,,, you say yes, we will politely say, Th~aks, but no, ’spokesman Joe Quinn said, adding thatno one has said they are homosexual yet. "We take them at their word." Quinn said there has never been such a law or regulationregarding adoptiom and that the department is not.taking a position on the bill. , Minton said with such a dose vote, ana one memoer absent from the meeting, "I’m going t,o work on some people and try to bring it back again.’ Dr. Daniel Rifkin~ a lung doctor at Arkansas Children’ s Hospital, said the bill "will hurt Arkansas’ kids." Rifkin said he sees many children with serious medical problems or disabililies, and that few parents will adopt them. He said because homosexuals know what it’ s like to live with a"stigma" in society, they are more likely to adopt these children. Jerry Cox, with the local Family Council, supported the bill. "We already discriminate when ~t comes to adoption and foster care," he said. Montana Senate Looks at Job Protections HELENA (AP) - A Senate committee considering a bill on job protection for Gays and Lesbians took the unusual step last month of accepting anonymous testimony, and declaring it off the record. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Loreuts Grosfield, R-Big Timber, ordered the committee’s tape recorder shut off while the testimony was read. It was presented as that of amanwholost his Montanajob last month, after co-workers reviledhimforhis bisexuality. A representative of the Montana Human Righ~ Network, Greg Haegele, read the statement and said the man’s telephone number would be available to committee members. Several questioned the anonymity, saying it goes against a law requiring openness in government and casts doubt about the veracity of the testimony, but Grosfield’s decision stood. The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 266, which would prohibit firing an employee because of sexual orientation. "Doesn’ t that seem to be an element of simple, fundamental fairness?" asked Sen. Jon Ellingson, D-Missoula, the bill’ s sponsor¯ Opponents said that existing laws provide adequate protection against dismissal, and that SB266 is part of an effort to advance specialrights for Gays and Lesbians. Ellingson s~d the bill would advance equal protection under the law, not special rights. Avote against the bill would be an endorsement of discrimination, he ~aid. Supporters of the bill included Kris Marsh, who works for a mental-health center in the Butte area and said that two years ago she was "driven out of ajob that I loved," after her employer learned she had a female partner. Marsh said her job performance ratings had been high. "I know you can’t change the minds and hearts of individuals," Marsh told the committee. But she saidlegislators can set a standard of employment fairness. George Bennett of the Montana Bankers Association was among the bill’s opponents, arguing that existing laws provide enough protection. "You can’t discharge anyone because they’ re Irish or Lutheran or Gay, or because they have big feet, Bennett said. Julie Millam of the Christian Coalition of Montana called the bill a "further attempt by the homosexual lobby to advance their agenda- one that will settle for nothing less than having codified into law the words ’sexual orientation’ as a constitutionally prot..e.c.ted class." The committee did not act on the bill, but may vote : on it later¯ Police Park Sting Defendent to Get Hearing ¯ ST. PAUL (AP) - A man ~onvicted of indecent con- : duct is entitled to a court hearing on his belief that ¯ police authorities have unfairly targeted Gays for arrest, the state Court of Appeals ruled. S teven A. Pinkal was arrested in July 1999 at a secluded St. Paul beach ¯ frequentedby Gay men, according to court documents. The court reversed the conviction of Pinkal and ¯ ordered a trial court judge to hold ahearing on Piakal evidenee alleging discriminatory enforeement of indecent conduct laws in St. Paul. United in God’s Love MCC-United Sunday Worship Reverend Cathy Elliot 11:00 am Pastor 1623 N. Maplewood 918/838-1715 Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community o] Hope 2~45 South Yale, Sundays at lIam, 749-0595 A Welcoming Congregation i-IOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754 The Open Arms Project Young Adult Support Group Outreach Program Thurs. Nights Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment Call for meeting times and place: 918-584-2325 -. Mingo Valley Flowers 9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145 918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-444-5934 Family Owned & Operated _ I Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW Ghild, Family, Individual & Gouple Psychotherapy (918) 743-9559 2121 South Columbia, Suite 420 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518 The Pride Store 21st Street & Memorial Tulsa Gay Community Services Center 743-GAYS (743-4297) 6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday 12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center TOM NEAL BUILDING & GARDEN DESIGN 583- 1248 Red Rock Tulsa Free Confidential HIV Testing Walk-in Clinics Tues. &Thurs., 5 -8 pm at the Center, 1307 East 38th Daytime appointments available. Call for more information: 918-584-2325 KEVIN BURLESO N Keller Williams Realty 712,2252 Burleson@kw.com 2651 East 21st Street, Ste. 100, Tulsa 74114 An Independent Member Broker OPENARMS OPEN MINDS OPEN HF_AEFS Saint Aidan 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 The evidence includes statistics indicating that twothirds of St. Paul’s indecent conduct citations in the past three years went to Gay men arrested on the Mississippi River beach where Pinkal was arrested, said his attorney, Kyle White. Pinkal also offered as evidence statements by a former St. Paul police officer thatheterosexuals are not charged with indecent conduct in similar cases, and by people who heard a St. Paul prosecutor say that Gay men convicted of indecent conduct should be compelled to register as sex offenders. A three-judge Appeals Court panel said that Pinkal presented evidence sufficient to raise a reasonable doubt about discriminatory enforcement of the indecent conduct law, and that he is entitled to a separate hearing on the issue. The court also said that a trialjudge erred in allowing a prosecutor to question Pinkal about his religious beliefs, sexual orientation and HIV status. The cumulative effect of those errors alone, however, was not so great to warrant a new trial, the court said. University Needs Better Services forGay Students SEATTLE (AP) - The University of Washington is generally accepting of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered students, faculty and staff, but needs to go beyond mere tolerance, a task force report says. The report by the President’s Task Force on Gay, Bisexual, Lesbian andTransgender Issues recommends creating an office to assist such students mad offering more courses in sexual studies. It also calls for providing the same benefits to school employees with samesex partners that are available to heterosexual couples, and says school leaders could do more to include sexual minorities in diversity discussions, which usually focus on race and ethnicity. "The overall thrust of the task force report is that we have to move beyond issues of tolerance, and even beyondjust mere acceptance, to a condition of affirming, to actually affirm and celebrate the diversity that GBLT people bring to theuniversity," said the task force chairman, Philip Bereano, a teclmical-communication professor at the College of Engineering. The campus is free of overt hate crimes, but remains a place where Gay and Lesbian couples probably don’ t feel comfortable holding hands, the report says. Some people responded to a student survey with such comments as "The amount of tame, manpower and money being spent (on the task force) is appalling - disband and stop wasting taxpayer money," and "Stop being queer." The universities of California, Oregon and Minnesota already have Gay, Bisexual, Lesbian and Transgender resource centers, the report notes. Other colleges, such as UC-Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin, have academic programs in sexual minorlty studies. The report was released last month by the task-force, which was created in 1999 to examine issues facedby Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual andTransgender students, faculty and staff at the UW and recommend ways to address them. Aspen Police Investigate Vandalism of Gay Flag ASPEN, Colo. (AP) - A gesture of good will toward the Gay community was transformed into what police are calling a hate crime. A rainbow flag, a symbol of Gay pride recognized worldwide, was hung from the gazebo in Paepcke Park last week. Police believe someone burned the flag less than 24 hours later. Pieces and black soot were all that was left of the flag. "It will be classified as a hate-crime," said police Sgt. Sandy Brownlee. Hate-crimes are rare in Aspen, Brownlee said, saying that this is the first hatecrime she has investigated in the eight years she has been a police officer. Police have no suspects or leads in the ease. The flag was secured to the top of the gazebo with a metal chain before the start of Gay Ski Week.. More than 4,000 people attended the annual event that ran through Saturday and raised money for charity. "It’s terrible," Aspen Mayor Rachel Richards said of the vandalism. "Aspen is imperfect like the rest of the world. There are small-minded and intolerant people here just as everywhere else." Aspen was among the handful of Colorado communities whose ordinances protecting Gays and Lesbians from discrimination were criticized by proponents of Amendment 2, which would have prohibited such ordinances. The 1992 voter-approvedamendmentnever took effect and was eventually ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. Jim Tomberlin, acting director for the Aspen Gay & Lesbian Community Foundation, called the incident a "bombshell." "We are very sorry to see this very serious issue here in our town," he said. "Traditionally, we’ve never had any major incidents against our guests here. We’ ve never had anything like this." Initially, Gay leaders proposed hanging the rainbow flags on lampposts along Main Street. Their proposal was rejected by Aspen City Council, which said only the government and institutions celebrating special anniversaries could use the posts. Instead, a compromise was reached allowing onerainbow flag in Paepcke Park. Next year, however, city officials promised the group can fly rainbow flags along Main Street to commemorate the 25th mufiversary of Gay Ski Week. Wisconsin Scouts Prefer Discrimination to Dollars MENASHA, Wis. (AP)- Area Boy Scout officials say they won’t adopt a policy banning discrimination against Gays even though they could lose funding from the United Way Fox Cities as a result. TheUnitedWayFoxCities board ofdirectors adopted a diversity statement in January that requires agencies it funds to provide services to people regardless of race, religion, Color, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, disability or age. The Boy Scouts have a national policy against Gays becoming scouts or scout leaders. ’‘The Boy Scouts have served thousands of young people in our area throughout the years and they have wonderful programs," said the board’ s chairman, Tim Higgins. "However, the fact remains, they have a policy of discrimination based on sexual orientation. The directors have decided that such a policy is not consistent with the missmn or vision of our organization." A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruhng upheld the Scouts’ right to dismiss a New Jersey assistant scout- ~naster after learning he is Gay. Rick Williamson, the executive for the scouts’ Bay- Lakes Council, which represents Boy Scouts in 22 counties from Port Washington to the Michigan border, said his organization was shocked by the move. "We had hoped that the Fox Cities United Way board would value pluralism and diversity, as well as community service, and would continue to support the Bay-Lakes Council on the merits of our contributions to the Fox Cities area," he said. Williamson said the council would form a task force to look into the matter further, but would not deviate from the national policy. "The ’homosexual lifestyle’ does not provide the appropriate role models for our members," he said. "Homosexual conduct isn’ t consistent with our oath." Williamson said the United Way Fox Cities provides about $184,000 ofhis council’ s $580,000 budget in the Appleton-Neenah-Menasha area. The council has a total budget of $3 million. It receives $595,000 from 31 United Ways. 33% Young Gay NY " Black Men Positive NEW YORK (AP) - The AIDS virus is striking hardest in New York City today among youngblack men, anew survey has found, with 33 percent of Gay or Bisexual black men ages 23 to 29 testing_positive for HIV. The study conductedby the city’ s Health Departmentfound thatyoungblack New Yorkers "are experiencing a larger burden of the HIV infection," Sandra Mullin, the department’s associate commissioner of public affairs, noted. Only 2% of the city’ s white Gay men in the same age group were HI¥-positive, while 14% of Hispamcs were infected, the survey found. "We don’t have a solid explanation for that because we don’ t see the kinds of differentials in behavior between black and white men to explain this," said Lucia Torian, who directed the study. The Health Department surveyed 542 men who identified themselves as either Gay or Bisexual. A new test was used in the survey that allowed researchers to determineif the’.mfectionhad occurred within six months. The subjects in the New York study were tested between March 1999 to July 2000. Researchers said the men who tested positive in all racial groups tended to have had sex without condoms. real version? The fake drug bears lot ¯ MNK612A, which is a real lot number also found on an authentic batch. But the ¯ fake version bears the expiration date 08/ ¯ 02. Genuine Serostim with that lot number ¯ bears the expiration date 08/01. ¯ On the Net: Food and Drug Administra- ¯ lion: http://www.fda.gov i All-Time High in HIV : Diagnoses in Britain : LONDON (AP) - The number of people ¯ diagnosed with HIV in Britain last year is ¯ expected to be the highest ever, public ¯ health officials said. The Public Health ¯ Laboratory Service said 2,868 new cases ¯ of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, were ¯ reported last year, a 7% increase on com- . parable figures for 1999. With some fig- ¯ ures still to be collected, the total is ex- "- pected to exceed the previous high of ¯ 3,222 cases in 1985, the first year testing ¯ was widely available. For the second year, the number of new ¯ cases was greater among heterosexuals ¯ than among homosexuals, with 1,315 her- ¯ erosexually acquired diagnoses compared : to 1,096 among Gay and Bisexual men. ¯ The majority of the heterosexual cases were acquired in areas with high rates of ¯ the virus, such as sub-Saharan Africa, the ¯ service said. Dr. Barry Evans, head of the service’s HIV division, said the increase in diagnoses was not entirely due to a surge of : recent infections. "Many of those being o diagnosed are people who were infected ¯ some years ago but who are only now : coming forward for testing," he said. ¯ More than 20,000 peoplein Britainhave been diagnosed-as HIV positive, andh.~th experts say about 10,000 others may be infected without knowing it. ’Where have also been large increases in sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrheawhich shows that unsafe sex is occurring and people are putting themselves at risk of acquiring HIV," Evans said. FDA Investigates Fake AIDS Drug WASHINGTON (AP) - AIDS patients ghouldimmediately checkthatthey weren’ t sold a counterfeit version of the prescription drug Serostim, because the fake could be dangerous, Serostim’s maker has warned. The Food and Drug Administration has launched a criminal investigation to track down whoever sold the fake drag, which so far has been found in seven states but could have been sold nationwide. The composition of the fake substance is not known. So far, its only reported side effects are skinirritation and redness where patients injected the substance. But offi- Cials noted that AIDS patients risk at least getting worse if they go without their real Serostim. The drug maker’ s warning came at the end of January. Serostim is an injected medicine used by about 6,000 AIDS patients to fight the dangerous wasting that the virus can cause. Manufacturer Serono Inc. says about 10 people initially received the counterfeit version from pharmacies in California. So far, the FDA has discovered the fake drug in six other states-Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, Florida and Missouri. Serono first learned of fake Serostim when it receivedphone calls fromCaliforuia consumers, longtime Serostim users wondering why their newest batch looked different or reporting unexpected skin irritations. Laboratory tests showed the substance wasn’t Serostim but an elaborate fake, sold in boxes that closdy resemble real. Serostim packages. Serono alerted pharmacists and AIDS organizations to the problem in late December; the FDA told Serono to issue a broader warning Monday to ~.ensure all. AIDS pafi.ents~get the word. How to tell the fake Serostim from. the HIV Doubles In SF Gay Men Since ’97 ¯ SAN FRANCISCO (AP)- Paul Torello is upfront about his life. He sells sex on the ¯ streets for drug money, and he’ s HIV posi- ¯ five. It’s a story he tells all of his male ¯ clients before he lets them chose whether ¯ to proceed with or without a condom. ¯ But more.often than not, his words have ¯ little effect. "It’ s sex that they really want : to have," Torello said. "That’s primarily ¯ the attitude in the city. It’ s a fun thing for ", them." That attitude is party responsible ¯ for an alarming new report released that : finds the HIV infection rate has more than ¯ doubled among San Francisco’s Gay men : in four years. ¯ The report estimates that 2.2% of-the 37,000 Gay menin San Francisco who are not infected with HIV will contract the ¯ virus - up from 1.04%in 1997. If nothing ¯ changes, 748 Gay men in San Francisco ," will fall prey to HIV this year, the report ¯ projects.Thatdraftanalysiscombinesmore than 25 studies by the University of Cali- ¯ - fornia, San Francisco, that surveyed some ." 10,000 Gay men. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Power Connect. 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Customer Services: 1-888-216-3523 Billing Inquiries: 1-888-216-3490 Outage Reporting: 1-88.8-218-3919 Clip And Save I I I I I I I Servicio a Clientes: 1-888-216-3505 Preguntas Sobre su Cuenta: 1-888-216-3491 Falta De Suministr0:1-888-218-3924 I I I I I I : blic Service Company of 01d_ahoma I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC Certified Public Accountant a professional corporation Lesbians and Gay men face.many special tax situations whether single or as couples. Electronic filing is available for faster refunds. 5,4 6.6 4021 SouthHarv.ard Avenue€ S te 2L0, Tulsa 74135 "’We’ve been at this for 20 or 21 years, and people are tired of it," said Dr. Tom Coates, director of the UCSF Aids Research Institute and one of two dozen researchers and experts on the panel that released the report. "People would rather not have to talk about difficult issues and not take precautions if they think there’ s a form of chemical s available to help them." Indeed, the new antiviral drugs responsible for extending the lives of many HIV patients may big the biggest catalyst drivingup the incidence rate ofnew infections. Long life spans make it possible for victims to spread the virus to more people, said Mike Slmver, Mayor Willie Brown’s adviser on AIDS and HIV policy and an organizer of the research panel. In addition, he said, the drugs - first released in the mid- 1990s - have eased the horror of watching loved ones die a slow, agonizing death. "Why is it going up among men having sex among men?" said Coates, who’ s been HIV-positive since 1985. "The whole idea of Gay liberation is having sex with whom you want to have sex. It’s breaking down old moralistic barriers. But it carries with it something lethal, and it’s hard for the Gay community to come to grips with." Coates said he’ s seen a 50% decrease in HIV rates among intravenous drug users. He also hasn’t seen any increases in the heterosexual population. Yet a quarter of the city’s estimated 46,800 Gay men are HIV-positive. And 80°70 of HIV infections in the city are among Gay men, the study found. That means stories like Torello’s aren’ t uncommon. A native of Hamden, Conn., Torello, 36, came to San Francisco three years ago and contracted HIV in the past 18 months. He was sharing dirty needles to sh0ot-up speed and having unprotected sex with whomever would pay. He’ s not sure how he contracted the virus. Still, he continues to prostitute himself. "Every person who I ever hook up with, I tell them. Always," said Torello. "But I’ve only been turned down once or twice." The increase isn’t unique to San Francisco. Coates said numbers are on the rise in Sydney and Vancouver. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and PreventioninAdantareports anincrease in syphilis and gonorrheaamong Gay males in Los Angeles, Miami and Seattle. "We’ re definitely concerned about Gay men across the county," said R6bert Janssen, the CDC’s director of the division of HIV/AIDS prevention. "We’re pulling together and have begun to look at a variety of ways to improve intervention and prevention programs for Gay men and to be~n to look at specific things we need to do.’ Oti the Net: http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu 800 Thai Men Over 60 Turn Positive BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - More than 800 Thai menin their 60’ s have contracted the virus that leads to AIDS in the past two years, often after unprotected casual sex with teen-age gifts, the health ministry said. The men seek sex withminors because of the misconception there is less risk of contracting the disease from them than from intercourse with older women, said ministry spokeswoman Nittaya Mahaphol, citing a recent ministry report. "We’re not sure if it’s because of the sex-booster Viagra that drives more elderly men back to sexual activity. But these men are apparently turning to casual partners or schoolgirl prostitutes to avoid getting infected," Nittaya said. Thailand has won international acclaim for its success in promoting condom use to quell an HIV epidemic that swept the nation in the early 1990s, infecting about one million people. The "100% condom program" is credited with saving an estimated 200,000 lives. Infection rates have consequently dropped, but the age-old belief still lingers that sexual intercourse with teen-age girls - the younger, the better - is safe and can rejuvenate aging men. Theministry report, based oninterviews with men who had contracted HIV, was released in a week when a 64-year old representatave of Thailand’ s upper house of Parliament was charged with statutory rape for having sex with five teen-agers. The incident has scandalized the public and dominated the front pages of national newspapers. Senator Chalerm Phromlert allegedly entertained the gifts at a hotel on the outskirts of Bangkok and paid each of them 4,000 baht ($93) to have sex. He has since resigned. South Africa Starts New Drug Study JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) - The health department has launched a pilot project to provide free anti-retroviral medication to HIV-positive mothers and evaluate its effectiveness in reducing the virus’ transmission to their nnborn children, officials said recently. The move comes amid angry debate over the government’ s often confusing response to HIV and AIDS, which infect an estimated 4.2 million South Africans. To date, anti-retroviral drugs have not been made available through the public health system. Authorities have argued that they are too expensive and that their safety has yet to be proven. Over the next six weeks, the drug Nevirapine is to be supplied to 18 hospitals and clinics, which will issue it to pregnant women who are HIV-positive, said Dr. Noro Sinalela, head of the health department’s HIV/AIDS program. The results of the pilot study are to be evaluated over the next year and, if effective, the program is to be extended. Sinalela said the country’s Medicine Control Council approved the use of Nevirapine "about a month ago" - a move that most AIDS activists said they were unaware of. "This is a huge step forward," said Sharon Ekambaram of the AIDS consortium, an alliance of 300 AIDS service organizations: "It is a sign of political will to deal with the problem. Very few of the guidelines to date have talked about treatment." Along with anti-retrovirals, the governmentalso intends to provide HIV-positive women with milkpowder, tominimize:the chances of them passing thevirus to their children through b~east=feeding. - ~i by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor Well, here we are at the time of year when hearts and flowers appear magically everywhere. St. Valentine’ s Day approacheth, and I have a few thoughts to share. First off, it was, like many other holidays appropriated from the Roman feast of Lupercalia, a celebration ~’n honor of a goddess oflove. St. Valentine was later grafted upon the date to christianize the festival in hopes of converting more common folk. As for the love aspect of the whole thing, here’s anote Ijotteddown with both a friend and myself in mind. It seemed worth sharing: v,rhat a shame that so many confuse love with ¯ well, you get the idea. "Trick" is another ¯ good film for that same effect, and has a ~ hilarious parody of aspiring actresses fea- ¯ turing Toil Spelling. Matthew Boume’s ~ homocentricversionofSwanLakeisavail- " able on video, for those with more high- . brow standards (it’s about the shirtless, : flawless swans). If you don’t mind your Stomp, photo: Lois Greenfield sentiment dished straight up, there’s "Somewhere In Time," possibly the most romantic movie anyone could watch with someone. It’ II leaveyou snailing and crying by the end. Finally, if you’re into chicken, "Chicken Run" is a wonderful film, with enough romance to keep tongues clucking. OK, the puns control and game playing. And how sad it is that when love - acceptance and physicalattraction- is offered on a silver platter, gift wrapped with no strings attached, that people run in terror from it, believing no one could ever truly love them and all their flaws and accept them simply for who and what they are and the gifts they bring to life. Instead, they choose to ignore that gift, preferring instead to run to those ~ho will reinforce feelings ofinadequacy, who will rip them apart with abuse and harsh words and cruelty, instead Of lifting them up. Is there something so comfortable in accepting that, in perhaps remmning true to our backgrounds, that we deny ourselves anything better? We are all good enough, smart enough, and worthy of acceptance. Don’t settle for anything less. And speaking of love, the one love of my life that has outlasted any man and a few women, songstress Stevie Nicks is finally releasing her new album "Trouble in Shandri La" on April 10th. She also has a song on the SweetNovember soundtrack, a tribute to a friend of hers who died of complications from AIDS. I had the privilege ofreading the lyrics and it is beautiful, a song of love and of hope that one day, there will be no such disease. The song is "Touched By An Angel", and here is a sample of the poetry she has written: "NO ONE SAW US GO... NO ONE SAID GOODBYE, BUT IN MY HEART, I LEAVE GREAT EXPECTATIONS THAT YOU WILL FIND THE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS, AND TIL~T LIFE WILL ONCE MORE. .. BEA CELEBRATION... ANDTHAT YOU WILL BE TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL." Best Valentine gift this year: Music: "Love Decides’!, Jane Olivor. Winner hands down, sure to guarantee an evening of gazing into another’ s eyes, warm gooey feelings, and a cuddle. And ff not, then you’re dating an ice queen whose heart simply cannot be reached. Video/DVD: "Broadway Damage", a wonderful romantic comedy that has a predictable but swat ending, is well-acted, and will leave the two of you smiling.., and kissing.., and, had to go somewhere! And since this is about love, let me take a moment to give the loves in my life a valentine (appearing in no particular order): Tom, for giving me a forum for sharing some info about some wonderful artists; Bonnie and Mariafor their laughter and gifts of sdf they have brought into my life, best of which is "The Bonnie and Maria Show" - and the crock pot, a true symbol of love if ever there was one; Valerie, who makes sure we stay in touch; J0ni, for being a kindred spirit and fellow mischief maker and survivor of dysfunctional families; Kate, for all the tides shared, frustrations held, and tongues tied at work; - Stefani, for all her love and support and hugs for 17 years, and for growing into the wonderful woman she has become - well worth the diaper duties, the vom squad; to Tari, for the drives to the hospital (on the bumpiest roads possible) due to back spasms at 3am, for being there, and for taking on Morn; to Richard for taking on would be bullies and exes who didn’ t want to pay their share. To Mom,for being there for 37 years, like it or not. To Peter, for the same toys growing up (Chitty), the laughter, and the asnides shared during parties and dinners; Cody, for being a friend in spite of me, and g~ving me the joy of knowing that when i get to CA, I will know someone there who. is relatively sane and sweet; Chadforbeing such agreat ex-boss and friend (I mis.s our chats!); Marti, for all her wonderful smiles and stories and for the big hugs; especially to Karin for the last 14 years of putting up with my tears, my jokes, and for .editing my poison pen letters - and for sharing with me all the joys and traumas since the day we met, as well as knowing me better than anyone on this planet - and still loving me, as well as eventually growing fond of the music of Stevie Nicks and sharing MelissaEtheridge with me; Vic and Mary Neal, for the wonderful dinners and poetry and laughs and deep conversation and political rants over the years; Terry and Paul for taking care of puppies and finding me those CDs no one else can get and for being there when I lock myself out of my house; see Amuse, p. 9 THE SMASH HIT RETURNSi. Welcomed by Wireless Feb. 20-25-Brady Theate All Carson Attractions locations, 584-2000 carsonattractions.com 20+ Groups, 477-7469 Presented by Celebrity Attractions. ¯ celebrityattractions.com ¯ ~.stompon|;ne.com Drummers of Japan March 4 7:30 p.m. Chapman Music Hall Tulsa Performing Arts Center 3rd & Cincinnati Tickets $17.50, $27.50, $35 Call 596,7111 Outside Tulsa: 1 800 364-7111 www.tulsapac.com presented by the Tulsa PAC Trust "Perfection in music" Boston Globe "Total brain massage" Independent on Sunday "... waves of percussive sound that seemed to turn Carnegie Hall itself into a resonant cavity ..." New York Times ....... ,, Don’ t let winter keep you inside hibernating- there’ s plenty going on in Tulsain February ! Holland Hall School will present-the 41st Annual Book Fair & Market (an annual event since 1961). Organized by the Holland Hall Parents’ Association., it is the state’s largest used book sale and typically draws as many as 10,000 patrons. It’ s open Saturday, February 24, 9 - 5, Sunday, February 25, noon - 5pro at the Holland Hall Middle School,5666 E. 81st Street. Parking is available on campus. Admission is only $1 for adults 18 and ~ver and is good for both days. Besides books and art, the Fair offers a"flea market" with householditems, clothes, electronic goods, records and CDs, kids wear and more. Not to be missed are two very big bang events: in February, Celebrity Attractions, knownfor their Broadway shows, is bringing back "stomp" at the Brady on Feb. 20 - 25. Part dance, mostly drumming, the 8 member group has played from London to the Acropolis, all over television and their work has won Obie, Olivier and Drama Desk awards. Call 584-2000 for more information and don’t miss them! Early in March, one performance only on Sunday, March 4th at 7:30pro, at the Performing Arts Center (so get those tickets now - March will be too late), the Kodo Drummers of Japan return to Tulsa for the first time in 10 years. Their performance Frieda, Chewie and Luke for the licks and grins; to the staff at Metro, who have become friends and family away from home; to Terry and Barry for making me feel welcome when I first arrived and who accepted me into their circle - special thanks for the invite to the anniversary bash, guys, it was fabulous; and finally:to Brian, for refusing to let walls stand in his way, for rocking my world, and for being the one other gay man in OK who loves Stevie Nicks almost as much as I do, who knows who Linda Eder is, and for loving me in spite of myself. And to my new friend Lindsay, who bonded almost instantly with me and shares my love of Stevie’s music as wall. To all the people who have gifted me with their presence in my life, whose paths crossed with mine and left a smile on both our faces. I am incredibly lucky to have been gifted with .these people’ s presence inmy life, and this ~s my .valentine to them all, and to all the people reading this column, Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too! Heller Theatre presents "Trust," Steven Dietz’ dramedy set in the rock music scene running Feb 8-17; 746-5065 for info/tix. The Lipizzaner Stallions will be trotting The Junior Chamber Mission Foundation held Chilifor Children. a fundraiserforfamilies affected byHtV/ AIDS at St. Louis Bread Co. SLBC coowner" Sue Stees is joined by JCMF and SLBC staff, photo: Tracey E. Norvell takes traditional Japanese drumnnng, "taiko," and like Stomp, combines musical performance with athletic grace Call the PAC box office at 596-7111, 800-364-.7111, or www.tulsapac.com Community women might want to head south to San Antonio for the 14th Texas Lesbian Conference. Comedian Karen Williams will perform atthe Marcia 23- 25 event to be held at the Riverwalk’ s Amerisuites near San Antonio’s historic King William District. Other speakers and workshops will be presented covering many of Lesbian life. Call 210-532- 9821 or email to: TLCSanAntonio @aol.com for more information. Saturday, Feb. 10, Tulsa~s Largest Garage Sale will be held at Expo Square on the Fairgrounds from 8-4pm. Only $3, it helps local charities raise funds. It’ s organized by the Mental Health Association in Tulsa. Community of Hope usually has a booth in this event. Find cool things and do good all at the same time. Thatsame day, Dillon International, Inc. will hold an international adoption workshop from 9:30-4:30 atAsbury Methodist’ s "Outback" in the back side of the Park Plaza Center. Thefee is $60/family or $401. single. Unverified rumor is that Dillon’s director does not allow Gays or Lesbians to adopt because of religious beliefs. You might want to ask before you write that check! see About. p. 11 up the town at Maxwell Convention Center on the 1 lth; 584-2000 "Rashomon" a story of a bandit on trial for the death of a samurai and rape of his wife will be performed at the University of Tulsa; 631-2567. "She drives me crazy, ooh, ooh...’" tops, no, that’s "Driving Miss Daisy," runs Feb 23-March 3 with American Theatre Company, 747-9494. TulsaBalletpresents "Romeo andJuliet" again, Feb 23-25, 749-6006. When are they going to do the all male version, "Romeo and Julio?" Sounds like ajob for. ¯ . Matthew Bourne! I’m still waiting for them to do his take on "Swan Lake." Tulsa Opera presents "Tannhauser," Wagner’ s epic of love, death, magic, religion, mayhem and revelryrtmning Feb 10, 16, and 18. Goddess bless.. Hey, Venus makes a special appearance, so if you’re looking for lo*e, the PAC’ s the place to be on those nights. And the big show of the month is "STOMP" a raucous and spirited evening of rhythm, music and percussion, all created by ordinary and extraordinary household objects! Feb 20-25 at the Brady Theatre, presented by Celebrity Attractions. It is a show that will have you tapping feet, fingers, and the chairs of other patrons. But try not to be too annoying... by Lamont Lindstrom I was reading up on secrecy and modesty recently and I noticed that some anthropologists claim that modesty is a human universal. People - unlike dogs, horses, or even chimpanzees - retire into the shadows to make love. Whoa, I thought! How~ about all those orgies I hear about (but never seem to get invited to)? Orthoseexhibitionists on webcamnow.com? And what about the infamous toilets in Tulsa’s River Parks? Last year Tulsa’ s Mental Health Association hosted a working group on what to do about public sex in the parks. Various participants from the city and county park administrations, the District Attorney’s office, - the police, probation offic- ¯.. some anthropologists elalm that modesty is a human universal... Whoa, I thought! How about all those orgies I hear about . ?. Or those exhibitionists on webeamnow.eom? And what about the infamous toilets in Tulsa’s River Parks.. ? " ers, and mental health professionals convened throughout the year to discuss solutions to public sex. In particular, they sought ways to discourage recidivism. Local wisdom has it (although hard statistics seem peculiarly difficulty to produce) that the officers who police the toilets are arresting the same individuals time and again. Most of the folks around the table were havdved, professionally, wlthneurosis and deviance. It is no surprise, therefore, that the group favored a response that combines repression with therapy. First, arrest anyone with his pants down, and then make some sort of sex therapy ajudicially imposed component ofhis probation. Like myanthropological colleagues, weTulsans presume that public sex is abnormal, even unnatural. It’ s a problem to solve. Those who do it in the streets frighten the horses or even worse, in this century, the children. My inclination instead would be to gain an understanding of the culture of public sexuality..Although not exactly a community, the men involved are a population which shares enoughcultural expectations and understandings through which to fulfill their equally shared desires. My anthropological imperative would be, first, to figure out the native point of view. However, there is a cautionary precedent that makes one worry about hanging about public sex venues. Sociologist Laud Humphreys got into hot water when he published his 1970 book, Tearoom Trade: Impersonal Sex in Public Places. Back in those days, he hadn’ t thought to inform the "trade" who he observed in St. Louis’ public toilets that he was, in fact, studying them. And their wives also were rather shocked when Humphreys turned up on their doorsteps for an interview, having traced the toilet trade’ s home addresses by means of_their car tags. Humphreys’ controvers~ al research was one of the factors that encouraged sociologists to write up code of research ethics. According to police participants in the Mental HealthAssn’ s working group, most of those arrested in Tulsa park restrooms, similarly, are married men. But this can only be part of the story: True, the toilets serve as convenient meeting places for otherwise respectablemen in searchofanonymous sex on their way home to wife and kids. But toilets are also complex sites where self-identified Gays, selfidentified Straights, and everyonein-betweencome together. Don, one ofmy earliest Gay friends, used to astonish me with his boldness. Don prefers anonymous and public sexual encounters. Don has had sex in tiny Korean Airline washrooms, underneath scraggly bushes near the University of Hawai’i’ s baseball stadium, on sandy, public beaches, in cars parked at Wal-Mart, and at trnckstops and highway rest areas stretching from Tulsa to Los Angeles. Don also used to hang out at the one rrated video arcade in Tulsa. I learned from him about the lively community of regulars there who know, or at least recognize, one another. These guys kill time chatting and kikiing until some fresh meat- one of those passing married guys, perhaps - drops in. Then polite chatter turns into sometimes vicious competitton over who. elbows his way first into the video booth. Gay activists, understandably, are concemed that the public at large is way too happy to tar us all with the scarlet brush of promiscuity and uncouth sexuality. They hasten to underline that the majority of park toilet denizens are married and therefore at least presumptively strS. But park toilets feature men having sex with men, however they define themselves, and the Gay community inescapably is implicated and involved. Equality Colorado, a Gay activist group in Denver, has worked with local police to create an outreach program. Men hanging about park toilets are contacted and provided information about STDs, and about better places to cruise. This, of course,just removes the ]problem3 elsewhere. And such removal is perhaps more difficult to aclfieve in Tulsa where authorities have closed down alternate sex sites such as the notorious Overlook on the way to Key~ stone Lake, and downtown movie houses and restrooms. Still, one might hope that those homymarried guys might at least be canny enough to check out the scores of chatrooms and other internet opportunities to meet up, and thus remove their business from the public eye. Butthings are not so simple. Culture and desire both are at work here. There is an international subculture of public sexual- ¯, ity that stretches from Tulsa to Japan to Britain to beyond. You could take a Tulsa ¯ River Parks denizen and drop himin Hyde : Park in Sydney, Australia and within 10 ¯ minuteshe’dbebusy, seePrivates,p. 11 Timothy W, Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partnership Planning, Personal Injury, _Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma Weekend and evening appointmenls are available. Want to save Money and Help Build a Community Center? Switch to Rainbow Communications Long Distance and More, 10% of Revenues Will Benefit Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Capital Campaign and General Fund For more information, call 665-3401 or evenings at 447-8602. your special needs! IGTA member Call 341.6866 Intorn tion l Tl~ lJ FS formoreinformation. TULSA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY ¯ Country Club Barbering Custom Styling for Men & Women David Kauskey 3310 E. 51st, 747-0236,’~Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-Spm ! )ody Tulsa’s only professional body-piercing College Hill Presbyterian Church In response to God’ s Love, College Hill Presbyteri-~,an~ Church is a community of GodN people called to tell others the Gospel of Jesus Christ through worship, service, and evangelism. To nurture our faith, we gather for worship, prayer, study and fellowship. Trusting in a living, loving God, we seek to become a cq,mpassionate voice for peace and justice. Our congregation, welcomes all persons who respond in trust and obedience to God’ s grace m Jesus Christ, and desire to become part of the membership and ministry of Christ’ s church. Membership is open to all people regardless of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition, marital status, or sexual orientation. Sunday Worship 1 lam 712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800 (One block west of Delaware and the University of Tulsa Campus) If one offered an alternative space - a motel, perhaps, with backdoors - for married guys to have happy-hour sex with one another, those park toilets would still be hopping. Clearly, the forbidden can be exciting. Public and anonymous sex is a pervasive feature Ofhumannature, despite what my anthropological and psychological colleagues might suppose. in 1997 and 1999, says he will try again this year. ’‘The chances do look better," Chisum saidl "After Vermont’s fiasdo, there is a growing support to step up to the table and do the right thing." To Texas Gay civil rights activists, Chisum’s bill is vindictive. "We already we know we can’t get married here," said Diane Hardy-Garcia, executive director of the Lesbian and Gay Rights Lobby of Texas. "The only thing that can happen with this is division and hurt.’" Hardy-Garcia said her legislative priority this year is ahate-erimes bill. "Those of us from conservative Southern states have to be very realistic about what we do," she said. "Legislators would think I’mcrazy if I went up and asked them to pass a marriage bill fight now." In New York and Rhode Island, however, openly Gay legislators plan to introduce Gay-marriage bills this year. Rhode Island Rep. Michael Pisaturo is unsure whether his bill will get through the House Judiciary Committee, but said he is intent on persevering year after year until he prevails or loses his seat. "Most of my colleagues realize it’s the right and fair thing to do," he said. "But politically, it’s a different story. Most politicians really worry about getting re-elected." Pisaturo has rejected suggestions that he propose civil unions, rather than marriage. "I can’ t accept anything the codifies in statute my second-c!ass citizenship," he said. In New York, state Sen. Tom Duane plans to introduce two bills, one proposing civil tmions and the other full-fledged marriage for same-sex couples, according to his chief of staff, Andrew Berman. "We see these two as long-term projects," said Berman, explaining that Duane’s proposals would lack teeth until other anti-discrimination measures are enacted. Despite the efforts ofPisaturo andDuane, the director of the ACLU’s Lesbian and Gay Rights Project doesn’t expect any state to swiftly endorse Gay marriage. "Thereisn’ t anotherVermonton the shortterm horizon," said Matt Coles. "It will look like there’ s a pause in the movement. But I say to people, ’Look more closely.’" He said polls now suggest a majority, of Americans favor some legal rights forGay couples, albeit not official marital status. He also noted the increasing number of corporations extending domestic-partnersh~ p benefits to Gay employees. "Tenyears ago there werejust ahandful of companies doing that," Coles said. "Now, it’ s becoming the standard of operation." Activists in both camps also detect growing empathy forGays and Lesbians among young Americans, as evidenced by the spread of Gay-Straight alliances at high schools and colleges. ’’The young people get it," said Deanna Kaffke, a Gay civil rights leader who teaches at the University of Nebraska. "Even with a conservative student body, a majority of students on campus see that this is a civil rights issue." If Vermont’ s civil union law has helped galvanize opposition to Gay marriage, it also has inspired many same-sex couples. Among them are Marcie Elias and Hillary Smith, partners for more than two years in New York City who are planning a civilunion ceremony later this year in Vermont. Elias, 28, described herself as "very traditional." ’T ve always envisioned myself getting married and having a ho~e. When I came out, that never changed. Many Gay couples see no need foi: a formal ceremony, she said, "but in my mind it’ s important to get up in front ofmy closest friends and family and say, ’This is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.’" Elias, a management consultant, predicted that a steady stream of same-sex couples would go to Vermont to enter civil unions, then return home and seek legal benefits reserved for heterosexual married couples. "They’ 11 get their requests denied and eventually it’ s going toworkits way to the courts," she said. "As more and more Gay couples startdamoring forlegal rights and protections, it will become more and more of an administrative nightmare for the states." Wolfson, the Lambda Defense Fund attorney, agreed that civil unions made in Vermont would spawn lawsuits.’’This is not some chess game," he said. "These are real people who have entered a serious legal relationship. As they encounter discrimination or even uncertainties, there will be litigation. It will arise out of genuine crisis." MiltonRegan, aprofessoratGeorgetown University Law Center who specializes in family law, predicted that state courts would be the pivotal battleground over the next several years as Gay couples seek broader rights."The growing recognition from the corporate sector begins to confer some legitimacy," Regan said. "But it’s not going to be inexorable, and there will be backlashes in many areas. It’s one of thosebattlegrounds in which there is lurching in one direction and the other- another front in the cultural war." Over at Philbrook, if you hurry, there’ s a sweet exhibit, Tulsa Collects, Treasures from Private Collections, up till Feb. 11. The show features historical and contemporary European and American paintings, sculpture and Native American art and artifacts. There is a Thomas Moran painting as well as works by French Impressionists, Edouard Vuillard, Camille Pissarro, 20th century American ardsts Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, Andrew Wyeth, and glass sculptor Dale Chihuly. Philbrook is located at 2727 S Rockford Rd. Call 749-7941 for information. Saturday, February ~7th, 8pm-Midnight The Brady Mansion 620 North Denver DJ, Hors d’oeuvres, Party Pics, Cash Bar, Live Entertainment, Dress Mild to Wild Door prizes for Best Dressed Tickets: $15 advance or $20 at the door Available at: The Tulsa GLBT Community Center 2114 South Memorial Drive, 918-743-4297 and select vendors listed on the website. Proceeds benefit The Pyramid Project "Building a Home - Funding the Future, for the Tulsa GLBT Community Center." Made Possible by Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR), www.PyramidProject.org Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2001] Tulsa Family News, February 2001; Volume 8, Issue 2 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 2001 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohn Karin Gregory Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Hughston Walkinshaw Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, January 2001; Volume 8, Issue 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United Stated Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/609 About Town adoption AIDS arts and entertainment Boy Scouts businesses churches civil rights civil unions Council Oak Men's Chorale fake AIDS drug gay bashing Gay marriage Gay Studies HIV HIV drug study HIV testing James Hormel Lamont Lindstorm legal protection marriage equality Martin Luther King Jr. Parade Openarms Youth Project performing arts public sex Red Cross Red Rock Tulsa restaurants services Soulforce Sound and Spirit Tom Neal Tulsa Family News Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights vandalism Wild Hearts Ball https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/415e8b55759eca83dc83e2ea8f685843.jpg 94d8f329c885af31c0dfff66fa95dc42 https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/71ead5639d2fb655741a95be7c930d07.pdf be16ca1224a3677c465dddb080fd7d50 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Tulsa .Red Cross Pledges to Diversity TULSA (TFN)- In a recent interview with chief executive officer Roger Dahl, Polly Bowen, chief administrati,~ e officer, Melissa Ramirez, public relations officer, and new diversity co-ordinator Dannette McIntosh, the Tulsa Chapter of the American Red Cross (non-blood services) discussed their new "diversity" policy. The policy, which applies to paid staff and volunteers, recognizes explicitly "sexual orientation" as well as statuses which traditionally have legal recognition. The written policy states the intent for the "American Red Cross to be an inclusive community, free from discrimination and prejudice." The statement includes a signature line which volunteers or staff must sign. According to Dahl and McIntosh, the change is in keeping with traditional Red Cross goals~vhich strove to provide services to all based only on need. But in a recent organizational review, see Cross, p. 10 Transgendered Cop to Speak at TOHR Meeting TULSA (TFN) - On March 13, Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR) will its monthly membership meeting. In addition tO a social period beginning at 6:30 with soft drinks, and organizational business at 7:30, the meeting will feature a speaker whois opeul.y transgendered and who is an Oklahoma City police officer. The speaker is knowledgable in self-defense techniques. Other business will include budget and other announcements about this summer’s Diversity Fest and Parade. Later in the month,TOHR will host the second of the Gill Foundation fundraising seminars. Some 21 groups have joined TOHR in this training, most of whom are not Lesbian or Gay groups. They include Tulsa Opera, Tulsa Philharmonic, NARAL, the Tulsa Boys Home, Neighbors on the Line, the League ofWomenVoters, as well as Council Oak Men’s Chorale, HOPE, Tulsa CARES, and PFLAG. On March 24, at 7pro, TOHR wil! host a pot-luck dinner at the Center. Also, TOHR and Red Rock Behavioral Health Services are implementing two new programs. The first is a Coming Out group. This program is designed to assist persons who are in the initial stages of dealing with their sexuality. The program is open to women and men. Meetings will take place at the Community Center each Tuesday night at 7pm. see TOHR, p. 11 MJ DIRECTORY P. 2 ~ EDITORIAL P. 3 US & WORLD NEWS P. 4 ~ HEALTH NEWS P. 6 Z ENTERTAINMENT + MORE P. 8 GAY STUDIES/RAGING LESBIAN P. 10/11 Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Jenks Senior S.tarts Gay/Straight Alliance JENKS, AMERICA (TFN) - When right wing Utah US Senator Orrin Hatch created an equal access bill to allow student religious groups to use public school facilities, he probably never dreamed he was also making it possible for Gay and Gay-friendly high school students to start Gay/Straight Alliances - even in conservative Oklahoma. But in Jenks, one ofTulsa’ s suburbs (which like Broken Arrow grew from a small farm town in the 60’s and 70’ s as Tulsa whites fled integration in Tulsa Public Schools), an 18 year old senior did his homework, knew the law, bucked the system, got some help and got a Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) started. Kevin Barker said he once didn’t think he’d be the one to start a GSA. He is friends with Will Allen and Kent Doss, other young Gay activists and knew Allen had helped start a GSA at Tulsa’s Washington High. Doss encouraged Barker to take the initiative but Barker characterized himself as one who once considered the DC based Human Rights Campaign as "too radical." But as he went through his "coming out" process, opening up to his friends and school community - and generally being accepted, he reconsidered. And that’s when he started researching equal access laws, and looking at other resources. By the middle of last fall, he was ready and went to Jenks High School administrators and, not surprisingly, started to get therunaround. Perhaps school officials thought they could stall or bluff him enough that he’d give up. But Barker called for help and contacted the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network’s newest chapter in Oklahoma City. OKC GLSEN co-chair Rhouda Rudd received an e-mail from Barker and forwarded his letter to other members of the chapter. Chapter members Rob Abiera and Joe Quigley suggested that Barker contact Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR). Qnigley, oneofthefoundingmembers ofOklahomaCityGLSEN and a teacher of several years’ experience, also sent a list of contacts, see Jenks, p. 2 In Or Out: Effects of the Closet TULSA ~TFN) - What are the psychological effects of being in or out of the closet for GLBT’s will be the subject of the next Sou!force In Oklahoma at a Tulsa meeting on Monday, March 19th. Dr. Shirley Hunter, fromOklahoma City, who is a Licensed Professional Coun.selor and a Licensed Marital and Family Therapist, will be the guest speaker. According to Soulforce In Oklahoma, religious groups often covertly or overtly encourage Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender persons to remain silent within churches about their sexuality or risk the possibility of rejection. Many faith groups advocate a "don’t ask -.don~t tell" policy for their congregants and ministers. As a consequence, GLBT folks struggle with the decision whether or not to come out. Dr. Hunter will speak on the subject of coming out and lead a discussion for audience participation. The meeting will be from 6-8pm at the Tulsa Gay/Lesbian/ Bisexual/Transgender Services Center. The center is located at 2114 S. Memorial, Tulsa. (918-743-4297). Shirley Hunter started her private practice in psychotherapy in Oklahoma,City in 1978. The focus of her practice has been for Gays, Lesbians and their families. Dr. Hunter was instrumental in establishing the first Gay help line in Oklahoma City in the early 80’s. She was also a participant in the first homosexual hearings of the United Methodist Church, and served on the task force for homosexuality at Church of the Servant, one of the state’s largest Methodist churches. Dr. Hunter has spoken to groups throughout the stateinduding university groups, community groups, and professional groups concerning Gay, Lesbian andHIVissues. Dr. Hunter and herpartner, Jan Tipton, have been together for almost 23 years, and they reside in OKC. In Tulsa, the group meets on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month and is a grassroots movement ofGLBT and allied people, from diverse rdigious traditions who are dedicated to bringing about justice for the GLBT community. For more information visit the Soulforce National website at "www.soulforce.org" or contact local members: Karen at "karen@cwis.net", 918-452- 2761, Sue at "knalig@worldnet.att.net", 587-3248, or Femando at "Pandafe477@cs.com", 295-0030. Our Families + Friends Presbyterians Hold Gay Spirituality Event TULSA (TFN) - Tulsa’s College Hill Presbyterian Church, 10ng knownas theprogressive church among local congregations is sponsoring a weekend retreat for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender persons. The event called, "Re-Connecting Body and Spirit" will be on March 16-18 at the historic Presbyterian camp Dwight Mission near Muskogee. It’s billed as "A Weekend Retreat about Spirituality, Sexuality and Building Relationships to Last A Lifetime..." and features as facilitator, the Reverend Laurene M. Lafontaine. Lafontaine is an out Lesbian and an alumnae of Princeton Theological Seminary, and serves as "pulpit supply" (floating minister) for Denver area churches. Lafontaine also teaches and coaches at Saint Mary’s Academy in Englewood, Colorado. "Re-Connecting Body and Spirit" seeks to help individuals marginalized by repressive church policies around matters of sexuality. The retreat hopes to help individuals to re-connect spirituality with identity to help build an inclusive faith community. Organizers say that the retreat’will offer opportunities for worship, discussion, recreation, bonding, and alliance building. The goal is to build a church for everyone. The event will start after 6pm on Friday evening as participants arrive. That evening will be a get acquainted time with no formal programs except for a Vespers service at 10pm. Saturday will combine fellowship at meals with workshops from "Religion and Spirituality: Our Images of God," to "Discovering and Making the Connections between Sexuality and Spirituality." Sunday momingworship follows breakfast, see Retreat, p. 11 ¯ Presbyterians Vote On Anti-Gay Amendment ¯ US/TULSA (AP/TFN) -Around the United States, ¯ regional governing bodies for the Presbyterian Church, ¯ U.S.A. are voting on a measure called "Amendment O."The amendment is another product of the30-year ¯ struggle over homosexuality, that has gripped the 2.6 ¯ million-member Presbyterianchurchand othermain- ¯ line Protestant denominations. The proposed amend- " ment, passed by the national governing body of the ¯ denominationin2000,wouldruleoutinvoking"God’s ¯ blessing.., on any relationship that is inconsistent ¯ with" the view that people should live "in fidelity ¯ within the covenant of marriage between a man and ¯ a woman or in chasti,ty in singleness." ~ The proposed amerldment would insert an instruc- ~ tion in the church’s governing Book of Order that ¯ Presbyterian churches and clergymust not approve or ¯ invoke God’s blessing on any relationship but those. ¯ For some Presbyterians, that raised the specter of ¯ babies-denied baptism if born out of wedlock, or refusing marriage to couples who had lived together ~ for years. ¯ At press time, theproposedban on same-sex unions was failing nationally, 39 to 67, according to an unofficial count on Presbyweb, one of several independent church groups posting running vote totals on ¯ the Interact. However, all sides expected the margin to tighten by the May 25 deadline. South Louisiana Presbyterians voted to reject Amendment O. The vote marked the first time that a majority of the leaders for the more than 13,000 ¯ Presbyterians in the southern part of Louisiana have granted a victory to Gay Presbyterians. It remained unclear, however, if the vote meant they approve of ¯ Gay marriage. Some commissioners of the Presbytery of South Louisiana, see Vote, p. 2 Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants *Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine *CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial *Play-Mor, 424 S. Memorial Pol6 Grill, 2038 Utica Square 832-1269 "- 610-5323 : 838-9792 ." 744-4280 ¯ *Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main 585-3405 " *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st 745-9998 " *Schatzi’s, 2619 S. Memorial 280-1316 : *The Star, 1565 Sheridan 834-4234 ¯ *TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial 660-0856 " *Tool Box II, 1338 E. 3rd 584-1308 " *Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan 835-2376 : *The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 749-1563 ¯ Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals " Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000 : Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 " Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 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, 3807c S. Peoria *Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth " Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis ." Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 " 25O-5034 665-4580 712-1122 712-9955 494-2665 743-5272 746-0313 295-5868 581-0902, 743-4117 622-0700 749-3620 744-5556 838-8503 369-8555 584-0337, 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 834-7921, 748-0224 260-7829 481-0558 835-5563 743-1733 665-2222 592-0767 www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays &Lesbians Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579-9593 *Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria *Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial Ross Edward Salon Events Unlimited, 507 S. Mmn Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. P~,o.ria Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th P1. Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare *Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st Learme 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, 308 South Kenosha *Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 *Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo *The Pride Store Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101 Richard’s Carpet Cleaning Teri Schutt, Ellen & Co. Paul Tay, Car Salesman *Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling *Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan - *Whittier News Stand, 1 N Lewis 743-2363 587-7314 583-7815 583-9780 585-1201 & Florence 587-1314 747-6300 749-0595 748-3888 712-1511 ,M1 Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston *Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th PI. Church of the Restoration UU; 1314N.Greenwood *Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale *Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation Council Oak Men’s Chorale *Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615 POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159, e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net PubLisher + Editor: Tom Neal Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Kati~egory, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom,-Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw~ -. Member of The Associated Press --~_~ _ Issued around the 1 st of each month, the entire conte~s of this publication are protected by US copyright 2001 by Tulsa Family News and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes the sole property of Tulsa Family News. Eachxeader is entitled to 4 copies of each edition at distribution poi~.~:-~_- Additional copies are available by calling 58~3~. *Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E.-31~-~., 742-2457 ¯ Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catl:~oliEs & ¯ Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 -- 355:T140 , *Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777 *Free SpiritWomen’s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669 Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827 " Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438 " *Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194 ¯ HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378 ¯ *HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstrie~, 1517 S. Memorial 224-4754 ¯ *MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715 ¯ NAMES Project, 3507 E. Adunr~tal P1. 748-3111 ¯ NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658 ¯ OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157 ¯ *OSU-Tulsa ¯ PFLAG, 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 ¯ St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cindnnati 425-7882 ¯ St Dunstan’s E iscopal, 5635 E 71st 492-7140 *St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088 ¯ Soulforce-OK, Rt.4,#3534,Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761 ¯ *Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171 ¯ *TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225 ¯ Tulsa County Health Department, 4616E. 15 595-4105 ¯ Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only ¯ Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, Gay Comm. Center 743-4297 ¯ TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvocacyCoalition, POB2687,Tulsa 74101 ¯ T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform]Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827 ¯ *Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule ¯ *Tulsa Community College Campuses ¯ *Tul sa Gay Commumty Center, 21 st &Memorial 743-4297 ¯ Unity Churchof Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833 ¯ ¯ BARTLESVILLE Bartlesville Public Library,600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353 ¯¯ TAHLEQUAH Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900 ¯ Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900 ’ k Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360 EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734 Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main 501-253-7457 ¯ DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 501-253-6807 ¯ Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445 : MCC of the Living Spring 501-253-9337 ¯ Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253-2776 ¯ Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332 Positive Idea Marketing Plans " 501-624-6646 White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074 ¯ JOPLIN, MISSOURI ¯ Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 41%623-4696 ¯¯ aregional grouping of71 local Presbyterian churches, said they were voting against a ¯ national proposal to ban same-sex unions ¯ because it seemed incidentally to ban much ¯ else, such as baptizing children of single ¯ mothers. Commissioners defeated the proposal 77-63, sending their vote to headquar- ¯ ters of the Presbyterian Church in Louis- ¯ ville, Ky., where the votes of the nation’s ¯ other 172 presbyteries are being tallied. : The Presbytery of Greater Atlanta which ~- represents 110 churches voteddownAmend- " merit O, while its counterpart in northeast ¯ Georgia voted the other way. The 256-225 Atlanta vote agmnst the amendment came ~ by paper ballot after an hour’s discussion. : The Northeast Georgia Presbytery voted in ¯ favor of the amendment 65-61. "We had a ~ very spiritual, pastorally sensitive and open ¯ debateeven thoughour votewas very close," said the Rev. Keyon Meeks Jr., executive of the presbytery. Currently, according to a ruling last year by the denomination’s highest court, ministers in the denominationmay perform samesex blessing services as long as they are not c.o.nsidered the same as marriage ceremorues. - The Presbytery of Eastern Oklahoma is scheduled to vote on Amendment O, along with a number of other proposed amendments on Tuesday, March 6 at John Knox Presbyterian Church. ¯ TOHR’s president Kerry Lewis (who is an attorney) and the Oklahoma chapter of ¯ the American Civil Liberties Union pro- " vided him with legal advice on how to deal ¯ withresistance on the part of the principal at ¯ Jenks High School. : Barker’s experience with his principal’s ¯ stalling might now seem funny. He was ¯ asked to give them more time, told that they ¯ had to talk with the school attorney whojust : happened not to be available, etc. but who ¯ suddenly became much more accessible af- ¯ ter Barker called local mainstream media: ¯ Apparently shortly afterreceiving calls from : TV and Tulsa World reporters, inducting ¯ Ch. 8’s Glenda Silvey, Barker was called ¯ into the principal’s office where he received ", something that resembled an apology. ¯ However, since receiving approval for the ¯ group, the GSA has continued to struggle to ¯ receive equal access to school resources ," which other groups take for granted. This : harassmentranges from the sudden enforce- ¯ mentonrules abouthanding out flyers (rules ¯ that had never been enforced recently) to ¯ having their group announcements in the school bulletin printed in miniscule type. ¯ Despite the struggle, Jenks GSA had a ¯ successful first meeting with 40 people at- " tending, about 30 of whom were not Gay. ¯ And the success in Jenks appears to have ¯ inspired the formation of groups at Tulsa ¯ Rogers, Union High and in Broken Arrow. ¯ As Barker notes, if it can happen at Jenks, ¯ then it can happen anywhere, and he stated ¯ in an e-mail to his allies, "the law, and God " was on our side for this one, and we did it!. ¯ .do not be discouraged, the world will iswhereyoucanffmdTl~N.NotallareGay.ownedba,,a~.~o.,.,IH~my~"~’~ ¯ change, even if it is one person at a timeF’ ,.... by Elizabeth Birch, executive director WASHINGTON (Feb.2 !) - As we begin a new political reality with Georg~W. Bush as our nation’s 43rd president and Republicans in charge of Congress and the White House for the first time in four decades, supporters ofGay equality have expressed apprehension about what this political moment portends for Gay issues. While the question remains largely unanswered, we can gain some comfort in noting that we are also living in a reality of growing public distaste for anti-Gay behavior, whether by self-righteous radio hosts or misguided office seekers. In the marketplace of ideas, anti-Gay positions are finding fewer and fewer takers - a point not lost on our new president. "... we can gain some comfoit in noting that we are also living in a reality of growing public distaste for anti-Gay behavlor, whether by self-rlghteous radio host,- or misguided office seekers. In the marketplace of ideas, anti-Gay positions are finding fewer and fewer takers - a point not lost on our new president.. ¯." 1992, by the Gallup organization whether Gays should have equaljob opportunities, 71% Of those polled said "yes." By 1999, 83% said "yes." When asked by Gallup whether homosexuality should be an acceptable lifestyle, in 1992, 38% said"yes." By 1999, 52% had said"yes." In 1995, apoll conducted by Lake Snell Perry showed Independents, akey Bush constituency, when asked whether they thought Gay rights were equal rights or special rights, 41% said "equal." By 1998, that number jumped to 55%. This data underscores an increasingly supportive electorate that will provide a firm foundation on which we can build relationships with thenew administration. The lessons we have learned since 1994 when Republicans took over the Senate and the House of Representatives, is that public opinion has provided us with vital leverage. Working with allies inside and outside of Congress we have been able to stop every anti-Gay legislative attack, and there were many, except one, the Defense of Marriage Act. During this period, the Employment Non Discrimination Act came within one of vote of passing the Senate and though it has yet to become law, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act passed the Senate by a wide margin and the House passed a non-binding resolution supporting the measure. Our progress does not rest with any one individtml, political party or component of government. It comes from making our case to the American people, who at the end of day, will be the final arbiters of judgment regarding our nation’s leaders. When the new President Bush nominated former Missouri Sen. John Ashcroft to be attorney general the conventional wisdom among most Gay advocates was that the President would have had a tough time picking someone anti-Gay. The fact that the attorney general can have a direct, dramatic impact on the lives of Gay people only exacerbated the apprehension surrounding the nomination. What transpired during the confirmation process was unexpected. Sen. Ashcroft felt the political need to state unequivocally under oath thathewouldnot discriminateonthebasis of sexual orientation, apositionhe never took (orhad to take) until coming before the full body ofpublic opinion represented by the entire Senate. Of course, we will judge him by his actions, not his words. After eight years of the Clinton Administration, our community, its orgamzations and leaders are looking at what lies ahead in this new, more ambiguous environment. Not all will come to the same conclusions and not all will be driven by the same priorities, but most are motivated by the goal of equality for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgendered Americans. At the Human Rights Campaign, we campaigned vigorously for A1 Goreforpresident.Wethoughtherepresented the besthopefor ourcommumty and would offer the best environment to move our issues forward. That did not come to pass. The campaign is over. It is time to govern. Thenew president has completed his transition from campaign to governing. So too does HRC move from campaigning to making sure the new administration governs fairly and inclusively. We will accomplish this by using political acumen, relationships with Congress, the moral imperative and the growing support of public opinion. The Washington, D.C. based Human Rights Campaign is the largest US civil rights organization focused On Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered issues. HRC engages in education and lobbying at thefederal level. Call HRC-Tulsa at 582-4673. President Bush has largely tried to sidestep Gay issues throughout his public career. When he has been pinned down on issues, he mosdy tries to balance his positions by trying not to appear intolerant, yet not alienating his socially conservativebase. Hehas commendably stated he will not discriminate based on sexual orientation. However, his statements have consistently been tempered with implications that homosexuality is a private matter underscoring the inequity contrasted by heterosexuality being an obvious public matter. Despite his strategy ofavoidance, President Bush has taken a few positions as governor and during, his campaign that are not Gay-supportave, most notably his support in the spring of 1999 for a law that would ban Gay people from adopting children. The public has come along way over the course of the last eight years toward support of Gay issues. When asked in by Christian Grantham The first time I heard songs from the Marshal Mather’s LP by tapper Eminem was on MTV. The music didn’t seem all that different from everything else the network played, : and I didn’t pay too much attention. It wasn’t undl the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) publicly critiqued the album and led protests at the MTV Music ~ Awards against the artist that I gave it another listen. ¯ The questionable content that concernedGLAAD was lyrical prose depicting violence " against Gays and women. The lyrics were a perfect vehicle for the organization to ] demonstrate how homophobia has permeated our culture. Like a predictable,virus, the controversy acted as a host and propdled the artist’s content into the spotlight whe4e art’ s ¯ success i s often measured. ¯ The lyrical content is disturbing. But "disturbing" can describe pretty much any ¯ provocative art. What’s great about the album is F,minem’s presentation: it’s angry, it’s raw and it’s real. It’s so real, in fact, that Eminem took criticism from Gay and Lesbian leaders and publications for somehow inspiring society’s homophobia. Supporters like Madonna, Stevie Wonder and Elton John came to his defense reminding us that blaming, the artist for society’s ills cuts both ways. Who knows how many unwanted pregnancies in the 80s Madonna is responsible for, right? It wasn’t until Elton John agreed to perform with the controversial tapper at the Grammy’s that the shit hit the "fans," so to speak. "... The lyrical content is disturbing. But "disturbing" can describe pretty much any provocative art. ~/hat’s great about the album is Emlnem’s presentation: it’s angry~ it’s raw and it’s real ..." Caught off guard, GLAAD quickly urged Elton John to live up to the standards for which he was presented GLAAD’s Vito Russo Award the previous year for outstanding work with the Gay and Lesbian commumty. Activist Robin Tyler said in an open letter to Elton John that he was "spitting on the grave ofMatthew Shepard." Gay.corn’s Michael Signorile wrote that it was "arrogant of Elton John to use his power in a way that undercuts an entire movement" unless he got a permission slip from the executive directors of the Gay and Lesbian movement. GLAAD’s Executive Director, Joan Gerry, implored Elton John to "not perform with Eminem at the Grammy Awards." Dr. Dre’s protOg6 learned from the best and rode it all the way to the bank. Gay and Lesbian attacks on tapper Eminem scapegoated the artist and a marginalized medium for society’s homophobia. The tactic was long popular with religious political extremists to blame Gays and Lesbians for everything from child molestation to broad declines of morality. Gay and Lesbian activists argued Eminem was scapegoating Gays and women inhis prose. Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! If anything, our movement s duet w~ Eminem exposes our own occasional reliance on questionable tactics. It also highlights whata willing danceparmerwemake for people, such as Eminem, by rushing headlong ires giving them the attention they so desire. What’s worsemour apparent role as "art critic" is the pressure of political expectations placed on artists we ceremoniously award. Elton Johnis an entertainer who owes creative control to no one but himself. If he wishes to play the"Uncle Tom," as letters to the editor describe him, let’s pick up Elton’s depiction and talk about the Uncle Toms in our commtmi.ty. Or is this a sore spot for folks? If the duet is about homophobia in your face, let’s address what we’re doing about it and not "who should and shouldn’t artistically represent it and why." Elton John isn’t the only artist to experience this from our community. In a discussion I had on GayBC with Queer As Folk’s Executive Producer, Ron Cowen, he balked at activist demands that QAF’s story line represent diversity, as though it’s his job to be social engineer. If art reflects a less than politically correct reality, we all have short comings to address. Charles L. Mackay, LL.D, once wrote in Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds that people "think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly; and one by one." Our movement’s reaction to Eminem and Elton John show Gays and Lesbians aren’t immune to being apt hosts. Many of those who attack F.minem hide behind claims that his rap is not art and is a true confession. The last I recall we left deciding what is and isn’t art to Congressman Jesse Helms and NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Madness makes strange bedfellows of foes. I wonder what our friends must be thinking? Madonna, no stranger to the controversy herself, said in the L~A. Times that Eminem is simply’~reflecdng what s going onin society right now and That is what art ~s supposed to do." Stevie Wonder also pointed out that "art is a reflection of our society, and people don’t like to confront the realities in society." As long as Gay and Lesbian leaders dodge the"realitiesmsoc|ety ln favor of lynching homophobla smessenger, allwe refunding is an endless game of"whack the mole." I’d settle, however, for old fashion activism over playing art critic any day. In the least case, it would be great to get a heads up on when it will be Howard Stem, David Geffen or Ru Paul’s turn. William S. Burroughs, a founder of the Beat Generation, himself Gay and brought to court over the questionable content of his novels, once said "The next revolution will be iwgnOrin~ others out of existence." I have to wonder someumes if the free market of ideas ould l~ave left Eminem at the bottom had we not lifted it up as a pet example rather than focusing on society’s ills his art reflects. Enough about Eminem. Christian Grantham has a talk show on GayBC Radio Network. www.gaybc.com School Board to Consider Advocate for Gay Kids MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Appointment of a full-time advocate for Gay.and Lesbian students is desperatdy needed in Madison to combat harassment, ignorance and indifference such students face, supporters of the proposal say. "The level of despair, the level of crisis, is often quite severe," said Michael Apple, an education professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madi- S°~o specificjob description exists yet, but a preliminary proposal Calls for the advocate to work with district departments to make them more inclusive and help Gay and Lesbian students with their studies and probiems. The position could be filledby the end of the year pending board approval. Dr. Paul Grossberg of University Health Services said a presidential task force found about one of every three youth suicides involv,e~, teen-agers struggling with tt]eir sexual orientation. It is unconscionable for usas acommtmity tobesllentaboutthislssue, hesmd. The Madison district has similar full-time teachers that work with Southeast Asian, Hispanic and American Indian students. Only eight other districts in the country areknown to have full-time advocates for Gay students, according to the n T h e proposal has drawn several opposing letters to area . newspapers. . Gay+Military Stepfamilies " Face Challenges NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Beyond the basic complexities confronting most stepfamilies, those in the mil!- tary and those headed by same-sex couples face additional daunting challenges, experts told a U.S. conference at the end of February. For military stepfamilies, temporary overseas deployment of a spouse may leave a.stepparent alone with children who have yet to accept a new authority figure. Same-sex couples may have to cope withprejudices, and their children may struggle in explaiuing the family structure to others. The issues were raised at the National Conference of Stepfamilies, a first-of-itskind symposium bringing together experts from a variety offields to consider ways ofimproving support for stepfamilies. Francesca Adler-Baeder, a parent education specialist affiliated withComell University, discuss.edher work with the U.S. Defense Department, trying to identify the problems posed by stepfamilies in the military. About 55% of all service members are marfled, and at least one-fifth of them are estimated to be " in stepfamilies, she said. ¯ Anne Bernstein, a family therapist and professor at ~ the University of California-Berkeley, discussed the distinctive challengesfacing same-sex couplesincases ¯ where one ofthem has custody of one °rm°rechildren at the time the adults become partners. "Even more than other stepfnmilies, these fnmilies are at variance with the models in our dominant culture," Bemstein said. "These people can fed invisible or rejected as a family." She said members of such families may have difficulty finding the right terms foreach other; a child ,,n~,~ht fumble for a replywhen asked by a teach,e,r,~ ~-ho is this person who picks you up from school? ..Bemstein said most of the same=sex Couples she works with are Lesbians, but she has detected particular problems faced by some Gay men thrust.into stepfather roles. "For Gay men, being a parent is often not what one expected to include in one’s-life story, she said. "Being a stepparent is a very different lifestyle." Bernstein said her home town of Berkeley, California, is rdatively tolerant, but noted that some same-sex couples with childrenin other areas fear stigmatization - or possibly even losing custody of the children - if their sexual identity, becomes public. "These issues are not easy, especially when youhave children," she said. The final full session of the conference ended with a ~leaby organizers for more energetic lobbying in state legislatures on behalf of stepfamilies. "State laws give almost no lega~ recogniuon to the residential stepparent,’.’ said Margorie Engel, president of the Stepfamily Association of America. "Thelegal system focuses too exclusively on bloodlines." Tolerance Curriculum Criticized in Santa Fe SANTA FE (AP) - A minister and a parent say the tolerance curriculum approved by the Santa Fe school board for middle and high school students needs to be redone.. The school board last week approved the curriculum, which recognizes homophobia as s~xual violence. The Project Glyph Anti-Homophobia, Prejudice- Reduction Curriculum is optional for teachers to use, and parents will be notified before the lessons in case they want to excuse their children. Michdle Parker, parent of an elementary school child, said she stopped reading the curricuium after the glossary, which includes definitions for transsexual, transvestite and transgender. Bisexuality and homosexuality are listed as normal behavior -definitions the :urriculum attributes to the American Psychiatric ,A.~s- ~ociation. Parker said the definition of homosexumxty ~ontradicts the teachings of theRoman Catholic Church. "We believe it is not a normal state of being, she sa~ . Pa~ker saidhomosexuals should be treated with respect, but that the school district should throw out the, project and start over. The Rev. Canon Dale Coleman of the Church of the Holy Faith Episcopal, who has two children in the t-~ublic schools, also said the curricu" lumne.e...ds resvaiisdi,n,Ag. "I wouldbeall for atolerance curnculum, he ¯ Christian cannot support prejudice or violence against kids." However, he said Project Glyph takes "axi extreme position" in labeling as normal various kinds of sexual lifestyles. Curriculum advocates say the lessons are necessary because teen-agers are confronted with derogatory slang about homosexuals and song lyrics about beating up homosexuals and that some students are ridiculed in school. The project was created by the Santa Fe Rape Crisis CentJer. Some.. ministers spoke,,out against the curricu-,, lum, feanng xt would promote ahomosexual agenda. But the Santa Fe Ministerial Alliance said lastApril it stood behind the tolerance-based project. The curriculum covers sexual orientation and gender identity; homophobia and how it affects everyone; and how to be an ally to people of all orientations and help stop violence. The four school board members at the meeting supported the curriculum. Supenntendent Vero_ni.’ca .C. Garcia also spoke favorably of the program, calling ~ts subject a "human rights issue." Mayor Larry Delgado has endorsed the program, too. Project Glyph, part of the Santa-Fe Rape Crisis Center, first approached the board in Novemberi999 with its effort to make Santa Fe safe and inclusive for all youth, especially Lesbian, Gay, bisexual and transgender children. Some Santa Fe ministers then spoke out against the curriculum, fearing it would promote the homosexual lobby’s agenda. But the Santa Fe Ministerial ,Alliance said in a letter last April iLstood behind the tolerancebased project. The curriculum covers sexual orientation and gender identity; homophobia and how it affects everyone; and how to be an ally to people of all orientations and help slop violence. Project Glyph staff plan to make presentations to students next week. The curriculum will be modified for middle school students. In a class of30, on average, there are three to eight students who identify or might someday identify themselves as Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual, the curriculum states. Find out for yourself how good the Lord iS! - Ps. 34:8 Come share goodness of the Lord with our community ~Sunday Morning 11:00 AM Children’s Worshi p During Service MCC United Rev. Cathy Elliott, Pastor 1623 N. Maplewood (918)838-1715 rncctulsa@aol,con Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community ofHope 2$4~ South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0~9~ A Welcoming Congregation OUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm; Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754 The Open Arms Project Young Adult Support Group Outreach Program Thurs. Nights Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment Call for meeting times and place: 918-584-2325 I Mingo Valley Flowers 9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145 918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-4AA-5934 Family Owned & Opbrated Trinna L. ,W. Burrows, LSWs ACSW Child, Family, Individual & Couple Psychotherapy (918) 743-9559 2121 South Columbia, Suite 420 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518 The Pride Store 21st Street & Memorial Tulsa Gay Community Services Center 743-GAYS (743-4297) 6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday 12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center TOM NEAL BUILDING & GARDEN DESIGN 583-1248 Free Red Rock Tulsa Confidential HIV Testing Walk-in Clinics Tues. & Thurs., 5:8 pm at the Center, 1307 East 38th Daytime appointments available. Call for more information: 918-584-2325 G American Red Cross American Red Cross Tulsa Area Chapter 10151 East Eleventh Tulsa 74128 Dannette McIntosh Diversity-Co-ordinator 838-1100 Saint Aidan 4045 N. Cincinnati, 425-7882 Saint John 4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381 OPENARMS OPEN MINDS OPENI-tFAI~S Saint Dunstan 5635 East 71st, 492-7140 Trinity 501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128 The Episcopal Church Welcomes You School board member Donita Sena said she was alarmed after reading the results of the district’s recent Quality of Education Survey. Only 47% of Santa Fe high school students believed students at their schools were treated equally regardless of sexual orientation, while 71% of high school staff believed students were treated equally. "The kids are saying something obviously different," Sena said. "If this curriculum is going to help teachers, we need to do it." Scottsdale.Considers Partners Health Benefits SCOTI’SDALE, Ariz. (AP) - The Scottsdale City Council is considering extending health care benefits to the domestic partners of city employees, including same-sex partners. The city’s proposed health care plan’was devised in part to bolster Scottsdale’s efforts inrecruiting andretaining workers in a competitivejob market. The number ofjob applications for openpositions is down, as is the overall quality of candidates, said Neal Shearer, the city’s human resources administrator. "We want to eliminate whatever barriers we can that impede our ability to attract and retain the talent we need to get thejob done," Shearer said. City employees have also begun requesting the benefits, and officials hope to extend the policy to avoid any perception of discrimination, he said. Eligibility requirements still are being determined. Gay civil-rights activists see Scottsdale’s benefits proposal as part of a trend, said Steve Brandwein, a board member forthe Arizona Human Rights Fund, a Gay civil-rights advocacy group. "City councils and city human resources departments are learning just like corporations are that in order to remain competitive this is very sensible business," Brandwein said. In the state, Phoenix, Tempe, and Tucson also offer benefits to domestic partners. But an attorney with a history of challenging domestic partner policies nationally said the benefits would weaken morality. "One of the strongest reasons we oppose any attempts to broaden public support for alternative lifestyles such as the (domestic partner) ordinances or city actions do, is that they really do weaken the value of marriage," said Alan Sears, president and general counsel of the Alliance Defense Fund. Suspects in Gay’s Murder To Be Clinically Evaluated FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) - The trials of two teenagers charged in the murder of a Gay Black man from Marion County could be delayed by requests for psychiatric reviews. Special Prosecutors Scott Smith of Wheeling and Stephen Keuney of Charleston have asked Circuit Judge David Janes to have both teenagers reviewed by a psychiatrist. David Allen Parker, 18, is tentatively set to stand ,trial in Beckley on March.26, while co-defendant Jared Matthew Wilson is scheduled to appear in a Wheeling courtroom on May 29. The teen-agers are charged with first-degree murder and could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted of beating 26-year-old Arthur "J.R." Warren to death in Grant Town in July. Their trials are expected to last about a week. The teens have been interviewed by a psychologist, but neither has been examined by a psychiatrist, the prosecutors said in a filing with the court. Forensic psychologist Dr. William Fremouw has found both defendants mentally competentto stand trial andcriminally responsible at the time of their alleged attack on Warren, according to court documents. Still, Parker’s lawyers have indicated they may pursue a diminished capacity defense. The beating of Warren began early July 4 when Parker became angry with the victim for telling others about a sexual relationship the two had. After drinking beer and snorting a crushed tranquilizer, Parker allegedly starting hitting Warren with his fists and stomping on him with steel-toed boots. In his statement, Wilson told investigators he participated briefly in the beating for fear Parker’s rage would turn on him. The then-17-year-olds are also accused of taking Warren’s body to a rural road and driving over him four times with a Camaro in a failed effort to stage a hit-and-run. College Claims Adequate Response to Hate Crimes LYNDON, Vt. (AP) - Lyndon State College officials have denied accusations that the college is ignoring hate crimes on campus. Officials responded to claims made last week by a sophomore student who said college administrators retaliated against him because of his Web site, http://lyndonsucks.homestead.com. The site by Jacob Fortes, of Lowell, Mass., who is not Gay,accuses officials ofignoring student concerns about hate crimes, and mentions alleged hate crimes that target Gays at LSC. College President Carol Moore said Fortes made "outrageous claims." "I think we’ve done a good job and have responded quickly to some of the concerns about the homosexual climate on campus." Moore said. "We feel we have enough data to show that we have tried to set up programs to protect our Gay and Lesbian students." Moore said the school has pursued every incident of harassment that has been reported. As well, the college has increased efforts to raise awareness on the campus about Gay and Lesbian concerns, she said, including holding open forums attended for students and faculty members. Of the nearly 1,100 full-time students at LSC, about 25 arein the Gay and Lesbian Alliance, though not all are Gay or Lesbian, she said. Moore confirmed reports that a Gay student left the campus last year because he was uncomfortable. "The studentfelt he was injeopardy physically and we could not guarantee round-the-clock protection for him," she said. The situation reflects society and LSC ]s not umque in dealing with these issues, Moore said. "You can educate but sometimes it just doesn’t take," she said. Ex-United Way Staffer Attacks BSA Funding NEPTUNE, N:J. (AP) - A former finance director for the United Way of Monmouth County has filed a complaint to try to stop the nonprofitfromfunding Boy Scout troops. Maureen Glover’s complaint with the state Division of Civil Rights charges that she was subject to a hostile work environment because the agency funded the Scouts. She worked for the charitable umbrella organization from last June until she resigned in January. Glover, 45, told the Asbury Park Press of Neptune that on her first day of work, she was happy to sign an ethics code that prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, creed, age, sex or sexual orientation. Days later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Boy Scouts ".of America could bar Gays from leadership positions m a case that originated in Monmouth County. Glover accused her employer of violating its own ethics code. She said it was particularly distressing to find herself as finance director writing checks to the same Boy Scout council that ejected James Dale as scouunaster after learning he was Gay, an action that led to the Supreme Court case. Jim Borque, executive director of the Monmouth County United Way, said he disagreed with Glover’s charges, but declined to elaborate, citing the pending litigation. California Men’s Syphilis Rate Rising ATLANTA (AP) - An outbreak of syphilis in Southern California last year has provided alarming new evidence that Gay and Bisexual me~ are lowering their guard against AIDS, the government said. More than half of the syphilis cases in a four-county area during the first half of 2000 were in men who reported having had at least one male sex partner- up from 26% a year earlier. Health officials said that the numbers are a signal that Gay and Bisexual men, encouraged by news of powerfully effective drug cocktails andlonger lifespans for AIDS patients, are wonying less about HIV. Both HIV and syphilis are sexually transmitted; condoms can protect against their spread. HIV "is no longer perceived to bethe threat that it once was," said Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, deputy director of the National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, which is part of the Centers for .Disease Control and Prevention. ’q’hese are very serious findings." The Southern California cases and similar outbreaks in other major cities came after the national syphilis rate dropped in 1999 to its lowest level on record. Just 6,657 cases were reported in 1999, the last year for which national figures are available, or about one case per 40,000 people. Syphilis outbreaks inmajor cities"show that the disease can make a comeback," said Ken August, spokesman for~CaliforniaDepartmentofHealth Services. ’tit’ s important for health-care providers to ask patients about theirbehavior and to deliver a strong prevention message." In four California counties - Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange and Riverside- 66 of 130 syphilis cases from January to July 2000 were in Gay or Bisexual men, compared with 26 of 100 cases in the same period in 1999. Of the 66 cases in 2000, 33 reported they had had anonymous sex, and 17 said they had met sex partners in bathhouses. Only oneinfivereported using acondomduring his most recent sexual encounter, and two in five reportedusing illegal drugs. ’¢rhese men were engaging m high-risk sexual behavior," Valdiserri said. "When we see reports of increasing risk behaviors, that’s when we take action. We don’t wait till we see the spike nationally" in HIV. Thirty-four of the 66 men reported they were HIV-positive, and nine said they did not know their HIV status. "You’ve got people who are doing well on the (HIV) drugs andbelieve then that they don’thave to worry about infection," said John Schtinlaoff, chief of public health operations for Los Angeles County. "Some people argue that there is burnout. They get weary of being protective." The CDC recommended a search for new, innovative ways to get the safe-sex message to Gay and Bisexual men in large cities. Syphilis infections in 1999 remained concentrated in the South, with roughly one case per 22,000 people. Three-quarters of syphilis victims nationwide were black. About 300 syphilis cases were reported in 2000 in California. Agency to Offer Free AIDS Drugs BOMBAY, India (AP) - An international aid agency said Friday it will distribute an anti-AIDS drug purchsed from an h~dian company free of charge in 10 countries. Doctors Without Borders - or Medecins sans Frontieres - will buy the anti-AIDS cocktail from the Indian company Cipla Ltd. "In general, wherethe Cipladrug will be used, it will be supplied free of cost. Wherever it is purchased by governments, it would be sold at reduced prices," Daniel Berman of the agency’s Access to Essential Medicines campaign told The Associated Press. Berman said the agency will begin distributing the drugs "over the next couple of months." On Feb. 7, Cipla offered to sell a threedrug anti-retroviral cocktail to Doctors Without Borders t’or $350 per person, per year, if the aid agency agreed to distribute it for free and took care of the legalities of importing it. Cipla also offered to sell the triple-combination therapy drugs to governments for $600 per patient instead of the $10,000 to $15,000 charged in the United States and Europe. The Bombay-based company says it could manufacture the drugs cheaply becauseproduction costs arelow in Indiaand it makes the raw materials. Berman along with Madrid-based pharmacist Carmen Perez met three top Cipla officials inBombay and said the aid agency would integrate some of the Cipla drugs into antiretroviral pilot programs in-10 countries. "We will be using these drugs in thesepilotprograms."Hedeclined toname the 10 countries, but said the program had already begun in Thailand and Cameroon. - Berman said drug authorities from the United States, Australia, South Africa and Germany had visited the Cipla plant and certified standards. A joint statement by Doctors Without Bordersand Cipla said: "Governments of developing countries canimmediately take advantage of the offer... This offer is available without restrictions in time, geography or quantity." The Cipla offer raised concerns Lhat patent laws may be breached in some countries. In South Africa, 42 pharmaceutical comparfies have filed a lawsuit to prevent the government from distributing genericAIDS drugs becuase it~nay violate World Trade Organization rules. Under theWTOrules, governments can issue compulsory licenses that allow genetic drugs to be manufactured if they declare a national health emergency. The AIDS cocktail on offer consists of two 40 milligram tablets of stavudine, two 150 milligram tablets of lamivudine and two 200 milligram tablets of nevirapine. : GlaxoSmithKline of Britain developed : lamivudine, also known as Heptovir, ~ihd : Boehringer Ingelheim of Germany holds ¯ the rights to nevirapine under the name ¯" Viramune. Bristol-Myers Squibb holds the ~ international patent on siavudine. The companies have been negotiating deals with individual governments to lower prices. Boehringerrecentlylowered prices by 80%. GlaxoSmithKline announced that ¯ it wouldlowerprices by 90%for nonprofit Im I I I I I I I I I. I I Power Connect. Public Service Company of Oklahoma Customer_Service Is Now Available 24 Hours .A Day, Seven Days A Week. These days, traditional 8-5 business hours aren’t always convenient. So PSO has made it easier than ever for you to contact us. Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7 - offering around-the-clock answers to your questions - and better access to service. Now it’s easier for you to inquire about your monthly electric bill. Or report a power outage. Or arrange to have your power turned on or off. Our professionally trained, friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives are standing by to serve you. All day, every day. To provide faster response to your needs, we have listed our toll-free numbers below. o~Clip And Save m m m mm mmm m f Imm mm n mm CALL 24 HOURS FOR TOLL-FREE SERVICE Customer Services: 1-888-216-3523 Billing Inquiries: 1-888-216-3490 Outage Reporting: 1-888-218-3919 I Servicio a Clientes: 1-888-216-3505 I Preguntas Sobre su Cuenta: 1-888-216-3491 I I Falta De Suministro: 1-888-218-3924 I I ! ! m Public ServiceC0mpany of Oklahoma I SPIRITUAL No More Tithes, Offerings, or Special Gifts Until Churches End Their False Teachings Against God’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Children Make Every Sunday Your "Faithful Dissenter Sunday" VIOLENCE Withholding support (for even one Sunday) will empower you and help bring truth to your church or denomination. Consider your situation: (1) If your local congregation is not. fully welcoming~ fill in the blanks below and drop it into the offering plate. Send your donation instead to the church or organization of your choice. (2) If your congregation is fully welcoming, but your denomination is not, withhold the percentage (10% to 15%) that goes to your denomination. (3) Ifyou have left a church that is not fully welcoming, consider a one-time return visit to drop a card in the offering plate with a note explaining why. Write a note on the back or add a letter to explain your actions-lovingly. Do lustice. See your spirit renewed and your church transformed. Let us include you on our Honor Roll ofFaithful Dissenters. , Send your name or initials with a brief account to: HonorRoll@sou]force.org For centuries, anti-homosexual religious teachings have led to suicide, wasted lives,-discrimination and violence. I am withholding my gifts until God’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender children are fully welcomed by this church and/or denomination. Today, I amwithholding my tithe/offering/special gift (or portion thereof) from and contributing it to because it welcomes and provides serAces to ~God’s chiMren equally.-~-~--~~ as much my moral obligation not to cooperate with evil as it is to cooperate with good."- Ga~9m This bulletin insert is provided by Soulforce as part of its "Stop Spiritual Violence" campaign. your speci~needs! 800-559-1558 ~n~-~.NewNest.com agencies - effectively matching the Cipla offer. Cipla Chairman Yusuf Hamied said he welcomed moves by multinational companies to slash prices. "Since our initial outburst, things are moving in a positive direction. That is very satisfying,"Hamied said in an interview over the phone. Merck Begins Vaccine Trials NEW YORK (AP) - Pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck & Co. has begun a small-scale human trial of a new experimental HIV vaccine, TheWall StreetJournal reported at the end of February. The new vaccine has been able to prevent laboratory monkeys exposed to an extremely vindent strain of the disease from contracting it, sources close to the trials told the Journal. This has AIDS scientists watching the results of the trials very dosdy. The company would not discuss the details of the laboratory trials, but did say it began testing the vaccine in healthy, uninfected volunteers last week. The drug is not the firstpossible vaccine to go into human trials. At least a d~iten .other companies are currently experimenting with a possible vaccine, but scientists familiar with the Merck trials say that their drug is among the most promismg. Merck official said they were reluctant to release any details regarding the trials before making a.formal presentation at a scientific forum in April, lest publicity raise false hopes. Priest Challenges Drug Companies NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Expanding an international campaign to make AIDS drugs affordable in the poorest nations, an American priest who works with HIVpositive orphans in Kenya said he planned to import cheap, generic medicines from India, Importing the drugs, which are the equivalents of patented medicines, is_illegal in Kenya. However, the bigger fight for the Rev. Angelo D’Agostino could comefrom pharmaceutical companies who own patents on the drugs. What D’Agostino fears is a lawsuit in Kenyalike the one42pharmaceutical companies filed in South Africa to prevent that government from distributing generic AIDS drugs. "I am sick and tired of doing funerals," said D’Agostino, who rims-the Nyumbani Orphanage, home to 70 HIVpositive orphans. He also treats 150 to 200 children living nearby. The orphanage recently received private donations to buy drugs, but brandname medications cost $500 a month per child, D’Agostino said. A generic equivalent offered by the Bombay, India-based Cipla Ltd. would cost the orphanage $20 a month per child. There are legal loopholes D’Agostino could use to bring the drugs into Kenya, but they only provide for a small amount. And besides, his plan to go to India, buy the drugs and bring them back for his orphans seems feasible. Kenya’s minister for public health, Dr. Sam Ongeri, said he doesn’t expect the government to stop D’Agostino. Also, Ongeri noted, the government is expected to pass a bill in parliament next month that would allow aid agencies to legally import generic drugs. The obstacle, Ongeri said, will likely be the drug companies. "The pharmaceutical industry should rise to the occasion and drop their prices in good time before we getto a level of (political) crisis," he said. One in eight Kenyans between the ages of 15and 49 are HIV positive, Ongeri said. Providing them with the patented drugs wouldcostbetween $141 millionand $167 million - more than the country’s entire annual health budget of $115 million. Cipla offered to sdl Doctors Without Borders the anti-AIDS cocktailifthe group agreed to distribute itforfreeandtook care of the legalities of importing it. The group has agreed to help D’Agostino obtain the drugs. GlaxoSmithYdine declined to comment on D’Agostino’s plan. However, in announcing the company’s earnings, GlaxoSmithKline chief executive Jean- Pierre Gamier said patents are not the obstacle to supplying developing countries with medicines - poverty and weak health care systems are. Requests for commentfrom Boehringer and Bristol-Myers Squibb were not answered. However, a Boehringer spokesman asked about Cipla earlier this month said "intellectual property rights should be protected." GlaxoSmithKline Has 13% Profit Rise LONDON (AP) - Strong sales for its respiratory, antiviral andcentral-nervous-system drugs helped boost GlaxoSmithKline PLCprofits by 13%last year, thecompany announced recently. Pretax profit for the year ending Dec. 31 was 5.33 billion pounds ($7.73 billion). Theresults "demonstrate that in the new company, we have underlying strength which wasn’t slowed by the long preg~ nancy pause of the merger," said CEO Jean-Pierre Gamier. Antivirals - including the company’s HIV treatments - rose 15%. Sales of the firm’s HIV drugs grew 14%. Pfizer Distributing Free AIDS Drug JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) - TheU.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Corp. said Wednesday it will soon begin distributing the drug Diflucan free to HIV and AIDS patients at government hospitals and clinics. Distribution of the drug will begin "within the next few weeks," ajoint statement from the health department and Pfizer said. The departr~ent removed a roadblock to the distribution by approving Diflucan for the treatment of esophageal candidiasis, a fungal infection of the throat that occurs in ¯ up_to~4-0% of AIDS patients. The drug, genetically known as Fluconazole, is already used in South Africa as treatment for cryptococcal meningitis, an infection of the brain that occurs in 10% of AIDS patients. by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor Happy Spring Equinox! -Also known as Easter, takenfrom thenameof aPhoenician goddess offertility,Oestre or Ostara, from whence we get the imagery of bunnies and eggs. The hare was an animal sacred to many goddesses, and the egg was symbolic of the cycles of life, ~e cosmos, as wellas eternity. Inmany prechristian cultures, this was also the time for the rebirth of the solar god, of which the latest was Jesus. This is the time many scholars say he was" actually born. Sothere’ s the little bit of learning channel info for the month - let it never be said that this column is not educational. Well, Tannhauser was certainly an event not to be missed. Lovely voices, deeply symbolic staging and sets, and some laughable and fabulous costumes. And that was just the audience! Actually, Wagner’s 3+ hour long gnashing of teeth and clLristian guilffest was agonizing in terms of plot, but beautiful in terfns of the caliber of talent and voice. Oh, and pity the fella that dates someone who wants to major in costume design, all you’ll hear about is how people look, what they wore, and why they shouldn’t wear it. It was a toss up between who was more superficial - the characters onstage or the one critiquing everyone else’s superficialities. I mean, who the hell cares whether apatron wore a dress that was too big in the bosom for the equipment she had to put in - it? Itmay be it’s a dress a friend loanedher since she couldn’t afford a dress of her own and she had to make do! Certainly not worth a 30 minute diatribe on the evils of wearing a dress too big for your bust. Oh, and I love attending cultural events in Tulsa - where the woman next to me kept sniffing- wetly andnoisily- throughout the show. I cut slack for that- and her hOrrifically noisy nose-blowing-because if you’re sick, you’re sick. BUT STAY HOME! However, when she started chewing gum with her mouth open and smacking like a cannon, I’d had enough. They left after the second act, I don’tknow why. .. Andthen there was the3 year oldbehind ~ us - who was incessantly noisy and irkstme, simply because she could be. The child was driving both I and my companion to distraction Finally, she started smacking On candy - loudly, noisily, and obnoxiously. I spoke to theparents, who thenhad a heated exchange in a foreign language. They too left after the second act. It is very interesting that an event can be so easily eclipsed by the actions of inconsiderate audience members. Stomp, on the other hand, was a wonderfully engaging and humorously magi.’- cal romp wherein the cast created.musac from the most unlikely of objects. I will ¯ never look at aplastic bag again as merely ¯ abag. The cast was amazingly diverse, and ¯ immensely handsomeandbeautiful in their ¯¯ ownways. Infact, itwas ashow where one would expect a bunch of athletic dancers, ¯ and the people in the cast were refresh- - ingly real - and hll the more beautiful for ¯ it. And it was a rousing evening, marred only by the occurrence several times of people’s cell phones - not part of the act - and some who amazingly, held conversations while the show was going on. Lovely invention, the cell phone. Allows for intrusive rudeness at an unprecedented level on a massive scale. The inventor, as well as the users, should all be burnt at the stake. But that’s just my opinion. Apparently these people have not the intelligence to figure out what the OFF button is for; or don’t ¯ have the basic intelligence to leave the ~ danm thing in the car, if you can’t figure ¯ out how to work it. ¯ Cirque De Soleil (CDC), the utterly ¯ amazing acrobatic troupe, has put some of its acts together with a story, and created " "Journey Of Man," an IMAX 3D film ¯ opening in Tulsa March 9. The film fol- ¯ lows the stages of human development ¯ from birth to maturity celebrating the hu- ¯ man spirit. The film was recently honored ¯ by the Giant Screen Theatre Association ¯ as the Best Film of 200; and if you’ve ¯ never.seen Cirque De Soleil, I can’t urge ; you enough to take in this flick. You will ¯ be amazed at what some of the folks can do. I look forward to seeing this film, as it ¯ promises to be the next best thing to actually being at a CDC performance. If you love tap dance and beautiful men, ¯ then Tap Dogs is well worth the price of : the DVD or Video. About the same vin- ¯ tage as Stomp,it is a festival of percussion ¯ and music featuring tap dance, and would ¯ be well worth seeing just to marvel and ¯ what these dancers can do. ¯ Andin the latest on the wonderful world ¯ of Nicksiana,. Stevie’s album has been pushed back to early May alas. "Singles should start appearing on radio in April, though, and the new album is generating rave reviews. Lending voices to the album are Sarah McLachlan, Macy Gray (that should be interesting), one of the Dixie Chicks, and Sheryl Crow. I still think she and Melissa Etheridge should do a duet; I would be incredibly powerful. Oh well, next album... Thefinal concertofthe 2000-2001 Tulsa Philharmonic Lollipops Scries will bepresented Sunday, March 18, 2001, at 2pro in theWalter Arts Center atThe Holland Hall School. Maestro Edwin Outwater has planned a concert entitled "Music on the Move," with music depicting all forms of movement see Amuse, p. 9 "...Well, Tannhauser was certainly an event not to be missed. Lovely voices, deeply symbolle sta~in~ and sets, and some laughable and fabulous costumes. And that was just the audlenee! Actually, Wagner’s 3+ hour lon~ ~nashln~ of teeth and Christian guiltfest was a~onlzln~ in terms of plot, but beautiful in terms of the eallber of talent and volee...." Timothy W. Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partnership Planning, Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma Weekend and evening appointmenls are available. Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC .Certified Public Accountant a professional corporation Lesbians and Gay men face many special tax situations whether ,single or as couples. Electronic filing is available for faster refunds. 747 - 5466 4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135 The University of Tulsa Bisexual/Lesbian/ Gay/Transgendered Alliance presents their Annual Film Festival Evenings on April 6 & 7 Sunday afternoon, April 8 TU Campus, 6th& Delaware Selected titles: Westler, Summer in-My Veins, High Art and more. Exact times and auditoriums to be announced in next issueand will be available at the Community Center. "Plastic Jesus" by Poppy Z. Brite the record charts and the covers of reviewed by Barry Hensley : teenybopper magazines as the rock group What would happen if a cutting edge " The Kydds. author wrote a fictional account of the ¯ WhenHaroldismurderedbyroughtrade, loving, sexual relationship between Elvis " Seth and Peyton begin their inevitable, and Colonel Tom Parker? I’ll bet there " loving, sexual relationship. A couple of would be charges of blasphemy, calls for boycotts against the publisher and death threats to the author. Fortunately, author Poppy Z. Brite has chosen, notElvis, but the Beatles to take down the lavender road, and their fans seem to be much more understanding, since not a peep of protest has been heard about this fanciful romance between the icons we know as Paul and John. Ourstory starts, surprise(!), with a shooting onacoldNew Yorknight. Seth Grealy, fading rock star, hits the sidewalk in a spreading pool of blood. A woman in the horrified crowd recognizes him and takes the opportunity to scoop up ablood soaked piece of paper, quickly running away with the priceless souvenir. The murderer turns out to be a Christian Fundamentalist who assumed Seth was spreading AIDS. Looking back on Seth’s early years in rural England, we discover him jamming at a local club with friends, particularly guitarist Peyton Masters. They are being closely observed by Gay record manager Harold Loomis. Well, you guessed it! UnderHarold’s careful guidance, the boys, plus two friends, quickly rise to the top of and transportation. The concert begins at 2pm with pre-performance activities, Including a musical petting zoo and other special surprises, beginning at 1:15pro. In this gravity-defying concert, Maestro Outwater and the Tulsa Philharmonic will present music that’ s really "going places," including Leroy Anderson’s Horse and Buggy, Johann Strauss, Pleasure Train Polka, Eduard Strauss, Skater’s Waltz, and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov,s Flight of the Bumblebee. With the help of a special conductor’s assistant giving introductions to each of the orchestra’s instrument families, this concert combines the best of entertainment and education. With combined sales approaching the 300,000 mark, Robin Spielberg is one of today’s most popular and prolific contemporary pianist/composers. On March 25, 2001, she will perform what promises to be amost memorable evening Of her spellbinding compositions on the Steinway piano at The Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The evening will include Ms. Spielberg’s compelling and oftenhumorous story-telling and feature new works from her latest CD, Dreaming of Summer. The concert will begin at 3pro Ms. Spielberg will autographCDs and sheet music following the performance. Theconcert is madepossible in part by a grant from the Tulsa "...What would-happen if a euttlng edge author wrote a fietlonal aee0unt of the loving, sexual relationship between Elvis and_Colonel Tom Parker? . . . Fortunately, author...Brlte has chosen, not Elvis, but the Beatles..." years later, in 1969, the Stonewall riots in New York City inspire Sethand Pe.yton to wander rnto Greenwich Village, giving interviews revealing their relationship. A Newsweek cover, chronicling their love for each other, soon follows, as does a marriage ceremony in Holland. The boys have conveniently forgotten to tell their bandmates about all of this and The Kydds are soon history. Fame proves exhausting, and Seth and Peyton soon slip into semi,retirement until Seth’s untimely murder. HOW different things might have been if Paul and John had really followed this path! In the author’s afterword, Brite comments, "I have always believed the world would be a better place today if John and Paul had been lovers. Yes, I know they weren’t Gay. That has nothing to do with it. This is fantasy." But what an intriguing fantasy it is t ffyou enjoy wishful thinking, check out Plastic Jesus and find out what might have been. Check for Plastic Jesus at your local library, or call 596-7966 to get a copy. Barry Hensley is a librarian with Tulsa City-County Library System. Performing Arts Center Trust Ms. Spielberg has recorded nine CDs, performed two sold-outconcerts at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, toured the country an concert and has made numerous television appearances, including features/interviews and performances on "CBS-This Morning" and "LifeTime Live," and "ABC News." Spielberg’s music has also been featured on scores of radio programs, and her work in music & healing has received attention in Parenting magazine, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Robin Spielberg-will perform at Tulsa Performing Arts Center on March25,2001 at 3pro. Tickets can be purchased by calling 918/596-7111. Tickets are $12, and $10 for seniors & students. More information on Robin Spielberg and her recordings, can be found on the world wide web at www.robinspielberg.com The2000-2001 Tulsa Philharmonic Pops Series-continues with guest star Roger Williams on Friday, March 9, 2001, and Saturday, M~ch 10, 2001. This consummate entertainer conducts and performs on this memorableprogram. Performances will be presented at 8pm in the Chapman Music Hall of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. Playing the music that has served as the soundtrack of three generations, Williams will tickle the ivories with such favorites as Autumn Leaves, Talk to the Animals, From a Distance, and a medley including Feelings and Chariots of Fire. Gay Studies: Pilgrimage by Lament Lindstrom "Nasir," I once asked my Gay Malaysian friend, "are you ever going on the hadj?" This is the fifth pillar of Islam - the duty of all good Muslims to worship in Mecca at least once in life. "Maybe," he said, "when I’m older. But noW" I’m having too much fun as a Gay pilgrim in America." Gay pilgrims came to mind last month when I walked down Ocean Drive in South Beach. There, up ahead, shining brightly in the Miami sunshine was Gianni Versace’s weddingcake mansion sporting a modestly phallic observatory dome. Andthere, at the footofthosefamously once bloodstained steps, were the Gay pilgrims fervently snapping pictures. Some of these, no doubt, were fash- ¯ studied- still demand that devotees make : weekly pilgrimages down to the coastal ¯ village where the Movement is headquar- ¯ tered. There, these pilgrims worship at the ¯¯ Movement’s spiritual center, their physical presence a marker of their fidelity. Thepilgrimage- sacred traveling - knots together identity and place. Sacred travd reminds us of who, what, and why we are. Today’s nation-states, which in part modeled themselves on medieval religious institutions, borrowed rituals of pilgrimage. The U.S., for example, is splattered with large numbers of National Monuments and National Historic Sites that we should visit in order to learn about ourselves. The Alamo, Mount Vernon, Gettysburg, the Arizona Memorial, and many more. These places are all much like church. Any rude chatter, hoofing, or hollering will quickly attract shushing guardians, of these politically sacred pilgrimage sites. Most of these places, of course, commemorate mainstream, white-bread America. Still, multicultural politics have boosted the visibility, nowadays, of minority histories. African-Americans tour the birthplace of George Washington Carver in Diamond, Missouri. Japanese- Americans pilgrims drive out to Tule Lake in Modoc County, California, site of a WW2 internment camp. Jewish-Americans visit the monument to Revolutionary War financier Haym Solomon in Queens, New York. Feminists pay homage at the Suffragette Memorial inWashington, DC. But what of Gay and Lesbian pilgrims? Where might we go? " ’Naslr,’ I once asked . . . ’are you ever going on the bade’. ,. - the duty of all good Muslims to worship in Mecca at least once in life. ’Maybes’ he said, ’when I’m older. But now I’m having too much fun as a Gay pilgrim in Amerlea.’ " ion pilgrims. But others, like me, were there in reverence of the lingering spectacle of Versace’s and Cunanan’s deadly homosexual encounter. Pilgrims. The word derives from old Latin roots meaning "across the field" which came to refer to traveling in fol:,eigu parts. Organized religions have profited by regularizing the pilgrimage. Besides the Islamic ’hadj,’- Roman Catholic Popes beginning in 1300 have declared Jubilee years, inostly recently Armo Santo 2000, during which visitors to Rome may rack up spintual blessing points: In pre-industrial and pre-literate social orders, communication between religious leaders and followers demanded physical mobility. There was no TV, no radio, no newspapers. Instead, one had to travel to the source to hear and see in person. Leaders of the John Frum Movement- ahomegrown South Pacific religion that I once the Tulsa chapter has identified a number of areas in which to improve. These range from adding more Spanish speaking staff or volunteers to help in disaster relief to a new program in development to create a diversity curriculum in area high schools to address the challenges Lesbian~and Gay young people face. The group has offered a tolerance curriculum for some time but this new program which is being developed with a local Unitarian church, and With input from Youth Services of Tulsa and PFLAG, is explicit in addressing anti- Gay attitudes, noted Bowen. Dahl added thatthenew program specifically has board support. Dahl and his colleagues expressed frustration at the negative reputation which their part oftheRed Cross has for anti-Gay bias based on the ban on blood donations by any man who has had sex with another man since 1980. Many are not awar9 that the American Red Cross Blood Services have a separate director and board even though they share theirname and building. The policy is not set by the Red Cross but by theFederal Drug Administration (FDA) which recently reviewed the ban and reendorsed it. Gay civil rights activists have argued that a ban based on group status rather than on risk factors is biased and while might have beenappropriate in the earliest years of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, is no longer good science. However, Dahl acknowledged that the Red Cross might be more active in challenging the policy, and noted that individual chapters may sponsorresolutions at their national meetings. The Tulsa chapter has a resolution addressing bias against the Jewish equivalent of the Red Cross which has yet to be accorded equal status as Muslim and other groups. Dalai indicated that the Tulsa chapter might address the blood donation restrictions issue in a similar fashion. For more information about volunteering Or American Red Cross diversity efforts, contact Dannette Mclntosh, Tulsa Area Chapter diversity coordinator, 918- 831-1215. Want to save Money and Help Build a Community Center? Switch to Rainbow Communications Long Distance and More, 10% of Revenues Will Benefit Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Capital Campaign and General Fund For more information, call 665-3401 or evenings at 447-8602. T )C Tulsa Oratorio Chorus COUNCIL o KAMCHATKA Sunday, March 11, 7:30pm, $10 Holy Family Cathedral, 122 W. Eight, 748-3888 Drummers of Japan March 4 7:30 p.m. Chapman Music Hall Tulsa Performing Arts Center 3rd & Cincinnati Tickets $17.50, $27.50, $35 Call. 596-7111 Outside Tulsa: 1 800 364-7111 www.tulsapac.com presented by the Tulsa PAC Trust "Perfection n music" Boston Globe "Total brain massage" Independent on Sunday "... waves of percussive sound that seemed to turn Carnegie Hall itself into a resonant cavity ..." New York Times IGTA member Call 341, 6866 lntem ational Tours or oreWor t o,. TULSA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY Country Club Barbering Custom Stylingfor Men & Women David Kauskey 3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, T,nes.-Fri.,. 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm Tulsa’s only professional body-piercing . College Hill Presbyterian Church In response to God’s Love, College Hill Presbyterian Church is a community of God’s people called to tell others the Gospel of Jesus Christ through worship, service, and evangelism. To nurture our faith, we gather for worship, prayer, stud~ and fellowship. Trusting in a living, loving God, we seek to become a compassionate voice for peace and justice. Our congregation welcomes all persons who respohd in trust and obedience to God’s grace in Jesus Christ, and desire to become pai-t of the membership and ministry of Christ’s church. Membership is open to all people regardless of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition, marital status, or sexual orientation. Sunday Worship 1 lam 712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800 (One block west of Delaware and the University of Tulsa Campus) by Karin Gregory Super Bowl Sunday is way behind us, butmy heart feels like the football: kicked, stomped, beaten, thrown, punted. Oh, and abandoned. We must never forget abandoned. So abandoned that I spent Valentine’ s Day withmyroommate’ s dog. And I thought the Irish had luck! Oh, right - I confused that withmy father tellingme that everything a Gregory touches turns to. .. to.., well, it certainly ain’t gold. After 44 years of running from love in all shapes and forms, I smacked dead into it with the arrival of a woman who, apparently, thought I was just a novelty. OK, you’re saying, "But what did the raging Lesbian expect?" With all my Gay male friends falling in and out of love as quickly as they change their clothes, you’d think I’d have learned, at least by proxy. But nooooo - I believed that women were different from men. So I plunged in with eyes wide shut, listening to a voice from God telling me things no MAN had ever said. Or maybe I just wasn’t interested enough to listen until now. She said she was a very physical person, and the woman involved with her had to love sexas much as she. Saying a silent, "Thank you, God!", I watched her beautiful eyes look back at me and all I could do (since by now my blood had rushed DOWN from my head) was to wonder, "Whatdoes she see inme?"Maybe because I’m a newbie, or maybe because I’ve been around the Gay community for so long, I have no problem showing affection. Holding hands in the open, arms around each other, kissing on a public residential street in Dallas felt, for the first time in my life, natural. When she told me she wanted me to spend a weekend with her after we’djust met a few hours before, did I balk? Hell, no! And that IS a first for me! I know it was hormonal in the beginning. When I tried to be straight for so many years, I found kissing a man to be extremely strange. Atfirstteethuponteeth, inadequacy on my part, as well as detachment, until it degenerated into making my grocery list in my head while his tongue was in my throat. Blech! But this! I just assumed I never got it- the fireworks, etc. That first night on the street with her, I felt the full light show, complete with thunder andearth-shattering enlightenment I should have felt about 20 years ago. I must confess that kiss was so powerful that I gave $5 to a panhandler on my way home. He probably sits at that exact corner every night waiting to catch happy Lesbians on their way home. Although I knew it was Lesbian lust, I trudged blindly ahead, not knowing or caring what the future held, but damned determined to enjoy every minute of it. And enjgy I did in October with this same woman in South Texas who spoke to me romantically. I left with a VERY healthy ego, and got a hint of what it must be like to be a straight man. I also left with the promise of another weekend the next month, this time at my place. She kept up this farce, even singing to me on my birthday. Then the phone calls stopped, emails became fewer and fewer, you know the drill. At last came the inevitable -the "Dear Jane" letter. You know that one - the one that says she hopes wE’ll be friends for a long time to come. Theone that’s the very LAST message she sends. I’m sure you’ve seen wildlife shows with the charging rhino who suddenly forgets the target he’s charging. Well, consider this woman a charging rhino. Or maybe I’m that forgettable. Or maybe she’s just a bitch. My astute friend Jim tells me, after I’ve called, written, and emailed to no avail, that silence is my .answer. I like that - as applied toANYONEelse but me! MyGay male roommate says, "She just wanted to get you into bed." Men - you can’t live with ’em... pass the beer nuts! Now I understand my friends who just can’t seem to get over that relationship that everyone around them knew was doomed frbm the beginning. All my "forget about him/hers" sound even emptier than they must have to my friends. You know, it hurts to remember; but it hurts more to forget. Have there been others since my experience? There’ s the olderwomanwhobought my dining room table and chairs. She got into some financial trouble shortly afterward and I "loaned" her the same amount. She got more than that, too, one night shortly afterward. Have I heard from her since? Oh, why don’t you decide? Doesit seem that I have a sign across my forehead saying,"Horny Lesbian- Will Apparendy Do Anything For Sex. PLEASE Fold, Spindle, And Mutilate When Finished"? But even after spending my twentysixth Valentine’s Day in arow listening to Janis Ian’s "At Seventeen", I still believe in the romantic future. And in the luck of the Irish. And that there really IS a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Maybe this Gregory will be lucky enough, come St. Paddy’s Day, to believe that what she touches can turn to gold. or at least believe in love again. THAT would be lucky. Karin Gregory is a Fort Worth-based writer. organizers note that the $50 fee will cover bunk-room style lodging, meals on Saturday and Sunday breakfast but that some financial assistance is available for those for whom the fee is too much. However, they do emphasize that the deadline is March 1 lth. For more information, contact College Hill Presbyterian Church, 712 S. Columbia, Tulsa 74104, or call 592-5800. Men’s Group. This program is d~signed to assist men to learn ~t~m safe sex practices, relationships, ~dotl~erissues. Meetings will take place_~..~a~ Thursday night at 7pm. :. _ . FriMore Lig ht PR S B YT E R IAN S RE:CONNECTING BODY + SPIRIT March 16-18 at the historic and. beautifully wooded Dwight Mission. A Weekend Retreat about Spirituality, Sexuality and Building Relationships to Last A Lifetime... This LGBT specific event seeks to help individuals marginalized by repressive church policies around matters of sexuality. The event seeks to re-connect spirituality with identity to help build an inclusive faith community. Friday evening will be a get acquainted time. Saturday will combine fellowship at meals with workshops from "Religion and Spirituality: Our Images of God," to "Discovering and Making the Connections between Sexuality and Spirituality." Sunday morning worship follows breakfast. The $50 fee will cover bunk-room style lodging, meals on Saturday and Sunday breakfast. Financial assistance is available. The deadline is March 11th. College Hill Presbyterian Church, 712 S. Columbia, Tulsa 74104, 592-5800 Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2001] Tulsa Family News, March 2001; Volume 8, Issue 3 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 2001 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohn Karin Gregory Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum MAry Schepers Highston Walkinshaw Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, February 2001; Volume 8, Issue 3 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/610 2001 advocacy AIDS AIDS drugs arts and entertainment Boy Scouts businesses churches College Hill Presbyterian Church discrimination Elton John Eminem gay bashing Gay/Straight Alliance George W. Bush Glaxo SmithKline hate crimes HIV HIV testing Karen Gregory Lamont Lindstorm LGBT police Merck and Co. military inclusion Murder Openarms Youth Project Partner Benefits performing arts Pfizer Presbyterian Church Raging Lesbian Red Cross Red Rock Tulsa restaurants Soulforce STDs the closet tolerance curriculum Tom Neal TU Bisexual/Lesbian/Gay/Transgendered Alliance Tulsa Family News Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights United Way https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/106cfd279f62fea97a90e873f4c2ef19.jpg 94d8f329c885af31c0dfff66fa95dc42 https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/8baefd28452dccf89146566a1afe87d1.pdf be16ca1224a3677c465dddb080fd7d50 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Arkansas; Ant|- ay. Law Ru|cO ! nconst|t t|on LI~LE.ROC~ ~AP)- ~ A ~dg~~out out Gays, for ~os~u~o~ ~oug~ no-onv.~. pros~ut~.~d~~ 19.~:law, seven~ple-who s~d ¯ey w~e Gay told~€~~eyf~~ing ~nvict~~dlosing~rjo~ orprof~sio~ H~scs. ~Co~ty Circ~t Judge David ~g~d s~d ~sla~e~wh~it~~~,non~mm~ sex~ acdvid~ ~ong ~ple of ~ gend~. ~e state~~ aJ~hc~g ~t gov~t~~ int~t in~i~g~vior ~tmost of i~~wo~d findmolly~o~- ate; but Bog~d&s~. ’~€~plc of~k~~ve ~eright to le~slateon issu~ involv~g mo~s. but homosex~ is not o~y a question of mor~s," Bog~d s~d. Citing a 1~2 fromWis~. Bog~d s~d a way offife ’~t is ~d or ev~ ~afic" see So.my, p~ 2 Iowa Study: Tolerance of Gays May Be Growing IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -Thereason thatmoreAmericans are reporting homosexual encounters thana decade ago may bethe increasing tolerance of Gays and Lesbians, a University of Iowa study says. "Declining social, legal and economic sanctions against samegender sexual behavior in recent years and more positive images of Gay men and Lesbians in the media may have made it easier for people to recognize their samegender sexual interest and act on it," said Amy Buffer, the study’s author. Butler, an associate professor in the University of Iowa’ s School of Social Work, used data collected for the General Social Surveys conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. Her study, published in November in the Journal of Sex Research, shows that between 1988 and 1998 the number ofwomenwhosaid theyhad a sexual encounterwith another woman in the previous year went from 0.2% of respondents to 2.8%, a 14-fold increase. For men, the number who said they had a homosexual experience jumped from 1.7% of respondents to 4.1%. Whethermorepositivemediaportrayals play arole in the increasing reports of homosexual activity is hard to determine, Butler said. For certain, the media wouldn’ t mt shows on television or produce movies that portray ~ositive Gay lives see Tolerance, p. 2 DIRECTORY P. 2 EDITORIAL. P. :3 US & woRLD, NEWS P. 4~ HEALTH NEWS P~e~ ~ ENTERTAINgE~, MORE: P~ ~ GAY STUDIE~ING L~BfAN: P~ tO/11 " Serving Lesbian, Gay; Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsens, Our Families + Friends "Embrace Diversity"_ 2001 Parade + Fesbval ". TULSA (TFN) - Oklahoma’s biggest celebration of its kind, ." Tulsa" s "Diversity Celebration", is shaping up to be the biggest ¯ to date. A full week of events, designed to educate the general ¯" public oncivil rights issues and the need for equality for the Gay/ ." Lesbian/Bisexual and Trmmgendered (GLBT) community are : planned for the city of Tulsa and the Midwest region. ¯ "Fmbrace Diversity" is Tulsa’ s"21st celebration of the beginning of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender civil rights ." movement. Begun as the Tulsa Pride Picnic in 1980, "Diversity " Celebration"has grown over the pastfew years to become oneof -" Tulsa’s largest events. The past two celebrations have garnered ~" national attentionfrom Los Angeles to New York with coverage : by PlanetOut, Genre and Curve, as well as local GLBT and : heterosexually oriented television, print and.ele.ctro~ic, media. 1999~saw Tulsa,welcome United States Rep. Barney Frank (D- : Mass..)~as,the OrandMarshal of Tulsa" s first full fledgedparade. ¯ Last y~t:, the city welcomed Greta Cammermeyer and Greg Loug~,s as they hhared their personal stories of triumph over adversi~ and whoserved as Grand Marshals for the Parade. ¯ Featured this year are allies outside the GLBT community - : the families of GLBT individuals. Traveling from across the ¯ nation,, these brave families come to Tulsa to educate and share ¯" their stories of loved ones as we honor them as Grand Marshals : of Tulsa’s 3rd GLBT Parade (Pride Parade). : TulsaOklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR), the presenting ¯ sponsor of "Diversity Celebration 2001", has released the fol- : lowing schedule of events: Saturday, June 2, 2001 TOHR Foifies 2001 Presented by TOHR ’Trom Here to Eternity"Avondale Studio & Theatre ¯ (the old Delaware Playhouse), 1511 So. Delaware Ave., 8pm see Diversity, p. 3 ¯ HIV and Young Black Gay Men ¯ by Margie Mason, Associated Press Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - In the wake of soaring HIV statistics " surrounding the nation’s Gay Black men, a panel of educators - came together at the end of March to admit their failures and : discuss strategies to help curb the rate of contraction. ¯ ’These people are coming to us to get HIV testing or to get ¯ screened for (sexually transmitted diseases)," said Lucia Torian, ¯ from the New York City Department of Health. ’They are in our " offices. They’re in our clinics. We are even counseling them. ¯ What’s going on7" ¯ Torian spoke to a packed conference room as part of. the 13th ." NationalHIV/AIDS UlxlateConference.ShesaidarecentYoung Men’ s Survey inNew York showed one in every three Blackmen ¯ sampled were HIV positive, even though they had less sexual " partners th~n white men ages 23 to 29. ¯ Torian said Gay Blackmen as a group held the highest rates of ¯ infection from 1989-1999. ’This is an incidence rate in men who " have sex with men that wehave not seen since the late 1980s.-So : we have our work cut out for us," Torian said. "’And we may be ¯ on the leading edge of the epidemic." San Francisco’s Gay Black HIV prevalence rates are compa- : rable with an estimated 54.6% of the population spanning all age : groups, said Willi McFarland from the San Francisco Depart- ¯ ment of Public Health. "It’ s an astonishing figure, and we’re not entirely sure how to ¯ answer it," he said. ’’It’s one of the highest for any group in the ¯ city." Black transgender men in San Francisco have a 60% to : 65% prevalence rate, McFarland said. ¯¯ SusanKegeles, of theUniversity ofSan Francisco’ s Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, spoke on the panel about ideas for a ¯ program to attract the troubled demographic. She heads the ¯ Mpowerment Project, hailed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the only effective intervention program for ¯ youngGay and bisexual men, which uses peer groups in various ¯ cities to,create a dialogue and. a safe place for men to talk about ¯ SeX. see African, p. lO City Human Rights Group Wants to Talk to Gays TULSA (TFN) - About seven years after record numbers of citizens attended public hearings on amending Tulsa’ s human rights ordinance to include "sexual orientation," at leastone staffperson with the City of Tulsa Human Rights Commission/Department says she wants to know the issues and concerns of Tulsa’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT) community. University ofTulsaintemAngieJohann_esen, asked to do an internship for her sociology degree with the City’ s HumanRights Commlssion. Atherinstigation the’ Commission is currently developing a series of focus groups with individuals in the GLBT community. Thefocus groups will takeplace later this spring. However, before any specific dates are set, the Human Rights Commission wants~to gauge the number of persons who would be willing to participate. Johaunesen contac~ted TulsaOldahomam for Human Rights, (TOHR) and TUlsa Family News to let GLBTpeopleknow about the effort and to encourage them to participate in the focus groups. Johannesen promises that individuals’ privacy will be respected.. Johaunesen noted that one goal of the Commission was to create a resource manual of LGBT groups, similar to lists which TOHR and TFN already have developed. Another goal is to provide support to Gay students in Tulsa Public Schools some ofwhomhave contacted the Commission about harassment in schools. Those willing to participate should contact Angie Johannesen at the Human Rights Commission, 596- 7837, orby e-mail at angela-johannesen@umlsa.edu. TOHR also encourages those with any questions to contact them at 743-4297 or by e:mail at tobrl0@hotmail.com, see editorial, p. 3. Gay Man Severely Beaten In Attempted Murder MiDDLEBURG, Pa, (AP) - Two brothers were ordered to stand trial in Snyder County Court, accused of stomping and punching a man who is now in a coma; one ofthem allegedly told police that the attack was provoked by a homosexual advance. Todd J. Clinger, 18, and Troy L. Clinger, 20, both of Middleburg are charged with attempted murder in the March 6 attack on Michael Auker. Hc was then carried to his trailer, where he was found two days later in a comatose state. "Wefoundhimunconscious and bleedingfrom the head. Every bone in his face was broken," state trooper Frederick Dyroff testified in a preliminary hearing. Dyroff testified that Todd Clinger said the assault on Auker was the result ofa sexual advance byAuker. Both ofthe brothers and Auker were drinking atTodd Clinger’ s trailer prior to the incident, police said. Auker remains in what Snyder County District Attorney Mike Sholley called a "permanenvcomatose" at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. Nicki Lee White, Troy Clinger’s fiance, said the brothers planned to lure Auker out to their deck so they could "beat him up, kill him." "He (Auker) was trying to cover his face," White said. "I’hat’s when Todd started stomping on him, stomping on his face?’ Bothofthe brothers’ parents face charges related tc their role following the incident. Their father, Gary Clinger~ 37, accused of helping the brothers move Auker to his-trailer, was charged with criminal trespass, burglary., and. endangering another person. Theirmother~ConnieLynnCringers40, wascharged with criminal solicitation. Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants *Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine *CW’ s, 1737 S. Memorial *Play-Mot, 424 S. Memorial Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square *Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st *Schatzi’ s, 2619 S. Memorial *The Star, 1565 Sheridan *TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial *Tool Box II, 1338 E. 3rd *Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan *The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 832-1269 610-5323 838-9792 744-4280 585-3405 745-9998 280-1316 834-4234 660-0856 584-1308 835-2376 749-1563 Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals Assoc. in Med: & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41 665-4580 Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 IE. 15 712-1122 *Borders Books &Music, 2740 E. 21 . 712-9955 *Borders Books & Music, 80i5 S. Yale 494-2665 Brookside Jewelry,.4649 S. Peoria 743-5272 *CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria 746-0313 *Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth 295-5868 Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117 Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700 Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 *Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620 Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556 *Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503 Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial 369-8555 Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379 Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 592-0460 Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria 744-9595 Four Star Import Automotive, 990,6 E. 55th P1. 610-0880 Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica S~i. 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 Skelly 745-1111 *International Tours 341-6866 Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750 *Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018 David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering 747-0236 The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening 582-8460 *Kerfs Flowers, 1635 E. 15 599-8070 Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 747-5466 *Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha 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 *The Pride Store 743-4297 Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101 747-5932 Richard’ s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617 Teri Schutt, Ellen & Co. 834-7921, 748-0224 Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-7829 *Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S~ Lewis 481-0558 Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563 Fred Welch, LCSW, Counsding 743-1733 *Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222 *Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767 www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays & Lesbians 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 918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615 POB 4140. Tulsa, OK 74159, e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlinEnet Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lament Lindstrom, Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw Member of The Associated Press Issued around the 1st of each month, the entire contents of this publication are protected by US copyright 2001 by Tulsa Family News and may not be reproduced eitherin whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’ s sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed& becomes the sole property of Tulsa Family News. Each reader is entitled to ~4, copies of each edition at distribution point. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248, BILiG/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780 Ch~lpFri~q~,,Conunerce,.Bldg,.;,~616~.S.:B_Oston. :...585-.120! ~ :. ~Ol~,:J~h,°~u~e~gn’_lP~anM~ntg°mery - 5500~-6225]~65~ *Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 :’~ 742-2457’ " "- Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa- Lesbian & GayCatholics & , 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 Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827 Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438 *Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194 HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834~8378 *HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstries,1517S. Memorial 224-4754 *MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715 NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral PI. 748-3111 NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658 OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157 *OSU-Tulsa PFLAG, 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 St. Aidan’ s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882 St. Dlmstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140 *St. Jerome’ s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088 Soulforce-OK, Rt.4, # 3534, Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761 *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. for Human Rights, Gay Comm. Center 743-4297 TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvocacy Coalition,POB2687,Tulsa 74101 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, 21 st &Memorial 743-4297 Unity Church of Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833 BARTLESVILLE Bartlesville Public library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353 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 EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS Autunm Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734 Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main 501-253-7457 DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 50 1-253-6807 Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445 MCC of the Living Spring 50 1-253-9337 Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253-2776 could not be condemned just because it is ¯ different. "Perhaps it is repugnant to heterosexuals ¯ to contemplate persons of the same sex ¯ engaging privately in oral or anal sex; how- , ever, to enact a law in Arkansas which ¯ criminalizes such conductbetween consent- ¯ ing adults violates the Arkansas constitution," the judge wrote. ¯ Ruth Harlow,legal director oftheLambda ¯ Legal Defense and Education Fund in New ¯ York, whichrepresented the group, said that ¯" even though no one was prosecuted, its ¯ members did notlikebeing branded as crimi- : nals. "The law hangs over their heads and ¯ treats them like second-class citizens," she ¯ said. ’~It says it’ s illegal:when yogi do it but ¯_" not whenyourneighbordoes, as king as they ¯ are heterosexual?~- .:,~r:. ~,: ~2 Darrin-W,illiams;cNef"of staff£or Arkansas Attorney General" Mark Pryor; said the office would decide on an appeal later. The Arkansas law carried a $1,000 fine andup to a year in jail. Bogard said his opinion was not an endorsement ofhomosexuality nor a critidism. ’‘This court’ s opinion today should not in any way be deemed to condone or condemn any particular lifestyle or the moral behavior associated therewith," he said. Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah have similar laws. if the public wasn’ t willing to accept it, she said. Her study says the way Gays and Lesbians appear in the media may make some people more comfortable acting on homosexual impulses. Buffer said that thepercentage of people who reported having had these experiences is small. ’Tmnot documenting a full-blown revolution," she said. In 1988, 74.9% of respondents said that sex between two people of the same sex is always wrong. By 1998 that number had dropped to 54.6%, according to the General Social Surveys. Buffer. said the findings will have critics and supporters. The religious right, for example, might use the study to show how America has become too tolerant of homosexuality, she said. Gay and Lesbian actiV- : ists might beupsetby her suggestion that the ¯ data indicate sexuality is, at least in some : cases; cultttrally constructedrather thanbio- ¯ logically determined. ¯ Butler speculated that there may b~ sev- ~ eral reasons tolerance has increased, such as : declassifying homosexuality as a psychiat- ¯ ric diseasein the 1970s and the growth ofthe Gay Pride movement. The latter, she said, ¯ may have forced people to question their ¯ long-held beliefs. "But there is still a lot of ¯ intolerance," she said. Federal Hate Crimes Bill Reintroduced Bipartisan Bill Will Expand Federal Law to Include Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Disability; Expands Enforcement Powers WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senators Gordon " Smith (R-OR) and Edward Kennedy (DMA) with Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), Congresswoman Connie Morella (R-MD) " and Democratic colleagues re-introduced ¯ federal hate crimes legislationin Congress today, advancing an important policy dis- ¯ cussion onbias-related violence across the ¯ The Local Law Enforcement Enhance- ." merit Act of 2001 is a bipartisan bill which " wo.uld extend existing federal hate crimes ¯ laws to include gender, disability, and sexual, orientation. Thebill has 51 cospon- " sors m the Senate and 180 in the House. " "A government’s first duty is topmtect ¯ and defend its citizens. Ourlaws~shoulddo ¯ that by reflegting oat.highest values, .not " by sheltering ourlowestfears~’7 said Smith. ’XDver the past several years~ .Americans have been listening with their hearts, not just their ears, and they are ready for a hate " crimes bill. I am confident that Congress ¯ will Pass legislation this year so that the ¯ potential victims of hate crimes know that the federal government is on their side." Senator Smith first sponsored.the bill ¯ with Senator Kennedy in 1999 and intro- : ducedit as an amendment to legislationin "- as voting. In addition to the newcategories, the Local Law EnforcementEnhancement Act will broaden federal jurisdiction to include hate crimes that cause death or bodily injury. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act would give federal prosecutors the discretion, under the direction of the Attorney General, to ’prosecute violent crimes against individuals based on their actual or perceived race, color, religion, and national origin. The bill also gives power to the Attorney General to determine, on a case by case basis, wla~ther interstate.commerce was affected or involvedln violent crimes against individuals Od. the basis oftheir real or perceived gender, disability or sexual orientation, and federalize such prosecutions as well. The bill also gives the Department of Justice the ability to provide needed federal technical and financial assistance to state and local authorities upon request for local investigation or prosecution of bias-related crimes. Rich Tafel, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, a Gay political group, noted, ’Xve applaud Senator Smith, Senator Specter, Congresswoman Morella and both 1999 and 2000. Currently;.federal law only "permits prosecution, of a hate crimeifthe crime prevents the victimfrom i C°ngresS and for our country." exercising afederallyprotectedright, suCh.,~., .. - ’~ Reception immediately following. Tickets: $15.00, At the Door: $20.00 " The Pride Store @ Tulsa GLBT Community Center; 2114 S Memorial orby calling 918.743.4297 or toll free (outside Tulsa)-at 866.335.9074 Sunday, Jund 3, 2001 Tulsa Interfaith Service Sponsored by TU BLGT Alliance Sharp Chapel, TU, 3pro Monday, June 4, 2001 Council Oak Men’s Chorale Concert Presented by Tulsa City/County.Library "Diversity in Song" Aaronson Auditorium, Central Library 3rd and Denver, 7pro Monday, June 4, 2001 Family Law Panel Presented by Tulsa City/County Library Professor Linda Lacey; TU Law School and a panel of family law experts. Helmerich Library; 91St and Yale, 7pro Tuesday, June 5, 2001 Art :Exhibit: "Embracing Art" ¯All- Souls Unitarian Church 2952 S: Peoria Avenue, 6-9pro" Thursday, June 7, 2001 . GLBT Film.Festivai Sponsored by Tulsa City/County Library ’‘Diversity in Film" Aaronson Auditorium, Central Library- 3rd and Denver, 7pro : .the Republican sponsors of thislegislation ¯ for leading a crucial policy.discussion in ¯ Friday, June 8, 2001 ¯ TOHR Diversity Gala ; .....Benefiting TOHR and Diversily Celebration 2001 ¯ "Death Be Notpr0ud" ". Speakers and Parade Grand Marshalls: : Ms. Gabi Clayton, Olympia, WA ¯ Ms. Dorothy Hajdys Ms. Nancy Rodrigues; Houston, TX Ms. Carolyn Wagner, Little Rock, AR "Community HerO" Awards presentation honoring those in the local GLBT community who educate the public through their everyday actions and lives. Tulsa Country Club, 701 N. Yukon Dr. 7pro, reception & silent auction 8pro dinner,.$100/ea. $1,000table of eight. Sponsorships available. Reserved seating available by calling 918.743.4297 or 866.335.9074 Saturday, June 9, 2001 The Pride Parade Cherry Street (15th Street) to BoSton Avenue to 18th Street to Veterans Park Start at 3pm, Hoat/marchers begin assembling at lpm. " During the first year of this publication, : in May of 1994, this newspaper covered ¯ three raucous , packed publichearings about ¯ a proposal to add sexual orientation to the ¯ City of Tulsa’s largely meaningless hu- ¯ man rights ordinance. I say meaningless because violating the : ordinance zs only a misdemeanor. Any : r_eal backing for civil rights for citizens ¯ comes from federal laws which.don’t in- " elude "sexual orientation," and therefore ¯ don’t cover Gay people. (For the record, ¯¯ they don’t cover straight people either but we’ve hardly seen that that’s a problem.) : The hearing brought out the best in .. some but the worst in many. Some who had not really seen the need for including ¯ sexual orientation saw the need just by ¯ listening to the bigotry expressed at the : meetings. ¯ Now this many years later, the City’s : Human Rights Commission/Dept. is look- " ing at these issues again, thanks it seems, ¯ solely to one TU student’ s efforts and just ¯ because she cares about justice -since ¯ she’s, as they put it, "straight but not ¯ narrow." What they’re doing is holding _. "focus groups" which is all well and good ¯ but it~ s much like writing another report as ¯ the last group who looked at these issues ¯ did back in ’93/94. It will take up time and ¯ energy but accomplish little especially ¯ since what’ s needed really hasn’ t changed. ." since’94,norhas it changedfrom theearly ¯ ’80’ s when a similar effort was attempted Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered people need to have the same fund mental civil rights protections which other minorities have by law and which the majority has by dominance. This includes equal opportunity in housing and employment and benefits. This means that if landlords or home sellers cannot refuse someone because of their race or religion, they should not be allowed to do so because of sexual orientation. Ditto for job hiring, advancement and equal pay/benefits for equal work. Ditto, ditto for eqnal legal protection for spouses and families, regardless of whether these are menand women, men and men or women and women; But for it to go anywhere, it will require themayor and some city councilors to give a damn. For at least 7 years, MayOr Savage could, and has been asked to, di:rect the Tulsa Police to includemo~e than just race and religion in their "diversity" training. While rumor has it that this trivial change may soon happen, why has she waited so long? And while some city councilors know what’ s right, none have the courage to work for civil rights. They all want to wait till it’ s safe for them to vote ’~yes," fill there’s a majority. But every earlier civil rights struggle lost batdesbefore prevailing. We can’t get anywhere when our "leaders" won’t talk about our issues. Focus groups, are nice. But we already know whatis needed. Wejustneed Savage under the city commission form of gov- :. mid Watts and Williams and Turner to do eminent. -" it~. - Tom Neal,. editor & publisher Rights Bills.Go Forward in 3 .States WASHINGTON - The Human Rights "- now heads to the Senate, and Gov. Ruth Campaign (HRC) late in March praised. ¯ .Ann Minner has pledged she will sign the activists in Maryland, Delaware, and Illi- " bill if she gets the opportunity. nois for advancing bills in their respective legislatures that would prohibit discrimi~ nation based on sexual orientation. ’q’his Was aweekthat saw greatprogress due to the outstanding efforts of activists in Illinois; Maryland and Delaware," said HRC Field Director Seth Kilbourn. know it will be a tough road, but we hope thattheselegislatures will continue to stand up for equality and vote these bills into law." The Illinois House of Representatives approved ameasure that would add sexual orientation to a state law that bans diserimination against people forjobs, housing, public accommodations or credit. It now heads to the more conservative Senate. But supporters of the bill got a boost when Senate PresidentJames "Pate"Philip said he plans to givethe issue a committee " No.entries after-2:45pra hearing instead of delaying it. ’I want .to Featuring: express my gratitude to my colleagues in Entries from-across Oklahoma and the Midwest Region ComroR~ity Heroes Oklahoma’s largest Pride Flag Diversity Festival Sponsored by: .Bud Light & Eastern Oklahoma Beverages Veterans’ Park 1875 So. Boulder Ave., 3pro the Honse for their support," said Illinois’ only opehly Gay staterepresentative, Larry McKeon, (D) who sponsored the bill. "I strongly encourage the Senate leadership to allow the bill to be moved tothe Senate floor for a vote by its leaders." The Delaware House of Representafives also passed a similar bill that would ban discrimination based on real or perceived sexual orientation in employment, housing, public works contracting, public accommodations and insurance.. The bill ¯ ’~-Iopefully today brings us closer to a ¯ time when our differences are not seen as " reasons for division and strife, but as op- : portunities for educafionand celebration," ¯ said Peter Medwick, state coordinator, : Delaware ACLU Lesbian and Gay Civil ¯ Rights Project. If these bills become laws, ¯ these states wouldjoin Hawaii, California, : Vermont, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, : Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, : Massachusetts, Connecticut and Nevada ¯ as states that already outlaw this type of : discrimination. :. Marylandhas the best chance ofbecom- : ing the twelfth state to ban anti-Gay dis- , crimination. The state Senate voted for a ~ measure to prohibit discrimination based ¯ on sexual orientation in honsing, public : accommodafions and employment (see : related story, p. 5). ¯ With ctn’tinued lobbying from the Gay : civil rights group,_F_ree StateJustice, the ¯ House is also expected to pass the bill. ¯ Gov. Pan’is Glendening, amajor advocate : of the Anti-Discrimination Act of 2001, ¯ will sign the bill into law if it reaches his ¯ desk. ’q’he Senate vote makes this a his- : toric day for civil rights," said Blake : ~umphrey, __m,_,a~a,_,,_,gin~,.gdirectorofFree Srate Jnstiee, the state s Gay civil rights-lobby. : "Maryland senators listened to their con- ~ stituents and’voted to end discrimination. : In voting by such a wide margin, senators ¯ also sent amessage that bias and hate will ¯ not be tolerated in the Free State." Lutherans Don’t Kick Out Gay Friendly Church KANSAS CITY, Mo.. (AP) ~- A Lutheran church official has decided not to ejec~ a Kansas City congregation that installed a Lesbian pastor who refused to commit to a lifetime of celibacy. The pastor, Donna Simon, found out that Abiding Peace Lutheran Church will not be ejected from the membership roster of the Evangdical Lutheran.Church in America. "For now, ¯ we’ve inherited eternal life,, a jubilant Simon said. " Last October, the nearly 40 members of Abiding " Peace, a predominantly Gay church in Kansas City, ¯ chose to defy the rules of the Evangelical Lutheran Church by installing Simon. Simon’s sexual orienta- " tion was not the issue. The Evangelical Lutheran ¯ Church in America, with about 5 million members ¯ nationwide, allows Gays~and Lesbians to be ordained ". as minister~~if they pr0iiiise’lifelong celibacy. Simon, 35, refused to make sucli-apromisei Because of thhtTthe EVaii~dicdl~Eutheran~urch in, Ameri~ ¯ neveriofficially:approved~her for 6~dinafion " " ," When,o~rO~t.28~ AbidingPeace otdained her :, anyway, it Committed ~in act of "eccleSiastic disobedience." Thelast churches to ordain noncelibate Gay and Lesbian pastors - St. Francis Lutheran Church and First United.Lutheran Church, both in San Franciscowere suspended in 1990 and ejected in 1995 from the membership roster of the Lutheran Church. However, after months of contemplation and discussion, Bishop Charles Maahs, head of the Lutheran synod in Missouri and Kansas, recommended the Church be censured and admonished. That action bars Abiding Peace’s members from taking part in a select number of church committees. Abiding Peace, however, will continue to be amemberofthe greaterfamily of Lutheran Churches.- Maahs said one reason his punishment was light is that he believes it. is time to foster more discussion on the question of Gay and Lesbian pastors. ’The ELCA encourages this dialogue," Maahs said. "I know the chief purpose of their calling and ordaining this pastor is really to be in mission and ministering. The thing that is important in all of this is that they have Shown themselves to be people of good faith." Colorado Senator Praises ¯ Scouts for Being Anti-Gay DENVER (AP)-Aresolution praising the Boy Scouts that succumbed to criticism this week was unfairly branded as anti-Gay, its sponsor said. Senate Minority Leader John Andrews, R-Lakewood, let his resolution die rather than renew a fight that flared when the measure was first considered by the Senate. The resolution praised the Boy Scouts for standing up for freedom of speech when they oppo_sed Gay members. "It was framed as if it were an anti-Gay resolution," Andrews said. "It was not. All itwas doing was observing the Supreme Court has said private organizations can be private." "America has gotten very permissive about its morals and laws as far as sexuality goes," Andrews added. The commendation was part of Andrews’ resolution to create "Scouting Week in Colorado." A Minnesota United Way Cuts Off Boy Scouts WINONA, Minn. (AP) - The United Way of Greater Winona plans to cut off funding to a pair of local Boy Scout councils that refused to sign an agreement not to discriminate againstGays. PeterWalsh, the local United Way-president, said that his group won’t fund any groups thatrefuse to sign thenondiscriminationpledge. The U.S. Supreme Court last year ruled that the Boy Scouts could refuse to allow Gay leaders. Since then someUnited Way organizations have decided to stop funding their local Boy Scout councils. The Winona United Way currently funds the Gamehaven Council, basedin Rochester, and the Gate- " way Area Council, basedin LaCrosse, Wis. Duringthe ¯ currentbudgetyear, whichendsJune30,theGamehaven Council received $16,473 and theGateway AreaCoun- ¯ cil received $2,108, said Beth Forkner Moe, the United ¯ Way chapter’s executive director. Mike Diamond, executive director of the Gateway Area Council, said the local scout organizations were not free to sign. ’q’here are clauses in the agreement that go against the policies of the Boy Scouts of America nationally," he said. Richard Good, executive director of the Gamehaven Council, read from the Scouts’ official position: "We believe open homosexuals should not provide a role model for Scouts that is inconsistent with the Scout Oath and t_~w. The Boy Scouts of Americardoes not accept avowed homosexuals as members or leaders." The loss of funds will definitely be felt. Goc~!~. :said UnitedWayfunding accounts for about halftheadministrative budget for the 22 troops and 1,100 Scouts in Winona County. ¯ But for the Scout leaders, it’s a matter of principle. ’’We are a private organization with the right to maintain our own standards ofleadership and decide who is appropriate and not appropriate as adult leaders, x,n - mond said. Police InvestigateAlleged Hate Crime at URI SOLrI’H KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) - An assault on a Gay University of Rhode Island graduate student will be investigated as a hate crime, police said. Kevin Bliven-Baker, 36, said three men confronted him after he left a campus meeting of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Society. Bliven-Baker said one of the attackers bumped.himwith his shoulder, knockinghim into a snowbank, while another called him faggot. URI President Robert Carothers.called the alleged assault "repugnant." ~ Bliven-Baker reported the March 8 confrontation to campus police this week, The Providence Journal reported. "I used to feel really safe on this campus, and ¯ I know I have to watch myself now," Bliven-Baker ¯ said. URI Police Capt. Brian Cummings said he believes the suspects were students. No arrests havebeen made. ¯ KC Synagogue Opposes Boy Scout Bias ." KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A synagogue that spon- ¯ sots one of the city’s oldest Boy Scout troops has : decided to oppose the national Boy Scouts’ ban on . Gays. The executive board at Congregation Beth Shalom in Kansas City, which sponsors Troop 61, plans to : send aletter requesting that the organization rescindits ¯ ban on Gays from its youth membership and adult leadership ranks. ’’We are inclusive; we will not discriminate," Beth Shalom Rabbi Alan Cohen said. ¯ Troop 61 Was founded in 1925 and has seen 300 of its 1,500 or so boys become Eagle Scouts, including its ." current scoutmaster, RonFredman. Fredmandisagrees ¯ with the ban on Gays, but he is not willing to disobey ¯ the national organization - a move that has cost other troops their charters. "I don._’t want to be put in a ¯ position that could.lead to the death of (Troop) 61," ¯ Fredman said. "I don’twant anything to get in the way of this troop’s mission, which is to turn boys into ~ leaders." ~ TheTroop 61 will receive a copy of the letter that the ¯ synagogueis sending to the national council. Fredman ¯ said Troop 61 leaders will prepare a response to Beth ¯ Shalom’s position. Cohen pointed out that the letter is aimed at the no-Gays policy and should not be perceived as a criticism of Troop 61. Find out for yourself how good the Lord is! - Ps. 34:8 Come share the goodness of the Lord with our community . Sunday Morning 11:00 AM Children’s Worship During Service MCC United Rev. Cathy Elliott, Pastor 1623 N. Maplewood (918) 838-1715 mcctulsa@aol.com Community - Unitarian Uni versalist Congregation at Community oJHope 2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595 A Welcoming Congregation HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754 The Open Arms Project Young Adult Support Group Outreach Program Thurs. Nights Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment Call for meeting times and place: 918-584-2325 Mingo Valley Flowers 9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145 918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-~.AA-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 Store 21st Street & Memorial Tulsa Gay Community Services Center 743-GAYS (743-4297) 6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday 12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center 583-1248 Red Rock.Tulsa Free Confidential HIV-Testing: Walk-in Clinics Tues. & Thurs., 5 -8 pm at the Center, 1307 East 38th Daytime appointments available. Call for more information: 918-584-2325 G AllliIrlI:an Red Cross American Red Cross Tulsa Area Chapter 10151 East Eleventh Tulsa 74128 Dannette McIntosh Diversity Co-ordinator 838-1100 Saint Aidan 4045 N. Cincinnati, 425-7882 Saint John 4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381 OPENARMS OPENMINDS OPEN IqFARTS Saint Dunstan 5635 East 71st, 492-7140 Trinity 501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128 The Episcopal Church Welcomes You National Boy Scout leaders defend the policy, saying homosexuals are not good role models. Several groups nationwide, have since pulled sponsorship of Scout troops and barred troops from longtime meeting places and some Eagle Scouts have returned their badges in protest. Houston Chapel Ends Anti-Gay Discrimination HOUSTON (AP) - A I-Iouston chapel known as a refuge for human rights supporters has reversed a 30- year-old policy banning same-sex union ceremonies from being performed there. The Rothko Chapel was founded by philanthropists John and Dominique de Menil in 1971 as a sanctuary for people ofall faiths and those committed to human rights. About 20 wedding ceremonies are pe.,.~rformed at the chapel eaCh.year. Thepolicy excluding Same=sexumons was imposed when it-opened as per the wishes of Domini.qiiede Menil;whodied in 1997at theageof89. The’C~ap.el’s board of directors decided thi~ monthto start all0~ving same-sex unions at the chapel. "It was" a decision of Mrs. de Menil after consultation, with different religions,’" said Nabila Drooby, former executive director of the chapel who helped recommendthe change. "It was takenby the board, too. Itwas not hers alone. But times have changed." Clarence Bagby of HoUston, a board member of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said he was thrilled with the switch. Bagby had criticized the chapel know.n for opposing discrimination for banning same-sex umons. Chapel.presidentFrances Farenthold saidthe change came after a yearlong study. "It was a concern ofmine when I first heard about it," she told the Houston Chronicle in Thursday’s editions. ’’I’ve always identified with the Gay community in this city. I believe in inclusivity." Same-sex unions would be strictly ceremonial and are not recognized in Texas. Transsexual Dancers Allege Discrimination NEW YORK (AP) - Two transsexual dancers have filed a sextml discrimination suit against a trendy nightclub after they say they were fired because the club wanted to hire "real girl" dancers. Amanda Lepore and Sophia LaMar, have filed a $100,000 discrimination suit against Twilo, charging they were wrongfully terminated simply because they had once been men. "What are we supposed to have a baby while go-go dancing or something?" Lapore asked The New York Post. The two women said they were fired last February after several years working atthe club. "They’re worldclass entertainers an~d they hadneverbeenreprimanded by the club in any way," said the pair’s lawyer Tom Shanahan. The club’s lawyer, Peter Sullivan, called the suit "unfortunate," and insisted that the two. were ¯not fired as the result of discrimination. "Iqais is the place that’s probably the most sensitive to the transsexual community in New York. This is not an establishment that discriminates against Gays or transsexuals," Sullivan said. Lepore and LaMar, who work at a number of other clubs around the city, say they are pursuing the suit because "we need to protect other transsexuals." Vatican Denies Sexual Abuse of Nuns by Prtests VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican denied a report in the National Catholic Reporter that says sexual abuse of nuns by priests, especially in AIDS-ravaged Africa, is a serious problem. The article is based on five reports by senior mere- ¯ bers of women’s religious orders and a priest going ¯¯ back to 1994. The National Catholic Reporter said the reports have been discussed at top Vatican levels. ¯ Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls acknowl- ¯ edged there were isolated cases of priests sexually ¯ abusing nuns, but said the problem is "restricted to a ¯ limited geographic area." Navarro-Valls said the ¯ Vatican was working with the leaders of religious orders and he stressed the ’~aeroic" work of many priests and nuns. According to the National Catholic Reporter, priests afraid of contracting AIDS sometimes ulrn to young nuns, who are seen as "safe" sexual partners. "In a few extreme instances, according to the documentation, priests have impregnated nuns, then encouraged them to have abortions," the magazine said. In one case reported by Sister Maura O’Donohue, a physician and member of the Medical Missionary of Mary, a priest impreg~at.e~ a.~.~.t~n..,;then arr,m!ged fo~ an abortion. She died :d~ng the al~0rtion and.he 0ff~CiatedatherftmeralMkSs,. :i’ ".~ " "~ : .- Therepolt.scite&!~~ ~eN.a~ofial c.ath0!i~ Reporier also say that nuns i~h0-b~meil~eg~fifi~i ~.e. often forced to leave their.rrders, While 0ae pfieSt~.invol,~ed are allowed to contiiiue their minisixies.Th~ Vatican statement was issued after the Italian media rehashed the article. The Vatican had refused comment to the National Catholic Reporter. The National Catholic Reporter said there are no comprehensive statistics on the sexual abuse of nuns, ¯ but the "frequency and consistency of the reports... ¯ point to a problem that needs to be addressed." The reports citedby the National Catholic Reporter link the ¯ problem to cultumlattitudes toward celibacy as well as to the fear ofAIDS and to traditions of female subser- : vience. Civil Rights Bill Appro.ved by Maryland Commtttee ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Legislation to ban discrimination against Gays cleared its biggest hurdle at the end of March, winning narrow approval in a Senate committee where it had died the last two years. Gay civil rights activists, some choking back tears, embraced and shookhands in a quiet celebration of the victory they had won with strong backing from Gov. Parris Glendening, who. made the bill on~ of his top priorities this year. The 6-5 vote in the Judicial Proceedings Committee will send thebill to thefloor of the. Senate for debate. Nancy Meyer, co-chairperson of Free State Justice, which lobbied for the bill, said she is confident there are enough votes in the Senate and House of Delegates to pass it. But supporters have less than three weeks to get the proposal through the Senate,-the House Judiciary Committee and the House of Delegates. The biggest danger would be a possible filibuster in the Senate. Supporters of the bill werejust happy they had finally gotten it out of the committee. In a news conference minutes after the vote, Glendening hailed the decision as "a tremendous victory for justice and fairness and inclusion in Maryland." "We cannot legislate acceptance. We cannot wash out hatred out of cruel and callous hearts," he said. But the governor said passage of the law would protect Gays and Lesbians from discrimination on the job and in housing. Abouthalf of the people in Maryland are covered by local Gay rights laws in Baltimore city and in Howard, Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. Glendening’s bill would extend protections to the rest of the state by adding sexual orientation to a law that prohibits discrimination based on factors such as race, religion and gender. Thebill was.approved in cornmi tree afterabout three hours of discussion spread over two days. Gay Health Issues More Than AIDS ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Vickie Smith said : she was 30 before she found a gynecologist in whom she could comfortably confide that she was a Lesbian. "I certainly ~ hadn’t had anyone who didn’t, like, make ¯ aface," Smith said about thedoctors she’d -" seen before .visiting Dr. Fe Mondragon. : Often, she said, male gynecologists told her, "You don’t seem to be sexually active . . . Someone your age should be very active." " Fears of doctors giving moral lessonsor simply not understanding the mechanics of non-heterosexual practices can lead -" patients to avoid discussing intimate de- ," tails withhealth professionals, or worse, to ° steer dear of health care altogether. To help solve these problems, the Em- " pire State Pride Agenda lobbied state leg- " islators for $5 million to educate health ¯ professionals and provide support and re- ; sources for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered people. In the past three ; years, the Pride Agenda successfully lobbied for a total of about $5.5 million in state money for similar projects. "We’re ". kind of the last ones left in terms of underserved communities," said Sheila Healey, Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation program director. Between 5% and 12% of nursing students questioned in a 1998 study said they -" despised Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual : people, according to a study in the Journal : of Nursing Education. More than half of - the Black people who answered a 1999 . Kaiser Family Foundation survey said that they felt health care professionals treat ; people unfairly based on race or ethnicity ,. either very often or somewhat often. 62% of Latinos said the same thing. Mondragon, Smith’s gynecologist, does not advertise any attempt to attract Lesbians -or any specific group. One wall inher office is filled with photos of babies she’s delivered-mostly to heterosexual couples. She also has helped Lesbians start families. And Mondragondoes not ask patients to reveal their sexual habits, or lack thereof, but takes care not to assume the patient’s sexuality. ’’We don’t ask, ’Do you need contraceptives?’" said Mondragon. ’’We ask, ’Do you have a need for birth control?’ We try to eliminate any kind of assumptions." "If youbill yourselfas (providing) women’s health services," she said, ’~hy shouldn’t that include the knowl- .edge of what Lesbians do or what they need?" Pot Club At US Supreme Court vent marijuana from being given to seriously ill patients for pain relief. The cooperativd is a distribution club operating under California’s Proposition 215, the voter-approved law that allows the possession and use of marijuana for medical purposes on a doctor’s recommendation. That’s where Alcalay used to get his marijuana. But he’s had to look elsewhere since the federal government sued the cooperative and five other California pot clubs in 1998 to prevent them from distributing the drug. Afederal judge sided with the government. But last year, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court ofAppeals ruled that "medical necessity" is alegal defense. California officials, including Attorney General Bill Lockyer, argue that the state has the right to enforceqts medical marijuana law, which was approvedby voters in 1996. Distribution dubs sprang up because Proposition 215 iS~silent on how patients will get marijuana, outside of growing and harvesting it themselves. The Supreme Court is not looking directly at Proposition 215, but rather at whether medical necessity may be used as a defense against federal drug bans. It’s unclear whether *he justices will rule on that general issue or rulemorenarrowly on how lower courts have handled this case. If the court says "Yes" to the necessity defense, it could make it easier to distribute medical marijuana in California and the eight other states with similar laws - Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Maine, Nevada and Colorado. Justice Department lawyers declined to comment on the case. They have argued that allowing dubs to hand out marijuana compromises the government’s ability to enforce federal drug laws. Advocates say marijuana is a reliable and nontoxic therapy that in some cases is the only relief for suffering people. That point of view was endorsed recentlyby the Institute of Medicine. The institute, which was asked to examine the issue by the White House drug policy office, said that because the chemicals in m~ijuana ease anxiety, stimulate appetite, ease pain and reduce nausea and vomiting, they can be helpful for people undergoing chemotherapy and people with AIDS. Alcalay, a 59-year-old physician who serves as theclub’ s medical director, started using marijuana to keep down his medication after he was diagnosed with HIV in the 1980s. HIV turned into AIDS and in the mid-1990s Alcalay almost died from an intestinal illness that ran roughshod over his wedkened immune system. He credits marijuana with keeping him alive until the advent of drugs that boosted his immune system and wiped out the inteStinal bug. Alcalay didn’t make it into the book about dying. Recently, he ran into the author. "He was surprised to see me," Alcalay said. - On the Net: Oakland Cannabis Coop: http://www.rxcbe.org OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - A few years ago, an author writing about death asked ailing AIDS patient Michael Alcalay how hewas accepting, dying. "I’m not accepting it," Alcalay retorted. Alcalay is alive today~thanks.in ~part~ he believes,~.to doses of marijuana~that :heiped him j.keep hiS~,~:- 1 In 9SouthAfriCans m~eines::do~ ana~. iippetite.’~p as-lie. :,, AreHIV. Positive/" foughtthcdisease.. ~:~..... ~ :’ ~:,........ - ¯ ’ Alcalay was in the audience as~.lawyerg,~-~’ ~- PRETORIA, -Sonth Africa (AP).#.One.in~i;~ try to~convtnee :the U~.S.---,Supreme:,Court~ -:: rune South Mn~.c.c.c.c.c.c.c.c.c:am ~s. HI.V-posm~e~,~e:, that federal anti-drug,laws ShOuldg’t pre~-7~ government sa~d, more than prev~ousty, / thering April 20-23. 2001 Osage Hills State Park Pow Wow Non-Talent Show Talking Circles Crafts Give-away Stomp Dance Fellowship Native Games Guest Speaker John For more information and to be put on the ailing list, call: Hawk ke -...918-382 1276 Tommy Ch sbro - 9 r . ~lob.al. " ~’is i011 local action April 11, 2001 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Allen Chapman Activity Center, The University of Tulsa Planned Parenthood of Eastern Oklahoma and Western Arkansas, Inc. and The Universi~ of Tulsa with the support of ~ Planned Parenthood" Global Pariners~ Want to save Money and Help Build a Community Center? Switch to Rainbow Communications Long Distance and-More, 10% of Revenues Will Benefit Tulsa Oldahomans for Human Rights Ca_pim) C~p~n~n4"Gene(~il~Fun~ call 665 I ’or’ev ni g at r4 7 602. thought in a country that already has the world’s largest population of infected people. In the hard-hit eastern prbvince of KwaZulu-Natal, the infection rate was greater than one in every three people, a government study said. The study conducted at 400 clinics nationwide concluded that about 4.7 million In South Africa, leading drug companies went to court this monthto blockalaw that would let South Africa both import generic drugs andmake its own. But as the West pays more attention to demands for affordable HIV drugs for sub-Saharan Africa, theimpoverished regionwithmore than two-thirds of the world’s HIV-posi- South Africans were HIV-positive as of : tiv¢ people, drug.makers simultaneously the end of 2000. Previous government " announced a rapid-fire Series of concesestimates had put the figure at 4.2 million, or one in 10. About 24.5% of women attending public postnatal clinics were infected, up from 22.4% in 1999, the study based on a sampling of 16,000 pregnant women found. Health Minister MantO Tshabalala- Msimang said the figur.e.s represented a leveling off from th~’St~iJ rise in theearly to mid- 1990s, but said the pattern ofinfection suggested that prevention efforts needed to target those who were in stable relationships and might have thought they were less vulnerable. Most HIV-positive South Africans cannot afford the drugs that could prolong their lives. Last week, President Thabo Mbeki rejected calls to declare a state of emergency to allow .the nation to import cheaper generic drugs to deal with its AIDS crisis. Declaring a state of emergency would allow South Africa to produce the generic drugs without breaking World Trade Organization rules on bypassing patent laws. Mbeki told parliament a state of emergency was not needed because South Africa has its own law permitting both importation and production of generic drugs -althoughimplementation has been stalled by a. lawsuit brought by major drug compames. Africa Fighting High Drug Costs ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) - Far from the big courtroom battle over HIV-drug patents in South Africa, the West African nation of Ivory Coast quietly imports knockoff generic HIV drugs as it has for years - without fuss, patent payments or apologies. "Believe me, I don’t care," Kassim Sidibe, director of Ivory Ctast’s AIDS program, said of patent rights. ’XDur concern is what we can do for our people," said Sidibe, who runs the national program out of a dusty concrete compound in a workifig-dass Abidjan neighborhood. "The lower the prices are for us, the better for our people." With that attitude, Ivory Coast has become one of the first African nations to negotiate at-cost deals for leading HIV drugs. And now the country has reached a new deal that is expected to bringdownthe cost of amonth’ s HIV dru~treatment from $410 this year to $88 to-$112 next year. Senegal, Rwanda and Uganda announced ." similar deals with drug makers this month. In the West, a month’s HIV treatment - wo.ul,d cost about $1 ~000....... ~ It s anexampleoftheWes~tiretheWes~ - big drngmake,are f~ci.~g(~ generics€" .’Wefeel drugm~kersshould~|kel~mfi~, mEm’opeandNorthAmerica,, stud !dibe. ¯ sions in receht weeks. ¯ Most have been price cuts for Africa, to : production cost or even below. Bristol- : Myers Squibb wenteven further last week, ¯ saying it would make its patent for the drug Zerit available in South Africa at no : cost- effectively opening the market to its ¯ generic competitors. Bristol-Myers . stressed it would stickwith the drug corn- : panies’ lawsuit in SouthAfrica, however- ] portraying the case as a broad defense of ¯ patent rights fbr all its drugs. ¯ It’s a different story in the rest.of sub- Saharan Africa, where Bristol2Myers says :- it holds no patents for its HIV drugs. So when it comes to acquiring HIV drugs there, it’s a little more like the Wild West. ° In Ivory Coast, the government gets the HIV drugs it wants by taking bids for them worldwide. When two of the bids for 2001 came back for knockoff drugs at what Ivory Coast deemed the lowest and best offer, Ivory Coast took them. The national AIDS program shipped in AZT .and stavudine from a Bombay-based generic company, Cipla Ltd., bypassing their brand-name makers, GlaxoSmith- Kline and Bristol-Myers. Bristol-Myers markets stavudine as Zerit. The result was "- a 20% savings in the average monthly therapy- down to $410 from nearly $500, said Makan Coulabily, an official with the .AIDS program. Sidibe, thenational AIDS director, didn’t bother to determine whether there were patent rights at issue or not. "We bargain until we get the minimum price," he said. Yale: Undue Profits From .AIDS Drug? ....’Not-from us; We don~t have anythingy. ~ -returned.requests for comment~. NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - Some 600 researchers have signed a petition calling on Yale to help make a university-owned AIDS drug more available in developing nations. The petition drive was launched lastmonth,justafter Bristol-Myers Squibb, whichmanufacturers the drug d4T, pledged to cut the price in South Africa and not contest if generic drugs are distributed, The seeds of the protest were planted when Yale licensed the drug, known commercially as Zerit, developed on campus in 1987, to Bristol-Myers Squibb. It was a relativelycommonagreement thatallowed the university to retain the drug’s patent and receive royalties while its research was distributed to millions. In turn, the company conlrolled manufacturing and distribution strategies. "I became a scientist because I wanted to helpcreatenew cures for diseases around the world," said Fran Balamuth, a :Yale,. immtmobiologist who circulated the petition. :~’Now.Lfind ttmtiY~!,e.is:.turning results of pdblicly funded research;into., Ne_ither ¥~,no~ Bri~tol-My~s Sqifibb. by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor "My music often unfolds like the book ¯ of my life," says Stevie Nicks. And that " being said, ’Trouble in Shangri-La," is an excellent read as well as a listen. It’ll be " nice to hear some New Stevie on the radio ¯ - and the New Stevie is fabulous! ¯ Hernew album (heardmpromo form) is ¯ a winner. Her voice is dearerand strongerthan before. "Haunting" is a word I would apply to this album as a wholeit does’~n~t S te~ile’; " ~XiSre~~d some’: d6ubi abiliii\~!~it.: o~e p~, aslCJn~iTo~n eeff~~ to work with her on some songs. Andhe said, ’~No ... You don’ tneed anyone to help you with your songs. Do it Yourself." And so she has, and done an excellent job at that. In fact, that story became a song itself, "That Made Me Stronger." Stevie does country proud i~ her ’Too Far From Texas," which I loved, though. I’m not too partial to country. DiXie Chick Natalie Maines guests on this track. Stevie couldeasily cross over, andifwise,Wamer- Reprise Records will’ capitalize on that. Another track, ~andlebnght, h circulated widely in demo form, being from the early 70’ s, and is wonderful to hear in finished form, with the.edge of experience that Stevienow has in her voice. "Bombay Sapphires," with Macy Gray guesting, is another track that has a driving beat with that lost quality of regret and lost love. "Fall From Grace" is a rocker, good for that day-after-being-dumped-angry moments. According to Stevie, it will be included On the tdur. ’~t’ s the perfect balance to ’Edge of 17,’ in terms of energy. It’ s a great song to rock out to" Lestyou thinkit all:recrimination songs, there are a couple of hopeful songs about love gone right (although no one does. anger like Stevie). ’~Love Is," a closing epiphany, with Sarah McLachlan onpiano and guitar and background vocals, is an ode to what one does for love, and that even in the brightness of theflame, thereis darkness, and vice versa. The TroubleInShangn-La albumwas started before the 1997 Fleetwood Mac "Dance" album and tour, and has been well worth thewait. It is as strong analbum as her "Belladonna,"and anequal for ’The Wild Heart." No outdated Stevie here, she has successfully reinvented herself for the new millennium. "To not grow is to die," She asserts, "ofcourse, youwantto workwithin a framework that best suits your talent and style. But you also want to continually shake things up. ’Trouble in Shangri-La" has a spare acoustic sound, and in spite of the fact there are many producers,has a sound that carries all the way through, much like a narrative. The songs stand on their own, yet work exceptionally wall ~ a collection. Noother artist seems to have that gift for writing songs that can touch on such universal themes thatonecaneasily see events in one’ s ownlife mirrored in the music and lyrics of an artist. And that is the magic of Stevie Nicks;friends for whomI’veplayedthese tracks or sent these lyrics (an’d those of past albums) are astounded by just how close they come to describing these events with amaz=~ " ing details. And that is the connection and why I have always looked ~orwardtoanew release by this artist. Fleetwood Mac is confirmed to be going back into the studio in September to record a new album after Stevie’s tour for : ’Trouble." The big question on that is ¯ whether Christine McVie can be lured out of retirement to participate. She’s quite ¯ happy puttering around her manse in En- : glandanddoesn’t wanttobebotheredwith ¯¯ musicmaking; it seems. More likely, her arthritis is.so bad that ¯ playing keyboards is simply too painful; along with the fact that she hates touring; and the attitude I noticed when The Mac : toured for the Dance album in 97. Shejust : seemed to be so bored up there, staring ¯ listlessly at the crowd and mouthing along ¯ with Stevie and Lindsey’s songs during ¯ the lead vocals. ¯ Personally, I dbethrilled,butthen, that s ¯ me. Hey, I’ll put on a blonde wig, and we ¯" sing in the same key... And I can fake the ¯ piano, with the backup keyboardists like : she had on the Dance tout. ¯ If you caught the Judy garland biopic : last month, you were lucky. The perfor- ~ mances were top notch, and the actors to a : tee were so on target with the mannerisms ~ and voices that it was downright eerie. I ¯ hadan ardent interest in Judy’ s musiclong ¯ before I knew I was supposed to. ¯ Thebestintroduction to her workcanbe : :found in the "Judy: The Complete Decca Masters"box set, well worth theprice. Her ¯ earliest works are there, along with some ¯ gems that were overlooked. Her career ¯ spanned two periods, really - the MGM ¯ years, and then the concert years. ’The ¯ London Sessions" hard to find but still in : print, is a good survey of the latter. ¯ The recently remastered "Judy At ¯ Carnegie hall" is a "must have," as the ¯ sound onit is incredible andit really is like ¯ you are there. It’s a wonderful document ¯ of the power of her live performances. ¯ During my aforementioned phase of : "Judy beforelknew I was supposed tolike ¯ her"-ness, I really only liked the MGM : stuff; the countess soundtracks to gems ¯ like ’%Vizard of Oz," see Amuse, p. 9 Stevie Nicks Mozart’s Underwritten by The John Steele Zink Foundation April 21, 27, 29, 2001 TulH I~urftcmlnl Arts Cent~r Call 587-4811 www.tulsaopera.com Timothy-W. Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partne)ship Planning, Personal Injury,Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma Weekend and evening appointmenl.s are available. Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC Certified Public Accountant a professional corporation Lesbians and Gay men face many special tax situations whether single or as couples. Electronic filing is available for faster refunds, 4021 747-5466 South Harv,ard Aventi , Suite210, Tulsa 74135 "Meet Me In St. Louis,"-"Easter Parade," and so on from 1937 to 1950 or so when MGM fired her. Only after the miniseries aired have I really listened to the post MGM stuff, and discovered how good it really was. Dorothy’s voice is a bit older, but also wiser, and a bit more technically refined. For an example of this, rent "Wizard of OZ" and then watch 1954’s "A Star Is ¯ Born." Judy’ s transformationfrom child star to actress is fully evident in these two pictures. And she was vastly’underrated as an actress. For example, her performance in "The Clock" is classic, and it’ s a film that, while ab-grademelodramaoflost loves, is elevated to high art by her first, and only, non-singing dramatic performance. My friend Karin, of the "raging Lesbian" column, adds this caveat: "The only thing I would add is after the bit about ’The Clock "- you NEED to mention that she also was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for "Judgment at Nuremburg" or you’ll have queens descending from places you didn’ t think existed in Tulsa! It was an excellent performance. VERY small, but very effective." Judy was nominated for an Oscar for "A Star is Born," which she should have won, but didn’ t due to politics. As for the queens coming from places I didn’ t know existed descending upon me, well, that doesn’t really sound so bad... Listening to her music made from 1936 to 1968, I am struck by how much of it is so deceptively simple and eminently hummable. When’ s the last lime a tune on the radio had you humming along because the melody was so infectious it stayed in your head? And intelligent lyrics that sdl the song arefew and far between these days as wall. Songs like ’~Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart" were and are really wall written and fun songs - to listen to and to sing. If you’ ve never heard of these songs or heard them at all, go grab a Judy Anthology - there’ s lots of them that feature the early stuff- and take a listen. You’ll be glad you did. Rumor has it that Capitol, which was her recording label from 1955 until her death, might reissue all the albums she did for them as a complete set, along with outtakes and unreleased songs. Hopefully, this will happen, while her star is again making a comeback. Its a damn shame she isn’t still here to see it. By the way, for those too young to know, the anniversary of the Stonewall. Riots, June 22, when drag queens and their friends fought back after one too many police raids and harassment occurred in New York, heralding the beginnings of contemporary activism for equal rights for Gay and Lesbian folk, happened the day of Judy Garland’s funeral. According to mythopoetic interpreta- "... No other artist seems to have that fft for writson s that can touch on such universal themes that one can easily see events in one’s own llfe m~rrorecl m the mus,e lyrles of an artist.... : tions of that days events, many linked thc ¯ two events together, even though there’ ~ ¯ no hard evidence to support it. And upon : such things are miniseries made of, and ¯ based on. ¯¯ If you get the chance to rent or buy "Broken Hearts Club," do. It’s a good ¯ addition to theGay moviecollection we all have. Featuring the ever-hunky Dean Cain "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman"; and the father from "Frasier," John Mahoney; along with Andrew Keegan "10 things I Hate About You"; MattMcGrath "Boys Don’t Cry"; Mary McCo~,.mick ’a:’ri~ate Parts. :, and ¯ Nia Long "Soul Food," written and di- ¯ rected by Greg Berlanit, co-executiveproducer of "Dawson’ s Creek." : The plot, as such, is simple - a slice of ¯ life in the Gay (can’tcall it90’s anymore, ¯ what do we call it? The Gay thousands?) : 2000,withaseries ofvignettesintertwined ¯ by the theme of friendship among Gay ¯ men. ¯ We meet Dennis on the eve of his 28th ¯ birthday, who is whining about his dys- ¯ functional family of friends, indecisive as _. to whether they’re the best or worst thing ¯ that ever happened to him. ¯ There’ s Benji, the youngestgroupmem- " ¯ ber, a punk wannabe witha penchant for ¯ gym bunnies; Howie, the psych student ¯ who thinks too much andlives to little (no, ¯ that character was not based on yours ¯ truly...); Cole, the actor bunnyboy who ¯ candono wrong, lovin’emandleaving’em ¯ as fast as you can say revolving door who ¯ also "accidentally" keeps stealing every- " one else’s guy; Patrick, the cynical quip- . ster (now, that’ s based on yours tntly); and ¯ Taylor, resident drama queen (no com- " merit), who, until recently, prided himself ¯ on his long term relationship. Rounding .. out the cast is Jack, the patriarchal force of ¯ the group. ¯ Andof course, everyone ends up at each ¯ others’ throat after tragedy strikes, and with aMickey Rooney/Judy garland wrap- " up, ends up friends again. The plot, as ¯ such, is somewhat scattered, not really ¯ sure where to focus; and of course, we’re ¯ dealing with "types" here, but the actors turn in fine performances all, and the film ¯ is enjoyable and does provide afew laughs ¯ and insights. 3 & 1/2 out of 5 stars. ¯ ¯ It’s a fun film, and fairly accurate in its portrayals - we all.know people like this - ¯ Ijust wish there were morefocus. The film ¯ simply tries to come at the issues it raises ¯ from everyone’s perspective, and it left ~ me thinking that if the director and writer ¯ had chosen maybe two.or three, it would .. have been more cohesive and a tighterfilm ¯ with more intensity and character development. ." Locally The TU Gay and L~sbian Film ¯ Festival runs April 5-7, starting at 7pm on ¯ the 5th and 6th and 2pm on the 7th in the ." Business Administration Hall. Films to be shown include Salut Victor, Orlando, ¯ Westler, Homoteens, seeAmuse, p. 10 by Lamont Lindstrom Enthusiastic pornographers now flood my. m,ailbox wi0a catalogs.. (And let me pause here to thank whichever magazine sold its lnailing list.) I was picking through one ofthesefour-colorbrochures recently, eyeballing lurid blurbs for videos an.~ DVDs. "Raw" sex, seems, is a major selling point. Hot condomless pornos must either date back to an era before the HIV epidemic or are new productions that cater to a pow,e.rf,ul,, emerging s;e,.xual fetish: "oatebacking. Public healthofficials and HIV prevention workers ate anguished, although probably not surprised, to find that the prohibited has become the desired. But there ismore to the story of why barebacking, nowadays, sells pornographic videos. True enough, we often want_what others say we should not have. But our desires also reflect our worldview - or what might be called our culture’s mythic tmderstandings. Thumbing throughthat catalog,notthose fleshy photos, it was text that caught my eye. Several pithy terms have sprung quickly into use to describe unprotected sex. These same-few words appear again and again in video advertisements~ in personal adsi and_in website mission state-. merits such as for this Yahoo! Group: ’The world’s largest bareback list. THE list for menwholove their sex condom:free, guilt: ." free, hot, and spermy." Barebackers are gay men who e~tjoy .. raw, skin-to-skin, n~atural sex with other : men." So condom-free is now bareback; : it’s skin=to-skin; it’s natural; it’s raw. ¯ ~ "Skin-to-skin;" yes. And! get "natural;" and also the cleverness of ’*oarebackingy But why "’raw?" Straight away comes to mind a Classic 1960s analysis by the celebrated French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss. LevbStrauss’ ’~ntroduction to the sc~en,ce of. mythology" was published in English, in 1969, as The Rawand theCooked. Asa strncturalist, Levi-Stratus believed he could locate the essential architectural elements, underlying any cultural productionbe this marriage customs, or totemic taboos, or myth. He claimed that the human brain is.neur01ogically Structured to think in dualisms, binaries, and oppositious. We:define One thing in terms of another, and vice versa: . A principal,dualism, that I_~vi-Strauss discovered in his South American Indian myths is an opposition betweennature and Culture. Nattir~iis nature.While Culture iS anything that people create: Level-Strauss argued that htima~s think mosfly in. concrete terms rather than abstract. Outmyths : v~hile fundamentally playing with an intangible opposition between nature and culture ~ rephrasethis: abstract concern concretely as a matter of raw food versus cookedfood.Themwis natural; the cooked .. cultural-; and cookingis any sort of techno- : logical process (condoms, say) that trans- ¯ forms nature into culture. Americans share with many people ¯ around the world the symbolic predilec- "... Americans slmre with many people around the world the symbolle predileetlon for equatln~ food and body, eatln~ and havln~ sex. (Keep thls in mind next time some drunk hollers out ’Eat me!’) This sort of symbolism is ’iconic’ ... insofar as it ,naturally eehaes the realness of bodie~: Our multipurpose mouths do more than tion for equating food and body, eating and having sex. (Keep this inmindnext time some drunk hollers out "Eat me!") This sort of symbolism is "iconic" (in the language of American semioticianCharles Pierce) insofar as it naturally echoes the realness of bodies: Our multipurpose mouths do more thanjust food-processing. We use food (twinkles, chocolate; vanilla) and its qualities (hot, sweet, hunky) as alanguage in which- to talk about sex. Food is either raw or cooked and so, we imagine, is sex. Skin-to-skin sex is natural andtherefore uncooked- orraw. Condoms, conversely, cook the expejust food-proeessln~. " rience. Barebacking, also, ’ ’ is natural in that one rides ¯ the horse without a saddle (a device that ¯ cultures, or cooks the ride). The symbolic : connections, here, are even clearer in : Frenchwhereddingahorsewithn0 saddle ¯ is "monter crn," which translates as "ride - ¯ raw." Or;in an.English parallel, "to sleep ¯~ in the raw"me,arts to sleep naked- without :- any transformingpajamas. - : ’.~- ¯ Raw. sex sdls videos not only because it ¯ is forbidden and therefore guiltily tempting. It sells videos because it is natural and therefore desirable. Whichis better? Natural foods or processed foods? Sincere emotion or social pretense? The untamed forest orthe zoo? But things aren’t so simple or so one~ sided. Now which is. better? Bloody cow flesh or steak? Dank caves or cathedrals? : HIV or medicine? Humans always value ¯ culture - cooking - as much as we do : nature: Culture’s devices that transform : the world make us human. Cooking draws ¯ the line between humanity and animal : nature. This is the message that Levi- : Strauss read in his myths. ¯¯ Raw sex may be.good because it is natural, but condomed sex might similarly ." be appreciated justhxcause irishin fact, ¯ cooked - that is to say, it is refined., civi- ¯ lized, and technological. Gay men in par- : titular should appreciatethis distinction. ¯ Many. mythologies - yet another dual- " ism - position women as.natural in coun- : t.erpoint to cultured men. Raw sexis feral- ¯ rune (thatis, natural, and perhaps hetero- : sexual)while cooked sex is masculine : (cultured, homosexual). H-IV prevention ¯ efforts ~have attempted to play up the ur- ¯ bane sophistication of condoms - their ¯ colors; textures, tastes, and playful meth- ¯ ods of use. They could,no doubt, domore. ¯ Condomsl- as a mode of cooking - can : make things hotter. : Lamont Lindstrom, Ph.D. teaches an- . thropology at ihe University of Tulsa. program that targets and attracts the Black ." Gay community. "Fhere’s an enormous - complacency about contracting HIV," " Kegeles said. "It’s not a big issue any- " more. People still remain healthy and ¯ strong: They think they can take two pills in the morning and two pills at night." Kegeles said the Gay black commumty hasn’t been studied sufficiently, and :it needs to be examined more closely because Gay Black men do not necessarily frequent mainstream Gay bars and other " venues. In addition, she said there’s a ¯ larger stigmaattaehedtoBlackGays. Many ¯ ~ do not even admit they have sex with other " men, Kegeles explained. Leniere Miley, assistant coordinator at the House of Latex Project in New York, ¯ said it’s important to seek out Black Gay men and educate them about the risks of " unsafe sex in a message that appeals to ¯ them. He said it’ s a toughjob that goes far beyond simply sponsoringhip-hop dances and posters depicting Black culture. ’~eople have different ways ofcommu: nicating and hearing things," Miley said. "Maybe the people in the .Black community couldn’ t hear it. Ithas to be tailored to the communities they’re going to." On the Net: www.amfar.org To report hate sp~-ch or I violence, call the Gay " Community Center: 743-4297 I Summer in my Veins, High Art, Poduck andPassion, and To My Women Friehds. The Bonnie Rideout Scottish Trio finishes outthe PerformingArtCenterTrust’ s Celtic Music Series. It should be a good ¯ time for all, especially if yon,re a fan of ¯ traditional. Celtic fiddling. April 6-7, 596- ¯ 7111. ¯ "AnAll-AmericanEvening"is theTulsa ¯ Ballet’S tribute to American choreogra- ¯ phers. Featuring the Oklahoma premiere ’of Balanchine’s "Who Cares?" with Gershwinmusic, Paul Taylor’ s ’~2ompany B"withAndrews Sisters, music,andAgnes DeMille,s "Rodeo", (usually featuring a nearly naked cowboy, but given the ads I’ ve seen for this production, it looks like no such treat is in store). April 6-8, PAC, 749-6006. For country queens, three of country’s queens will be performing April 7 at the ¯ MaxwellConventionCenter~.JanieFricke, :. Lacie J Dalton, and Juice Newton will be : a-hootin, and a-hollefin.584-2000. ¯ For queens of the Garden, it,s time for ¯ Tulsa’s Spring Garden Mart from the 13- : 14 at Tulsa Garden Center; 746-5125.- : April 19-28, Heller Theatre presents ¯ ’WitalSigus"; by Jane Martin, featuring : monologues by some of Tulsa’s most tal- :. ented actresses, 746-5065. ¯ And last but hardly least, Tulsa Opera : presents "The Marriage of Figaro" by " Mozart April 21, 27 and 29. 587-4811. IGTA member Call 341. 6866 ntern tion ToursIormoreinlormation. "TULSA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC Country Club Barbering Custom Styling for Men & Women David Kauskey 3310 E. 51st, 74%0236, T.~es.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm Tulsa’s only .College Hill Presbyterian Church In response to God’ s Love, College Hill Presbyterian Church is a community of God’ s people called to tell others the Gospel of Jesus Christ through worship, service, and evangelism. To nurture our faith, we gather for worship, prayer, study and fellowship. Trusting in a living, loving God, we seek to become a compassionate voice for peace and justice. Our congregation welcomes all persons who respond in trust and obedience to God’s grace in Jesus Christ, and desire to become part of the membership and ministry of Christ’ s church. Membership is open to all people regardless of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition, marital status, or sexual orientation. by Karin Gregory ¯ Do you ever feel like your life is a . Broadway play, a Hollywood movie, or a " television sitcom? Of course you do - you’re Gay! Some of you even think your " life is a 1930’s Hollywood musical, or La ¯ Boheme, or Rent, but we’re talking here ¯ about a Gay couple. No, not that kind of " couple- not the butch/femme, but the Gay man/Lesbian couple. The kind of couple ¯ that doesn’t require a lawyer if things " don’t work out. Fm in a Will And Grace " situation, but we’re both Gay. So we’d ¯ comemoreunder the heading ofthat Broad- " way play/Hollywood movie/television . sitcom, The Odd’Cmiplb’. One guess as to " which one of us is Felix! ¯ As you recall from the play/movie/TV ¯ show, Felix, the neamik, was kicked out of " his house by his wife and comes to live " with his sloppy friend, Oscar. Things were ¯ a tad different withus- Lesbian Oscar was " takeninbyGay Felix, butwewon’ tquibble over little things. Both characters had ex- ¯ spouses, and I suppose you can’t get more ¯ EX than SHE WHO MUST NOT BE." NAMED. When I first moved in, Gay " Felix had just met ’~the one." Yeah, right. When ’~he one" treated him much like I ¯ had been treated (except ’~&e one" actually communicated!), who was here to " hold him, talk him down from varioul ceilings in the apartment, and generally ¯ offer comfort and support?Lesbian Oscar " of course. " Being withGay Felix guarantees there’ s ¯ always drama in the place. Whether it deals with "the one" of the week, our dog " Roxie and her many weirdnesses, or just mundane money problems, it is NEVER a ¯ dull life. Simple problems are always " turned up twelve notches with us. If we " have a problem with the apartment corn- ° plex, we decide to move! The fact that we ¯ can’t afford to break the lease doesn’t " occur to us at the time. You have a mad " queenand apissed-offdyke on yourhands. ¯ We should have a sign above the door that ¯ reads, "Abandon logic, all ye who enter." " And I’m now walking a dog, like a true " Lesbian. Gay Felix came in one night, ¯ laughing, because the dog now lifts her ¯ leg. Who was blamed? Lesbian Oscar, " who oftenplays her favoritemusician (and " we all know who she is by this time, don’t we?) while the dog sits on the bed listen- ." ing. So when she lifted her leg when I " walked her, I praised her, calling her Me- " lissa and Butch. ¯ I have to say that I’ve never known any ¯ one person, even Felix Unger from the play/movie/TV show, to wash so much clothing. Gay Felix doesn’ townthatmany ¯ clothes, butdanm if I don’ thear the washer and dryer going on and on each night and ¯ morning. Maybe some of you Gay men : can enlighten me on this subject. I’m at a total loss. Gay Felix even remarked early ° on in our nightly, daily, aftemoonly, etc., ° clothes washings, "I never thought I’ d see ¯ bras h..a~.ging fr~o~ MYlauladry area. tsut ~ foldpanties, anddehl wlthvanous women s " :issues as best he can. " . ¯ Like Fehx Unger from the play/movie/ ¯ " TV siio v;Gay Felix t3 c3oL " does so on occasion. He makes the most seemingly plain dinners gourmet feasts. And he’s even started us on an exercise program. Gay Felix plays Mr. Motivator .to Lesbian Oscar’ s couch potato. No grass grows under a queen’s feet, I’ve come to realize. Because most Gay men believe Lesbians have no decorating taste 01mph!), the very few things I have in our living room I’ve had to fight for. My room has been a work in progress for almost three months now. But at least the boxes are off the middle of the floor. I now have carpet! I never knew since I moved in that I had carpet. And you know how important carpet i~ for Lesbians.t I couldn’t hide my sexual preference even if I wanted to. The reason? Gay Felix introduces me t0’each and every one of his friends: as "my Lesbian roommate." Another thing that’s similar to the play/ movie/TV show is that we do things together. Like going to Gay clubs in Dallas (would we go anywhere else at night?). True, Gay Felix is 24 years old as opposed tomy45 years of age, and I’msure it looks like I’m takingmy son to Gay bars. People must wonder just what kind of mother I am! I’ve seen more dnmken people in the past few months than I did when I was in my twenties and drank myself. I’ve also met more people in the Gay comlnunity of Dallas than I ever have before. Too bad they’re all drunk at the time. I have to reintroduce myselfeach time. It’ s funny to see Gay Felix at the bars. ¥ou hear various things as he walks by, like, "Oh, is he hot!"; "Girl, look at that!"; and ’Td take him home!" He’s one of the cutest men I’ve met, yet he doesn’t think so. The inevitable question about how the roommate handles the boyfriend situation comes up here as well. I’m introduced as the Lesbian Roommate (I almost think that’ s my name now), and we start talking. Imagine, a twenty-something man talking to me instead of jumping into bed right away. I don’t know if I’d do the same thing. But I think Gay Felix wants my views on the guys he brings home - a woman’ s perspective,ifyou will. Hell, we all know how easy ! am. If the guy’ s nice to me, I tell Gay Felix to keep him! And Lesbian Oscar, Mespite her best intentions, is slowly .becoming domesticated. You heard me, grrls! Some things that I would never have bothered about beforejump out atmenow. Duston theTV screen comes to mind. I wipe the kitchen counter every time I’mfinished with something in there. I now have places to put my things, and most of the time I actually manage t.o putmy things backin the proper place! If you’re wondering if a relationship like this can work, I’m telling you it can. We don’t fight, and when I do get bitchy (who, me?), Gay Fclix knows exactly what to say to snapme back and makeme lau~gh. Wouldthis work wlthjU~t tole$,anc.¢, !evel, for a ragLng Lesbian higii .~ ~ s!~yScraper. No~:~i~-iy:~y~r~" you, f~.d are like thaL Tiffs is or~e m~ I: want~0 live witli Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights presents Divers"ity ration 2 1 Saturday, June 2, 2001 TOHR Follies 2001 "From Here to Eternity" Avondale Studio & Theatre (the old Delaware Playhouse) 1511 So. Delaware Ave., 8pm Reception immediately following. Tickets: $15.00, At the Door: $20.00 The PriMe Store @ Tulsa GLBT Community Center; 2114 S Memorial or by calling ~918.743.4297 or toll free (outside Tulsa) at 866.335.9074 Sunday, June 3, 2001 Tulsa Interfaith Service Sponsored by TU BLGTAlliance, Sharp Chapel~ TU, 3pm Monday, June 4, 2001 Council Oak Men’s Chorale Concert Presented by Tulsa City/County Library "Diversity in Song" Aaronson Auditorium, Central Libmrym 3rd & Denver, 7pm Monday, June4, 2001 Family Law Panel Presented by Tulsa City/County Library Professor Linda Lacey, TU Law School and a panel of family law experts. Helmedch Library, 91st and Yale, 7pm Tuesday, June 5, 2001 Art Exhibit: "Embracing Art" All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria Avenue, 6-9pm Thursday, June 7, 2001 GLBT Film Festival Sponsored by Tulsa City/County Library Aaronson Auditorium, Central Library, 3rd and Denver, 7pm Friday, June 8, 2001 TOHR Diversity Gala Benefiting TOHR and Diversity Celebration 2001 "Death Be Not Proud" Speakers and Parade Grand Marshalls: Ms. Gabi Clayton, Olympia, WA, Ms. Dorothy Hajdys Ms. Nancy Rodrigues, Houston, TX, Ms. Carolyn Wagner, Little Rock, AR "Community. Hero" Awards presentation honoring those .in the local GLBT community. Tulsa Country Club, 701 N. Yukon Dr., 7pm, reception& silent auction, 8pm dinner, $100/ea. $1,000 table of eight. Sponsorships available. Reserved seating available by calling 918.743.4297 or 866.335.9074 Saturday, June 9, 2001 The Pride Parade Cherry Street (15th Street) to Boston Avenue to 18th Street to Veterans Park Starts at 3pm, Float/marchers begin assembling at lpm. No entries after 2:45pm Featuring:Entries from across Oklahoma and the Midwest Region Community Heroes Oklahoma’s largest Pride Flag Diversity Festival Sponsored by: Bud Light & Eastern Oklahoma Beverages Veterans’~ark, 1875 So. Boulder Ave., 3pm Featuring~Entertai:nment, Speakers, and more. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2001] Tulsa Family News, April 2001; Volume 8, Issue 4 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 2001 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohn Karin Gregory Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Hughston Walkinshaw Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, March 2001; Volume 8, Issue 4Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/611 2001 advocacy AIDS AIDS drugs arts and entertainment Boy Scouts businesses churches College Hill Presbyterian Church discrimination Elton John Eminem gay bashing Gay/Straight Alliance George W. Bush Glaxo SmithKline hate crimes HIV HIV testing Karen Gregory Lamont Lindstorm LGBT police Merck and Co. military inclusion Murder Openarms Youth Project Partner Benefits performing arts Pfizer Presbyterian Church Ragin Lesbian Red Cross Red Rock Tulsa restaurants Soulforce STDs the closet tolerance curriculum Tom Neal TU Bisexual/Lesbian/Gay/Transgendered Alliance Tulsa Family News Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights United Way https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/5baa9c52448ce50ccfea124932aaf84c.jpg 0b97203f8a546b44d0df80a622888445 https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/0ae1e9698f1541cf1b53825f477d4aad.pdf 770a81a10b0d9658dd442c74d3130469 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Tulsa HIV/AIDS Agency Alienates Gay Supporters TULSA (TFN) - For an agency which was founded in largemeasur¢byTUl~’ s Gay commtmity-the~ommunity firstandmost~by_theHIV/AIDSpandemic, it seems a mighty dumb move. Why would Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., formerly knownas theHIV Resource Consordum, not to~members ofTulsa" s Gay commuuity, some of whom had been significant donors, to it, annual fundraising event, the Red Ribbon Ball? This is thequesfionwhichanumberof individualswereasking themselves and their friends after they were not invited to the April 28 event held at the Williams Center. While none of the individuals were willing to be publically critical of an agency whosemission they still support, several noted that they had gifts of $500 and more to the fundraising event in recent years, and were quite surprised not even to receive an invitation. One noted that even former Tulsa CARES,.board president, Nancy McDonald, see CARES?, p.2 World Leader Speaks on Fight against AIDS PHILADEI ~PHIA (AP) - To wage an effective global campaign against AIDS, $7 billion to $10 billion a year is needed from both governments and philanthropists, U.N. Secretary-General KofiAnnan said. Current spending on AIDS research and prevention measures in developing countries is about $1 billion a year, Annan said at a cxmference last month. "The world has the resources to defeat this epidemic if it really wants to," he said. "But at present, there’ s a lot of confusion abouthow the money should be raised, where it should be directed and who can ensure that it’ s well spent." In his remarks tomore than 2,000 philanthropists and business leaders during the 52nd annual conference for the Council onFoundations,Annan called on the public and private organizations to work together to fight the spread of HIV and AIDS. "We are not spending anywhere near what is needed to fight AIDS," Annan said. "It is not a choice between prevention and medicine. We need both." Aunan said national leaders and community grOups must workto supportthoseliving withAIDS and to help educate others about the disease. He said the United Nations must coordinate the batdc against the disease. His goal is thatby the time delegates meet onJune 25 for a session on HIV and AIDS, see Global, p. 3 DIRECTORY EDITORIAL US & WORLD NEWS HEALTH NEWS P. 2 P. 3 P. 4 P. 6 Z ENTERTAINMENT + MORE P. 8 GAY STUDIES/RAGING LESBIAN P. 10/11 Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends ¯ Tulsa Receives $50,000 GLBT :Funding Challenge Grant ¯ TULSA (1TN) - Tulsa is just one of four US commnnities to : receive a $50,000 challenge grantfrom the National I_~sbian and ¯¯ Gay Community Funding Parmership (NLGCFP) through the Tulsa Community Foundation. : The grant specifically targets Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and ¯ Transgendered (LGBT)issues and requires matching funds from ¯ Tulsa to be raised. Longtime activist, local PFLAG founder and : former national PFLAG president;Nancy McDonald wrote the ¯ proposal according to Janice Nicklas, who said she assisted with ¯ the project. ¯ The funds ifmatched locally will be distributed on the basis of : a"needs assessment" done by a local steering committee. There : is an initial grant of $7,500 to help prepare the needs assesment. ¯ According to NancyCMnnin~hamofNLGCFP,letters of support : were received from Sanford Cardin, director of the Schnstermau : Foundation and ScottZarrow, a member of a prominentbusiness : family known for its charitable work.. : Per Nicklas, the grant application proposed a parmership betweensomeofthefollowing organizations: TulsaOklahomann i for Human Rights (TOHR), Parents, Families and Friends of i Lesbians and Gays 0aFLAG), Tulsa Public Schools, Youth _- Services of Tulsa, the YWCA, Tulsa Area United Way and ¯ others. It is anticipated that the effort to create a permanent ". community center might benefit from this grant. : TheTulsa Community Foundation is less than a few years old ¯ and was founded by oilmanand Bank of Oklahoma majority ¯ shareholder, George Kaiser. When Kaiser started the Founda- : lion, he responded in an interview with TFN, that his intention : was that the organization address the needs of Tulsa’ s LGBT : community, specifically saying that he Supported civil rights for ¯ Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals. : However, there may be issues with the board ofdirectors ofthe : TulsaCommtmity Foundation. Although this grant was awarded ~ several months ago, Foundation staff, requested that TFN not ¯ report this information first for a month, see $, p. 3 ¯ NGLTF LeaderToledo Resigns ¯ WASHINGTON, D.C. April 20, 2001 - Elizabeth Toledo, ex- ~ ecutive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, : announced that she has chosen not to renew her contract and is ¯ resigning her position effective May 18. : "It has been a distinct honor to work at NGLTF and with such ¯ atalented and passionate staff," said Toledo. "I’m confident that ¯ theTask Force will continue to provide progressiveleadership to ¯ the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender movement." ¯" Toledo,anexperieneed organizer, was namedexecutive directorin April 2000. Underher leadership, theTask Force solidified ¯ its progressive voice on a wide range of issues, expanded its ¯" training and organizing on behalf of the LGBT movement, and ¯ continued topublish cutting-edge research throughits think tank, ¯ the NGLTF Policy Institute. A thoughtful and articulate leader, ." Toledo regularly appeared in the national media and maintained ¯" a high profile of speaking engagements. ¯ Key highlights of Toledo’ s tenure at NGLTF include: - Establishing NGLTF as a nonpartisan authority on GLBT ¯ electoral issues by providing data and analysis on the GLB vote, ¯ issuing detailed reports on presidential and vice presidential ¯ candidates, convening"What’ s At Stake" forums inkey electoral ¯ states, and maintaining the acclaimed Elections 2000 website. : -Publishing three important Policy Institute reports: : "Transgender Equality: A Handbook for Activists and Policy ¯ Makers;....Outing Age: Public Policy Issue Affecting Gay, ¯ Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Elderly;" and "Redistrict- : ing: A Strategy Memo." - Serving as a watchdog to the Bush White House, including launchinga"WWatch" web site, organizing against certainBush : cabinet nominees, and issuing reports on Bushfs proposed gov- ¯ emment-funded religion initiative, the tax plan, and school ¯¯ vouchers, and, ¯ - Establishing a diverse and skilled seniormanagement team to lead NGLTF, improving its financial condition, and imple- ’ menting an innovative and effective membership campaign. ~ Jerry Clark, Co-Chair of the NGLTF Board of Directors said, ¯ see NGLTF, p. 2 ¯ not everyone has given up - HIV’s Ability to Hide Thwarts Hope for Cure By Daniel Q. Haney, AP Medical Editor Will AIDS ever be cured? The latest research on the resourceful AIDS virus that causes the disease suggests a disheartening answer: Probably not. Just a few years ago, even some of the most soberminded researchers wondered if the end of AIDS might be near. Perhaps the pills that miraculously changed H.IV from a death sentence to a chronic infection would go the final step, they thought, eventually curing the infection by purging every trace of the virus from the human body. Such talk quickly faded. The new drug cocktails, amazing as they were, could not get rid of the virus. Evenifall signs ofit vanished for years, HIV was still lurking somewhere. Inevitably it roared back by the billions as soon as people stopped taking their medi- Ever since that realization sank in, finding HIV’s hiding places has been the goal of a small group of researchers. What they have learned is one of the biggest disappointments in AIDS research. The fact that HIV is an insidious and resourceful parasiteis hardly a surprise. After all,AIDS researchgas already understand in lavish detail how HIV latches onto human blood cells, how it oozes inside and kills them. They know the significance of every bump and crevice on the surface of the virus and how these shield it fr6m destruction. But no basic AIDS discovery in recent times has proved so disturbing as the way HIV burrows in for the long haul. It has shifted the ultimate goal ofAIDS treatment toward something less ambitious. Since eradicating HIV now seems so unlikely - although see HIV, p. 3 : TOHR + Pride 2001 ¯ TULSA - Tulsa Oldahomans for Human Rights ~ (TOHR) will feature at its May meeting, Julie Sum- " mers and Roxann Moeller from the Tulsa Mental ¯ Health Association to make a presentation about the ¯ mental health issues for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual ~ and Transgender communities on Tuesday, May 8th. ¯ at 7:30pro at the Tulsa GLBT Community Center, : 2114 South Memorial. ¯ Theresa Bamardfrom American Express Financial ¯ Services will also give a short overview of three ¯ upcoming f’mancial planning seminars designed fo] : our commumty to be held during the month of May. : .Organizers also will provide updated information ¯ on this years Pride events from Tulsa City/Count) Library programs to ongoing fundraisingfor aperma- : nent community center location. ¯ On May 9th at the Center at 7pro, City of Tulsa ¯ Human Rights Dept. staff will hold a foetus group te : help identify LGBT community issues. ¯ And a number of benefits are ongoing to support the Parade and Festival. Renegades will host one on : May 5th as well as another on May 18 featuring a : farewell performance from Kansas City dancer Doug ¯ Boyce, a great Tulsa favorite. ¯ Also, TOHR reports that more than 30 Cherry St. ¯ and Boston Ave. (SoBo) businesses have signed a ¯" letter of supportfor the Parade which will gofrom15th near Utica to Boston to 18th and Veterans Park. ¯ At the park, during the Festival after the Parade, ¯ organizers are promising great entertainment, including "men, women and drag queens." Greg Gatewood, spokesperson for TOHR board ¯ president, Kerry Lewis, confirmed arumor ofvandal- , ism at the Center last month. A box of glass jars as : well as a brick was thrown through the front doors. In ¯ a bizarre touch, a "serenity" prayer was left at the ¯ scene, see TOHR, p. 7 Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants *Bmnboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine *CW’s, 1737 S. MemOrial *Play-Mot, 424 S. Memorial Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square *Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st *Schatzi’s, 2619 S. Memorial *The Star, 1565 Sheridan *TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial *Tool Box II, 1338 E. 3rd *Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan *The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 832-1269 610-5323 838-9792 744-4280 585-3405 745-9998 280-1316 834-4234 660-0856 584-1308 835:2376 749-1563 Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard -743-1000 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41 665-4580 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, 3807c S. Peoria *Cheap Thrills, 2640 E 1 lth Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 712-1122 712-9955 494-2665 743-5272 746-0313 295-5868 581-0902, 743-4117 Community Cleaning; Kerby Baker 622-0700 Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 *Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria *Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial Ross Edward Salon Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria Four Star Import Automotive, 99~.6 E. 55th PI. 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, 308 South Kenosha *Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd lVlingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 *Moha~vk Music, 6157 E 51 Place Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo *The Pride Store Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101 Richard’ s Carpet Cleaning Teri Schutt, Ellen & Co. Paul Tay, Car Salesman *Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis Venus Salon, 1247 S.Harvard Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling *Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan *Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 749-3620 " 744-5556 " 838-8503 369-8555 584-0337, 712-9379 592-0460 744-9595 . .o-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 834-7921, 748-0224 260-7829 481-0558 835-5563 743-1733 665-2222 592-0767 www.gaytulsa.org - website for TulsaGays &Lesbians Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579-9593 ¯ 918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615 FOB 4140. Tulsa. OK 74159. e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net ¯ ~ublisher + Editor: Tom Neal ¯ Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry ¯ Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche. Lament Lindstrom Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw ¯ Member of The Associated Press : Issued around the 1 st of each month, the entire contents of this ¯ publication are protected by US copyright 2001 by Tulsa Family News and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes the sole property of Tulsa Family News. Each reader is entitled to 4 copies of each edition at distribution points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248. All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria Black & White. Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center. 2207 E. 6 B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston *Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. Church of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood *Commlmity of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale *Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation Council Oak Men’ s Chorale *Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware *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 *-7tee SpiritWomen’s Center, call forlocation&info: 587-4669 Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827 Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438 *Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194 834-8378 224-4754 838-1715 748-3111 365-5658 HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education *HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstries,1517 S. Memorial *MCC United, 1623 N; Maplewood NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral PI. NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157 *OSU-TUlsa PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 *Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria - Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152 R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network *Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 St. Aidan’ s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincimmti 749-4901 587-7674 7494195 584-2325 425-7882 St. Dunstan’ s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140 *St. Jerome’ s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088 Soulforce-OK, Rt.4,#3534, Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761 *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 5954105 Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only TulsaOkla. for Human Rights, GayComm. Center 743-4297 TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvocacy Coalition,POB2687,Tulsa 74101 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, 21st &Memorial Unity Church ofCliffstianity,3355 S. Jamestown BARTLESVILLE Barflesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone TAHLEQOAH Stonewall League, call for information: Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 ¯ EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS ¯ Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734 " Jim & Brent’ s Bistro, 173 S. Main 501-253-7457 501-253-6807 743-2363 " DeVito’ s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 587-7314 Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445 583-7815 " MCC of the Living Spring 501:253-9337 583-9780 " Geek to Go!,~ PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253-2776 585-1201 " Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332 & Florence ¯ Positive Idea Marketing Plans 501-624-6646 587-1314 : White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074 747-6300 " JOPLIN, MISSOURI 749-0595 " Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696 748-3888 ¯ 712-1511 " *iswherey°ucanfindTFN’N°tallareGay’°wnedbutallareGay’friendly" 743-4297 749-8833 918-337-5353 918456-7900 918-456-7900 918-453-9360 wasn’t even invited though she attended the event regardless. And according to a Tulsa CARES staff member, even Janice Nicklas of the Tulsa Area United Way associated Community Service Council,who is easily one of Tulsa longest and most ardent fundraisers for HIV/AIDS care and prevention, had to ask for an invitation. While a tiny handful of prominent Gays did attend the event, even those were reported to be concerned, and in one case, furious, at the absenceof former donors. TulsaCARES boardpresidentShannon Hall expressed great concern about the perception of exclusion of Gay supporters. Hall explained that the event orgamzing was different from prior years and that the invitations were extended to those on a list which local decorator and longtime AIDS ~undraiser, Charles Faudree provided. Hall suggested that the agency failed to see that their former list of event supporters and the Faudree list were "merged." Hall went out of his way to take responsibility as board president for the negative result. However, others, while giving Hall full credibility for his effort, wondered, about just how accidental the exclusion was, citing the impression that over time, as Tulsa CARES has drawnmore"mainstream" funding and support, the agency has been perceived as distancing itself from its Gay origins. This allegation has been made both by donors and clients. Regardless of the hurt feelings, alienated former donors, and ill will which most fundraising groups seek to avoid, word is that this year’ s Red Ribbon Ball was a great success, raising over $100,000 from attendees characterized as "straight, rich people." Some who spoke with TFN, just said that while they support the fight against HIV/ AIDS even when support for that effort is waning, they wonder if other groups may be more appreciative of their support. Editor’s note: in t,~e past, Tulsa Family News hasprovided news coverageforTulsa CARES but has also donated advertisements both to support Tulsa CARES’ Red Ribbon Galaandto Faudree’ sHopeCandlelightTour. While the exclusion ofGaypeople an d media may have been accidental, TFN urges Tulsa CARES director and staff to offer letter of apology. We’ ll sure print it. "It is with great sadness and regret that we accept Elizabeth’s resignation. She made significant strides for the Task Force. We thankherforheraccomplishments and dedication during the last year, and we are confident that she will continue to be a voice of progressive leadership in the movement." Toledo cited family responsibilities, in particular, the poor health of her mother and the heavy travel demands of her position as reasons for her resignation. many contend the next best thing will be somehow limning the body to control the virus, to help patients live with HIV instead of getting rid of it. Many of the insights come from the work of Dr. Robert Siliciano of Johns Hopkins University, who regularly tests the blood of about 50 Baltimore AIDS patients, measuring the virus’ s persistence despite the best treatments. "What HIV has done is tap into the most fundamental aspect of.theimmune systern,andthat is its immunological memory," he says. "It’s the lJerfect mechanism for the virus to ensure its survival." Perfect because the virus lies silent inside cells that are programmed to do nothing but sit and wait. They are calledresting memory T cells. Their only job is to store arecord ofthe germs they encounter, keeping the body prepared for the next time it sees them. These cells literally are the immune system’s memory, so they must survive for a long time. Otherwise we would catch the same diseases over and over. HIV lies inside these sleeping cells, dormant but dangerous. Siliciano believes this means HIV infection will last a lifetime. The memory cells do die off, but ever so slowly. At the rate he sees in his Baltimore patients, it will take 73 years for them to go away completely. He cannot imagine a way to speed up the process, certainly not with the drugs now available or with anything else on the horizon. This latently infected reservoir, as scientists call it, is the single biggest obstacle to getting rid of AIDS. "It’ s the thing that keeps us from curing this," says Dr. Roger Pomerantz of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. None of this was obvious in 1996, the dawn of the modern age of AIDS treatment. Doctors watched AIDS patients literally get up from their death beds after taking the newly available drug combinations. Anything seemed possible. Dr. David Ho of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center in New York City cautiously speculated about eradicating HIV. If the drugs stopped the virus from infecting more blood cells, then the ones already loaded with virus would eventually die off naturally, leaving the body virus free. Perhaps this would take two or three years, he thought. Butin late 1997, another discoverymade that seem lmlikely. Silieiano and two other teams independently found the virus insidememory T cells. They checked people who had seemed to be free of virus for two years. Every time, they found fully potent copies of virus inside their memory cells. No one tmderstood then how long these cells would stay alive, although it was assumedit wouldalmostcertainlybemore than a couple of years. "It was a sobering realization about the recalciliant nature of this reservoir," remembers Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The next obvious approach was to try to destroy these Trojan horses. Fauci’ s team tried to "flush out the reservoir," as they put it. The idea: Intermittently feed the bodyinterleukin-2, agrowthhormone that would make these dormant memory cells awaken and then die. ¯ Theexperiment seemed to go well. Doc- ¯ tors biopsied patents’ lymph nodes and ¯¯ found nothing. They grew hundreds of millions of their cells in cultures. Still ¯ nothing. Finally they stoppedall treatment ¯ and waited. Within three or four weeks, ¯ they had their answer. The virus came ¯ back in every single patient. ¯ "We are not going to be eliminating this reservoir," Fauci now says. "Whether you ¯ can measureit or not doesn’t seem to have ¯ a significant impact on the clinically rd- ¯ evant phenomenon of what happens when ¯ you stop the drug." ¯ Nevertheless, scientists have learned ¯ much about how the virus hides. HIV’s ¯ primary target in the body is a kind of ¯ white blood cell known as a cd4 T helper ¯ cell. The virus infects them, hijacks their ¯ machinery so they manufacture more vi- ¯ ms, then kills them. ¯ After they get infected, though, a few of these helper cells become memory cells. : HIV has already stitched its genes into the cells’ genetic code in preparation formak- ¯ ingmore virus. But nothing happens. The ¯ cells go to sleep, virusand all. ¯ All of this happens within the first days ¯ of an HIV infection, even before the body ¯ begins to make antibodies against the vi- ¯ ms. The number of cells involved is rela- ¯ tively small, perhaps 1 million scattered ¯ throughtheblood stream, thelymph glands ¯ and perhaps elsewhere. Normally, the body kills HIV-infected : cells. But it misses these, because they ~"’look perfectly normal. ’q’he only difference between a latenfly infected cell and its uninfected counterparts is a little bit of HIV DNA," says Si!ician0. This silnilarity also makes the infected cells almost impossible to kill with any kind of targeted drugs. There is simply no easy way to sort out the good from the bad. Siliciano has been counting these cells in his Baltimore volunteers for five years. The number he finds in their bodies now "is essentially exactly the same as they started with." Why do they die off so slowly, if at all? There are two leading theories: Their longevity reflects the basic biology ofmemory T cells, or their supply is constantly replenished. Siliciano favors the first theory. Immunological memory lasts forever. This is why ~rmeone who catches measles in childhood will remain immune to the disease into old age. Memory cells may die over time, "but they also make replacements by cell division. And every time a memory cell divides, it faithfully reproduces the HIV that is stitched into its genes. However, the Diamond Center’s Ho ¯ prefers the second theory. Actually, ¯ memory cells are mucJa shorter lived, he ¯ believes. But their supply is constantly ¯ being renewed by a continuing cycle of ¯ low-level infection. ¯ The standard drug regimens -what doc- ¯ tors call highly active antiretroviral therapy, ¯ or HAART - can reduce viral levels by ¯ 10,000fold. Butperhaps they do not completely stop the virus from infecting fresh ¯: T cells. Some of these go on to become ¯ infected memory cells. Thus, however ¯ quickly these memory cells die, they are ¯ replaced by more. see HIV, p. 7 by Matthew W. Holloway Marriage is an amorphous institution, changing in response to the demands of society. Marriage, in some form or another, has existed in every society throughout the history of man. In addition, marriage is not a purely Christian concept Marriage is largely a product of our society and has not always had to do with religion. What relationships are considered a marriage? How do we decide what relationships to call a marriage? Does a couple really need a governmentissued license to be "marfled"? These questions have aroused many debates through the years. Does society decide if people are mamed? Or is it to be left up to the people involved in the union? What of polygamous and incestuous marriages? They have been ridiculed and defamed in many societies. There are reasons why polygamous and incestuous relationships do not benefit society. In some ways, they can actually harm a society, depending on the context in which they are found. This is because of the biological problems involved in these unions. The government has shown sufficient reason to deny these marriages. This is one of the reasons that their employment has been limited, even in those societies which see them as a viable alteruative. And when we look at redefining marriage, where do same-sex relationships fit into the picture? When we look at the required criteria of a marriage, we will see that homosexual marriages fulfill all of them, as well as many of die non-essential characteristics. There, what basis does the United States Government have in denying marriage licenses to homosexual couples? Absolutely none. If the American Government is "of the people, by the people, and for the people" then why are these marriages not recognized? There is no question that homosexuals are in every way equal citizens of the United States. The American Government has in place safeguards against a conceptknownas "tyranny ofthe masses". This is a relatively new problem, as it is found exclusively in one of the newest forms of government, the republic. It occurs when the population of the nation gets so large that any minority group trying to be heard is drowned out by the din of all of the other minority groups, clamoring for their own representation in the elected assembly. And the United States elected assembly, the Congress, is one of the smallest in the world. This makes it very hard for any minority group to receive adequate representation in this nation. One of the major safeguards against"tyranny ofthemasses" in this nation is the Supreme Court. One of its major duties is to protect the Bill of Rights and to apply the Constitution to the ¯ cases which are presented o :~ With the very conservative ~z ¯ court at this time, there is ~~,~ ; reaching a feasible conclusion to ¯ bate over homosexual marriage. Homosexuals have been "... when we look at redefining marriage, " where do same-sex relationships fit into the picture? When we look at the required criteria d a marriage, we will see that homosexual marriages fulfill all of them, as well as many of the non-essentlal characteristics.. 7 traditionally discriminated against for years. This is a fact. The new laws prohibiting homosexual couples from being considered the exact equals of heterosexual couples are simply hate-based legislation. That anyone could use our governmental system to promote hate or defame any minority group is atrociously unethical. The United States Government has not shown any promotion of the public good at all in prohibiting homosexual marriage, and neither has any one of our fifty states. Therefore, they are ¯ overstepping their boundaries in even pro- ¯ posing legislation such as the Knight Ini- ¯ tiative. In addition, the Supreme Court ¯ must step in to protect the minority from tyranny. This is the only viable solution to ¯ thecontroversy which shakes ournation to ¯ its very foundations. The fight of the ho- ¯ mosexuals in the United States parallels ¯ that of the African-Americans of the : 1960’s. ¯ The Civil Rights Bill of 1964 encountered strong resistance, but eventual! y the leaders of this nation realized that African- Americans are citizens, with the samerights " as any other citizeu of the United States. ¯ Be they black, white, Hispanic, Asian, straight, Gay, Bisexual,Transgender, male, ¯ female, mentally challenged, handicapped, or any other nlinority, everyone, every citizen, every child of the United States of America and the world deserves a voice ¯ and a positive rol~ model. Can we not give ¯ them this in the new nfille~mium? Let there ¯ be no more Columbines. The world is tired ¯ of hate. ¯ Matthew W. Holloway waJ a recepient ofa TOHR 2000 Community Hero award and was afounder ofa Gay/Straighl Alliance at one of Tulsa’s high schools. This fall he will be attending Tulsa Community College, majoring in English. The same request was made again a month later. No official explanatio~l was provided by Foundation staff.for the delay in accepting the grant. However, an examination of the membership of the board of trustees of the Foundation shows at least three, members with documented records of engaging in anti- Gay discrimination or supporting organizations which engage in discrimination: Tulsa World pubhsher Bob Lorton, Tulsa Area United Way executive director Kathleen Coin and one other. At press time, no word had been received about when or whether TulsaCommtmity Foundation will accept the grant. Alabama House Addresses Hate Crimes MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Alabama House voted 45-42 last month to include sexual orientation in a state law that provides additional penalties for hate crimes. The vote sent the bill sponsored by Rep. Alvin Holmes, D-Montgomery, to the Senate, where it died last year. Holmes said the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Alabama supports the legislation. Reps. Allen Sanderson, Arthur Payne, andDuWayne Bridges, were among opponents who .said the bill would increase penalties for crimes against a special group of people. "We are trying to create a special privileged class, Gays and Lesbians," Payne said. "If anyone commits a crime against a Gay or Lesbian they are going to be punished to a greater degree than if against another group." But Holmes said "everybody is covered" under the hate crime law. "Why shouldn’ t they be ~overed under it?"he said. Alabamalaw already mandates minimum prison terms that felons must serve for crimes motivated b_y race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity or physical or mental disability. Colorado House Kills Hate-Crimes Amendment DENVER (AP) - For the eighth time in 10 years, abill has been killed that would have expanded Colorado’ s hate-crimes law to incl~ade crimes based on a victim’ s sexual orientation. The House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee voted 6-5 against Senate Bill 75. which had passed the Senate on a 20-15"vote. The bill would have broadened ethnic intimidation laws that levy tougher penalties for crimes motivated by the victim’ s race, national origin or religion to include crimes motivated by the victim’s real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, age and mental or physical disability. Sponsor Rep. Mark Larson, R-Cortez, trying to counter the traditional arguments, said the proposal would not create special rights for certain groups of people, nor would it attempt to restrict free-speech rights. "We are not nmning a government based on our ownnarrow view oflife,"he said. "Itis the Legislature’ s responsibility to protect its citizens, all of its citizens." Opponents argued the law would create separate classes of people that would be treated differently, violating the constitutional guarantee of equal protection. "I would remove the entire hate-crimes law because I think everybody should be treated equally," said Rep. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs. But victims of certain bias-motivated crimes are not treated equally, Larson ceantered. For example, a person who throws a brick with a hateful message attached through a Black person’s window can be punished moreharshly under current law than a person who does the same to a Gay person’ s window, he said. Proponents said the bill properly focused on the motivation of the criminal, rather than characteristics of the victim. For example, said Deputy Denver District Attorney Everett Engstrom, a person who kills could be prosecuted for murder, for manslaughter or for criminally negligent homi’cide based on his or her state of mind. "Hate crimes are different from ordinary crimes. They are intended to send a message, to victimize the individual and the entire commttnity they belong to," said Pat Steadman, representing Equal .Rights Colorado. "The harm.from a hate crime .is larger than the harm tojustan individual." Evan Zuckerman, assistant director of the Anti-Defamation League’s mountain states region, said the bill was necessary to protect groups of people who are being victimized based on certain characteristics. "We shouldn’ t let another year ¯ Some Vermonters Want to Repeal Civil Unions ¯ MONTPELIER, Vt.(AP) -The HouseJudiciary Com- ." mittee voted to continue working on a bill that could ¯¯ eventually lead to arepeal of civil unions. The committee is one vote shy of an outfight repeal of the law that ¯ grants the rights, benefits and responsibilities of mar- . riage to same-sex couples. But committee members who support repeal agreed : to continue working on a bill that would offer an ¯ alternative to civil unions because it may provide their ¯ only opportunity to have an up-or-down vote on repeal : on the House floor. Reciprocal partnerships are a ." concept conceived by Judiciary Committee Chair- " woman Peg Flory that would repeal civil unions and ¯ offer suchpartnerships to all couples who are currently ¯ prohibited from marrying under state law. That in- " eludes same-sex couples, whowonmarriagerights and _" benefits through civil unions, as wall as blood rela- ¯ tives. Flory’ s goal with her billis to expand thenumber ¯" ofcouples who could qualify forbenefits withoutusing ¯ sexual orientation as the criterion for obtaining them. ¯ Some opponents of civil unions don’t like the strat- ¯ egy of supporting Flory’ s bill solely as a parliamentary ¯ maneuver. The Rev. David Stertzbach of the Vermont ¯ Defense of Marriage Committee wrote to legislators ¯ late last week warning them that such a strategy was ¯ unacceptable to his group. Stertzbach’s group was ¯ active in the elections last year. "We believe Vermonters deserve (an) honest, straightforward vote on the repeal of civil unions in committee and on the House floor without any unprin- ¯ cipled votes for reciprocal benefits for homosexuals ¯ even as a parliamentary maneuver," he wrote. "It would sadden me to report to voters that any conservative voted for reciprocal benefits." Among the issues with Flory’ s bill that trouble civil unions opponents is that it would require them to support a bill that would grant rights to Gay and ¯ Lesbian couples. ’’This bill further diminishes marriage," Haas told his committee. ¯ Still, repeal supporters on the Judiciary.’ Commi ttee do not believe they have much choice if they want to ¯ force a vote. Rep. Harvey Otterman, R-Topsham, said ¯ he did not like to see a bill "bottled up in committee," so he would support Flory’s bill and then make a judgment later on whether to vote for repeal if such a ¯ proposal were made on the floor. ’Tmgoing to reserve the right to vote asI see fit," Otterman said. i NY Housing Case May ¯ Impact Civil Rights Laws ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Lawyers for Yeshiva University on defended its refusal to allow Gay couples to share student apartments, a policy two Lesbian students contend discriminated against them on the basis of sexual orientation and marital status. Yeshiva lawyer Mark Jacoby told the state’ s highest. court that the university was well within its .rights to restrict use of the university-owned housing to single students-or married graduate students - but to deny unmarried heterosexual or homosexual couples the use of those apartments. "Look, we have a limited amount of student housing available," Jacoby told the Court of Appeals, conveying the rea,~oning of university officials. ’’We’ve acquired this to accommodate-students. We can accommodate students themselves. We’re prepared to accommodate spouses and children of students and facilitate their education. But we’ re not going to open the door and (accommodate) everybody who wants to bring in a buddy, or a friend, or a partner." The lawyer arguing on behalf of the two Lesbian studeats for the American Civil Liberties Union’s Lesbian & Gay Rights Project, James Esseks, countered that Yeshiva’ s housing policy had a "disparate Find out for yourself how good the Lord is! - Ps. 34:8 Come share the goodness of the Lord with our community ~ Sunday Morning 11:00 AM Children’s Worship During Service MCC United Rev. Cathy Elliott. Pastor 1623 N. Maplewood (918) 838-17 ! 5 mcctulsa@aol.com Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community ofHope South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0S95 A Welcoming Congregation HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754 The Open Arms Project Young Adult Support Group Outreach Program Thurs. Nights Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment Call for meeting times and place: 918-584-2325 Mingo Valley Flowers 9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145 918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-~.aA-5934 Family Owned & Operated Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW Child, Family, Individual & Couple Psychotherapy (918) 743-c 559¯ 2121 South Columbia, Suite 420 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518 .-..:.p~.wkthout acknow_}edging We re,~i.ty.,’.’, ~she said,. " . impact." on homo8e~tla!~ ............ ¯ ......................................¯ ......... The Pride Store 21st Street & Memorial Tulsa Gay Community Services Center 743-GAYS (743-4297) 6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday 12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center TOM NEAL BUI~LDING & GARDEN.: DESIGN 583-1248 Red Rock Tulsa Free Confidentia!,HIV Testing Walk-in Clinics Tues. & Thurs., 5 -8 pm at the Center, 1307 East 38th Daytime appointments available. Call for more information: 918-584-2325 American Red Cross American Red Cross Tulsa Area Chapter 10151 East Eleventh Tulsa 74128 Dannette McIntosh Diversity Co-ordinator 838-1100 Saint Aidan 4045 N. Cincinnati, 425-7882 Saint John 4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381 The Episcopal Church Welcomes You OPENARMS OPEN MINDS OPEN HEAI S Saint Dunstan 5635 East 71st, 492-7140 Trinity 501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128 SinceNew Yorklaw prohibits all-male or all-female couples from getting mamed, allowing only married couples to share housing means Gay couples are unfairly barred from possibly sharing in the benefit of the cheap apartments. "This case is not about securing marriage for same-sex couples or creating new laws - it’ s about enforcing laws that prohibit discrimination against those who can’t get married," Esseks said. Both state and local anti-discrimination laws mayhave been violated by Yeshiva’s policies, Esseks said. Thechallenge against Yeshiva’ s policy was brought by two students, Sara Levin and Maggie Jones, after their requests to live with their partners were rejected. Both Levin and Jones were offered university-owned housing for themselves alone. Both are students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, which is affifiated with Yeshiva. Two lower state courts have nded for Yeshiva’ s no-unmarried-couple housing policy. The Court of Appeals is likely to hand down a written ruling in the ease by early summer. . Several groups filedfriend-of-the-court briefs in the ¯ case, including theAssociation ofthe Bar ofNew York City, the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. Those briefs argue that civil rights protections for many kinds of minority groups could be weakened by upholding Yeshiva’ s housing policies. New York state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer also filed a brief before the court critical of Yeshiva’ s housing policy. Wesleyan U. Hires Gay Studies Professor MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (AP) - Following the lead of Yale, Wesleyan University will appoint a full-time professor to teach Gay and Lesbian studies. The position Is expected to be filled wilhin a year, and the professor will begin teaching in the fall semester 2002, Justin Harmon, a school spokesman said. The new position will be among 20 the university has created during thepast couple of years in an effort to expand its curriculum, Harmon Said. University officials said the new professor will help develop a Gay and Lesbian studies curriculum. The lack of Gay studies courses at Wesleyan has drawn protests from students and faculty in recent years. Wesleyan has offered one such course per year. "I’m delighted that we’re having this position here," said Henry Abelove, one of the professors who has taught Gay studies course. "This will add substantially to the queer studies courses we can offer here." Abelove said the new professor probably will be expected to teach two courses per semester, like other professors at Wesleyan. Earlier this month, Yale University accepted a $1 million donation from the family of Larry Kramer to help fund the Larry Kramer Initiative for Lesbian and Gay Studies at Yale. That decision ended four years of debate about Kramer’s desire to fund a Gay and Lesbian studies program at. Yale. Kramer,an outspoken activist for AIDS awareness and Gay issues, initially wanted to give Yale $5 million to hire a full-time professor in the field. Yale rejected that offer because the university thought Gay studies was too narrow a field for a permanent professorship. In response, Kramer had accused the university of being homophobic. Members of Wesleyan’ s Queer Alliance, a group of Lesbian and Gay students, pushed hard earlier in the spring to get the position at their school approved. In March, the alliance held a "kiss-in" demonstration in front of the admissions office. The demonstration coincided with a meeting of the university’s trustees. "We’re really pleased, although I’m almost surprised," said junior Phil Gentry, an alliance leader. "We tried to be optimistic, but at the same time this same proposal was turned down before..." New ACLU Leader Hispanic + Openly Gay : NEW YORK (AP) - A New York public interest ¯ attorney was named Tuesday to lead the American Civil Liberties Union, becoming the first Hispanic and : openly Gay man to do so. Anthony D. Romero, 35, ¯ currently serves as a director of the Ford Foundation’ s ¯ program for human rights and international cooperation, overseeing $90 million in grants. ¯ As the ACLU’ s executive director, he said will work to make the civil rights organization more prominent ¯ in local communities. He said theACLU will continue to focus on defending religious liberty, reproductive ¯ freedom andtherights ofwomen, minorities and Gays. "’I hope to beginmy tenure as the 1eader of thi s vitally important organization by sparking a new dialogue ¯ about the bedrock values ofAmerican democracy," he : said, adding his goal is to "promote a new generation of committed civil libertarians and civil rights activ- ¯ ists.’" ¯ The Bronx-born Romero is a graduate of Stanford : Law School and Princeton University. ACLU Presi- ¯ dent Nadine Strossen called Romero "an idealist, bold ¯ and creative in his vision and strategy but skeptical and ¯ realistic in his tactics." Romero will take over in ¯ September for Ira Glasser, Who is retiring after 23 ¯ years in the post. Conservative Extremists Stall Anti-Bullying Bill OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - A bill designed to stop bullying in schools has stalled in the Legislature amid opposition from Christian conservatives who say it is really a Gay-rights measure. Under the measure, school ¯ districts would have to write policies against bullying : and train employees and volunteers to stop harass- ~ ment. Teachers,police, Gov. Gary Lockeand Attorney ¯ General ChristineGregoire saidthe legislationis needed ¯ to protect picked-on kids. ¯ But the state’ s chapter ofthe Christian Coalition said : it couldbe seen as trying to prevent some students from ¯ condemning homosexuality. Rick Forcier, director of : the Christian Coalition of Washington, said the mea- : sure could lead to homosexual sensitivity training in : schools. "We don’ t want to see kids beat up on and we ¯ would like to see the rules that are already in place ¯ enforced," he said. "But I think this one went well ¯ beyond what we think is necessary." The measure passed the Senate but never made it to : a vote in the House Education Committee in the ¯ regular session that ended April 22. The governor has ¯ listed, it on his agenda for the 30-day special legislative ¯ sessxon now under way. Georgia County Adds Partner Benefits ¯ DECATUR, Ga. (AP) - DeKalb County commission- " ers have approved providing domestic 15artners of Gay county employees with medical, dental and life insur- ¯ ance benefits. The measure, approved by a 6-1 vote at ¯ the end of April, makes the suburban Atlanta county : the first in Georgia to offer such benefits to employees. ¯ County officials estimate that about 70 employees - ¯ 1% of the total - will seek the benefits, which would cost thecounty about $200,000 out of abenefits budget ¯ about $39 million a year. The city of Atlanta has been the only local government in Georgia with a domestic partner package. ¯ The private sector has been quicker to provide such ¯ benefits, said Harry Knox, director of the Gay civil ¯ rights group, the Georgia Equality Project. Four of the state’ s largest employers- BellSouth, DeltaAir Lines, ¯ Atlanta Gas Light and Coca-Cola - have done so, ¯ Knox said. Vaccine Research Maybe Overlooked ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - Developing a vaccine to prevent AIDS should be given top priority in the fight against the deadly virus sweeping Africa, aleading epidemiologist said. Efforts to develop a vaccine risked getting overlooked in the push to raise money to fight AIDS, said Seth Berkley, president oftheNew York-based International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. However, key decisions on whether to pursue vaccine "candidates" currently in human trials may need to be made as early as 2002, he said. Berkley spoke recently on the sidelines ofa two-day AfricanAIDS summit hosted by Nigeria and the Organization of African Unity. There, African lcaders signed a declaration calling on members to aim at spending 15% of their national budgets on health programs, including a significant proportion on AIDS andto provide cheap and effective drugs to treat those infected. The Vaccine Initiative- a private, nonprofitorgani7ationfundedbygovernments, foundations and private enterprise - has raised more than $300 million to assist vaccine research and create systems for distributing them in the developing world. Yet Berkley estimates that the project would require at least double that figure to give research bodies "a chance" of developing vaccines by 2007. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annanalso announced efforts to create a global ’~ar chest" worth $7 billion to $10 billion to fight AIDS. It was unclear how much would be devoted to vaccine research, Otherobservers said vaccine trials could be "fast-tracked" in about half the time or less if funding in the billions was made available. Billions of dollars have gone into the developmentofeffectiveAIDS treatments, but vaccine research has received relatively little funding. Pharmaceutical cornpatties have viewed it as unprofitable, and~ most AIDS activists have focused their efforts on finding a cure. U.S. governmentfunding ofHIV-AIDS research last year.topped $2billion, with about $250 million going toward vaccine research. Therestwent toward developing drugs to treat those with the disease. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation andWestern countries such as Canadaand the Netherlands have also provided millions of dollars for vaccine research. Nancy Powell,head of the U.S. delegation to the African summit, said Friday that PresidentBush’ s administrationwould spend $2.5 billion on HIV-AIDS research this year, including $480 million for "international HIV/AIDS assistance." Shedid not give a further breakdown. ’q’he Bush administration is Africa’s partner in this effort. The United States has been the world leader in research and assistance to " batde these diseases," Powell said. Researching and testing an AIDS vaccine is only the first part of the problem, Berkley said. Getting it to those who need it most is another challenge. Vaccines developed for other diseases ordinarily take 15 years or more before they are affordable in poor countries. The Vaccine Initiative hopes that pri; vate Firms involved in the production of : the vaccines will offer them at cut-rate : prices in poorer countries. "Extraordinar- ¯ ilycomplexplanning is required," Berkley : said. "Establishingnew production capac- ¯ ity alone normally requires 4-5 years." i Debt Relief for Poor- Urged to Fight AIDS ¯ NEWYORK (AP) -The debt owed by the ¯ world’ s poorest countries is a major bar- : rier to fighting the AIDS pandemic and ¯ should be canceled immediately, activists ¯ urged. ¯ The plea came as the World Bank and ¯ The International Monetary Fund, which ¯ hold the majority of the debt, held their ¯ spring meeting in Washington. The inter- " nadonal lending organizations have ajoint ¯ program to reduce debt but have so far ¯ declined to wipe the slates clean. : "It is morally reprehensible fo( the de- : veloped world to condnue to demand re- - payment when we have a crisis on the ¯ continent of Mrica," said Njongonkulu ¯ Ndugane, Archbishop of Cape Town, : South Africa. "One hundred percent can- : cellation is nonnegotiable." ¯ Sub-Saharan African countries spend $13.3.billionon debt repayment each year i but need $15 billion to stop the spread of : HIV/AIDS, according to the Global AIDS ¯ Alliance: Zambia, for example, has an . annual debt service of $174 million, with : $90 million of that going to the World ¯ BankandlMF. The country’ s health bud- ¯ get is $76 million. ¯ Jeffrey Sachs, an economist at Harvard : University, said that canceling debt will ¯ give countries even more money to.fight : the disease that is ravishing the continent. : AIDS has killed about 22 million people ¯ globally, including 17million in sub~Sa- ¯ haran Africa. : Twoseparateinitiatives wereintroduced : in theCongress this weekwhichcall onthe : IMF and the World Bank to eliminate : debt. Onebill introducedby Reps. Maxine Waters, a California Democrat, and Speni eer Bachus, an Alabama Repubfican, Calls : for 100% debt relief for the world’s poor- : est countries. The bill introduced by Bar- . bara I.~e, a California Democrat, calls for ¯ debt relief for countries heavily affected ¯ byHIV/AIDS. : Bono, the lead singer of the Irish rock : band U2, said that part of the problem is ¯ that Americans don~t understand how .the : debt is devastating the poorest countries. : Heplans to try to raise awareness tocreate ; political pressure. - : The World Bank have a program cal!ed ¯ the HIPC Initiative to stem debt. Accord, ¯ ing to a World Bank report, the 22 coun- ¯ tries receiving somerelief have seen debt ¯ payments go from 3.7% to 2.1% of gross domestic product. Actifists say the reduc- : lions are negligible, especially consider- " ing the AIDS crisis. Indeed, pharmaceuti- : cal-compaules have drastically’reduced ¯ theprice ofAIDSmedications with at Ieast ¯ two films sellingmedicine at cost. Still, ¯ they are deemed to expensive. ¯ "HIV/AIDS is worse than the bubonic ¯ plague," said Lee. ’q~he money used for ¯ debt service could be used for education, research, a health care delivery system... : It could go a long way to turning the ¯ situation around." Power Connect. Public Service Company of Oklahoma Customer Service Is Now Available 24 Hours A Da~ Seven Days A Week. These days, traditional 8-5 business hours aren’talways convenient. So PSO has made it easier than ever for you to contact us. Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7 .- offering around-the-clock answers to your questions - and better access to service. Now it’s easier for you to inquire about your monthly electric bill. Or report a power outage. Or arrange to have your power turned on or off. Our professionally trained, friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives are standing by to serve you: All day, every day. To provide faster response to your needs, we have listed our tell-free numbers below. , CALL 24 HOURS FOR ’ TOLL-FREE SERVICE. II Customer Services: 1-888-216-3523 I I Billing Inquiries: 1-888’216-3490 I Outage Reporting: 1-888-218-3919 I II Ser~ci¢ a C]ie.t~s: 1-888-216-3505 I P~t~ S¢br~ ~u Cu~.ta: 1=888-216-3491 iI ~alt~ De ~umi.istr¢: 1-888-218-3924 I I ! ! ! The Tulsa City County Library System is proud to Embrace-Diversity honoring Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered Oklahomans with the following events: Saturday, June 2. 2pro. Maxwell Park Library "Coming Out in Tulsa Area High Schools" Dr. Doug Gronberg, English teacher at Booker T. Washington High School, moderates a pane! discussion by high school students in Gay/Straight Alliances. Monday, June 4. 7pm. Central Library "Council Oak Men’ s Chorale" Monday, June 4. 7pm. Helmerich Library "Family Law Issues Affecting the Gay Community" Panel discussion with Linda Lacey, TU.College of Law, moderating. Thursday, June 7. 7pm. Central Library "Diversity Film Festival" Harvey Fierstein and Matthew Broderick star in "Torch Song Trilogy." Saturday, June 9. 12 Noon. Central Library "Diversity. Film Festival’" "Out of the Past" documents the struggles of Kelli Peterson, who started a Gay/ Straight alliance in her Salt Lake City school in 1996. Thursday,,, June 142 7pm. Central Library Diversity Film Festival" "Trevor": Winner of the 1994 Academy Award for best live-action short. "If These Walls Could Talk": Stories about Lesbian couples in three decades. "Bubbeh Lee an~d Me"= A Gay man’ s Visit with his 87 year old grandmother. t~ook Discussion: Deliver Us From Evie’ Thmsday, June 21.~lpm. Broken Arrow Library Book Discussion:"Fried Green Tomatoes" Thursday, June 21. 7pro. Brookside Library :AIDS Memorial Quilt Project Vale Bode, director of Education and Outreach for the Tulsa Area chapter of the NAMES project, discusses the AIDS Memorial Quilt ¯Please call 596-7977 or your local branch library if you have questions or need more information. Please plan to attend. "If we could stop the residual replication, what wouldbe the persistence of the reservoir?" Ho asks. His team has started a new experiment, code numbered 377, to f’md o u t They have come up with a new four" drug combination, a kind of super- HAART, that they believe is more powerful than the standard variety. About 30 patients are taking the drugs. The goal is to stop the low-level circulation of their virus, which in turn shOuld shut off the supply of newly infected memory cells. Ifit works,Hobelieves it couldwipeout the body’s HIV-infected memory T cells in three to four years. "No one would say that once we get rid of this reservoir, we have a cure," says Ho. "We have confronted a difficult problem, but there may be others." Among the biggest of these is the worry that infected memory T cells are not the body’s onlylongdived reservoir.of HIV. The virus may linger as well in other places that are hard to check or lie beyond thereach ofAIDS drugs, such as the brain, bone marrow and testes. "It will be a daunting task to eliminate those unknown viral reservoirs, even with much more potent drugs that might come outin the near future," says Dr. Tae-Wook Chun of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. This is why Chun and many AIDS re, searchers now believe the best defense against HIV may ultimately be the body’ s own. These doctors wouldlike to teach the immune.system to control HIV, so people can stop taking AIDS drugs, which have unpleasant and unhealthy side effects. No one can say whether this is even possible. But they already can envision a strategy: Shut down viral replication with standard drugs. Then give vac,ines and otherboosters thatwill inteusffy thebody’ s natural - and up to now, failed - surveillance against HIV. In time, they say, the immune system might learn to do the entirejob alone. But all bf this is unproven theory, just fike the idea of viral eradication was five years ago. a global strategy can be developed to help fight the disease. "What I propose is a Global Fund, dedieatedto the battle against HIV, AIDS and other diseases. Clearly, it must be organized in a way that corresponds to the needs ofthe affected countries andpeople," Annan said. "Each country or community receiving support from the fund would have to show that it is actually bringing results to those most at risk." Annan said there are still many legal and administrative matters to be settled before the fund is established. He would not say how much the U.S. government should contribute but urged involvement. "I hope that the U.S. government would join in making funds available andjoining : the fight against the disease," Annan said. ¯¯ "It would be presumptuous of me to say how much the U.S. should pay. I hope, : considering the size of the government, ¯ that it would be substantial." : Annan’s appeal comes on the heels of a : speech to leaders gathered at the Mrican ¯ Summlt on HIV, AIDS and other infec- : tious diseases. There, he outlined his.ob- : jectives andurgedMrieangovernments to ¯ take the lead in mobilizing resources. ¯ Paul DiDonato, executive director of : Funders Concerned About AIDS, a New : York-based organization, said he was ~ pleased with Annan’s remarks. ’q’he fact ¯ that thereis this level of leadership talking ¯ about theissueis encouraging," DiDonato ¯ said. "A year ago, U.S. leaders were not : giving speeches aboutAIDS;now they are ¯ talking about it." ¯ MaybeI’mNOTmoreattractive with vaginal itch. Dam! I was hoping something ¯ would help! In the past month I’ve learned who my real friends are: those who stick with you : even when you’re scratching your crotch : on a public street. OK, so that was my ¯ roommate, and he does need me to paymy : half of the rent. : But my friend Lindsey, who lives in a ¯ garrett apartment similar to that in "La : Boheme", has stuck withme. Shejust tells ¯ me to shut up when I talk about "the itch." : So I do it several times,just to piss her off. , My friend Jim even slept with me when ’¯ he" visited. He didn’t have any fear that he’ d get it. WeP, dull! Of course not! And : the next possible Ms. Right hasn’trun ¯ away -yet. I’ve also had several-more ¯ women contact me through the Intemet. ¯ So there’s something to say about these :. "women’ s thi"ngs," a’fter all. I’ vemet other ¯ women, kept my roommate/friend;from ¯ throwing me out, slept with a man (Jim!), : and even had sex while keeping m~ pants ¯ on. ¯ OK, boys. You can come backnowA’m : f’mishedtaikinn about"theitch." Youwon’ t : have to endur~ this next time, I promise. : My rooinmate’s cowering in the corner, : though. Why? After screaming at him, ¯ I’ve just decided the topic ofmy next : column - Multiple PMS Disorder and the : Women Who Have Long, Drawn,Out, ¯ Heavy, Gushing, Extremely Bloody Peri- : otis. See ya then! ¯" Since no anti-Gay language was used, Tulsa Police could not even informally ¯" classify this as ahate crime but Dept. Chief Busby did say that Tulsa Police would ¯ start using tht~parkinglot outside the Cen- : ter when they stop to write their reports in : between responding to crimes. TOHR : vohmteers hopethat themore visible pres- ¯ ence may" deter more crime. ," TOHR is also soliciting donations to ¯ pay for the door glass repair. Some dona- ¯ dons have been received but more are ". needed. AlsoTOHRhas now negotiated a compromise with the Center’s landlord ¯ for a sign. see TOHR, p.9 by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor The new singles from the Stevie Nicks album, "Planets of the Universe", "Everyday", and "TooFarFromTexas" are climbing the charts, althoughyouwouldn’ tknow it around here: Dallas stations are playing the hell out of "Planets...", but in Tulsa radio stations didn’ t evenl~tw that Stevie was releasing a new album. May lst, in spiteof the fact it’ s been in the trademagazines for several months now, and she’s been popping ~p all over the.. place. It S .w0nderful:~01ivein such " ~in~?,rmed t0wn:~~. -APis~rently, the radio stations are about three years behind the rest of the country. I think they should read the Gay paper intown, so they can keep up with what’s going on. (editor’s note: at least with Stevie Nicks.t) The new disc is killer, and even if you aren’t a Stevie Fan, I think you’ll like it. Amazingly, when I went to Target to nab the official release, the bin was empty! A friend of mine said with some surprise, "Look! I guess you aren’t the only Stevie fan here!" I did find one, but I thought the comment was humorous. Nicks said she will begin a U.S. tour on June 29. The Dallas stop i.s August 3rd. Plans for a new Fleetwood Mac album are going ahead around September without Christine McVie, though they have her blessing. One of Celebrity Attractions best offerings, "Red White and Tuna" explodes into townMay 8-13 at the PAC, 596-7111. It promise to be an evening of fun and frolic with the residents of Tuna, Texas - all played~by Joe Sears and Jaston Williams. If you were unfortunate enough to have missed "Greater Tuna", and "A Tuna Christmas", here’s your chance to catch up with these hilarious folks. These performances sell out fast, so grab those tickets now! You won’t regret it. Sometimes, something comes across your desk for review that is simply unbelievable. Watching. it is like watching a train wreck: you hate yourself for it, you don’ t want to look, but you just have to. "West Hollywood Stories" is one of those things. A two-set video series of a Gay soap opera out of and set in LA,its tag line is ’’These are the Gays of our lives." As one can imagine, this sets it up as a comedy. Except it’ s not. It’s a wretched affair, with acting talent culled from the bottom of the pool, and videography designed to make any amateur look good. Production values? I’m hard pressed to find any. It looks like some high school kids got together and tried to make a "Gay Bitch Project." Think "Queer as Folk" (QAF) done really badly with people who can’ t act. Yep, it’s pretty bad. in fact, I was thinking, "With Queer as Folk, why even’do this?" Joe Sears as Aunt Pearl Burras ¯¯ All I can guess is that this was donebefore the QAF series at a time when any funding : would have come out of pocket and any ¯ actors would be people with no experi- ¯ ence. It does provide laughs, but all unin- ¯ tentional. ¯ And it’ s kind of an embarrassed laugh, such as one might make at a train wreck to cover up one’s horror. The premise is a good idea: AGay soap. Thank Gods it’s being done wall on QAF. Anyone who bitches about anything on that show should be forced to sit through "WeHo Stories." Obviously, I can’t recommend spending any money on this, and I really hoped it would live up to its billing as a comedy spoof of soaps. All Icansayis,this soap don’t clean. Or even make suds. The "Queer as Folk" soundtrack is out, and in both British and American versions. The British has two : versions: A "highlights disc, and an ex- ¯ panded import disc. Both covers are the same, it’ s only when you look at the back ¯ - one has around 15 tracks, the other, 35 or ¯ so. The American only has one out thus ¯ far, andit’s pretty cool forboppin’ around. After 7 years in this town, I’d never ¯ madeitto theGflcreaseMuseum.Afriend ¯ from CA came to visit, andI was showing him the sights, and we stopped there, al- ¯ most as an afterthought. Wow! I had no ¯ idea... I thought it would be like the ¯ Philbrook, which I always thought of as a ¯ poor excuse for a museum - pretty house, ¯ but not much to it. ¯ Gilcrease was amazing, especially since ¯ my ~’riend was of Native American de- " scent. He did make one commentthat was ¯ reallythought-provoking: in the lowerlev- ¯ els are hundreds of NA artifacts, from ¯ peace pipes to clothing to head dresses to : utensils and sacred objects. ¯ At one point, we stopped in front of a series of clothing articles, one with what ¯ looked like a bullet hole through it in the : center of the chest, with blood around it. ¯ My friend said, "this is like visiting ¯ Auschwitz. And ten to one these items ¯ were not given to the museum by the original owners." ¯ Point well made, in fact, many of the ¯ objects would have been buried with the ¯ owner had they been given proper burial. ¯ In many cases, I doubt also that the owner : had any say in he matter. Yet another thing I learned was that pipes, as sacred objects, should never be ¯ shown assembled unless for the purpose ¯ intended - to carry prayers to the spirits. ¯ Cody said that museums who are respect- " ful and do their research display the pipes ¯ in separate pieces. The Gilcrease displays ¯ were in such a manner. ¯ ¯ Philbrook, in constrast, displayed pipes assembled, an insult to the people from ¯ whom the pipes were taken. Oklahoma NAR~L invites you to our ~ $35 per person Timothy W. Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partnership Planningl Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma Weekend and evening appointments are available. o ooooo000. Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC Certified-Public Accountant a professional corporation Lesbians and Gay men face many special tax situations whether single or as couples. Electronic filing is available for faster refunds. 747-5466 4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite210, Tulsa 74135 by Barry Hensley Tulsa City-County Library This year, the Tulsa City-County Library is making a coordinated effort to provide a variety of Diversity programmingacross TulsaCounty during themonth of June. Please make plans to attendsome of these programs. A good attendance at these programs, and positive feedback, will ensure continued library programming dedicated to GLBT issues. The library will also haveabooth, as usual, at the Diversity celebration at Veteran’ s Park on Saturday, June 9. Library programs for June include: Saturday, June 2. 2pm. Maxwell Park Library "Coming OutinTulsaAreaHigh Schools" Dr. Doug Gronberg, English teacher at BookerT. WashingtonHigh School, moderates a panel discussion by high school students in the Tulsa area Gay/Straight Alliances. Monday, June 4. 7pm. Central Library "Council Oak Men’s Chorale" Join us for a celebration of sound as an ensemble from the Chorale performs a. variety of vocal selections. Monday, June 4. 7pm. Helmerich Library "Family Law Issues Affecting the Gay Community’" Discussion will center around the legal . rights of same-sex couples, adoption issues and access to artificial-reproduction teclinology. Linda Lacey, professor, University ofTulsa College ofLaw, will moderate. Thursday, June 7. 7pro. Central Library "Diversity Film Festival" Harvey Fierstein andMatthew Broderick star in "Torch Song Trilogy," which was adapted from the Tony Award winning Broadway hit. The musical numbers are a hoot, and Anne Bancroft chews the scenery nicely. Saturday, June 9. 12 Noon. Central Library "Diversity Film Festival" "Outofthe Past" documents the struggles of Ke]li Peterson, who started a Gay/ Straight alliance in her Salt Lake City school in 1996. Her fight became a statewidebattle that broughtnational attention. Thursday, June 14. 7pm. Central Library "Diversity Film Festival" "Trevor": Winner of the 1994 Academy Award for best live action short. This highly acclaimed, touching, funny film addresses issues of sexual identity and compassion. "If These Walls Could Talk": Trio of stories about Lesbian couples in three different decades. "Bubbeh Lee and Me": Documents a Gayman’ s visitwithhis 87 year oldgrandmother in a Florida retirement commu- Tuesday, June 19. 2pm. West Regional Library BookDiscussion: "Deliver Us Frown Ev: ¯ This bookbe M. E. Kerr tells the ste~’; : 16 year old Parr Burma,an and his fa : who face some difficult times when ;,:, ¯ spreads around their small Missouri : that his older sister is a Lesbian, after : leaves the family farm to live with the ¯¯ daughter of the town’ s banker. Thursday, June 21. lpm. Broken Arrow Library Book Discussion: "Fried Green Tomatoes" This Fannie Flagg hit mixes direct and empowering confrontations with racism, sexism and ageism with the colorful and endearing language of the Depression-era South. Thursday, June 21. 7pm. Brookside Library AIDS Memorial Quilt Project Vale Bode, director of Education and Outreach for the Tulsa Area chapter of the NAMES project, discusses the AIDS morial Quilt. Please call 596-7977 or yourlocal branch library if you have questions or need more information. Please plan to attend. Council Oak Men’s Concert May 11-13 Join the Council Oak Men’s Chorale (COMC) as it sings the works of musical pioneers in its concert "American Dreamers" at Philbrook’ s Wilson Hall, May 11- 13. Performances are on Friday and Saturday at 8 PM a~,d a matinee on Sunday, Mother’s Day, at 3 PM. Tickets are $15 For more information, call 748-3888. Three composers explore three centuries of the American quest for freedom. Randall Thompson, Aaron Copland and Stephen Sondheim, have created works inspired by the ideals, hopes and dreams of a nation and its people. COMC was recently honored to sing the national anthemat the Tulsa Driller’ s home game opener on Easter Sunday. America’ s favorite pastime was introduced by a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner performed by COMC’ s 25-male voices. Formoreinformation about Tulsa’ s premier Gay men’ s chorus visit: www.counciloak.org While it will only have abbreviations, TOHR and LGBT for Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual andTransgendered, Gatewoodnotes - it will have "lots of rainbows all over it." Funds are needed to pay for the new sign as well. ~ Gatewood adds that through the efforts of Anna Dodwell, aka, Dyke Divine, KHITS, 106.9 FM will be airing interviews with la Dyke herself, TOHR, PFLAG, Tulsa CARES, and HOPE, probably on the week beginning June 4th. Volunteers and sponsors are still needed for the Gala dinner and the Festival, so for more information, call 743-4297. home. Sean was tough and built like a fireplug. Hehad just returned home after serving several years in the Marines. He spoke animat- .edly aboutguns, and sports, and arm-wrestling. (He beat me.) "Okay, enough already!" I thought. I attributed Sean’ s hyper-masculine pose to the fact that we were, at the time, sitting in Hula’s, Waikiki’s foremost gay bar. Sean, poor boy, was still edgy about his sexuality. But something more vital was at stake, Hater discovered. I had occasion once to catch Sean naked. Nervous, blushing, and ashamed he explained he by Lamont Lindstrom, Ph.D. however, the chimps have us humans beat. I met Scan one summer in Honolulu. Because of this, perhaps, these organs are Like many local guys, his ancestry was " less charged in popular culture. Fewer assorted-alittlebitHawaiian and the rest " men lose sleep over marbles instead of Asian and European- a mixture reflecting " tennis balls. Fewer scams promise testicle ,, the history of his island enlargement. . . . Humans, unllhe When it comes to mea- + most mammals, have suring humans, sampling and data collection have lost the haeeulum - a long been problematic. hone within the penis Still, it’s established that the average length of an - for unhnow’n erect human penis is beevolutionary reasons. tween five and six inches. An informative website, Nonetheless, amon~ The Definitive Penis Size primates at least, Survey ("http:// www.connection.com/ humans are the man. -dickie/result.html"), We are lar~er than records a somewhat longer average but its sample is chimpanzees. And self-selected and no doubt mighty ~orillas - composed of those more inclined to boast. despite their hulh - So how did humans get sport penises of Sean’s so large, ethologically speaking? Students of evoslze: just over one inch lution generally fall back had inherited the family lon~ when erect..." on two explanations to accurse. I looked down and count for sexual dimorthere it was: The smallest human penis I phism such as penis size. Men perhaps had ever seen. Scan, when excited on a engaged in competitive penile display to good day, was perhaps an inch and a half threaten and cow one another, thus to in length. "" establish dominance within a group. SusanBordo,thefeminist scholar,pokes Thanks to higher status, men with longer intoAmericanequataonsofmenwiththeir penises had more children. Or. perhaps penises inThe Male Body: A New Look at long peruses instead resulted trom sexual Men in Public and in Private (1999). She selection. Women sought out better-enexplores the effects of popnlar imagery on doWed men to increase their own sexual our feelings about our bodies and our- pleasure. selves. Bordo, previously, had written However the human pems evolved, about the impact of media depictions of people in many societies celebrate its size. female beauty on women’ s perceptions of They associate bigness with potency, autheir bodies. American women suffer a thority, and manliness. In many of the sort of collective "body image distortion’! island cultures of the Southwestern Pasyndrome. Themajorityoverestimateshow cific, for example, men traditionally much space the body takes up. Women flaunted artificially enlarged penises. On believe, often incorrectly, that they are too Talma, where I once lived, some men still fat. wrap and expand the penis with plant Bordo suggests that men suffer a paral- fibers and leaves and cinch this upright to lel body distortion syndrome. Men tend to a belt around the waist. They appear to underestimate our penises. We believe we have permanent erections. Farther to the ’ h ° are too small. We aren t fat enoug , as it west, in the central highlands of New were. In some cases - Sean’ s perhaps- we " Guinea, men stick their penises into dried are right. In others, however, men put " gourds of various shapes. The most strikthemselves in comparative disadvantage ¯ ing are three or four feet long, which are vis-a-vis the rare, or imagined, colossal againtiedupright.Thesedongatedgourds penises celebrated in popular culture (not " make much more. splendid display than tomention in thousands of immodest per- " just bailing up socks in ones underwear. sonal ads). Enough of us suffer "shower ¯ But cnlmral celebration of male size is syndrome" or "locker room phobia" to " neither inevitable nor obligatory. Anyone eb_rich dozens of dubious penis enlarge- " - who has peeked under those grape leaves ment schemes. ¯ that the Victorians stuck onto Roman and We might turn to my physical anthro- Greek statuary will have noted marble pologistcolleagues for eulighteument. The " members of only modest measure. Modhumanpenisisabitofamystery, notleast " eration in all things governed classical because scientists (male, mostly) haven’ t : aesthetics. A large penis then was the sign directed much attention to this touchy ob- ¯ of wild animal, not civilized human. ject. Humans,unlikemostmammals,have : This all would be cold comfort to Sean. lost the baeeulum - abone within the penis " A shortcoming in one area blinded him to -forunknownevolutionaryreasons-None- " the beauty of his body (although it did theless, among primates at least, humans " make him into an excellent arm wrestler). are theman. Wearelarger thanchimpan- : Sean could be, at least, king among the zees. And mighty gorilla,s - despite their " gorillas. bulk - sport penises of Sean’s size: just ¯ Lamont Lindstrom teaches anthropolover oneinchlong whenerect. Withtestes, : ogy at the University of Tulsa. Want to save Money and Help Build a Community Center? Switch to Rainbow Communications Long Distance and More, 10% of Revenues Will Benefit Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Capital Campaign and General Fund For more information, call 665-3401 or evenings at da.7-8602. Tulsa’s only professional body-piercing IGTA member .Call 341.6866 International ToHrsfor rnore information. ’TULSA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY Country Club Barbering Custom Styling for Men & Women David Kauskey 3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-Spm by Karin Gregory OK, boys - you might want to leave the room for this one. It’s grrl talk. And no, I DON’T mean Melissa Etheridge supposedly leading every single actress in Hollywood down the Lesbian path of corruption. By the way, has Nicole Kidmanmade that list yet? Sorry, silly indulgences. However, boys, you may want to stay if you now have, have ever had, or will have in the future, a Lesbian roommate. You might learn something. Granted, something you don’ t want to learn, but I can tell you that my roommate has a whole new perspective on women’s biological problems-- his headis now firmly entrenchedin the sand! Yes, grrls, I’m talkingabout that lovely problem called the vaginal infection. By now, the men have dropped their papers, screaming as they run to the kitchen to find the fork that will poke out their eyes, thus hopefully getting rid of the images swidxng in their heads: So, let’s talk, shall we? How do these things get started, is what I want to know. How is it that you feel fine one day, then wake up the next in burning, itching agony? OK, so I’d fallen off the diet/exercise wagon my roommate and I started. I wasn’t drinking enough water; wasfftexercising as much as he (wall, he’s 24 for God’s sake!); and I wasn’t eating right. Hey, maybe I DO know how it got started! My roommate did well with it the first few days. I detailed, moment by moment, how the "fire down below" felt, all the while standing in front of him scratching like a straight man with jock itch. My roommate’s friends were OK with it for awhile also, until I kept scratching like a straight man in front of them, too. We don’t get many guests anymore. And he gave me advice about the various creams and lotions I was using. His advice was not to use more than one. I’d been using four ¯ or five at a time. I went to bed every night ¯¯ wet, and not in the good way. Then came the "Hostess Cupcake" pc- ¯ riod. Have you ever used Mycelex 3, or ¯" Gynelotromin cream? They give you a ¯ tube of got with three long tampon-look- . ing sticks. You pour the got into the stick ¯ and then lie down, inserting the stick. It ¯ sounds gross. The application is another ¯ story, however. All right, I guess I really : DIDN’T read in the instructions that I was ¯ to masturbate while putting in the stick, ¯ but it didn’t say I couldn’t. A grrl has to ¯ have some fun! They also tell you to only use it for three nights. They know it’s ¯ addictive, I suppose. I got up after awhile ¯ (afteracigarette, actually!),andannounced ¯ to my roommate that I was now a Hostess ~ cupcake. After shouling, "Oh...My...God!" ¯ and shoving out his friend, who was ¯ screaming, "Oh, the horror!", he slammed ¯ his door and didn’t open it until I left for ¯ work the next morning. I finally went to the doctor at my " roommate’s pleading. This was an inter- " esting situation. The nurse, who under- . stands about vaginal things, asked if I used ¯ any birth control. "No," was myreply. She ¯ wroteit down and said nothing more about ¯ it. My doctor had a medical student in that ¯ day--a dentis!! He asked me about the last time I had sex. No, he didn’ t want details, ¯ just an approximate. He started to talk : about condoms when I stopped him, say- . ing that I’ d had sex with three people in the ¯ last year - "One was a man; they usually ¯ aren’t." To which he quickly said, "OK," ¯ and moved on. ¯ Then they all (nurse, medical student, ¯ doctor) converged in the tiny examination ¯ room while I spread my legs for all to see. ¯ I asked if they’d like to invite anyone else ¯ in as long as I was in this position. I’ve ¯ always found I have more audience mem- ¯ bets when I’m,in the stirrups than when i have my mouth open for the doctor. And ¯ I’m told I have pretty teeth! I received my ¯ applause and was able to dress, when the ¯ doctor came in to ask why I didn’t use ¯ condoms. "I don’t have sex with men", : was my reply. Geez, how many times do I ¯ have to come out at my doctor’s office : before they get a clue? ¯ Have you ever noticed how things begin ¯ happemng when you’re at your worst? : You always meet someone you haven’t ¯ seen in years when you wear your old ¯ clothes, your cap to hide the hair you didn’t wash that day, or when you’re unshaven (for those intimate old friends!). Somehow, even on the Internet, you seem more attractive when you have your period or when you have, as I did, a vaginal itch. She began emailing me, and I was struck with this feeling of awe that FINALLY I’d be meeting someone from Fort Worth (instead of talking to someone from Corpus Christi or Kansas) at the same time I had "this problem." Meet her I did, and we talked for several hours before we came back to my place. No, this was at her request. Granted, she didn’t have to twist this horny Lesbian’ s ann, but I didn’t mind her twisting other things. I know several women who are embarrassed to be naked in front of their husbands. I’ ve always had the opposite problem withmy bed partners, and this day was certainly One ofthe worst days to be dressed in front of her while I had a close-up of her beauty - VERY close up! So I lay there wearing my big pants (pants with no restrictions like jeans have), and felt very strange to be wearing most of my clothes. After all, I didn’ t want the next possible Ms. Right to get any kind of disease, even though I’d already been to the doctor and found that it was a simple bacterial infection taken care of with medicati< a (unfortunately, NOT the Mycelex 3 !). Now that [ think of it, even though the infection is gone, she hasn’ t suggested we come back to my place anymore. see Raging, p. 7 Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights presents Dive’rsity rati .Saturday, June.2, 2001 TOHR Follies 2001 "From Here to Eternity" Avondale Studio & Theatre (the old Delaware Playhouse) 1511 So. Delaware Ave., 8pro Reception immediately following. Tickets: $15.00, At the Door:.-$20.00 The Pride Store @ Tulsa GLBT Community Center; 2114 S Memorial or’by calling 918.743.4297 or toll free (outside Tulsa) at 866.335.9074 Sunday, June 3, 2001 Tulsa Interfaith Service Sponsored by TU BLGT Alliance, Sharp Chapel, TU, 3pm Monday, June 4, 2001 Council Oak Men’s Chorale Concert Presented by Tulsa City/County Library "Diversity in Song" Aaronson Auditorium; Central Librarym 3rd & Denver, 7pm Monday, June 4, 2001 Family Law Panel Presented by Tulsa City/Coullty Library TU Law Professor Linda Lacey& an expert panel Helmefich Library, 91st and Yale, 7pm Tuesday, June 5, 2001 Art Exhibit: "Embracing Art" All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. PeofiaAvenue, 6-gpm Thursday, June 7~ 2001 GLBT Film Festival Sponsored by Tulsa City/County Library AaronsoriAuditofium, Central Library, 3rd and Denver, 7pro Friday, June 8, 2001 TOHR Diversity Gala Benefiting TOHR and Diversity Celebration 2001 "Death. Be Not Proud" Parents of Hate Crime Victims: Speakers and Parade Grand Marshalls: Gabi Clayton, Olympia, WA, Dorothy Hajdys Holman, Chicago~ Don Sinclair, Houston, TX, Carolyn Wagner, Fayetteville, AR "Community Hero" Awards presentation honoring those in the local GLBT community. Tulsa Country Club, 701 N. Yukon Dr., 7pm, reception & silent auction, 8pro dinner, $100/ea. $1,000 table of eight. Sponsorships available. Reserved seating available by calling 918.743.4297 or 866.335.9074 Saturday, June 9, 2001 The Pride Parade Cherry Street (15th Street) to Boston Avenue to 18th Street to Veterans Park Starts at 3pro, Float/marchers begin assembling at lpm. No entries after 2:45pm. Featuririg:Entfies from across the region Community Heroes, Oklahoma’s largest Pride Flag Diversity Festival Sponsored by: Bud Light & Eastern Oklahoma Beverages Veterans’ Park, 1875 So. Boulder Ave., 3pm Featuring Entertainment, Speakers, and more. Sunday, June 10, 2001 Women’s Tea Dance Women only dance, DJ, and live entertainment by Melanie Fry, pipe &cigar patio, unplugged music circle, and more. Greenwood Cultural Center, 322 N. Greenwood, 3-Tpm Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2001] Tulsa Family News, May 2001; Volume 8, Issue 5 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 2001 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohn Karin Gregory Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Hughston Walkinshaw Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, April 2001; Volume 8, Issue 4 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/612 2001 AIDS AIDS vaccine American Civil Liberties Union anti-bullying arts and entertainment businesses churches civil rights civil unions Council Oak Men's Chorale Diversity celebration Gay marriage hate crimes HIV HIV testing housing Lamont Lindstorm marriage equality National Gay and Lesbian Task Force National Lesbian and Gay Community Funding Partnership Openarms Youth Project Partner Benefits Pride Pride 2001 pride Parade Raging Lesbian Red Cross Red Rock Tulsa restaurants Tulsa Community Foundation Tulsa Family News Tulsa Library Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Wesleyan University https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/db2ce62a7574cb035e8c23622f53312e.jpg ad03b1a44e315b196e9d40c096d1ec69 https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/0054fb25c7f1a96b18402c6dc97fe3db.pdf 20ff4f85847fafa15d46001f65e33593 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Minnesota ’Sodomy’ Law RUled Unconstitutional MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Minnesota’ s law thatprohibits oral sex and other intimacy betweenconsenting adults is unconstitutional, a state district courtjudge has ruled. ~udgeDelila Pierce said the law, which had been on the books since the 1800s, is unconstitutional because it violates the right of privacy guaranteed by the Minnesota Constitution. The Minnesota Civil Liberties Union (MnCLU) and the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Lesbian & Gay Rights Project had filed a lawsuit last.summer challenging the sodomy statute on behalf of a cross section of Minnesotans. Although the state court ruling should prevent the sodomy law from being enforced anywhere in Minnesota, the MnCLU is asking the court to technically classify the case as a class action. MnCLU attorney Teresa Nelson said that would lea~ "absolutely no uncertainty" see Sodomy, p.ll Global AIDS Goals Debated at United Nations UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Delegates from over 100 countries began debating a plan recently calling for tough new targets to combat AIDS worldwide, including the spending of up to $10 billion a year by 2005 in developing countries. The delegates opened five days of negotiations on a declaration U.N. members are expected to approve at the General Assembly special session on HIV/AIDS in New York next month. "This is a global problem that needs global actionand a global response," said Australia’s U.N. Ambassador Penny Wensley. ’-’We know it can be done, but it cannotbe done unless there is a massive infusion of resources and a mobilization of political will." The draft declaration endorses the goal set last Sep-" tember by some 150 world leaders at the U.N. Millennium Snmmit ofhalting and starting toreverse the HIV/ AIDS epidemic by 2015. The document was drafted by Wensley and Ibra Deguene Ka, the U.N. ambassador from Senegal, who are co-chairing preparations for the U.N. meeting June 25-27. The declaration, if adopted, would commit U.N. members to meeting a series of interim targets over the next 15 years. Among these proposed targets are the following: - Governments should develop national strategies "and financing plans see Global, p. 2 ¯ Pride 2001 F ,atures N.ew Parade Route, Bigger Fest,val Interfaith Service Rescheduled ¯¯ TULSA (TFN)-Organizers of the 2001 Pride events areworking frantically to finish last minute details for the parade and festival ¯ and associated events which they believe will be better than any : before. And as happens, at least one event has been rescheduled: ¯ the Interfaith service is now at 7pr~_.on Wednesday, June 6, still ¯ at Sharp Chapel at the University of Tulsa, just off of 1 lth St. at ¯ College Ave. ¯ Greg Gatewood, spokesman forTulsaOklahomans forHuman Rights (TOHR) notes also that the black-tie optional Gala Dinner at the Tulsa Country Club on Friday, June 8th will have dancing after the dinner as well as a silent and also brief live auction. : Tickets are still available at the Center, 743-4297. ¯ Organizers also want to emphas:ze the change in Parade location and time. It will begin at 3pm at 15th near Utica ¯ continuing along Cherry St. to Boston and along 18th to the : Festival in Veterans’ Park as in the past. see Pride, p. 9 SGe.rvin.gaL.esyb.ian..,.___j,, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families +Fji=~nd~ ¯ Phelps’ Protest Raises $ for Gay/Straight Students The 2001 Diversity Festival will feature booths & entertaiment. ¯ Vermont House Tries to Revise Civil Union Legislation ¯ by Ross Sneyd, Associated Press Writer ¯ MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - The Vermont House passed a recip- : rocal partnership bill that would repeal civil umons even as it : endorses same-sex relationships. The bill, which would confer ¯ mamage benefits on all couples who cannot otherwise marry, ¯ passed 72-69. Civil unions applied only to Gay and Lesbian ¯ couples, but the replacement reciprocal partnerships would ap- ¯ ply to same-sex couples and to pairs of blood relatives. : The debate on final passage was marked by sharp exchanges ¯ over homosexuality. Ironically, it required many people who ¯ find homosexuality morally repugnant to endorse relationships ¯ between two men and two women. "It’s difficult because it still ¯ gives the same benefits to same-sex individuals, couples as the ¯ traditional marriage couple," said Rep. Nancy Sheltra, R-Derby, : one of the leading opponents of civil unions. She voted for the ¯ bill. ¯ The state Senate will get thebill next, but leaders have said they ¯ don’t intend to address it. And Gov. Howard Dean has said he ¯ would not sign any legislation changing the civil unions law. ¯ The bill accomplished some of the goals of civil unions ¯ opponents; though,because couples no longerwouldbe required ¯ ¯ tohave theirunions certified byAjudge, clergymember orjustice of the peace in the same way that marriages are solemnized. It ¯ also would require the reciprocal partnerships licenses would be ¯ issued by the Health Depa],’tment instead of by individual town ¯ clerks, as civil unions and marriages are. "We see this as a step in the right direction," said the Rev. Craig i Bensen °fCamb,ri,d~e, a leader in theanti-civil uni°n gr°upTake it to the People. It s a bill that makes sense only in the world definedbyBaker." Tha~’ s the 1999 Vermont Supreme Court case that declared Vermont s marriage statutes unconstitutional becauseGay and Lesbian couples were denied the benefits that flow from marriage. To comply with the ruling, the Legislature last year adopted civil unions. That’s a legal structure that parallels mamage but remained separate and distinct, see Unions, p. 2 ¯ TULSA (TFN) - Making lemonade out of lemons, young and older supporters ofGay/Straight Alliances in Oklahoma and new Jenks graduate, Kevin Barker, ¯ ¯ gathered at the LGBT Community Center onMay 21 torespondpositively to a graduationprotestbyWichita ¯ anti-Gay preacher Fred Phelps and his clan. Phelps ¯ targeted Jenks High School because the school’s adminstration, after someprodding andin response to ¯ fedcral law, allowed the formation of the Gay/Straight ¯ Alliance. ¯ In a widely distributed e-mail, Barker wrote, "my : response to this is aimed to take a negative situation ¯ andmakeitapositiveone. Iloveusingkindness tokill ¯ hatred so here is what I wouldlike to do." Barker then ¯ proposed that supporters make a pledge to donate a ¯ sum for each hour that Phelps protested. The more his ¯ crew was there, the more would be raised for the ¯ Jenks GSA via the Oklahoma chapter of GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network). see Jenks, p. 9 Gill Foundation to Give TOHR $40,000 Grant Kevin Barker. Jenks Class of 2001, Kerry Lewis of TOHR and Karin Weldin ofSoulforce at the Center. TULSA (TFN)-TulsaOklahomans forHumanRights (TOHR) has announced that the Denver-based Gill Foundation has awarded one of its Fast Track grants toTOHRfor $40,000 for operating andprogramming expenses over a three-year period. The grant also includes technical assistance support. TOHR is one of only three organizations in the nation to receive the grant. ~llae grant will help to ensure TOHR’s financial stability, increase the effectiveness of its programs, and continue its work of more than 20 years in educating the public about issues affectingTulsa’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual &Transgender communities. TOHR is Oklahoma’s oldest civil rights organization dedicated to acheiving equality for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender communities. TOHR’s largest program is the operation ofthe Tulsa Gay, Lesbian, Bi &Transgender Community Center, 2114 S. Memorial Road. The Gill Foundation was established in 1994 by Tim Gill, founder and former chairman and chief technology officer of Quark, Inc., a Denver-based computer software company. Tim Gill and the Gill Foundation have provided more than $21 million to hundreds of organizations and programs serving LGBT communities and people living with HIV/ AIDS. Through the Gay and Lesbian Fund for Coloradol the foundation funds Colorado nonprofits in the areas of: social justice; children, youth and families; leadership development; arts and culture and public broadcasting. In addition, the foundation operates the OutGiving Department which provides technical assistance and other resources see Gill, p. 9 Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants *Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine *CW’ s, 1737 S. Memorial *Play-Mor, 424 S. Memorial Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square *Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st *Schatzi’ s, 2619 S. Memorial *The Star, 1565 Sheridan *TNT’ s, 2114 S. Memorial *Tool Box II, 1338 E. 3rd *Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan *The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. I5th 832-1269 610-5323 838-9792 744-4280 585-3405 745-9998 280-1316 834-4234 660-0856 584-1308 835-2376 749-1563 Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. H~rvard 743-1000 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 *Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth 295-5868 Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117 Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700 Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 *Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620 Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556 *Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503 Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial 369-8555 Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379 Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 592-0460 Horal Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria 744-9595 Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E..:55th PI. 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 plaiming 459-9349 Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440 *Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly 745-1-111 *International Tours 341-6866 Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750 *Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018 "David Kauskey, 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, #210 747-5466 *Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha 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 *The Pride Store 743-4297 Ralnbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101 747-5932 Richard’s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617 Teri Schutt, Ellen & Co. 834-7921,748-0224 Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-7829 *Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558 Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563 Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling 743-1733 *Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222 *Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767 www gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays & Lesbians 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 of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood 587-1314 *Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300 *Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595 Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888 *Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712- ~1511 918.583 1248, fax: 583.4615 POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159 o-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin.Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lament Lindstrom, Esther Rothbluml Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw Member of The Associated Press Issued around the 1st of each month, the entire contents of this publication are protected by US copyright 2001 by Tulsa Family News and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’ s sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes the sole property of Tulsa Family News. Each reader is entitled to 4 copies of each edition at distribution points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248. *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 Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827 Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438 *Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194 HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378 *HouseoftheHolySpiritMinstries,1517S. Memorial 224-4754 *MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715 NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral PI. 748-3111 NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658 OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157 *OSU-Tulsa PFLAG, 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 St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882 St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140 *St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088 Soulforce-OK, R.t.4,#3534,Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761 *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. for Human Rights, Gay Comm. Center 743-4297 TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvocacy Coalition, POB2687,Tulsa 74101 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, 21st &Memorial 7434297 Unity Churchof Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833 BARTLESVILLE Barflesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353 "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 EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734 Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main 50!-253-7457 DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 501-253-6807 Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445 MCC of the Living Spring 501-253-9337 Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253-2776 Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332 Positive Idea Marketing Plans 501-624-6646 ~rhite Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074 JOPLIN, MISSOURI Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696 * is where you can find T’~N. Not all are Gay-owned but all are Gay-friendly, to combat HIV/AIDS by 2003. The plans should involve thebusiness sector, grassroots groups and people living with HIV/AIDS. - Countries most affected by HIV should adopt by 2003 a set oftime targets to achieve the goal of reducing HIV prevalence among young men and women aged 15-24 by 25% by 2005. HIV prevalence in the same age group should be reducedby 25% worldwide by 2010. - A wide range of measures to prevent AIDS - including information and education - should be available by 2005 in all countries, taking account of "local circumstances, ethnic and cultural values." - The number of infants infected with HIV should be reduced by 20% by 2005 and by 50% by. 2010 by providing treatment to expectantmothers who are infected with the HIV virus. - By 2003, countries should develop national programs to increase the availability 9f drugs to treat HIV infections by addressmg issues such as pricing, and by 2005 they shouldmakeprogress in implementing comprehensive health care programs. Theproposed draft also calls for countries to initiate programs to identify groups most vulnerable to AIDS by 2003, to implement programs for AIDS orphans by 2005, and to adopt legislation by 2005 protecting the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS. Last month, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for an annual war chest of $7 billion to $10 billion to fight the pandemic. The draft proposal calls for reaching this overall target incrementally by 2005, with money coming from national budgets, international donors, and private assistance. Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Peg Fiery devised reciprocal partnerships as a ¯ .way to comply with the Baker ruling but ." also to alter some of the moral objections to ¯¯ civil unions. She also argued that there are other committed, loving "family units" that ¯ deserved the same benefits that same-sex "_ couples were granted last year. ¯ Gay and Lesbian Vermonters, though, ¯ said the bill was an insult because it sought -" to equate their committed relationships to : those they have with a mother, sibling, aunt .. or uncle. The relationships are significantly ¯ different, they said. "Last year we crafted a ¯ Ve.rmo,,nt compromise and we called it civil ¯ umon, said Rep. William Lippert, D- ¯ Hinesburg, one of two openly Gay lawmak- ¯ ers. "What we have before us today is not just an expansion, as proclaimed, it in fact ¯ uhdoes that Vermont compromise called civil union. You cannot escape that." : Civil unions opponents were intent on ¯ scaling back the law, if not repealing it ¯ altogether. They reluctantly decided it was impossible to repeal it outright and not provide a replacement, though, because the SupremeCourtmadeclear itprobably would ¯ grant Gay and Lesbian couples marriage licenses in the absence of an alternative. : Republicans won their majority in the House largely on the strength of opposition to the civil unions law. But Democrats re- " tained control of the Senate. by Matthew W. Holloway The Gay community is not a happy one. Homosexuals are often crippled in their emotional stability byboth the outer forces of oppression, hate and violence; as well as the inner forces of depression, doubt, self loathing and loneliness. It is mainly due to this crippling emotional legacy that homosexuals have developed the well-deserved reputation for drug use, mental illness, and promiscuity. Thesepattems, as once was believed, are not an unavoidable side effect ofhomosexuality; they are, in fact, not due at all to the fact that one is a homosexual, they are more related to membership, either claimed orexpressod, in the much touted but rarely defined "Gay community". Oneofthe primary drives of people is to align themselves into communities of people. This is done for many reasons, but one of the most influential reasons is to give people smaller packets Of society that they can deal with, and to organize that society so that each can understand it. These communities take many forms, such as religions, governments, and smaller sub-social communities. In many situations these communities of people serve a shorter term purpose, such as the strength of African-American commtmity in the 1960’s. The reason for organizing very strong but temporary communities such as these is to battle agmnst some exterior force. It has been said that people is at his strongest when he is united in the face of some common evil, and this is true. We unite ourselves into conmmnities in order to battle against some outside force. The Gay community was originally organized after this fashion, but the homosexual battle for acceptance and equality "... If the Gay eommunlty does not drastleally change it’s image in the next ten years from a eommunlty united only by a shared sexual preference to a group of people with more in common, with a genuine uniting for~e, then there will be no real vletory in the struggle against oppression that we all share...." has been a much longer and harder one than that of the African-American community of the 1960’s. In order for the Gay commuuity to survxve as a social group it must be changed from the temporary, constantly embattled, and exclusive community to a more functional and longer lasting model. If the Gay community is not able ’to change satisfactorily into a more stable and permanentcommunity it will do long term permanent damage to the campaign in this country for Gay civil rights, ff the Gay community does not drastically change it’s image in the next ten years from a community united only by a shared sexual preference to a group of people withmoreincommon, with a genuine uniting force, then there will be no real victory in the struggle against oppression that we all share. We must provide a world free of the oppression to the many children who constantly realize their own sexualities and reach out for support. Will we be there for them in the next ten years? Are we there for them now? It is our duty to provide these youngpeople with a stable and happy commtmity that they will be happy and content to join. Matthew W. Holloway will attend Tulsa Community College this fall, majoring tn English. Our GLBT Pride week is fast approaching and many members of ourGLBT community ask: "why. even get involved?" I’ll tell you why... To celebrate your own diversity as a unique individual and to be proud who you are! To unite us as a stronger community. To meet others in the community who wouldn;t meet otherwise. TO LEARN. During themonthofJune, I tend to come out to more people and feel better about not hiding that I am a lesbian and I am proud. Being "out" is not a requirement to attend the Pride events, so those of you who struggle with that need not won’y. I want you to consider going to at least one Pride event, you’ll be glad you did! It seems tomethat people fear what they have not experienced or what.they do not understand. "Fear of the unknown" rings so true with this one. I-have found that most people have had a strong feeling for a member of the same sex at some point in their life (if they are honest enough to admit it). Whether or not they choose to labd that attraction as a sexual feeling or not has a lot to do with many factors; cultural, religious, & the comml~tity they live in. Often people do not know what to label these feelings. They mav not have any exposure to homosexualit~ except through the media, which basically portrays a homosexual as a deviant person to be feared, - or a comedian! The news does the best job of all at slapping anegative view our way. Anytime a homosexual is in thenews it is because they .have been involved in some bizarre love triangle or are trying to adopt a child. In either case, the homosexual looks like a pervert, pedophile, you name it. I think thatmost people are either, a strong,heterosexual or a strong homosexual. Of course, this makes for very interesting "water cooler’, discussions. Somepeople fall somewherein the middle, and depending on their life circumstances, at some point act on it or not. So now you are thinking what point in all this?Actually, I will let youin on a little secret.., people, humanbeings, menAND women want to be loved. Some feel that can happen in a relationship with awoman and some feel that can happen in a rdationship with a man. see Divine, p. 11 I spent a lovely evening recently at the Tulsa Philharmonic and followed that by meeting some friends at a favorite Gay watering hole and was amazed at the conversations that I overheard. "Have you seenhimlately... ? Oh gift, she is packing on the pounds! Must be lonely." Khother one went like this: "ThatQueenhas morerolls than Pillsbury." And then a little later: "Ooh Mary. . he looks like the Michelin Man on a bad hair day." Fascinating. At first, I dismissed this behavioras abunchofhateful queens with nothing better to do than talk, but my observations actually bring up a much larger (no pun intended) issue: Why are Gay men so crazed about weight? It is true that welivein an in.credibly image-conscious society where looking good is paramount, but the obsession with staying thin is especially pervasive with Gay men. On a recent trip to Toronto, I caught the great film "Parting Glances", and my point was driven home when a hefty character made the statement that "I may have co~umitted the gay Cardinal Sin of being overweight but I still have a lot to offer someone." Being overweight can’t be a sin, can it? In Gay society, you bet it is and the consequences can be devastating. I recently came out of a year-long rela- ¯tionship with a ~nan who was mmfiacal about weight - mine. I am a healthy 37 year old man who is 5’ 11" mad a solid 180 pounds and I work out regularly. Like any person, I have been known to gain a few ¯ pounds afler sphtrging on some great meals. At first, my Ex put me on display as if to say "’Look what I" ve caught," but when the scale neared 190 the adoring cormnents turued nasty. "You are getting a double chin!" he barked at me one morning "mad I won’t have a fat boyfriend." Ouch. Was I not the same personjust because I gained 7 pounds? I tried going to the gym more and eating less but my weight continued to fluctuate. I told my Ex that the topic ofmy weight was offlimi ts but this did not work. In public, he was the perfect boyfriend. In private, he was critical and cold. I became frightened at losing my Partner. Then I became bulimic. It happened slowly at first. I popped a couple of laxatives before going to bed as if they were an herbal supplement. Our relationship seemed to improve as I became thinner. So two laxatives became four, eight, ten... I finally quit counting. When we went out, friends would comment on how great I looked now that my waist was 29 inches and shrinking. I was told that I looked a decade younger. People were amazed that I could eat and drink whatever I wanted and still lose weight. It should have felt great...but if they only knew. The relationship ended between Christmas and New Year’ s. Upon learning ofmy bulimia, my Ex left a terse note onmy door "... In our group of six. there were four Gay men, two of whom I knew. We were at once frightened and outraged that our partners, friends, and Gay brothers could not accept us for who we are. Give us the AIDS epidemie to fight or mobilize us against hate and we’ll join together as One, but God forbid if any of us are chunky . . . stating that he wmated nothing further tc with someone who had a selfish, sic"- ~ ~g disorder. Charming. "’I’ll show him," I said and I decided to losemore weight. Two weeks later I was in The GAP wanting some new jeans but they had nothing for aman with a 26 inch waist. There were whispers among people that I had Cancer or AIDS. In reality, I was fooling Mother Nature and soon she fought back. First my personality began to change. Gone was the self confident, easy-going man I was and in my place was afrightened, obsessive, and vicious Mr. Hyde. I backed out of an important promotion at work, fearing that I would fail I brought new definition to the term "lean and mean." Then I rushed to the doctor one day in agony with stomach pains and he told me that I was suffering from malnutrition and had lesions on my colon. IfI continued to abuse laxatives, the doctor said, I would indeed have a new Partner: a colostomy bag. And that was if I lived. I was frightened that if my condition were exposed, I would be treated with the same disgust that my Ex displayed. So I went to Bulimics Anonymous. In our group of six, there were four Gay men, two of whom ! knew. We were a~ once frightened and outraged that our partners. friends, and Gay brothers could nol accept us as we are. Give us the AIDS epidemic to fight or mobilize us against hate and we’ll join together as One, bul God forbid if any of us are chunky - then we are "dmnaged goods." I learned that bulimia is not about weight: it is about control. In my case, I was tryiug to balm~ce a career, a relationship, graduate school, AND stay in shape. I was not expected to gmn any weight. Sometlfing had to give. I also lemned to share my experience with others. I leaned on three people: a parent, my personal trainer, and a close friend - ironically all of whom are heterosexual. They were completely supportive. My trainer did get angry with me for not trusting him to help me out of this darkness and then he put his arms around me and held me while I cried in disbelief that this understanding and compassion seems virtually non-existent in the Gay connntmity. Fortunately, I had recovered. It was not easy. My hair turned gray for a time and I had severe skin eruptions as I leached the chemicals out of my body. My digestive system is extremely sensitive and will remain so for the rest of my life. But my weight is stable and I amhappy withmy 32 inch waist. Most important, I know that I am a good person no matter what my weight and any man is lucky to have me. And my Ex ? I saw him recently. He walked by and refused to speak to me. As I looked at this man who had become a stranger, I noticed that he had indeed put on some weight... - anonymous Memorial to Gay Soldiers Dedicated. CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (AP) - A Gay veterans group unveiled a monument to remember Gay service members killed in combat. The recent ceremony was attended by veterans in tmiform, the mother of a Navy serviceman beaten to death at age 23 for being Gay, -" and a color guard carrying the rainbow banner that _" symbolizes Gay pride. ¯ The activists who pushed for the monument in this : desert city just south of Palm Springs say it is the first ¯ of its kind. "It’s a turn-of-the-century event," said¯" Dennis Palt, a former Air Force staff sergeant who served in Vxemam. I had hope for this but you could " have never thought this would becomea reality in the " 1970s, 1980s or ’90s. It’ s fabulous." Hawaii Passes Hate Crimes Bill HONOLULU (AP) - Gov. BenCayetano said that he will sign the "hate crimes" bill passed.by this year’ s Legislature. It gives longer sentences for crimes motivated by the victim’ s race, religion, disability, ethnicity, national origin or sexual orientation. Cayetano said while he has concerns about making distinctions between various kinds of victims, in this casehefeels there’ s a statement tube made. He said his decision was "close call" because he doesn’ t believe Hawaii has a problem with hate crimes - yet. The hate crimes bill was supported by Gay and Lesbian groups and several civil rights groups, including the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission. It was opposed by the Public Defender’s Office, the Honolulu Police Department. and several religion-based groups. Disciples Church Adds Partner Benefits Man Adopts Gay Partner " SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP)-A Montgomery County ¯ man has adopted his Gay partner. Chief Circuit Judge " DeLawrence Beard approved the petition of the 60- year-old adopter and the 65-year-old adoptee, Beard’s : law clerk, Tracy Silverman, confirmed. The men’s lawyer, James Shrybman, said that since " the men can’t legally marry, they sought the adoption ", to guaranteefamily rights regarding e~.ch o,th.err s ,me.dical care andfuneral arrangements, and to clarity c~mms of survivorship and inheritance Shrybman would not identify the men, citing their desire for privacy. Their adoption records in court are sealed. The lawyer said the Silver Spring couple have lived together at least 32 years. Shrybman said they considered forging some sort of domestic partner contract, but felt it wouldn’t have provided the family relationship recognized by law and might not withstand challenges by other claimants. "They chose to proceed to have the court put its ~mprimatur on their relationship and this is the only one that was open to them," Shrybman said. The adoptee’s parents are both dead, he said. Other Gay couples have attempted such adoptions, with varying degrees of success, m recent years, said David Buckel, senior staff attorney with the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, a national Gay civil-rights organization based in New York. "’At present, same-sex couples throughout the nation are denied the freedom to marry, which would bring the greatest array of protections for their family," he said. "’When you are a couple and you can’t get roamed, you kind of reach out for whatever alternaayes there are, and it sounds like these gentlemen have found a helpful alternative in the state of Maryla_~.d." A bill to diminate sex discrimination in mamage was introducedin the 2000 General Assembly but was blocked in committee. Baltimore city, Takoma Park and Montgomery County offer domestic partnership benefits to their employees. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -The 831,000-member Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has become one of the first mainline Protestant denominations to authorize medical coverage for domestic partners of unmarried employees. The decision was announced by the church pension fund, which had discussed the issue for five years and agreed to consider coverage if July’ s national General Assembly approved it. But the denomination’s General Board said last month the pension fund should decide, not the national meeting. The coverage, which could start as soon as January, doesn’ t extend to pensions. Group Condemns i Disney Gay Days ¯ ¯ ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - The president of a Christian group is asking that Disney officials denounce "Gay ¯ Days," the annual gathering of Gays and Lesbians at ¯ Orlando’ s theme parks. ¯ Martin Mawyer, president of the Forest, Va.-based ~ Christian Action Network, sent a letter to Disney ¯ chairman Michael Eisner also asking Disney officials ¯ to warn families about the event. He asked that signs be . ¯ posted and that other visitors to be able to get refunds ¯ if they Want. "After all, these families made plans to ¯ attend a theme park, not ahomosexual event," Mawyer ¯ said in the letter. Disney and the other Orlando theme parks don’t sponsor Gay Days but many of the week’s events, are ¯ held on the theme park resort’s property as well as : Universal Studios, SeaWofld and Tampa Bay Busch Gardens. "Our policy is to be hospitable to everyone who comes to our resort, to welcome everyone as a guest and to treat everyone with respect," said Disney spokeswoman Rena Callahan. "Mr. Mawyer is w~elcome to visit Walt Disney World any day and we will wdcome him as a guest as well." Gay Days started out as a single day in 1991 when then-Orlando resident Doug Swallow and friends from a Gay computer bulletin board service informally decided to get together at the Magic Kingdom. Since then, Gay Days has become a multi-day event that starts June 1 this year. It is expected to attract as many as 100,000 Gays and Lesbians and dozens of parties in local clubs and venues. Find out for yourself how good the Lord is! - Ps. 34:8 Come share good ness of Lord with our community € Morning 11:00 AM =hildren’s Worship During Service MCC United Rev. Cathy Elliott, Pastor 1623 N. Maplewood (918)838-1715 mcctulsa@aol.com Lesbian Kiss Gets Yearbook Censored BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - Dozens of Boulder High School students locked lips outside the school to protest a decision to withdraw a photo of a same-sex kiss from the yearbook. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Straight students were encouraged to kiss one another, and about 150 people turned out at the protest. It lasted about an hour. Students had claimed discrimination after the picture of two girls kissing was yankedfrom the yearbook. The picturewas to be included in a feature called"First Kiss" along w;th those ofheterosexual couples kissing. Yearbook adviser Ruth Palmer said the parents of the two girls would have to give permission for the photo to run. When she didn’t hear back from them, she took the photo out. Student Rachel Stanley said that decision showed a double standard because photos of male-female kisses were allowed to run without parental approval. "A lot more needs to be done to open people’s eyes about the problems facing kids" with different sexual backgrounds, Stanley said as students behind her hugged and kissed. "It has to start somewhere and maybe this is it." Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community ofHope 2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595 A Welcoming Congregation HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, hffo: 224-4754 The Open Arms Project Young Adult Support Group Outreach Program Thurs. Nights Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment Call for meeting times and place: 918-584-2325 Mingo Valley Flowers 9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145 918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800~dAA-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 The Pride Store 21st Street & Memorial Tulsa Gay Community Services Center 743-GAYS (743-4297) 6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday 12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center TOM NEAL BUILDING & GARDEN DESIGN 583-I248 Red Rock Tulsa Free Confidential HIV Testing Walk-in Clinics Tues. & Thurs.,5 -8 pm at the Center, 1307 East 38th Daytime appointments available. Call for more information: 918-.584-2325 G American Red Cross American Red Cross -Tulsa Area Chapter 10151 East Eleventh Tulsa 74128 Dannette McIntosh Diversity Co-ordinator 83-8:1100 Saint Aidan 4045 N. Cincinnati, 425-7882 Saint John 4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381 OPENARMS .o OPEN MINDS OPEN I-IFARFS Saint Dunstan 5635 East 71st, 492-7140 Trinity 501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128 The Episcopal Church Welcomes You Louisiana Senate Kills Anti-discrimination Bill BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Legislation outlawing employment discrimination against Gays was defeated in the Louisiana Senate after a polite but sometimes emotional debate. "If we fail today we’ll be back again in the next session," the bill’ s sponsor, state Sen. Don Cravins, said just before the 14-21 vote against the measure. Cravins’ bill would have outlawed discrimination in hiring, firing or promoting anyone on the basis of "actual or perceived sexual orientation." Cravins said some lawmakers supported the idea but admitted to him they could not vote for it because it would cost them political support. While Senate committee debate included views from religious opponents of the bill, opposition on the floor centered around the practicality of the bill. State Sen. Bill Jones said the bill was unworkable since it created a protected class and proving someone is a member of that class would be based solely on that person’s claim. Lutheran Bishop Resigns Over Gay Ordination LOS ANGELES (AP)- Southern California’s ranking Lutheran bishop says the church has asked him to resign for participating in last month’ s ordination of a Lesbian in Minnesota in defiance of church law. Bishop Paul W. Egertson, whose sonis Gay, said he has decided whether to comply with the request, which comesjust months before his term expires Aug. 31. He was not seeking re-election. Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson asked Egertson before the ceremony to reconsiderhis participation, said John Brooks, a spokesman for the Chicago- based Evangelical. Lutheran Church in America. Brooks would not confirm that the bishop had asked Egertson to resign. Rev. Paul Tidemann of St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church said he is not surprised by the decision. Anita Hill, the pastor who Egertson ordained, now serves at St. Paul-Reformation with Tidemann. "I think that the ELCA is doing what it feels it has to do given the policy that it has," Tidemann said. "Every: body is in a bit of a difficult spot because the church has not decided to change that policy "" Egertson, 65, became bishop of the Southern California (West) Synod in 1995. The synod includes 140 churches, 275 ministers and nearly 46,000 baptized members. Egei’tson became the church’ s first active bishop to participate in the ordination of a Lesbian when he took part in the ceremony for Hill. Egcrtson said he was conscience-bound to defy the church by joining in Hill’ s ordination. "I can no longer advocate this cause with credibility from a posihon of personal safety," Egertson wrote Anderson at the time. Somechurch leaders were concerned aboutEgertson whenhe was elected bishop in 1995 because he said he had earlier joined in blessing same-sex couples. For that reason, Egertson said, he promised in writing to resign if he ever felt he must defy church law as a matter ofconscience. He said Anderson has now asked him to follow through. The Saint Paul Area Synod would not comment on Egertson because "responsibility for this matter rests with our churchwide leadership," said spokeswoman Beth Helgen. But the Saint Paul Area Synod is considering disciplinary action against St. Paul-Reformation. Bishop Mark Hanson and the Saint Paul Area Synod Council could decide to expel the congregation from the ELCA. Helgen said she expected the synod to make a decision soon, but there is no deadline for the announcement. Religious Leader Opposes Partner Benefits PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine has begun taking steps to prohibit all state and local governments from providing domestic partnership benefits. Michael Heath filed a petition with the Secretary of State’s office to force an election on the issue. ff Heath’s petition is approved and he meets the requirements necessary to land the issue on the November 2002 ballot, voters will also decide whether or not to overturn a decision by the Portland City Council to establish a registry of same-sex and opposite-sex unmarried couples. Heath’s referendum would also prohibit the state university*system from providing benefits to the domestic partners of their employees, and would take away health insurance from the domestic parmers of employees who already have them. "We are praying and thinking about it and talking with folks who have concerns about this, about domestic partnership and the agenda of the Gay movement here in Maineand throughout the country," Heath said. The Secretary of State’s office is reviewing the petition and is expected to respond by June 4. Heath will then be able to collect signatures- he needs 42,101 - to place the question on the ballot. The state has made significant strides in recognizing stone-sex couples in recent months. Earlier this year, the State Employee Health Commission approved granting health insurance beuefits to Gay and unmarried heterosexual partners of state employees. On Monday, the Portland City Council made history by unanimously supporting the creation of a registry, which will recognizedomes tic partners as families and afford them many of the same rights and privileges as husbands and wives The university systeln and the City of Portland have offered the benefits for some time, and the ordinance City Councilors in the city approved on Monday would require any recipient of city funds to offer the benefits to employees. A bill is also in the state Legislature that would require health insurance companies to offer domestic partner benefits if they offer coverage to the spouses of plan-covered Legislature members. The measure was approved by the House of Representatives and is headed to the Senate for a final vote. Karen Gcraghty, a Portland city councilor who cosponsored the city’s ordinance, said she and others knew that Heath had filed the petition, and are taking steps to keep a ballot question from passing. "This is about denying peoples’ access to health care," she said. "This is about inequity in the workplace.’" Heath has been successful with statewide referendnms oncivil rights issues for Gays. In February, 1998, voters overturned a statewide anti,discrimination law that the Legislaturehad passed. Last November, voters again turned down such a law. Portland Eases Ban on Military Recruiting PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Portland school board has loosenedamilitary recrmting ban that was prompted by the military’ s "don’ t ask, don’ t tell" policy toward Gays. In a unanimous vote, the board decided teachers and counselors can refer students to recruiters offcampus only if students are told that the military prohibits Gays who disclose or act on their orientation. The decision is a compromise between Gay civilrights activists who opposed military recruitment in schools and recruiters, who said the armed forces offer opportunities for students who aren’ t college-bound. Abrams wrote the district’ s ban on military recruitment, which was put into place in 1995. The board had pushed various plans in recent weeks to give students more access to the military in school. Powell Will Lobby for More AIDS $ KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell says his four-nation tour of Africa has pu.t human faces on the AIDS epidemic sweeping the continent, and he’ll use the experience to lobby for more U.S. aid. "I can go back and make a case in Washington of the need for more resources," Powell said. "I hope I can convey the passion of what I have seen" when he reports back to President Bush. Powell was wrapping up an African gour that also .tookhim to Mali, South Africa and Kenya. He was next headed to Budapest, Hungary, for NATO meetings. The secretary visited AIDS outreach . centers in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, and Kampala, the Ugandan capital. He said he was deeply moved by heating the experiences of AIDS victims in both places, and watching Africans trying to come to grips with the disease ttL~ough song, dance and skits. "You don’t really get a full appreciation until you see the people who are sla’icken," Powell said. In Nairobi, Patricia Ochieng, 33, told Powell it had been nearly 10 years since she’d tested positive with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Since then, both her 4- year-old son and her husband have died of the disease, she said, and"I kept dying day by day. All my dreams were gone." The Bush administration announced earlier this month it was contributing an ilfitial $200 million to a global $7 billion fund to combat AIDS. That’s on top of about $460 million the United States had earlier committed to fighting AIDS. In Kampala, Powell announced $50 millionin aid over five years to helpUganda expand a prevention program. The programhas sharpl) cut Uganda s HIV-AIDS rate from nearly 30% to about 10%. On his travels through Africa, Powell has said repeatedly that he would work to get additional U.S. support for AIDS prevention, research and trealanent programs. "Even though there are wars in other parts of the world, even though there’s a crisis in the Middle. East, even though people are dying in these conflicts around the world, there’s no war more serious, there’s no war causing more death or destruction, there’s no war on the face Of the earth that is more grave than the war in sub-Saharan Africa against HIV-AIDS," he said. More than 25 million people on the continent are infected with HIV. Teens Want Complete Sex Info CHICAGO (AP) - Take a look at some of the spicy novds aimed at readers as young as 12. Tune in any number of TV shows popular with young viewers and try finding the characters who haven’t had sex. Ever hear the "Thong Song" or the recent No. 1 "It Wasn’t Me," a tune about a couple getting caught "banging on the bathroomfloor"?Many dementary school students have. Officially - from President George W. Bush on down - young people are being told to just say ’no’ to sex. Yet they are bombarded with images that, they say, make the mantra difficult to take seriously. Frustrated with mixed messages, many teens say the)’ would make better choices for themselves if they had more information about sex - and less hype. "How can you expect teens to be abstinent when all they see is sex?" asks DeVoia Stewart, 16. "It’s a little hypocritical." Through the 1990s, biennial surveys from the federal Centers for Disease Control andPreventionfound fewerhigh school students saying they had had sexual intercourse - from just over 54.1% in 1991 to 49.9% in 1999. The number of teen-age mothers giving birthalso dropped, although there are still about a million teen pregnancies each year. But health officials say sexually transmitted diseases are a big concern for teens - among them HIV, chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhea and human papilloma virus, which can develop into cervical cancer. They also say that, instead of intercourse, someteens are having otherkinds ofsexual contact, like oral sex, that can easily spread disease. The statistics have only heightened the debate about what to tell young people about sex, evenamongyoungpeople themselves. "In my school, there are people who adamantly preach about waiting for sex, and there are also people who love to recount their own racy experiences," says Alessa Thomas, 16. For adults, part of the debate is whether to distribute condoms and other forms of birth control to teens. This spring, Planned Parenthood distributed "prom Survival Kits," including condoms, to students in Minneapolis and other cities. About the same time, a health board in northern Kentucky decided to change its sex .education curriculum to "abstinence only," seeing any talk of safer sex or condom distribution as lessons in "how to." "We’re talking about young people who can’t remember to bring their homework to school or set their alarm dock - and yet we want them to remember to use acondomevery time they engage in sexual intercourse?" says Addia Wuchner, who oversees the board’s haman sexuality committee. But many young people say they should be trusted to handle more information - the more, the better. Christopher Batu, 20, agrees that abstinence education is important, but he still wishes he had knownmore about "the reality of what could happen" because of sex when he was younger. He says "sex isn’ t evil," but it carries a load of responsibility with it. The hunger for accurate, frank informa~ tion has prompted some teens to educate themselves. Some efforts are official, including SEX, ETC., a sexuality and health newsletter and Web site sponsored by Rutgers University that is written by teens for teens. Other teens say they get their information from sources such as drDrew.com, a healthWeb sitefor 14- to 24-year-olds that answers questions ranging from "What is considered safe sex?" to "What can I do to helpmyboyfriend last longer during sex?" Thomas says she doesn’t go to adults because "I am afraid they will judge me." Still, a report released this month shows that many young people want more infor- Tulsa A R E S p r e s e n t Hair Ball 2001 Juty 14, 8pro, PAC’sWestby Pavilion & LaFortune Studio, $80 donation. Call Rebecca at 884-4194 On the 20th Anniversary of AIDS, the AIDS Coalition of Tulsa presents a Town Hall Meeting June 5th, 2pm Topics: Update on the Epidemic, Janice Nicklas Testing Positive, Living with HIV, Tommy Chesbro Knowing Your HIV Status, Ebony Skillens Diversity In New HIV Cases, Kristi Frisbie HIV Treatment in Tulsa, Damon Baker, DO, & Don Eberly Care Needs of PLWAs, Sharon Thoele How Tulsans Can Help, Janice Nicklas Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder The Tulsa City County Library System is proud to Embrace Diverst honoring Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered Oklahomans with the following events: Saturday, June 2. 2pm. Maxwell Park Library "Coming Out in Tulsa Area High Schools" Dr. Doug Gronberg, English teacher at Booker T. Washington High School, moderates a panel discussion by high school students in Gay/Straight Alliances. Monday, June 4. 7pm. Central Library "Council Oak Men’s Chorale" Monday, June 4. 7pm. Helmerich Library "Family Law Issues Affecting the Gay COmmuaity" Panel discussion with IJnda Lacey, TU College of Law, moderating. Thursday, June 7. 7pm. Central Library "Diversity Film Festival" Harvey.Fierstein and Matthew Broderick star in "Torch Song Trilogy." Saturday, June 9. 12 Noon. Central Library "Diversity Film Festival" "Out Of the Past" documents the struggles of Kelli Peterson, who started a Gay’/ Straight alliance in her Salt Lake City school in 1996. Thursday, June 14. 7pm. Central Library "Diversity Film Festival" ’°Trevor": Winner of the 1994 Academy Award for best live action short. "If These Walls Could Talk": Stories about Lesbian couples in three deeades. "Bubbeh .Lee and Me": A Gay man’s visit with his 87 year old grandmother. Tuesday, June 19.2pm. West Regional Library Book Discussion: "Deliver Us From Evie" Thursday, June 21. lpm. Broken Arrow Library Book Disa~ssion:"Fried Green Tomatoes" Thursday, June 21. 7pm. Brookside Library AIDS Memorial Quilt Project Vale Bode, director of Education and Outreach for the Tulsa Area chapter of the NAMES project, discusses the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Please call 596-7977 or your local branch library if you have questions or need more information. Please plan to attend. " marion from adults about sex. The survey of 12- to 17-year-olds by the fkaiser Family Foundation found that48% wanted more information about sexual health from their doctor and 42% from their health class teachers. A third wanted more discussxons with their parents. "This is difficuh stuffto talk to yourkids about, but youhave to do it-kids want you to doit," says Margaret Anderson, a senior program manager for the Academy for Educational Development, a nonprofit group that uses fe,~Ieta]and privatefuhding to help-community organizations develop sex education and other programs. Jonathan Olinger, 18, agrees. He says that his parents’ first talk with him about sex was awkward but that it _opened the door to other questions. "We listen to our parents a lot more than they realize," he says. Glaxo Lowering AIDS Drugs Costs NAIROBI,- Kenya (AP)~_-. Glaxo SmithKline will expand a program tod-e-- liver low-cost AIDS drugs in Kenya to include -aid organizations andl~ge employee health programs, the marketing director in Kenya said at the end of May. Dr. William Kiarie said the company’s drugs would be offered at a no-profit price, 90% cheaper than the retail price charged in North America and Europe. Glaxo Kenya already Offers the drugs at the discounted pnee to government hospitals. "It is not a new program, it is just new in the way it is being implemented," Kiarie said. "What we are talking about is implementing the price reductions and expanding that to more groups of people." Glaxo, along with other multinational pharmaceutical companies, has come under increasing pressure to lower the prices of antiretroviral drugs that treat HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. More than 26 million people in Africa have HIV, but most live on less than $1 a day. Glaxo’s discount will bring the price of treatment down to $2 a day, Kiarie said. Only about 1,000 of the 2.1 million Kenyans infected with HIV are being treated with antiretrovirals now, Kiarie said. But even at the lower price, this numberwill only expand to between 20,000 and 30,000, he added. "As an industry, we have to lower the prices," Kiarie Said. "But this will not be enough. If we want a significant increase in access to antiretroviral drugs, we have to look for other funding and infrastructure buildup." Kiarie refused to discuss specific drugs or what the exact prices would be. Indra Van Gisbergen, an attorney working with the Kenyan CoalitiOn for Access to Essential Medicines, said the offer was nothing that hadn’t been promised by the pharmaceutical companies before and that the lack of details was disturbing. "Glaxo is misleading the public on the -prices by hiding all the conditions that come with the price," Van Gisbergen said. "In order to get those pnces you have to sign a contract that hasa very funny paragraph about agreeing with the company." Van Gisbergensaid Glaxo has refused to show AIDS activists copies of the contract, but she had obtained one copy. She said Glaxo’s announcement was timed to influence a bill in Kenya’s parliament that would allow the government to override patents and allow the importation of lowpriced, generic AIDS drugs. "This announeement should not be used as an’ excuse not to pass the bill and allow generic drugs into Kenya," Van Gisbergen said. HIV Clinic Targets Rural Poor GREENWOOD, Miss. (AP) - qlae fight against HIV disease is being stepped up in Greenwood, Leflore County and the rest of the Delta. To Dr. Hamza O. Brimah of Greenwood, director of the program, it’s about time. "I have a growing base of padents who are living with HIV," said Brimah, 40. "Back in 1997, when the Magnolia Medical Clinic opened, we had barely 10 patients. Today, we’ve seen almost 200." A $1 million grant provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will be spread over three years and provide primary care services for !owincome individuals living with HIV, he said. Called the Magnoli~ Medical Clinic/ Greenwood Leflore Hospital HIV Program, the project covers a nine-county region that runs west to Washington County, south to Holmes County and north to Coahoma County. The grant has two goals, Brimah said. The first is to improve the quality of care provided to the HIV patient. One way is to upgrade patient referrals to other primarycare services, such as dental care, mental health care and women’s health care.- The other is improving access to care. "Werealize that there are still many people who are not in care," Brimah said. For every person living with HIV, he said, there are nine or 10 who aren’t aware that they have it. "What we’re trying to do is encourage people to get tested, to access care by being able to provide them with transportation and to pay for their clinic visits," Brimati said. Testing and treatments, if necessary, are provided at no cost for low-income individuals. Treatment for AIDS and HIV has improved significantly over the past five years. "In the past, there used to be complex regimens, which meant several pills that had lots of side effects that differ from the more recent treatment options," Brimah said. One improvement is a new pill that has to be taken only twice a day. "That’s a long way from the time when patients had to take upwards of 30 pills a day," Brimah said. "The cost has remained about the Average treatment costs for HIV patients are around $1,000 per month. Drugs also have been developed that can reduce the transmission of HIV from mother to baby. "We encourage all pregnant women to get HIV tested," Brimah said. "It is possible to reduce the chances that the baby will be born with HIV disease." AIDS and HIV cases have leveled off nationwide, but the number of rural cases has risen slightly, Brimah said. by TFN staff James Christjohn, TFN’s most excellent entertainment editor, is taking much needed time offforgoodbehavior (editor’s note: is that what that’s called now?). He is gearing upfor the Stevie Nicks tour. The high priestess of rock and roll STEVIE NICKS will embark on an extensive concert tour this summer with an itinerary that will take her across the United States. Nicks will perfonfi material from her new CD TROUBLE IN SHANGRI-LA which entered the Billboard albtun charts at No. 5 and has remained a Top 2Ohit for the last three weeks. She" will also cover material from her previous solo albums as well as her hits as a member of Fleetwood Mac. Billboard Magazine hailed Nicks’ new album as "this years comeback equivalent to Carlos Santana and her strongest material since her landmark Bdla Donna." Check local venues for on sale dates and ticket prices. The tour dates are as follows, being the closest to Tulsa She gets: August 3 Dallas, TX Smirnoff Music Center; August 4 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion; August 28 Banner Springs, KS Sandstone Amphitheatre; August 29 St. Louis, MO Riverport Amphitheatre. - But meanwhile in Tulsa, there’s things happening. From June 6th to July 1, Light Opera Oklahoma (LOOK) will be prov!ding the best in light, summer entertmnment with, as always, some Gilbert & Sullivan, the Mikado, Herbert’s Naughty Marietta and Lerner & Lowe’s My Fair Lady, based, of course on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion. LOOK is also presenting a one woman "Carmen" which feature Julie Goell as a cleaning lady who entertains hersdf by performing scenes from the Bizet opera. And Broadway and film .veteran Lynette Bennett will reprise the career of Jeanette McDonald in a show Bennett wrote. For times and dates on all these performance, call 583-5398 or see their website: www. webtek.com/gilbertsullivan Down at the Performing Arts Center, American Theatre Company will close their season with Wit, the riveting tale of Dr. Vivian Bearing, a professor of 17th century English poetJohn Donne. Bearing has cancer and the play addresses her struggle with the disease and is full of allusions to Donne’s work. Tulsa theatre veteran Lisa Wilson stars in the, production directed by Ken Spence. Call the PAC, 596-2525, for times and prices. Also there. Theatre Tulsa will present the Cotton Patch Gospel which recounts the life and times of Jesus Christ as set in the hills of Georgia. It’s been characterized as "a story for intellectuals who are closet hillbillies..." This, of course, describe~ so many that we know... This is Philbrook’s award winning lawns. likdy to be good despite this description. ¯ Again call 596-2525. ¯¯ Put on your radar Tulsa’s annual SummerStage Festival which will present ¯ a number of plays during July and into ¯ early August. Call thePAC at 596-2525 or log on to www.tulpac.com ¯ Now over at Philbrook, they’re notcoming up daisies and dandelions in the lawn. In fact, the museum has won an award from Briggs and Stratton (yes, that’s right, the lawn mower engine manufactorers) for having one of the top ten lawns in the US. Others who’ve won the award include Graceland, the Alamo, and this year, the Biltmore Estate and the Hemingway Home in Key West. All the work at Philbrook is done by only four people according to ¯ grounds supervisor, Ralph Bendel. ¯ And one ofTulsa’ s summer traditions is film and theatre on the lawn at Philbrook. ¯ Keep reading this column for further in- ¯. formauon. Also at Philbrook is a show opening ¯ June 10 of the glass artistry of West Coas! ¯ artist William Morris. Morris’ work is ¯ reflective of his interest in archeology and ¯ ancient pagan cultures. Morris lives near Seattle where he was master glassblower to world renowned artist Dale Chihuly. Morris’ work is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre and the Victoria and Albert Museum in ¯ London as well as theLos Angeles County ¯ Museum. ¯ Philbrook is at 2727 S. Rockford Rd., is ¯ open Tues. - Sat. 10-5pm, Sun. 11-Spin ¯ and till 8pm on Thurs. Admission at the ¯ grounds, Museum Shop and la Villa res- ¯ taurant is alway free and more information ¯ is available at www.philbrook.org ". Don’t" forget that Tulsa CiU-County ¯ Library is presenting a variety of Diversity ¯ programnfing during the month of June. ¯ Central Library will host the Council Oak Men’ s Chorale on Monday, June 4 at ¯ 7pro. The Chorale will perform a variety ¯ of vocal selections. ¯ On Thursday, June 7 at 7pm, Central ¯ will begifl its "Diversity Film. Festival" ¯ with Harvey Fierstein and Matthew ¯ Broderickin"TorchSongTrilogy," which ¯ was adapted from the Tony Award win- . ning Broadway hit. The musical numbers ¯ are a hoot, and Anne Bancroft chews the : scenery nicely. ¯ Next will be "Out of the Past" docu- ¯ menting the struggles of Kelli Peterson, ¯ who started a Gay/Straight alliance in her ¯ Salt Lake City school in 1996. Her fight ¯ became a statewide battle that brought ¯ national attention. This film is scheduled ¯ for Saturday, June 9 at 12 Noon. Thursday, June 14 (7pm) will see " "Trevor": Winner of the 1994 Academy ¯ Award for best live action short. This ¯ highly acclaimed, see arts, p. 9 Bernsen Foundation For Tickets Call (918) 583-5398 Kendall Theatre The University of Tulsa Matinees: 2:00 Evenings: Thursday & Friday 7:30, Saturday 8:00 Tirnothy W. Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partnership Planning, Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-8OO-742-9468 or 918-352-9504 128 East 3roadway, Drumright, Oklahoma weekend and evening appoinlmenls are available. Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC Certified Public Accountant a professional corporation Lesbians and Gay men face many special tax situations whether single or as couples. Electronic filing is available for faster refunds. 747-5466 4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135 touching, funny film addresses issues of sexual identity and compassion and, "If These Wails Could Taik" a trio of stories about Lesbian couples in three different decades. The last film that evening will be "Bubbeh Lee and Me": about a Gay man’ s visit with his 87 year old grandmother in a Florida retirement community. Pleasecall 596-7977 or yourlocal branch library if you have questions or need more information. GLSEN is the sponsor of Student Pride USA, the organization that helped me to get our Gay Straight Alliance started, and GLSEN in Oklahoma provided assistance to Barker as well. Phelps, aiso adisbarred attorney, didnot attend the protest himself but members of his congregation, most of whom are also related to him did picket near Orai Roberts University’s Mabee Center. Barker, in remarks made to supporters at the Center, noted that in response to ’the protest a number of his classmates, many unknown to him, offered .him words of support and encouragement. Barker aiso notedthat as afundraiser the incident was highly successful, raising several thousand dollars for Gay/Straight student organizing in Oklahoma. to supportthe conmaunities it serves. The Gill Foundation and OutGiving Department are headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The Gay and Lesbian Fundfor Colorado is based in Colorado Springs. The Festival will feature booths with pride merchandise, food, beverages as well as a variety of entertainment, from singers to femaieimpersonators,maybe a comedian, grrrl bands, the Council Oak Mens Choraie and "surprises." The opemng ceremonies for the Festivai will be held at 4:30pm. The Festivai is scheduled to continue until dark. Tulsa Transit shuttles will begin at noon at Veterans’ Park to take people to several stops aiong the parade route. Volunteers are encouraged to help carry the 120 foot long rainbow flag, Oklahoma’ s largest. Entries into the parade are still possible but the entry fee has now gone to $50, profit and non-profit alike. At the Gaia Dinner, TOHR will present its Community Hero awards to four individuals as well as recognize some of the organization’ s donors, and the TOHR Volunteer of the Year. And on June 16th, Borders Books & Music will haveaTOHRbenefit day where a percentage of purchases will be donated by the store to TOHR. Cail the Center at 743-4297 for more information. Viewpoint: Study ¢: Gay to Straight Bias ¯ by Wayne Besen The Human Rights Campaign What do John Paulk, Jeremy Marks Wade Richards have in conm~on ? ~I were ail high profile"ex-Gays" who c:~ v. out of the closet in the past year - c: Paulk’s case, was photographed at a ~ y bar in Washington. If there is one kn~:. fact about "ex-Gays," it is that one camaot aiways take their stories of "change" at face vaiue. In light of the double lives of prominent "ex-Gays," it seems questionable to conduct a"scientific" study on whetherpeople can "change" their sexual orientation - if it is based solely on their testimonies. Yet this is exactly what psychologist Dr. Robert Spitzer did. Moreover, many ofhis 200 subjects wereinvolvedupon the referral of several virulently anti-Gay political groups. Themostobvious flaw in Spitzer’ s study was the clear role played by these groups. The "ex-Gay" ministries referred 43% of the subjl~cts to Spitzer. The anti-Gay National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuaiity referred 23%. "His sampling method was totally inadequate," Dr. Lawrence Hartmann, a professorat Harvard and alongtime researcher on homosexuality told Newsday. A year ago, the Human Rights Campaign urged Spitzer in a letter to use objective physical measures in determining whether his subjects were still attracted to the same sex. Why did he decline? Spitzer and others claim that the new study shows that sexuai orientation in "highly motivated" people may be changeable. But the results show quite the opposite. Even though study participants were a hand-selected sample of activists - with 78% having spoken out publicly about ~onver~ion therapy - only .17% of the men and55%ofthe womencharacterized themselves as 100% heterosexual after at least five years of therapy. Additionaily, 56% of the men and 18% of the women still said they fantasized about the same sex. Anti-Gay activists have long claimed that tens of thousands of people have gone from Gay to straight. But after a review of the most "’successful" 200 cases, it is clear that the failure rate of conversion therapy is high. This is why Spitzer acknowledged having "great difficulty" in finding nonreligious therapists able to refer clients whom had successfully changed their sexual orientation. Another study by Ariel Shidlo and Michael Schroeder, represents a more realistic picture of conversion therapy efforts. TheNew York psychologists studied 202 subjects who tried to change their sexual orientation, and found that 97% failed to change in any meaningful way. And of the 3% who claimed to have fully changed, all but one work as "conversion" counselors. Until society is freefrom anti-Gay prejudice, people will feel compelled or be coerced into attempting to change. While new research on this controversial subject is welcome, Spitzer’s study does not further enhance the current debate. It only offers a view that is long on right-wing influence and short of objective data. by Lamont Lindstrom Here is a childhoodmemory: Iamriding the bus to school - fifth grade, I think. I’m relaxed, looking about here-and-there: At other kids, out the window, at myself refleeted in the window, and - oh my god! - I’m wearing a yellow shirt! And it’s Queersday! Thursday, that is. I can’t anymore remember all the indignities, but friends and enemies used hands and tongues to reprimand me for breaking one of the sacred rules of schoolyard society: Only queers would wear yellow on Thursday. We followed a complicated and often cruel kid culture full of beliefs, rituals, and regulations. These rules starkly delineated the normal from the abnormal, the acceptable from the forbidden. Many focused on appearance. Boys cross their legs at the knee, gifts at the ankle. Boys carry books at the side, girls complicated and often cruel kid culture furl of beliefs, rltuals, and regulations... Many focused on appearance. Woe was he, or she, who failed to monitor the body... It is an easy guess that playground taboos refleet children’s attempts to grapple with gender... [trying to fit] ourselves into an adult world of maseuline and feminine...’" cuddled in front. Boys do not stand with hands on hips akimbo. Woe was he, or she, who failed to monitor the body. Schoolyard surveillance was. painstaking if sometimes quirky. Be cai~ful not to wear a shirt with a little loop in the middle of tim shoulders. Playground police’would rip off these fruit-loops just as they did the fagtags on Polo shirts. And when I made it to high school, the heavy question was which ear to pierce. Boys who pierced their right ears were likely fags. Left, we all knew, was right. Folklorists have recorded many similar elements of kid lore around America. Queersday still exists, although the day in question differs from place to place, as.. does the tabooed color (yellow or green in some towns, and redin others) Itis aneasy guess that playground taboos reflect children’s attempts to grapple with gender. All of us experienced the challenge of fitting ourselves into an adult world of masculine and feminine. We had to be boys or gifts. Anything in-between was to(~ upsetting to contemplate. It could imply that those vital categories, male and female, weren’t as solid as we needed to believe they were. Rather than doubt our categories, we witch-huntedfags and dykes - failed boys and inadequate gifts. Folklorists al so collect elaborated, adult versions of schoolyard culture Jan Brunvand, for one, has published a series of collections of urban legends. These are stories, presented as the truth, that circulate by word-of-mouth and, increasingly, over the Internet. (Several excellent websites, including www.urbanlegends. corn andwww.snopes2.com, track new legends and also maintain story archives.) Just as playgroundfolklorereflects kids’ gender anxieties, we can suppose that urban legends similarly express areas of ambiguity and disquiet in everyday American life. Accounts of Kentucky-fried rats, for example, are plentiful: couple goes to fastfood chicken joint, drives through, buys a bucket, and chows down. Wife says, "Gee honey, my chicken tastes funny !" Husband turns on light and both are shocked to see thatWifehas chewed through hunk of rat, tail still hangs from the breading. Couple rushes io lawyer and sues chicken joint for XXXX dollars. A pervasive feature of contemporary American life is that we eat food cooked by strangers (and poorly paid strangers, at that). The rat story, and many similar, reflect and express the anxieties that fast food engenders. Similarly, stories of poodles in the macrowave shadow worries about technology we neither understand nor completely control: old lady who on rainy days dries her toy poodle in her oven gets new microwave as a gift. Next time dog gets wet she pops it into the microwave. Poodle explodes. Computer virus hoaxes, or stories of people having cybersex with someone who mrus out to beMom or Dad, reflect similar alarms about complex technology. Many Americans also are worried and disquieted by homosexuality. Not surprisingly, their anxiety has sparked a genre of Gay-themed urban legends. But notably, there are not that many of these. Snopes.com archives ouly five, and all date back several decades or more. The hoary legend of the horrified college student puzzled by rectal pain who discovers his roommate has been drugging him nightly to have his way with hirn can be traced back, in one form or another, to the 1880s. Also decades old is the legend of the rock star (Elton John, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Jon Bon Jovi, Li’l Kim, Britney Spears, etc. etc.) who is rushed to hospital after collapsing on stage to have [insert your number here] gallons of semen pumped from stomach. Three other Gay-themed legends were all first collected back in the 1980s: (!) Guy goes home with woman who, playfully it seems, ties him up. But then Batman (or other masked person) emerges from closet to leap his bones; (2) a movie will -soon be released portraying Jesus as Gay; and, perhaps the most notorious, (3) closeted cdebrity has trouble with his gerbil. But several newer legends have surfaced that reflect fear of AIDS: AIDS Mary or AIDS Harry - the trick who disappears after writing "welcome to the world ofAIDS" on your bathroom mirror; and stories of AIDS-infected needles left sticking out of theater seats or public telephone change return slots. We can hope that the decline of Gaythemed urban legends see Studies, p. 11 Want to save Money and Help Build a Community Center? Switch to Rainbow Communications Long Distance and More, 10% of Revenues Will Benefit Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Capital Campaign and General Fund - For more information, call 665-3401 or evenings at 447-8602. rl)_,1122_ Tulsa’s only professional body-piercing IGTA member Call 341.6866 International TO~,i~formoreinformation. ~TULSACOUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY Country Club Barbering Custom Styling for Men & Women David Kauskey 3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pro Power Connect. Public Service Company of Oklahoma Customer Service Is Now Available 24 Hours A Day, Seven Days AWeek. These days, traditional 8-5 business hours aren’t always convenient. So PSO has made it easier than ever for you to contact us. Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7 offering around-the-clock answers to your questions - and better access to service. Now it’s easier for you to inquire about your monthly electric bill. Or report a power outage. Or arrange to have your power turned on or off. Our professionally trained, friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives are standing by to serve you. All day, every day. To provide faster response to your needs, we have listed our toll-free numbers below. I I I I I I I II I i I I I I I ! I I I I I CALL 24 HOURS FOR TOLL-FREE SERVICE Customer Services: 1-888-216-3523 Billing Inquiries: 1-888-216-3490 Outage Reporting: 1-888-218-3919 Servicio a Clientes: 1-888-216-3505 Preguntas Sobre su Cuenta: 1-888-216-3491 Falta De Suministro: 1-888-218-3924 Public Service Company of Oklahoma ~Clip And Save ! ! ! ! ! ! ! I NOW... you are thinking, no way.., itis about sex. Thanks to the media, we tend to be an incredibly sexual society. Well okay, sexuality has some to do with it too, but it is only an expression of the feeling of acceptance and security they feel in the relationship. What kind of behavior should be "socially acceptable" for GLBT people? Or better yet, what would the heterosexual society find acceptable behavior? "MEN will refrain from hugging, kissing, or holding hands in public; firm handshakes only. WOMEN will be permitted to hug, and to kiss each other on the cheek. ANY public expression of sexual or romantic interest in members of the same gender will be unacceptable. WOMEN will shop in the Women’s Department at Sears; men in the Men’s Department. EACH woman will find aman to live with, change her last name to match his, and maintain their home. CHILDREN will be optional, but encouraged." So, how many heterosexuals do YOU know that follow this .code of conduct? So if we all acted that way, they’d love us.. yeah right. Whoever believes that, I would strongly suggest to get out of your "CandyLand" world of beliefs. But what’ s so great about their rules that we should be asking for permission to assimilate? Rules, if they are not clear should be questioned and changed, if need be. Those rules say that men must be Men and womenmust be Women (and children are the property of biological parents). They say that everyone should conform to a standard code of conduct, dress, and even beliefs. People who don’t conform may (or may not) be tolerated, but will never be treated like equals. As for sex.. the rules are both silly and oppressive, and they’re observed with such hypocrisy it isn’t funny. Can we say Neanderthal...? I’m positive that these social standards, right out of?Father Knows Best," refers to are a limiting set of nfles: this is acceptable, that is not. But for me, one of the benefits ofbeing LesbianAND outspoken has been that it made me question those rules.., and ultimately reject those that didn’t make sense. Don’t ask me to go back to them; I’d rather go forward. Rather than a rigid rule book, why don’t we instead outline something positive to aspire to? After all, if we must negotiate, I’d rather do it from a position of strength. .. of pride in the example we have to offer, not one of shame and embarrassment. Here is my revised, socially accepting behavior for EVERYONE: "WE will accept others, regardless of the way they look, dress, talk, or act. WE will support people’ s right to do whatever they want in their bedrooms, regardless of whether we want to do it ourselves. WEwill be honest about who we are, rather than pretending to be what others want us to be.WEwill let people believe things we don’t bdieve, and express opinions we don’t share. WE will never negotiate away the righ( to be whoever we are." PS: Go visit a nursing home and make a friend... STOP the abuse and neglect of the elderly. that the law cannot be enforced statewide. "This is a good day for privacy and fairness in Minnesota," said Charles Samuelson, executive director of the MnCLU. "By inviting the governmentinto every bedroom in the state, this law was dearly unconstitutional - which is why the court struck it down." Gov. Jesse Ventura agreed, his spokesman said. "It’s consistent with the governor’s philosophy that there are some things the government has no business making laws about," said John Wodele. "He sees this as a welcome decision." Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Mirmeapolis, has tried unsucessfully more than once to repeal the provision through legislative channels. She had a bill ready again this year, but never introduced it because she was waiting to see the outcome of the court case. "I obviously thinkit is terrific," Kahn said of the ruling. "I always thought that law was unconstitutional." Tom Prichard, president of the Minnesota Family Council, disagreed. "This is another case of blatant judicial activism where a judge decides to make the law rather than interpret it," Prichard said. He said the issue should be decided by the Legislature. Matt Coles, director of the ACLU’s Lesbian and Gay Rights Project, says 35 states, including Minnesota, havehad their sodomy laws either repealed by legislatures or struck down by the courts. In 1961, all 50 states had sodomy laws on the books. "One more down, 15 to go," Coles said after hearing about ’the Minnesota j.udge’s decision. "We absolutely are gomg to stay with it." Minnesota’s taw prohibits oral and anal sex between any adults, including married couples and disabled people who cannot engage in any other form of intimacy. Penalties include up to a year injail and up to $3,000 in fines. For years, efforts to repeal the law in the state Legislature were unsuccessful. Although sodomy laws are rarely enforced, Coles says they can be used against proponents ofdomesticpartners ordinances and other issues sought by Gays and Les- - bians. ’The people who want to keep the (sodomy) law onthe book, there’ s amethod to their madness," Coles said. "The existence of these laws are used to generally delegitimize Gays and Lesbians in public debate." indicates dissipation of public anxieties about homosexuality - the gradual mainstreaming of Gay. But wait! Have you heard about-Yahoo! shutting down the porno sites? Have you heard that Rock Hudson and Jim Nabors were married? lsa Oklahomans for Human Rights presents Celeb Diversi-ty ti 2001 Saturday, June 2, 2001 TOHR Follies 2001 "Hollywood TimeWarp" ~..:Avondale Studio & Theatre (the old Delaware Playhouse) 1511 So. Delaware Ave., 8pm Reception immediately following. Tickets: $15.00, At the Door: $20.00 The Pride Store @ Tulsa GLBT Community Center; 2114 S Memorial or by calling 918.743.4297 or toll free (outside Tulsa) at 866.335.9074 Wednesday, June 6, 2001 Tulsa Interfaith Service Sponsored by TU BLGT Alliance, Sharp Chapel, TU, 3pm Monday, June 4, 2001 Council Oak Men s Chorale Concert. Presented by Tulsa City/County Library "Diversity in Song" Aaronson Auditorium, Central Librarym 3rd.& Denver, 7pm Monday, June 4, 2001 Family Law Panel Presented by Tulsa City/County Library Law Professor Linda Lacey& an expert panel Helmerich Library, 91st and Yale, 7pm Tuesday, June 5, 2001 APt Exhibit: ,"Embracing Art" IAll Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria Avenue, 6-gpm Thursday, June 7, 2001 GLBT Film Festival Sponsored by Tulsa City/County Library AaronsonAuditofium, Central Library, 3rd and Denver, 7pm Friday, June 8, 2001 TOHR Diversity Gala Benefiting TOHR and Diversity Celebration 2001 "Embrace Diversity" Parents of Hate Crime Victims: Speakers and Parade Grand Marshalls: Gabi Clayton, Olympia, WA, Dorothy Holman, Chicago, Don Sinclair, Houston, TX, Carolyn Wagner, Fayetteville, AR "Community Hero" Awards presentation honoring those in the local GLBT community. Tulsa Country Club, 701 N. Yukon Dr., 7pm, reception & silent auction, 8pm dinner, $100/ea. $1,000 table of eight. Sponsorships available. Reserved seating available by calling 918.743.4297 or 866.335.9074 Saturday, June 9, 2001 The Pride Parade Cherry Street (15th Street) to Boston Avenue to 18th Street to Veterans .Park Stags at 3pm, Float/marchers begin assembling at lpm. No entries after 2:45pro Featuring:Entries from across the region Community Heroes, Oklahoma’s largest Pride Flag Diversity Festival Sponsored by: Bud Light & Eastern Oklahoma Beverages Veterans’ Park, 1875 So. Boulder Ave., 3pm Featuring Entertainment, Speakers, and¯ more. Sunday, June 10, 2001 Women’s Tea Dance Women only dance, DJ, and live entertainment by Melanie Fry, pipe & cigar patio, unplugged music circle, and more. Greenwood Cultural Center, 322 N. Greenwood, 3-Tpm Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2001] Tulsa Family News, June 2001; Volume 8, Issue 6 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 2001 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohn Karin Gregory Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Scheppers Hughston Walkinshaw Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, May 2001; Volume 8, Issue 5 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/613 2001 adult adoption AIDS AIDS Colin Powell AIDS drugs anti-discrimination bill arts and entertainment bias bullying businesses censorship Christianity churches civil unions Disciples Church Disney Diversity celebration Dyke Divine Fred Phelps gay veterans Gill Foundation Glaxo SmithKline grants Hair Ball hate crimes bill health HIV HIV testing Lutheran Church military military inclusion military recruiting Openarms Youth Project outreach Partner Benefits Pride 2001 pride Parade Red Cross Red Rock Tulsa restaurants sex education sodomy laws testing Tulsa CARES Tulsa City County Library Tulsa Family News Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rigts Westboro Baptist Church https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/88f80168e33808ae4edef3440c0952c8.jpg 51d0603c1901386d92dfa1e15ce61811 https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/0f6cffda4fae053c8f9105e94b7420b5.pdf 082442d5723e9f3a97a2689ddfc3d1bf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Tulsa PLWA Sues Jail For Withholding Medicines TULSA (TFN) - Early in June, the Stipe Law Firm notified the Tulsa County Criminal Justice Authority, that it was suing the authority on behalf of Daniel McClure..McClure, aperson living with AIDS (PLWA) was arrested onJune 12, 2000 andbookedinto the Tulsa Jail. Per the notice of tort claim letter, and statements made to TFN while being held at thejail, McClure was denied access to his medicines as well as to timely medical care despite repeated requests. Because anumber of HIV treatments have strict regimens, failure to take the drugs at the prescribed tim~" can result in seriously greater illness. The letter filed by the Sfipe Law Firm alleges that "negligence of the Tulsa County Criminal Justice Authority" has lead to a faster progressirn of McClute’ s disease, "a.worsening of l~s medical condition and emotional distress." The.claim is for in .excess of Parade. +Festival 2001 TULSA ~FFN) - It was a part new event and part old event. The 2001 Pride celebrations, organized by Tulsa Okla,.omans for Human Rights (TOHR) had a new paraae route, alarger festival in the old sit~ and some o the_same old protesters. The parade featured even more : church floats anda shorterlength going along Cherry St. " from Utica to Veterans Park. But true to prior years, a " handful offundamentalist Christians mostly peacefully ¯ protested along the route. The protesters included some of .the anti-Gay Fred Phelps cult of Topeka, Kansas. The night before the parade and festival, the Tulsa Country Club’w.as the site of a gala fundraising dinner. " And while the event may have been slightly " underattended, it was rinsed more funds than any prior sort of event. Community Hero awardee, Rick Martil used a spirited auction style to solicit funds from attend: " ees to match a $5,000 commitment from TOHR supporter Mark Bouney. NOt only was the match made but " due to the generosity of Williitms Cos. DiVersity Director Eric Watson, Who attended with his wife, over " $20,000 wasraised. The attendence of Mr. Watson on ¯ behalf of Williams was a first for any major Tulsa ." corporation as was their $5,000 donation. " TOHR will be ho!ding their monthly meeting onJuly " 10 at 7pro at the LGBT Center and solicits feedback on the Pride events fl~e. TOHR members also attended ." the Okla. City parade, carrying the 120’ rainbow flag. IJJ DIRECTORY ~ EDITORIAL/PRI DE.15HOTOS US & WORLD NEWS HEALTH NEWS ENTERTAINMENT + MORE P, 8 GAY STUDIES/RAGING LESBIAN P, 10/11 P, 2 " P, 3 P, 4 " P, 6 ~Serving ~Lesbian’ ,.,=,.Gay’ ~~,Bisexual=T~~ans+gend~r~ed¯ Tulsans, O0r.. r__ammesFamili + Friends" =mo ng¯ -D ’ve¯rs!ty :¯ _P’ ride Everywhere.. NYC, Tulsa Pride Parade & Festival i San Francmco + Omahti ¯ SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A Lesbian motorcade, which included topless riders waving rainbow flags, ¯ faux nuns, clowns and brides, rode down the street, : kicking off the city’s 31st Annual Pride Parade and ¯ Celebration. ¯ An estimated 1 million people cheered as the group ¯ of Dykes on Bikes roared their motorcycles on Sun¯ day late in June and led floats of. drag queens, city officials, community groups and marching bands to ." the Civic Center plaza, where the celebration, lasted ¯ all day. For Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgenders ¯ attending, the parade helped to create an atmosphere ." of acceptance and celebration. It’s also an opportu- ¯ nity to educate people about, their community. The ¯ parade is California’s largest public event and has . ¯ become one of the’world’s best known Gay pride ¯ celebrations. ¯ "Thi s is a great opporthnity to raise the visibility of the Gay community," said city Supervisor Mark ¯ Lent, who is’ openly Gay and served as one the ¯ p ade s five marshals. S,a~,, Francisco has ,always been a leader in Gay rights but nationwide, I m still ¯ a second-class citizen," Lent said. The parade is an ¯ opportunity to help oti~ers understand that Gay issues ¯ are everyone’s issues, he said. The celebration also has became aforum to address ,,: the impact of AIDS on the community.over the past ¯ two decades. "I’m a survivor of the disease," said David Lyons, an Oaldandresident whohas not missed ¯ aparade since !98l: "Tiffs is a great chance to educate .you~..g_African-Ameri,¢~, ,~,,Gay people. We can’ t think ’ itself. The 2001 Diversity Festival willfeature booths & entertaiment. ¯ U.S, Census Sh.ows More Gay Couples; More Figures to Come ¯ WASHINGTON (AP/TFN)- U.S. census figures released at the ¯ end of last month for five states continue to show a dramatic increase in the.number of households that comprise same-se~ partners but most likely still undercount the actual number due to co,n,~,finued anti~.Gay bias, the Hum.an Rights Campaign said. ~ nese newngures continue to show a national trend where record number of people are willing to acknowledge living in a household with "a same-sex partner," said David M. Smith. HRC’s communications director and senior strategist. "While the census data suggest incredible progress, we believe thi census continues to undercount same-sex partners because many people are still not comfortable disclosingi~ a federal survey that they are in a same-sex relationship. And despite an educational effort by HRC and other, groups, not all respondents were aware of the census question. - s___T~_.e ~ensns ~B,urean released da.ta today for Alabama, Mis- ¯ oun, ~xansas, r~ew York and Ohio. New York reported the largest number of same-sex households with 46,490, a 238% increase from the 1990 census. Ohio reported the next largest tiumber with 18,937 same-sex.households, a 401% increase. Missouri ranked third with 9,428, a 388% increase. Alabama reported 8,109 same-sex honseholds, a 659% increase. And Kansas reported 3,973~ a 514% increas~ ’.q’he census data have important social implications because Americans will become acutely aware that Gay and Lesbian families are numerous and face discrin~natory barriers in terms Ofpubh"c poh"cy," stu" d Smi’ th. "Asmore of these families become visible in their communities, people will work to end the unfair treatment andlegal discrimination they often face." " Census figures released also show that the number of same-sex " unmarried partners in rural areas have. increased slightly. The most substantial change was in Missouri, where 7,095, (75%) " same-sex unmarried households are in urban areas while 2,333 " (25%) arein rural areas. This marks a significant change from the " 1990 census when only 11% (1,711) of same sex unmarried households were in rural parts of the state see Census, p. 9 G " " bymanywhohavefoughtfor ay rights. Everybody did the hard work," she said. ’~Now, there are so many non-Gay people who.come and bring th(ir children: This to me means acceptance. It gives me a sense of belonging.’" This year’s event featured several new additions and promised more diversity than ever, plus a more family friendly environment, organizers said. Cecilia Chung, Gay Pride Parade president, estimated 1 million people attended Sunday’s celebration. . But the drag queens in sequined dresses and feathers along with the young, buff men wearing tight shorts were a bit too much ~or some tourists who got caught in the middle of the celebration "It’s enlightening," said Sally Christenson, 48. "I was naive. I never thought people would expose themselves to this extent. You don’t see this in Minnesota." However in Minneapolis... MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -Anestimated 200,000 people gathered in Loring Park inMinneapolis to celebrate Gay pride. "It’s the one weekend of the year where people can be themselves and not have tO worry," said TBiw~i N~.n.al~, One ofthe organizers ofl~e 29th annual in t~mes ~ay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Pride Festival. While likely a little less flamboyant than the event in San Francisco, the turnout in Miuneapolis showed that statem,,e.n,t above by Sally Christenson isn’t quite accurate. It s a fun time," said Jolene K,o,stohryz, who stud she attends the festival every.year. You get to see a whole bunch of different kinds Of people." And in Omaha, OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The city’s 17th a.~uualGay Prideparadedrew hundreds ofparticipants and watchers as it snaked through 12 downtown blocks. The theme for the parade was "Phoenix Rising," which organizers said was a reference to the movement’s renewed efforts after last year’ s passage of Initiative 416. see Pride; p, 5 Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants *~amboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine *Play-Mor, 424 S. Memorial Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square *Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st ~Schatzi’ s, 2619 S. Memorial *The Star, 1565 Sheridan *TNT’ s, 2114 S. Memorial *Tool Box II, 1338 E. 3rd *Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan *The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 832-1269 610~5323 838-9792 744-4280 585-3405 745-9998 280-1316 834:4234 660-0856 584-1308 835-2376 749-1563 Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals Assoc. inMed. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41 665-4580 BodyPiercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15 712-1122 *Borders Books. & Music, 2740 E. 21 712-9955 *Borders B.ooks & Music, 801~ S. Yale 494-2665 Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria 743-5272 *CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria 746-0313 *Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth 295-5868 Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117 Commuuity Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700 Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 -*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620 Doghouse on Bro0kside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556 *Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503 Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Me~ofial 369-8555 Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379 Events Unlimited~ 507 S, Main_ ~ 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 G~y & 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. Skelly 745-1111 *International Tours 341-6866 Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732.E. 15th 712-2750 *Jared’ s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018 David Kauskey, 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 .747-5466 *Li,~ing ArtSpace, 308 Soffth Kenosha 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 *The Pride Store 743-4297 Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101 747-5932, ;’Richard’s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617 Teri Schutt, Ellen & Co. 834-7921,748-0224 Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-7829 *Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558 Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563 Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling 743-1733 *Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222 *Whittier News Stand, 1 N... Lewis 592-0767 www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays &Lesbians 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 Chaml~r of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201 *Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Florence Church of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood 587-1.314 *Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300 *Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595 Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888 *Delaware Playh_ouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511 918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615 POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159, e-mail: TulsaNew.s.@earthlink.net Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindst¢om,Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw Member of The Associated Press Issued around the 1 st of each month, the entire contents of.this publication are protected by US copyright-2001 by Tulsa Family News and may notbe reproduced either in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’ S sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes the sole property of Tulsa Family News. Each reader is entitled to 4 copies of each edition at distribution points. Additional copies are avail-able by calling 583~1248: ¯¯ *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 ¯ *FreeSpiritWomen’ s Center, call for location&info: 587-4669 ¯ Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827 ¯ Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438 ¯ *Tulsa C.A.R:E.S, 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194 ¯ HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378 ¯ *HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstries,1517 S. Memorial 224-4754 ¯ *MCC United~ 1623. N. Maplewood 838-1715 ¯ NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral P1. 748-3111 : NOW, Nat’l Org forWomen, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658 ¯ OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157 ¯ *OSU-TUlsa ¯ PFLA-G; 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 ¯ St. Aidan’ S Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882 : St.Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71St 492-7140 : *St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088 ¯ Soulforce-OK,Rt.4,#3534,Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761 ¯ *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. for Human Rights,.Gay Comm. Center 743-4297 " TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvoeacy Coalition, POB2687,TUlsa 74101 ¯ T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827 : .-*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule ¯ *Tulsa Community College Campuses ¯ *Tulsa Gay Commtmity Center, 2Ist & Memorial 743-4297 ¯ Unity Church of Christianity,3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833 ¯ BARTLESVILLE Barflesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353 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 ¯ EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS ¯ Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734 ." Jim & Brent’.s,Bistro, 173 S. Main 501-253-7457 .. DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 501-253-6807 ¯ Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445 ¯ MCC of the Living Spring o 501-253-9337 ¯ Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253-2776 ¯ Old Jallhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332 Positive Idea Marketing Plans 501-624-6646 ¯ White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074 ¯ JOPLIN, MISSOURI ¯ Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696 : ~ is where youcan find TFN. Not all are Gay-owned but all are Gay-friendly. Council Oaks Men’s Chorale As a Gay Dad, I recently experienced a wonderful first. During the TOHR coordi: ~ J~ation of Tulsa Gay Pride week celebration, : my younger son, his cousin and a high ¯ school peer of theirs attended their first ever ¯ " gay related function. Since divorcing and ¯ coming out five years .ago, this is the first time one of my children has attended a gay : function. Of the varied venues offered dur- : ing the 2001 Tulsa Gay Pride week, we chose to attend the Council Oak Men’s ¯ Chorale mini concert heldMonday evening. at the central library. ¯ This was the first time my son and his ¯ friends had been exposed to the Gay com- " muuity in such "large numbers", for high ¯ school "kids" accustomed to the top 10 rock/ ¯ pop/rap tunes, the concert repertoire was a ¯ - bit austere, however, I am pleased to say ¯ these urban kids, left the concert with a new ¯ refreshing positive attitude and respect to- " ward the Gay .community at large. As a ¯ compliment, FII tell you that the most re- . peated comment was... "these guys are ¯ gay?" Fortunately, as we all began to openly ¯ talk during the eveni~ig many typical worn ¯, out"stereotypes andmyths"were dispelled. Thank you Council Oak guys for your ¯ hard work and continued efforts to be a ¯ positive force and professional face on be- -¯ half of .our community. You’ ve helped in part to make a great difference in the con- : tinuing relationship with my son. I am honored to consider Council Oak Chorale as ¯ being part of "my extended family". ¯ - Milton-Nunley, Tulsa ¯ Oklahoma City Removes : Gay Banners Despite Permit ¯ The Gay Pride banners which ~Tere hung ¯ on light poles at the north end of Classen ¯ Boulevard in Oklahoma City cost the spon\ ¯ soring organizations $11,000. Their design. ¯ was approved in advance by the City of ¯ Oklahoma City. The legal permit to hang ¯ them extended through July 7. For the City ¯ to remove the banners ten days before the ." permit expired is a blatant <~xample of dis- : crimination against the gay and lesbian or- ,¯ ganizations which followed procedures and incurred great expense to have the banners ¯ professionally produced and placed on the ." poles. ¯ "No News is Good News" - Oklahoma : City’ s Gay Rights March and Pride Parade ¯ on Sunday afternoon, June 24, included a ¯ festival beforehand in Memorial Park, with ¯ booths, tables, livemusic, and refreshments ¯ - and a huge street party afterwards. Some ¯ 7,000 to 10,000 participants and supporters ." took part in. the events, which were well ¯ organized; peaceful, and celebrative. That " the events were poorly reported by the local ." news media - or not covered at all - repre- ¯ . sents more disc.rimination against homo- . ¯ sexuals. : Gays and Lesbians struggle to find their ¯ place in a society where, religious leaders, ¯ editorial writers, parents, and teachersjudge i" them, condemn them, and vilify them for ¯ who they are. Gay teenagers commit suicide ." in far higher percentages than do hetero- ¯ sexual, teenagers. : see Letters, p. 11 by Tom Neal Oklahoma Today, the official magazine of the State of Oklahoma, just released their July/August issue which features Tulsa. But is it a rather peculiar Tulsa. Just as once the majoritywhite culture refused to acknowledge racial minorities, creating a whites only image, Oklahomt~ Today(OT)has shownTulsaas "straights only." Now we should give them a very little credit. They did get a few black folks in the issue and actually even ones who are wall regarded in the black community in,~tead of Tulsa’ s white leadership’ s favorite "acceptable" blacks. Butjournalists, at least when they really do theirjob, are supposed to reflect reality. And the reality is that there are Lesbian and Gay people in Tulsa: we exist. ~ Oklahoma’s oldest Lesbian and Gay organihations are here: the oldest, the Metropolitan Community Church United, renamed but still extant, and Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR), which runs the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Community Center, And this publication has been around nearly eightyears. It would have taken very little to mention the community center, or to identify, just as was done for Tulsa blacks, one or another community leader, or mention a community publication- as was done of, obviously, The World, but also, The Oklahoma Eagle and that waste of newsprint, the prejudiced and anti-Gay Urban Tulsa. ’What’ s baffling about Oklahoma’Today’s failure (~t its heart, simply to tell the truth about our city) isthat after a conversation ] had with its editor Louisa McCune about four years ago, OT ran a mention of the first or second Pride March (before the first parade). McCune knows that we exist. But perhaps the problem doesn’t lie there. Oklahoma Today publisher Joan Henderson’s response to my coneems was that when OT featured Oklahoma City some issues back, they proudly ignored OKC’ s LGBT community also. Later in the conversation, she variously suggested that they could not write about us because they give OT to 4th graders and theycan’ t write "about sex," thattheir readers are all about 62 years old and they don’ t even want to read about blacks or Indians, and that they’re a state magazine .and if we have a problem with what Oklahoma Today’s doing, wecanjust talk to her Republican boss, Gov. Fr~tk K.eating, Lt. Gov~ Mary Fallin, and Tourism and Recreataon Executive Director Jane Jayroe. Of course, I-wouldn’t waste my breath tr~ing to talk with the ethically bd’uddled Keating et al, but I do think it will be quite interesting to talk with members of the legislature - see Today, p. 8 Official Refuses to Perform Gay Marriages LEEUWARDEN, Netherlands (AP) - A civil servant who has refused to officiate Gay marriages could be fired by the city, officials said last month. Nynke Yxinga-Boomgaardt can only save herpart-time job if she signs a contract agreeing to wed same-sex couples at city hall, municipal authorities in Leeuwarden said. Same-sex mamages were legalxzed in April, making the Netherlands the first country to grant Gay couples the same rights as heterosexual couples, including ~e right to adopt children. "In this job she has the obligation to enforce the law, and under Dutch law Gay couples have equal rights," said Jan van der Hoek, a spokesman for the city, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Amsterdam. If she refuses, the.spokesman said, her contract will be .terminated in September. Eringa-Boomgaardt refused to wed fwo Gay couples over the past three months, saying she is principally opposed to same-sex marriages. The couples are still waiting to be married. "This is about the battle betWeen equality and my right to have conscientious objections," Eringa- Boomgaardt told the Trouw daily newspaper.. Gay-Pride Flag Burners Arrested COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A man with a history of desecrating the Gay-pride flag is one of two people charged with burning the baiaher during a parade. Police charged Charles Spingola, 45, and Thomas Meyer, 47, both of Newark, with open buming, a firstdegree misdemeanor punishable by as. much as six months in jail. . A state appeals court last week upheld Spingola’s conviction on criminal damage charges for tearing down:aGay-prideflag thatwas flying at the Statehouse two:years -ago a~ a’similar parade. " . Police said Spingolaand Meyer setfire to arainbow-" colored flag they had been carrying as the last marchers in the Columbus Pride Parade passed the Statehouse. Police Sgt. Michael Piccininni said Spingola had burned another Gay-pride flag about 21/2 hours earlier outside Broad Street United Methodist Church, where a Gay-oriented service took place before the parade. Piccininni said Spingola was given a waming, but returned later during the parade with a new flag and a small container 0f gasoline. Andrea Critchet, head of parade security, said she was splashed with gasoline after approaching Spingola andMeyernear the Statehouseand telling themto keep away from parade participants. ’°We were there to protect him, to-keep the crowd away from him," Cfitchet said. "He said, ’You’ re all gonnaburn in hell,’ and he flipped it (the flag) up on me.". Cfitchet was ~checked by paramedics for burning in her’throat but was not injured. Teresa Spingola, 46, said her husband and her two sons, 12 and 16, intended to burn the nylon flag, but didn’ t expect the scuffle or arrests that followed. "It’ s legal to bum the American flag. We thought it’ s OK to bum the queer flag," she said. She said that last.year, the family burned a Gay flag at the same intersection without incident. Presbyterian Pastor Comes Out, Resigns ¯ chief policy-making body of the Presbyterian Church ¯ " (U.S:A.) voted to relmmmend lifting a ban on ordaining homosexual clergy. The measure must still be ratified over the next year by .a majority Of the ~hurch’s 173 presbyteries, or regional legislatures. That will be harder to achieve and, besides,. Hawley cannot endure any=longer the stress of living in two worlds. ’T ve had a lot of personal, emotional and health struggles, and I just realized I could not live in the closet anymore," said Hawley, 42, who led the Genesee Valley Presbytery, which represents 73 congregations in the Rochester region_ in western NewYork. "I knew I had to get more open with my sexuality if I was going to recover. There’ s been a lot of pain in terms of being silent when I personally ~’elt I s.hould have been sw.aking." Hawley did not plan to have his departure from the church coincide with the emotional debate in Louisville, Ky., where the General Assembly of thenafion’ s . sixthlargest Protestant denomination voted 317-208m favor of ordination of Gays attd Lesbians. What his decision will do is allow him to speak more forcefully on an issue that several mainline Protestant denominations, notably the Episcopal Church and United Methodist Church, have struggled with in recent years. "I feel~badly in a way that I haven."t been more outspoken but that’ s part of the problem with the closet - it’s not safe to," he-said. "But now I can tall people how destructive it was to try to live that life and quietly serve." Hawley, who grew up in Montrose, Pa., and studi_e,d.,. atthe Jesuit-run University of Scranton~ said he didn t realize he was Gay when he was ordained in 1983. He ¯ figured it out in 1995 after years of turmoil. Although he was not in a relationship,Hawley said : he constantly feared losing his job. He might have ¯ battled to keep it now, he said, but knew that conserva- ¯ fives in the presbytery would have pushed for his removal. "That’ s the fight that I didnotpersonally want ¯ to take," said Hawley, who plans a new career in teaching. ’-’The only way I can be honest and comfortable about myself is to come out and to resign. It’ s a . ¯ matter.of integrity." ¯ At last year’s General Assembly meeting, Hawley said he was forced to listen quietly as conservatives argued against inclusion Of Gays in the leadership of a church that has a~ many as 3.6 million members. The ¯ remarks were not~"hateful so much as ignorant," he ¯ said. The push to remove the ban on Gay clergy from ¯ the church’ s constitution "would mean-the church has made a really radical shift, and I’mnot sure that ithas,’~ he added. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - In hi’s .t8th year as a ¯ Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Bill Hawley realized ¯ he could nolonger keep his sexual orientation a secret. -’. ¯By revealing that he’s Gay, Hawley also decided his : only real choice was to quit the church. ¯ His resignation took effect June 15, the same day the ~ : Bank Refuses Account to Anti-Gay Group : MONTREAL (AP) - A Canadian bank is refusing to ¯ open an account for a coalition of conservative and ¯ religious.groups that opposes MontreaV s bid to host ¯ the2006GayGames.Montrealis competingwiththree ¯ U.S. cities- Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles - to host the Gay Games, which typically draw 24,000 :’ athletes and 200,000 spectators. : -The No ’C-ommittee2006 was formed in April after ¯ -Montreal announced its. bid. The. committee’s mem- : bers indudethe Christian Heritage Party and the Cam~ ¯ paign Life Coalition for Quebec. The Rev. Daniel Cormier, who heads the committee, said the group ¯ fears visiting athletes could spread the HIV virus that ¯ leads to AIDS. A Royal Bank spokesman-confirmed the No Committee 2006 was denied a bank account for donations for supporters. "We refuse to support or oppose di.scriminatory activities of ~any kind," said bank spokes- "man Raymond Chouinard. Cormier called thebank’ s refusal discriminatory. He said at a news conference Friday that his group would Find out for yourself how good the Lord is! - Ps. 34:8 Come share the goodness of the Lord with our community ~ Sunday Morning 11:00 AMChildren’s Worship During Service MCC United Rev. Cathy Elliott. Pastor 1623 N. Maplewood (918) 838-! 715 mcctulsa@aol.com Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community "ofHope 2545 South Yale, Sundays at 1 lam, 749-0595 A Welcoming Congregation HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754 The Open Arms Project Young Adult Support Group Outreach Program Thurs. Nights Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment Call for meeting times and place: 918.584-2325 Mingo Valley Flowers 9413 E: 31st St., Tulsa 74145 918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800.~AA-5934 Family Owned & Operated Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW Ghild, Family, Individual 8, Gouplo Psycholhorapy (918) 743-9559 - 2121 South Columbia, Suite 420 Tulsa, ,Oklahoma 74114~3518 The Pride Store 21st Street & Memorial Tulsa Gay Community-Services Center 743-GAYS (743-4297) 6--9 pm, Sunday - Friday 12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center TOM NEAL BUILDING & GARDEN DESIGN 583- 12.48 Red Rock Tulsa Free Confidential HIV Testing ,Walk=in Clinics " " ~ : "~ Tues. & Thurs., 5 -8 prn at the Cenfer, 1307 East 38th Daytime appointments, available. Call for more inf6rmation: 918-584-2325 e i I v b American Red Cross Tulsa Area Chapter 10151 East Eleventh Tulsa 74128 Dannette Mcintosh Diversity Co-ordinator 838-1100 Saint Aidan 4045 N. Cincinnati, 425-7882 Saint John 4200 S. Atlanta Place. 742-7381 OPENARMS OPENMINDS OPEN IqFARFS Saint Dtmstan 5635 East 71st, 492-7140 Trinity 501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128 The. EpiscOpal Church Welcomes You take the case to court or the Quebec Human Rights. Commission. East Ohio Methodists Oppose Anti-Gay Stance LAKESIDE, Ohio (AP) - A group of United Methodist ministers and parishioners from the East Ohio " Conference is preparing for another attack on th~ " hurch s anti-Gay doctrine. Thirty United Methodist ministers in the regional groupjoined dozens of church members in signing the " "East Ohio Declaration," whichopposes the doctrine’ s " anti-Gay stance, andwill begin a series of discussions in September aimed at the issue. The United:Methodist church has more than 9 million members worldwide . most are in the United States. ¯ During its national quadrennial meeting in Cleve- ¯ land last summer, about 1,000 church leaders voted 2- ¯ 1. to uphold the church’ s stance on Gays. The doctrine . states that homosexuality is incompatible with ~aris- ¯ tian teaching; thatno sexually-activehomosexual rain- ¯ isters should be ordained; and that same-sex mamages ¯ will. not be honored. Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton - who oversees the ¯ 192,000-member East Ohio Conference - planned a ¯ series of discussions in preparation for revisiting the " issue when the United. Methodist Church meeots again " in Pittsburgh in 2004. Two representatives from each of the 12 East Ohio : Methodist districts will attend a September 22 prelimi- ." nary meeting. One representative will sent to support . existing church doctrine, the other to argue for change. ¯ Those delegates plus 40 other church officials will air ¯ their views and be traine3l to organize similar meetings . around the state. : A magistrate had said the state did not have enough : evidence to support the aggravated kidnapping charge. ¯ But the Supreme Court disagreed, saying though the facts are in dispute, there is enough evidence to argue them in court. us," said Tom Aeschlimann, one of the event’ s orgamzers. For the first time the parade had a grand marshal, Scott Winkler, a native of Loomi s who is an insurance agent in Omaha. New York City Event Rivals SF One NEW YORK (AP) - Three dozen Gay couples celebrated their same-sex partnerships to kick off New York City’ s 32nd annum Gay pride parade, a Celebration of flamboyant costumes and floats. "We’d like to be recognized as a couple," said Sheneen Ellis, wearing awhite veil and mini-dress decorated with tiny red rhinestones, as she stood with her partner, Alona Hartnett, dressed in white ~lacks and jacket. They were surrounded by their five children as two ministers and a rabbi blessed them ifi a ceremony Sunday at the entrance to Central Park just before the Heritage of Pride parade. "Two mothers are better than having only one,", read a sign carried by one of the children, 10-year-old Calhea Johnson. "I love mommy and mommy." The parade included Lesbians on motorcycles, a rainbow arch of balloons and a top-down convertible carrying veterans of the 1969 Stonewall riots, in which The initiative banning same-sex marriages passed by 70% to 30% last November. "We’re going to be here and we’ re going to stay around. You better accept ThomasTavl0rofBrockville aretir....¯ . _ _ " pa.tronsofaGaybarinG-reenwichVillagefoughtback " : " .r . , euNnmsterwno ¯ - -s " . .............. ag--m’n-s"tapou""ceram..... , , ,~:. ¯ ¯ ~,~ u,~. oz~tto1, a Vzmt. ,-.v~u n we corot just sit flown years to a colorful pageant drawing hundreds of thou and talk and agree that we are not of one mind about this," that would represent progress for the church; Taylor said. Church leaders who signed the East Ohio Declaration said they have no intenfi.on ofdefying the church’ s rules on Gays, and doubt that it will cause schism. A Methodist minister could be disciplined for perform- : ing a marriage ceremony for a same-sex couple, but " Taylor said he knows of no same-sex couples in the East .Ohi,o Conference that are seeking a Methodist -" mamage. Men, Parents Accused of i Abducting Lesbian " SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The Utah Supre~m~ourt decided to allow two Jordanian men to be tried~for aggravated kidnapping in the alleged abduction and beating of their sister in October 1999. The ’woman’s mother and father also are charged in the alleged attack. Prosecutors saybrothers IehabHawatmehand Shaher Hawatmeh, their father, Jami] Hawatmeh, and their : mother, Wedad Hawatmeh, kidnapped and beat 23- ." year-oldMuna Hawatmeh when they discovered she was a Lesbian. The woman said she agreed to-return to ~ Jordan as away to stop the beatings. Thenext morning, " .the family was driving her to the airport from their : home in Sandy when her partner spotted them and ¯ called police. The family agreed to take the woman to " the Sandy police station, and a doctor later found " bruises on her arms and legs. ¯ Thefour are charged with simple kidnapping, which " cames a sentence of up to 15 years. But Assistant " Attorney General Fred Voros argued that the defen- " dants’ alleged use of weapons and threats warrants the aggravated kidnapping charge, which carries a life sentence. ¯ sands of participants and spectators, and has been replicated in’cities around the world. . ¯ Paris-, Berlin, Chicago and Atlanta In Europe, Pads and Berlin celebrated Gay pride on ¯ Saturday .with rollicking parades. At the center of the festivities were the cities’ mayors, both openly Gay. In Chicago, organizers expected approximately 350,000 to attend what has become one of the largest parades in the city. hi Atlanta, thousands of people, including several mayoral candidates, participated in the city’ s 31 st Gay Pride celebration, which wrapped up with a parade along the City’s main artery, Peachtree Street. "Events ¯ like this help increase our visibility and help to let ¯ p.eo.ple k~,,o,w that Gay people do exist, that we’re not clevlants, Benson Cohen said. "We don’ tjust exist in- " the shadows." The New York marriag, ceremonies were not le- ! gaily binding but served as ~i rallying point for activists who would like to see samp-sex couples accorded the same legal rights as.heteros.exual couples. New York City’s domestic partnership law gives public employees who are same-sex couples the same health benefits as married couples, along with privileges such as visiting rights in city institutions like hospitals and jails. ~ Vermont is the only state that offers Gay couples the option o.f civil unions, which give them the ~ame rights as mamed couples. Legislation to legalize homosexual unions has been introduced in New York state but has never passed. Gay Health Ads : Pulled in. NYC : NEW YORK (AP) - Local officials condemned- the city and an ad agency tmde~- ¯ city contract for pulling apublic service ad ¯ that promoted a free health line f0~Gays ’ from s,everal bus stopsin the Bronx. "It is outrageous thal when .new HIV infection rates are soaring, especially " among men of color, that a responsible ad " like ~this, intended to confront this health ¯ crisis, is censored by the city and by Infinity Outdoor,’.’ said state Sen. Tom Duane. : "It is the height of irresponsibility on the city’ s part and the height of hypocrisy on ¯ the part of Outdoor, the company behind the Howard Stem show, to call this ad " inappropriate or indecent," Duane added. ° Infinity Outdoor is the advertising company that maintains the city’ s bus shelters._ Its parent, Infinity Broadcasting, airs the " sometimes-raunchy Howard Stem radio show. City Councilwoman Christine Qninn said New York City "should be doing everything in its power tO heighten public awareness of the epidemic and to educate those at risk about steps they can take to protect themselVeS." The ad, paid for by the Bronx Lesbian -..and Gay Health Resource C0ilsortium, showed two men, one with his arm around the other~ above a caption that read, "I’m not Gay, but sometimes I have sex, with other.guys," and included a numberfor the health line. Infinity Outdoor initially approved the content of the ads.But company spokes~ man Dana McClintock said a significant number Of complaints were rdceived,specifically about the reference to sex. "Making these decisions is tough;’ McClintock said. "It’s a,gray area. It’s not black and white, it’ s doing our best to ~strike a bal-. ance between First Amendment rights and.. community concerns." ButLisaWinters, founder of the consortium, said the original was "not at all an offensive ad." "There are ads for ’Sex and the City’ up all over the place,~Lshe said. "What’s wrong with these posters?" She has said the ads featuring the two men were intended to reach men in the Bronx ¯ who do not identify themselves as Gay. The city’ s Department of Transportation owns the shelters, and Commissioner Iris Weinshall supported~ the company’s decision to pull the ad. "This poster was totally inappropriate, and we applaud. the contractor fortaking it down," she said. "We feel,that good taste can supersede the First Amendment."_ The same ads featuring the two menalso are displayed inside city buses, and have , not been pulled. Bus ads are controlled by TDI Worldwide, another company owned bY Infinity Broadcasting. People.with HIV Share Stories UNITEDNATIONS CAP)-DavidBrooks .Arnold, a ~65-year-old grandfather from Washington; D.C., and Josephine Chiturttmam, a 42-year old mother of four from Zimbabwe, have more in common than they expected. They both w0rkfor the Red Cross, both lost partners mAIDS and both are HIV-positive. People-from all walks of life with HIV andAIDS traveledfromevery continent to share their stories in moviiag testimonials that drew an audience of government officials, AIDS experts and U.N. Secretary- General Kofi Annam Patinya Noyphon, a petite Thai wOman with a sweet smile and soft brown hair, found out shewas HIV-positive when her husband died of AIDS in 1996. Her story moved many to tears Tliesday as she re- - counted the shock of learning her husband had the disease and that he left her with the virus. Ini997; she joined a network of AIDS patients that began counseling others with the vires thinmore than~36 million people " are living with. That network has grown into an international movement of people living with HIV/AIDS and Tuesday they formed a partnership with the Red Cross to bring mo,re infectedpeople into caregiving ¯ roles. ’~"~e active participation.of those living with HIV/AID-S is absolutely vital," Annan ¯ ; told a room of over 200 people gathered to :hear HIV positive advocates speak out. Annan, who h’as-made AIDS a personal ¯ -crusade, said the alliance "sends a powerful message to decision-makers, and to ¯ society as ~ whole, about the importance of tackling stigma .and discrimination." Many attending the session, part ofa three-day U.N. conference on HIV/AIDS, openly talked about shame and discrimination. "We are not viruses," said Adam P0well, a member of the Norwegian delegation to the conference, who is HIV positive: "We are humanity," he said. Others ’used the opportunity to mourn loved Ones and encourage those infected ¯ to continue fighting. Chiturumani, an AIDS Counselor in her ¯ nau,~e Zimbabwe, lost her husbandto the ¯ pandemic last year. She also lost her ¯ brother, a nephew, a brother and sister-in- " law and numerous cousins- 22 relatives in all since 1994 - all taken by AIDS. Over 20 years, Arnold, director of international relations for the American Red Cross, lost more than 100 friends, including his 10ngtimepartner, to AIDS, Despite vastly different backgrounds, a fatal dis- " ease has madethem instant friends. "It’s an immediate bonding; Arnold sat . He ¯ said that "Josephine is living my past," ¯ noting that the disease detected among : Gay men in the United States in the 1980s ¯ is now ravaging whole communities in ¯ Africa. "- Chiturumani said reaching out to others ¯ with AIDS has helped her live with the ¯ virus. ’~’It makes me belieVe that tomorrow ¯ there will be someone out there who will : care for me," she said. In Africa, Stigma Prevails BAMAKO, Mali (AP)- Long years after : becoming the first in hisSahara nation to : publicly acknowledge carrying the AIDS : virus, Mamadou Barry is still fighting the : samebattleas0n Day One. Themissionis ¯ "convincing people thatAIDS exists," says ¯ Barry, whoin 1994feltcompelledtoleave "- his family business after he revealed that The Power Connect. Public Service Company of Oklahoma Service Is Now Available 24 Hours A Day, Seven Days A Week. These days, traditional 8-5 business hours aren’t always convenient. So PSO has made it easier than ever for you to contact us. Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7 - offering around:the-clock answers to your questions - and better.access co service. Now it’s easier for you to inquire about your monthly electric bill. Or report a power outage. Or arrange to have your power ~urned on or - off. Our professionally trained, friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives are standing by to serve you. All day, every-day, To provide faster response to your needs, we have listed . our toll-free numbers below. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I CALL 24 HOURS FOR TOLL-FREE SERVICE o~Clil~ And Save I I I I Customer Services: 1-888-216-3523 Billing In.quir:iesi 1-888-216-3490 Outage Rep0~ing: 1-888-218-3919 Servicio a Clien~es: 1-888-216-3505 Preguntas Sobre su Cuenta: 1-888-216-3491 ~alta De Suminis~r0:1-888-218-3924 Public Service Company of Oklahoma I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I he had tested positive for HIV: In apandemic that stigmatizes as it kills, AIDS in Africa today, remains a disease that leaves many of its.victims choosing a quiet death overthe proSpecfof a life of pfiblic shame. In government after government, reluctan~ c~,to co~icede that Africans are dying of what s seenas aWes.terndegeneracyhelps keep impoverished countries decades behind the West in confronting the disease. In household after household, the shame blocks testing and tr_eatment and even the simplest known preventative measures, such as condoms. In Mall’s capital, Bamako, a foreign publication’s report this month that the death of a promruent Malian official had been due to AIDS angered many, in and out of government. PrimeMinisterMandeSidibe"wentinto a rage," one aide related, speaking on condition of anonymity. Countrywide, the near unanimous response was that it was wrong to dirty the name of an illustrious dead man. In all of Africa, the top official to admit to having AIDS is Edwin Cameron, a judge on South Africa’s Constitutional Court. But Cameron is white, openly Gay and able to afford treatment.- in all, not someone to whom the average infected African would look as a model. AIDS is "considered a disease ofpeople of bad morals, of the ill-bred," said Dr. Allou Sylla, director of a Bamako center that tests the few who dare to find out whether they have AIDS. In the general absence of testing, often the only rough confirmation that a~madO~ w0mmi died of AIDS comes when a spouse follows them in death one or two years later.- Overwhelmingly, the tendency is to blame the diarrhea, the rashes, thehorrifying’ wasting away on witchcraft. Sorcerers andfaith-healers flourish. AIDS treatment, meanwhile, remains a rarity, ,affordable only to a few thousand among the 26 million living with HIV across the continent. Even thosewhofall ill with diseases that bring AIDS-like symptoms, such as tuberculosis with its weight loss, are shunned, Often losing their jobs. In polygamous African societies, AIDS is spread mainly by sex between men and women. It is also spread by contaminat&t blood and by unsterilized blades - used interchangeably andcommunally for tribal rituals, circumcisions andbarbering. AIDS hit hard from the start among prostitutes, who literally line the streets in some African cities. That contributed to the enduring Stigma. In Mali, Aminate Nana Kasse is among those closely following the news out of the U.N. AIDS eonferenceinNewYork. Nana Kasse was infected with HIV by her husband, who has since died. Nana Kasse has a dream, a distant one, for Africa - that every government will require HIV tests ing for couples before they marry. ’"No African wife would dare _demand of her husband that he wear a Condom, let alone suggest that.he take a test," Nana Kasse said. With mandatory tests, "at least One would know who she’s marrying," the widow said. Mall this year became one of 10 African countries to enter deals with Western drugcompanies for low’cost HIV drugs - although in poorAfrica dying without care will remain the norm. for millions. There are other signs of hope, coming only when local powers acknowledge and accept the fight against AIDS. An example is in Senegal, where Islamic imams preach the prevealtion message in their Friday sermons at the country’ s mosques. "People are starting more and more to believe in iL" said Sylla, the clinic director in Bamako. Still; no family in Mali wants it said in the. community that they have a relative infected with HIV in their midst. "I .knew that it was for the. best," says Barry, explaining his decision to sever ties with his family after discovering he had the AIDS virus. Now in his 40s, he still lives estrangedfrom them. "I believe I was taking- from them a"decision that the faroi! y, soonerorlater,wouldhavebeen obliged to take." 600K in China Have AIDS Virus UN1TED NATIONS (AP) -.More than 600,000 people in China are estimated to ." be infected with the AIDS virus and the : number is increasing by 30% annually, ¯ p.rimarily because of an upsurge in infec- ¯ tlons among intravenous, drug users, . China’ s health minister said. Although the prevalence of the HIV virus and AIDS is still low -just 0.5% of ~ China’ s 1.27 billion population- the government has launched a five-year plan to ; reduce the-ingrease ~rom 3Q% 5o 10% -. annually,’Zhang Wenkang toId Tl~e Associated Press. Theplan calls f0r includingAIDS awareness in the sex edUcation curriculum for ¯ !.5-year-01ds, prevention messages from " leading actors, condom vending machines : and education programs at all leadership ¯ levels. Impro ced treatment- including the -. possibility of cheap drugs - is also part of the plan, Zhang said in an interview after " addressing the first U.N. General Assem- ~ bly Special Session on HIV/AIDS. ¯ Five years ago,. about 40% of China~s " HIV cases were the result of the illegal : selling of blood, primarily..in rural areas ¯ where dirty needles were often used, he said. Following a gove.rp_ment crackdown " on illegal blood-buying, the percentage of : HIV cases from tainted blood has dropped to 4 to 6%. About70% of current HIV cases are the result ofintravenous drug use, Zhang said. Another 10% are infected through heterosexual or homosexual relations and a smaller percentage from mother-to-child transmission of the virus. Professor Shao Yiming, deputy director of China’ s National Center for AIDS Prevention and Control, explained that the numbers are just estimates. As. a developlng country China can.dnly do limited AIDS testing and people in rural areas often,don’t recognize the HIV virus, he " said. Zhang said the estimate of more than : 600,000 HIV sufferers was made by epi- " demiologists based on the actual number " of reported HIV cases - 23,905 at the end ¯ of March. At that time, there were also956 " AIDS patients and 537 confirmed deaths, : he said. The Joint U.N.-Program on HIV/AIDS has said that "while East Asia and the Pacific region still appear to be holding HIV at bay, the recent steep rise in sexually transmitted infections in China and tile vast transmigration ofpcople- spurred by economic growth - could unleash an epidemic.." " Outlining China’ s five-year plan to cut new HIV infections, Zhang said people will be urged to take preventative measures against the disease, "... for instance to develop a healthy lifestyle, without so many sex partners, and secondly without drug using. We advocate m,a~i,’tal sex. we discourage extramarital sex. Zhang called on pharmaceutical companies toreduce the cost of the drug "cocktail" that has proven effective in treating HIV and AIDS because the current cost"is unimaginable for the peasants and citizens.’" About 200 Chinese afflicted with the virus are currently taking part in a trial using free drugs, he said. Shao said China has the capability of making ’cheap drugs to treat HIV and AIDS because it produces many of the chemicals used in the medications, "but the drug is only one ring of the whole chain of treatment." He said China is preparing a comprehensive treatment program, from health care infrastructure and well-trained doc- .tors and nurses to drugs, laboratory testing and monitoring. Though China is starting to confront its AIDS Crisis, the government still harasses activists seeking to draw attention to the problem - especially when doing so uncovers government negligence. Last month, Chinese officials ref.used.to issue a passport to retired physician Dr. Gao Yaojie to accept the Jonathan Mann Award from the Global Health Council at aceremonyin Washington, D.C., attended by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Gao,74, has publicized the spread ofAIDS among poor farmers in central China, blamed on an unsanitary, blood-buying industry. She said officials accused her of helping "anti-China forces." Contacted at her home in Henan province’s capital, 7Jaengzhou, Gao said officials have told her patients to seyer ties with her, saying she had been arrested. People who have visited her at home have been detained and officials have blocked her from distributing donated medicine and cash to AIDS victims, she said. Gao has published her own report about AIDS in China and plans to distribute tt free to patients, health institutions and the media. Eastern Europe/ Russia Hit By AIDS NEW YORK (AP) - Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union,- which already have the world’ s fastest rising rates ofnew HIV/AIDS infections, are headed for a large-scale" epidemic unless anti-AIDS .programs go into full swing now, speciallsts on the region have warned. The numbers are still small compared with Africa, where 26 million people ore infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, but they are climbing fast. The United Nations ~stimates that the number of infected people:in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe has skyrocketed from 30,000 in 1995 to 700,000 as of last year. Ethan Nadelmann of the Lindesmith Center/Drug Policy Foundation said the region "leads the world in the connectioN’ between AIDS and intravenous drug use, with80% of HIV infections linked to drug abuse. Nadelman moderated the panel discussion "preventing an Epidemic" among doctors, heads of rehabilitation programs, politicians and researchers. Their meeting was organized by the Open Society Institute, a charitablefoundation active throughout the region, and coincided with the three-day United Nations’ Special Ses= sion on AIDS. Sergey Kovalev, a member of the Russian Parliamentandlongtimehumanrights activist, said his country has answered the increase in intravenous drug use with repressive measures that drive users underground, rather than toward medical care. Their sharing Of hypodermic needles has spread HIV, especially among the young. Kovalev said his government is not likely to budge from that approach unless it is p~essured to do so by Western nations. Prison populations have swelled, with correspondingincreases in drug useamong inmates and in diseases such as tuberculosis that prey on HIV-infected people. Although there once was comprehensive health care throughout the region, today those systems have crumbled and there is virtually no treatment offered for people infected with HIV. Paul Farmer, a Harvard Medical School professor who leads AIDS programs m Russia and Haiti, .said politicians in the regi0I~ and internationally wil.l avoid tacklingthe potential AIDS epidemic on their own. To change that simalaon, he said, - health professionals and activists need to unite to establish fwo ’things: a comprehensive plan for research, pre~,enfion, treatment and care for orphans; and pilot programs_ that show how the work can be accomplished. "All they need is division in our ranks to say,’ No, i t can’ t be done,’" he warned. "The search for excuses not to do this is almost criminal." .Konstanfin Lezhentsev, who helped establish Ukraine’ s firstAIDS treatmentprogram through Medecins Sans Frontieres, or Doctors Without Borders, said the aim ofhis group is to have"aneffecfive tool for speaking with the government" about the urgency Of every patient’s right to treatment. A woman on the panel who asked to be called only by her first nmne, Irina, spoke of issues that go beyond government policy: disci’iminafion against those with HIV. Inherfirst public declaration that she is infected with HIV, Irina described how She became a drug addict, despite coming from aloving family, studying at a university, etc. She thought all her troubles were over when she completed a drag rehabilitaftonprogram, but soon she found out that she was HIV-posifive. HIV-infected people are shunned by family and afraid to go to doctors, she said. Even people she had helped through drug programs deserted her. by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor "Planets of the Universe", the first single off Stevie Nicks’ .new album "Trouble in ¯ Shangri La" is scheduled for release to stores on July 3rd. The single will include. several club remixes. It should be good, the song itself is great, and hopefully, for the first time since 1986’ s "I Can’ t Wait", fans will be able to go to the clubs and dance t6 a Stevie song. It would be niceifthe clubs in Tulsa are wise enough to get a clue and play it rather than the mixes they usually spin. One club version is 11 minutes long and contains lyrics cut from the album version. The tour should be interesting in that La Diva Nicks is ~bandoning the "Stevie Nicks/ ment jn theatre is taking place July 11-14 with Tulsa Experimental theatre’s production of",The dkDistance Between Bod- Ies Grows Greater Every Day:" Call Summerstage for tix at 596-7111. - "Always, Patsy Cline," an allegedly true story about a fan’s relationship with the singer is brought to you by American "The Haunted Castle opens its doors July 4th: Johnny inherits a haunted castle in EnOland (isn’t that where they all are?) and ~oes to claim his inheritance. It’s a whole lott~a troubleafter that, as the devil seems to think Theatre Company July 12-211 Featuring the music of-the great lady, .ax are available by calling 596-7111/ Hmm, anyone else experiencing drjh vu? Anyone else got that number memorized? "Love Letters," a writing exercise thatbecame a romance and then a play, is offered up July 12-21 by the Centerstage Players, and once more tix are available at Fleetwo~d Mac Great- he’s the rightful owner. - say it with me - 596- est Hits’ package,-in " ~ 71’1,1. which only’ one or two new ~ongs were ¯ Adrian Zmed, 80 s heartthrob best thrown in, and adding 5 new songs to the known for wrestling with William Shatner set,includingsomeol~lersongsneverdone on that cop show he was in (Adrian was in concert. She stops August 3rd in Dallas, hot, Adam not) and who showed his magand tickets are going fast., nificen_t abs in the 80’ s tour of"Godspell", Melissa Etheridge plays Will Rogers coliseum in Fort Worth September 10th and 1 lth, for which tickets go on sale July 7th. Karin, the .Raging Lesbian, reports-it will.be two dates withjust Melissa and her guitar. Sounds like a~ intimate evening, which would be.great. The RLreports it is called the ’,’Live and Alone Tour’’, as opposed to the dead and en masse tour; RL introduced me to her music, much like I introduced her to Stevie’ s. (Read: "Forced it down her throat until she knew every song by heart!") Fortunately, m3’ enthusiasm for Stevie took (asevidencedby find-- ing a Stevie cassette I KNEW.I hadn’t g~ en her, and forced her to fess up that she, indeed~ had bought it- and loved it.), as did hers for Meli~sa Interestingly enough, if ybu play the track"I Miss You" from Stevie’ s "Trouble in Shangfi" La" and.then play "Enough of Me" from Melissa’ S"Breakdown", you’ll find it’ s almost the same song - same chord progressions, sameguitar. Whoinfluenced who? John Shanks, Melissa’s producer, produced some of Stevie’ s album, but not that track. Interesting... There’ s a new Imax 3-D movie coming, and it’s sure to bring a bit of Halloween into summer. "The Haunted Castle opens its doors July 4th. Johnnyinherits ahaunted caste in England (isff t that where they all are?) and goes to claim his inheritance. It’ s a whole lotta trouble after that, as the devil seems to thinkhe’ s the rightful Owner. The Imax Corp0fation actually tried to launch an effort to ban this film due to its graphic content, entreating theatre owners not to show iLHow much of that is true and how much hype I don’t know, but it did make for an interesting press release. And it looks like it would be a fun film to check out, especially forhorror buffs.A new way to get a chill in the heat of summer. On the local front, an.intriguing expericomes to Tulsa to play in "Big" - and oh ~e puns I could make endlessly here. He is rather a tall man... And very broad shouldered, actually. Anyway, back to the column at hand-no, don’ t go there, either. Anyh.oo, themusical that flopped onBroad- " way is now suitable for touring produc- ’ taons and Theater Arts is bringing it to town July 13-22 at the Van Trease Per- ¯ - forming Arts Center for Education (PLEASE get a shorter name!) at 595- ¯ 7777. At least it’ s a different phone num- - bet. Tulsa CARES presents "Hairball 2001, an event to raise bucks to combat AIDS and raise awareness (and hair) in Tulsa. If you canget it up- the hair, I should say, to clarify for the more gutterminded among thereadership - and, if you can’ t get it up, for hair raising fun, call 834-4194 ~0r tix to the Tulsa CARES hair ball, er, hair (raising)° ball. And have a ball, at the ball. Oh, I think this column has just descended to a whole new level, and it ain’t up. For the folks still reading after that last ¯" bit who are into women, Shadia Dahlal ." ("Hello, dahling!" she says to thekids) and ¯ her Purple Roses of Cairo dance troupe : swing into town July 26-29 to writhe and ¯ swing hips for your delight. "Passage to a : world of dark-eyed women, mysterious ¯ customs,veils,incenseanddrums."Hmm, ¯ I know a couple of Lesbians that would like to explore those mysteries, I bet. ¯ And on the lighter side, Theater Pops ¯ weighs in with ,Bash" July 26-August 5. ¯ "Bash" is acollection of 3 one act plays ." about people capable of unspeakable acts : of evil and complexity. ¯ Nothing like a dose of Complex "evil to ¯ get the brai,’,n working. Better than coffee. : Bi~lledas a portraitofhowdarkthehuman : spirit can become," which I think I discov, : ered all too well from grade school on ¯ through high school. American Theatre Co. presents. July-12-21 John H. Williams Theater Performing Arts Center For tickets and information, call 596-7111 or 800-364-7111 www.tulpac.com Timothy W. Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for-Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partnership Planning, Pers0nalInjury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504 128 East Broadway, Di’umright, Oklahoma Weekend and evening appointmenls are available. Holland Hall A SCHOOL THAT HAS iTS ACT TOGETHER Holland Hall ranks first in the city of Tulsa and second in the state for average ACT scores. And, our seniors, Class of 2001, have received acceptances to colleges that include Brown, Colorado College, Georgetown, Harvard. MIT, Tufts, Tulane," University of Michigan, Vanderbilt and Yale. Laboratory work engages students in the new 18,000-square-foot Duenner Family Science, Mathematics and Technology Center. ~PreSchool through G’i~tde 12 (918} 481-1111, ext. 251 the folks who provide the funding that Gov. Frank administers to Oklahoma Today. While our legislature’s no model of " progressive thinking, there are a few sena- ¯ tors and representatives who.believe that ¯ evenGayOklahomans deserve tobe treated - ¯ fairly - and who know that Oklahoma Today is funded with our tax dollars too. Last but not least, I should note that this ¯ problem of invisible Gay people i~ not new. We saw the same problem with the "homo-free" Tulsa Centennial. Andinterestingly enough some of the same players retum~ If one could bring "disbarment" proceedings againsta professor as you can against a negligent attorney, thenOU professor of letters Danney Goble, Ph.D. should have his credentials revoked for deliberately suppressing the history, ofGay Tulsans in his Centennial book. Some might excuse this as an oversight but within a day after Goble received the contract to write the Centennial history~ I called him and gave him names and phone numbers of several individuals who could speak about the last 30 years of Tulsa’s Gay history. Goblenever even bothered to call any of these people and .yet claimed his book was more reflective of the history of Tulsa’ s minority communities. Hadhe called and found the information lacking, the omission might be justified. Instead we just have plain and simple bigotry. Also noteworthy is the recogni: tion OT gives to Sharon King Davis who was chair of Tulsa’s bigoted Centennial effort. Davis, is both a staunch Baptist but also a major Democratic Party leader. Ofcourse, OklahomaDemocrats, mostly want to pretend that there are no Gay people here except for when national Democratic groups require that they m, elude us, oh, and when they need money,. like certain former governor or current congressman who both received or asked for major donations from "rich Gays" Of course, some will argue who cares about Oklahoma Today? The only people who read it are 62 year old white bigots (and at least this 43 year old editor). But the way we as a community are represented in the media is crucial to our survival and progress. When we are misrepresented, prejudices remain and help create an environment where hatred, assault and even murder can flourish. When we are rendered invisible, in effect, told we are not even worthy of acknowledgement, Oklahoma Todayhelps reinforcea climate of intolerance. Rendering minorities invisible is a.mil-~ lenniaold technique. Those whoconquered eradicated the language, the culture of those defeated. In America, history was written as that of white men, whether or not it really was until quite recently. In Tulsa, all notices of the 1921 Race Riot were torn out of the archives, and this was not taught in~ any Tulsa public or private school w.ell into the ’90’ s. And of course, in Oklahoma today, we see that there are no Gay people. and 89% (220) were from urban areas. Jackson County, including Kansas City, had the largest count of same-sex couples, 1,723. But whenthe 1,463 same-gender couples in No. 2-ranking St. Louis County were added to the 1,297 from the city of St. Louis, No. 3 on the list, the total of 2,760 mtranked Jackson County. For Elizabeth Radford and Marlssa Pace of St. Louis, describing themselves as a couple on their Census paperwork "’just came easily because it’s who we are and we are comfortable withit," said Pace, 32, a chemist. Radford, a 34-year-old social worker, said she and Pace took the step last year of having a marriage ceremony performed by clergy during a party attended by about 70 friends and relatives in St. Louis. In Ohio, 16,244 (88%) same-sex unmarried households are in urban areas, while 2,288 (12%) are in rural areas, according to the census data. This marksa slight change from .the 1990 census when only 9% (336) of same-sex unmarried households were in rural parts of the state and 91% (3,441) were in urban areas. In Alabama 5,778 (71%) same-sex .unmamed households are in urban areas, while 2,331 (29%)are in rural areas. In1990, only 25% (262) of same-sex unmarried households were in rural parts of the state and 76% (807) were in urban areas. In Kansas, the census figures showed that 2,544 (64%) same-sex unmarried households are in urban areas, while 1,429 (36%) areinrural areas. In 1990;only 29% (185) of same-sex ufimarried households were in rural parts of the state and 71% (462) were in urban areas. Mike Silverman, 28, a computer software e~glneer, and his partner of more than five yearL Dave Greenbaum, recently returned from Vermont, where they had a civil union ceremony. Lawrence is home of the University ofKansas, and Silverman said it’ s the only city in the state with an anti-discrimination ordinance protecting Gay men and Lesbians. In New York, 43,529 (94%) same-sex ¯ tmmarried households are in urban areas, ; while 2,961 (6%) are in rural areas. In the ¯ last census, only 4% (561) of:same-sex ¯ tmmarried households were in rural parts of the state and 96% (13,187) were m ¯ urban areas. Men with a male partner accounted for ¯ 15,016 households, and female couples ¯ made up 1’0,890 households, in 2000. The ¯ census also confirms that enclaves ofGays ¯ are concentrated in the Manhattan neigh- " borhoods of Chelseaandthe’vVestVillage. ¯ Data on other states will be released in ~ batches through mid-August, according to ¯ census officials. The Human Pdghts Cam- " paign (HRC), the largest national Lesbian ~md Gay political organization, is working ~ with the Urban Institute, a Washington, ¯ D.C. think tank specializing in statistical : analysis, to analyze same-sex partner ¯ household data. HRClobbies Congress; ¯ provides camp.aign support and educates ¯ .thepublic to ensurethat LGBT Americans ¯ can be open and safe at home and at work ~7 Lamont Lindstrom, Ph.D. Lastmonth some970 guns, several bales of marijuana, and forty or so boxes of pornography went up in smoke The Tulsa Police Department used fire clean its evidence lockers of items it didn’t want to auction back to the community. Thank goodnesswe are now thus secured against these three menaces to society:, weapons, drugs, and dirty pictures. The day the lurid glossies went into the furnaces, I happened to be reading Barry Werth’s recent biography The Scarlet Professor: Newton Arvin- A Literary Life Shattered by Scandal. Arvin was an ennnent literary critic and professor of English at Smith (in Northampton, MA), 0neof the Ivy-league’s "Seven Sister" colleges for women. His books on Nathaniel Hawthbm, Walt Whitman, ~ind Herman Melville (the later of which won~the National BookAward) helped create the canon of 19th century American literature, loved or cursed by today’s English majors. Literature made Arvin, and literature -of a sort also destroyed him. Arvin was arrested,~fined, institutionalized,, mad forced to retire for possessing Gay pornography. Born at the turn of the century, Arvin was-shy, short, balding, and: often depressed. He hdd married and divorced in his early 30’ s but only slowly and partially reconciled himself emotionally to his homosexuality. He progressed through a number of short-lived relationships with younger men, some of whom he recruited as English instructors. (In thgse days, sleep: ing with the boss could be a more obvious requirement of one’ s job.) Truman Capote, a young writer Arvin met at an artist colony, dated Arvin for two years, and dedicated to him his first novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms. To Arvin’s credit, he kept in touch with many of his lovers years after they had parted. In his 50’s, Arvin discovered nearby Springfield’s several Gay bars, cruising New York City bathhouses (the Everard), and also skin magazines. Arvin’ s renewed sexual adventuresomeness partly reflected an increasing loneliness of late middle age but also the sudden appearance in New York City newsstands of accessible Gay pornography. In the 1950s, pioneer pornographers such as Sam Roth and also Bob Mizer, in the guise of the Athletic Model Guild, began publishing pictures of mostly naked (apart from a posing strap or two) young men. Thom Fitzgerald’s recent video Beefcake documents the historyof the muscle maga~i,’nes that led to, Arvin’s downfall such as Grecian GuiM Piciorial, MANual, and Trim. Before the 1950s, Gaypornography was to spnng- "... Pornography 9nly exlsts in soeiet~es where sexuality, or aspects thereof, is repressed and inhibited. Pornography’s secrecy and saladousness furl its conslderahle charm. One may imagine, however, some sexual ecology...- past or future-where .all facets of se- x are simply mundane and, as a eonsec~uenee, pornography is unthlnhahl-e... " scarce and hard to find. Basically, one had ¯ to write or draw or photograph it onesdf, : or else somehow acquire obscure special ¯ editions and art prints mostly published in Europe. By midcentury, however, Ameri2 can enterprise and knowhow had at last brought graphicpornography home to the masses. Arvin began buying and collecting the new musclemagazines, and also films of nude wresfling and the like. A novel technology, 8ram film and the home movie projector (perhaps Arvin borrowed his from Smith College classrooms?), also boosted the mass market for pom -productions.- We’ve recently experienced similar technological boosts with the VCR, .DVD, and the Intemet. Pornography, actually, as an idea is rather recent. The word, a fancy madeup Greek term meaning "writing about harlots," first appeared around 1850 or so. Victorian archaeological excavations of Roman Pompeii and Herculaneum had uncovered shocking sexual imagery in murals, mosaics, and decorative household objects. These artifacts were quickly.squirreled awayin secret museum caches but they inspired a fierce interest, a fascination only partly disguised by "’pornography’ s" net-Greek facade.of polite, scientific objecfiyity. Terminological alternatives similarly have historically shallow roots. Obscene is a Latin worst that originally meant ominous or illomened; and smut an Old English word meamng sooty or smudged. Pornography only exists in societies Where sexuality, or aspects thereof, is repressed and inhibited. Pornography’s secrecy and salaciousness ftiel its considerable charm. One may imagine, however, some sexual ecology - past or .future - where all facets -of sex are simply mundane and, as a consequence, pornography is unthinkable. But not in Massachusetts in 1960, on the cusp of the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations. Wily politicians then witch-- hunted pornographers and-their customers, building careers on burning dirty pictures. A new federal law, passed in July 1960, had made it illegal to send pornographic material through the mail or to otherwise distribute this. Arvin and his circle of Gay. friends met occasionally to trade magazines and films and to show off new items in their collections. But postal inspectors got busy tracking down pore mailings-and, on September 2, 1960, three police officers pounded on Arvin’ s door. They seized his films and magazines and Arvin too. Terrified, he ratted on Ms Gay friends and colleagues two ofwhom, along with Arvin, were convicted and lost their teaching positions, see Studies, p. 11 Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR) invites individuals, businesses and organizations to a Community-Wide Meeting: A Permanent Location for the Community Center Thurs., July 26th 6:30, meet & greet, program at 7pm_ LGBT Community Center, 21st & Memorial Discussion Topics: Where? How Big? As Focus for New Neighborhood? For info,, call 743-GAYS (743-4297) IGTA member Call 341. 6866 Intorn tion l ~TourS formoreinformation. TULSA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY Country Club Barbering Custom Styling for Men & Women David Kauskey 3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm Want to save Money and Help Build a Community Center? Switch to Rainbow Communications Long Distance and More, 10% of Revenues Will Benefit Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights. Capital Campaign and General Fund For more information, call 665-3401 or evenings at A.A.7-8602. Tulsa’s only professional body-piercing Kelly Kirby,-CPA, PC Certified Public Accountant a professional-corporation Lesbians and Gay men face many special tax situations whether single or as couples. Electronic filing is available for faster refunds. 747-5466 4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135 by Karin Gregory You know when it hitS, don’t you? Ev- " cry word she utters is golden, no matter ¯ how crude; every look she gives, you want .- to capture on film to replay; every phone ° message she sends, you save mad listen to " on your loneliest days(and especially ¯ nights!). You’re the homiest Lesbian in . town, yet when you think of HER, you " ¯ don’t think of the next time you’ll have ¯ sex, just how good it feels to be with her, ° whether for an hour or a whole night, " waking up with her the next morning. You . want to learn her, be a part of her, and fuse o yourtwo soulsinto one. Youwritehideous ~ purple prose in the second person that ¯ some poor folks in Tulsa will read (well, ¯ maybe not after this paragraph!). : When-you’re with her, you’re on an " emotional high, blocking out everyone ¯ around but the two of you. An hour after " she’s left, you’re still high. Somewhere " between the second and third hour, how- ¯ ever, your emotions sink so fast and so low that you don’t think you can live until you " see her again. When you hear from her, " you sound like the silliest schoolgirl who . ever lived. She’s the only woman who makes you nervous because you can’ ttalk to her like other women. You have to be " honest. Her bluntness and honesty make you want to be a better person, not only for " her, but for yourself. Yoi~’re feeling emotions you never thou.ght you had. Dare you question? Analyze? Categorize every feel- .: ing? Then put a label on those feelings? ¯ Can it be <gasp!> love? HELP! Why do I need help?why don’ t Ijust sit " back and enjoy the ride like most couples? ¯ For the first time in my life, I’m ready for ¯ that "R" word. She’s beautiful, talented, " creative, interested in me. So what’s the ¯ problem? Miss Interested-In-Me has only one flaw--the same flaw that haunts many Gay couples--the dreaded_EX! Yup, I’min " love with a woman who’ s stillinlove with ¯ her ex. Before you start calling me all ° kinds of stupid, I knew about the ex before ° I met Miss Interested-In-Me in person. I just didn’ t know, nor did she, the extent of ° those feelings. Now you can call me all " kinds of stupid! I walked into this trap. " I even met Ms. X once at my,.., my,. .. my.... whatever’s house. Gay Felix and " I liked her very much. No, she couldn’t be " rude, crude, and vulgar, could she? She " couldn’t be evil and have a wart on her ¯ nose. Oh, no! Remember, we’re talking ." Gregory luck here. She and "my girl" are " - even best friends. OUCH! And Ms. X " likes me. I found out about that when Miss ° Interested-In-Me and I spent aparticularly soulful night together.. "She likes you," : she said. "She. likes how attentive you are ." to me." ¯ It occurred to me to say, "Well, it’ s nice " to get the first wife’s permission,’" but I " thought better of it. If this woman has ¯ taught me anything, it’ s to think before I ; speak--a first for me. I’ ve also learned that " it’s easy to live with a stake through your " heart. It’s just when that stake is twisted ¯ around that you think you won’t ever be " able to breathe again. She also tells me I’m " .anincredible person to listen to her and not " to run. I’dlike to say that incredible people are not easy to find; that once you find one, you hold on for dear life. But then I have to think about that and realize that too much too soon will run off Miss Interested-In- Me. Some people say she’ s using me. Others say that shejust needs time. Hell, she’ s had at least two years! Gay Felix, who’s been around her more than others, told me the other day, "Karin, she’s called you, invited you over, initiated sex--I’ dbe happy!" He’s a man--what else did you expect? I’m also remembering a line from a musical, for which mosrof you Gay men would be proud. Around the end of ’~The Music Man", when the townspeople discover that "Professor" Harold Hill is a con man, they run after him with tar and feathenng in mind. Marian the Librarian’ s little brother, Winthrop, tells Hill to run away. Hill says he can’ t. He. looks at Marian and declares,"For t_he first time in my life; I got my foot caught in the door.’" Marian, if you’re out there, think of my foot and how it must hurt being stuck in your door for so long. Think of "that stake twisting through my heart. Know that this salesman won’ t bemaking any morehouse calls for a long time. Aren’t exes a bitch? Arvin’s collection of soft, nudie guy imagery, lugged imo court as evidence, undoubtedly was subsequently burned. Arvin died two years after his trial, in 1963. Forty years later, it is quaint, one could say, that the state still strikes matches to protect us from the perils of pornography. Butitmaybe alosing battle, particularly in Oklahoma. The more sexual repression, themorepornography. It’ s maybe no accident that Tulsa spelled backwards, as ~veryone knows, is A SLUT. Lamont Lindstrom teaches anthropology ht the University o[Tulsa, and can be reached at lamont10@yahoo.com It is time for society tO recognize that Gays and Lesbians are a responsible minority facing unjust discrimination and mistreatment by the majority - just like every other minority which has struggled forjustice a~.d equal treatment inAmerica. - Nathaniel Batchelder, Director The Peace House, Oklahoma City In statements to TFN, McClure noted that repeated efforts to discuss and resolve these issues with Tulsa Comity commis, Sioner John Selph, a Democrat and with Tulsa Mayor Susan Savage, also a Demo: crat, both of whom are represented on the Criminal Justice Authority, have been rebuffed to date. McClure also issued a written challenge to Savage and the county commissioners to meet with him to resole these issues. present.s I JuIy 14, 8pm, PAC’sWestby Pavilion ~ LaFortune Studio, $80 donation. Call Rebecca at 834-4194 Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2001] Tulsa Family News, July 2001; Volume 8, Issue 7 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 2001 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohns Karin Gregory Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Hughston Walkinshaw Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, June 2001; Volume 8, Issue 7 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/614 2001 AIDS arts Atlanta Berlin businesses censorship Census Chicago China churches Council Oak Men's Chorale Diversity celebration Eastern Europe entertainment flag burning gay clergy Hair Ball hate crimes HIV HIV testing kidnapping Netherlands New York City Ohio Omaha Openarms Youth Project Paris police abuse pornography Pride pride Parade Raging Lesbian Red Cross Red Rock Tulsa restaurants Russia San Francisco stigma Tulsa CARES Tulsa County Jail Tulsa Family News United Methodist Church https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/36aba7327972b75dae0295dac95d169a.jpg b193d44609dabb5cef6d586b66040292 https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/513e40cd3c75b65023730243e0d4089c.pdf 5f8ccce996b76090a422ada4399d57bd Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Execution Set for Killer of Man Thought to Be Gay : by Tim Talley, Associated Press Writer OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma’s Court of " Criminal Appeals has set an Aug. 30 execution date for " Mexican national Gerardo Valdez, whose request for ¯ clemency was denied by Gov. Frank Keating. ¯ Valdez, 41, had been scheduled to die by lethal " rejection on June 19 for the April 1, 1989, murder of 26- " year-old Juan Trinidad Barton in Valdez’s home in Minco, Oklahoma. But Keating granted a 30-day reprieve to consider a recommendation by the state Par- " don and Parole Board that his death sentence be corn- ¯ muted. ¯ Valdez met Barron in a bar where both men were : drinking. Valdez, Barron and another man gaveled to Valdez’s home, where Valdez accused Barron of being ¯ a homosexual and threatened to kill him. ’V-aldez shot Barton twice in the forehead, then slit Barron’s throat " with a large knife, seeExecUtion,p. 3 " Park Task Force Seeks to Treat Sex Offenders TULSA (TFN) - After months of meetings, a group which included police officers, sheriffs, professional counselors, members of the Tulsa City Prosecutor’s Office, the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office, representatives ofTulsa Oklahomans forHuman Rights (TOHR) and even an anthropologist from the University of Tulsa, have issued a plan and recommendations toaddress"misdemeanorsexual crimes" inTulsacounty. The effort began in December 1999 when the Tulsa Police Dept. asked the Mental Health Association in Tulsa (MHAT) for help in addressing sexual activity in city and county parks and other public locations. In February 2000, MHAT began contacting various individuals with professional interests in the problem. The goal was to design an effective response to the inappropriate public sexual behavior which help the individuals who are involved while protecting the public’s right to health and safety in public places. The group noted that the perpetrators ofpublic sex are mostly male andmany aremarried with families. Police also noted that if it were thought to be an effective deterent, many more arrests could be made than are done. The essence of the proposal is that those arrested for misdemeanor sex crimes could be given suspended or deferred sentences, would be banished from state, city and county parks during probation, would have to performcommunity service andmostimportantly, would go through an approved mental health/physical health .treatment program (at theirownexpense) to address the issues which lead to the sex crime. Satisfactory completion of these conditions would result in dismissed or lesser charges. For more information, direct questions to Michael Brose, executive director, Mental Health Association in i New Community Center ¯ TOHR Seeks Location Suggestions TULSA (TFN) -~ Over 65 people, almost as mmay women as men, attended a meeting in July at the current, rented Gay community center at 21st & Memorial to discuss where and what a new, ~ hopefully owned, community center would be. . The mostly white and miXed Native American group hadan ¯ age range from afew in their 20’s with most in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and some above. ¯ The brainstorming session generated location suggestions from Cherry Street, the Brady District, Swan Lake neighbor- : hood, Brady Heights neighborhood, 11th Street, Kendall Whittier i to 31st Street.at Highway 169 to.the old Oral Roberts University building near Veterans Parkncar the south downtown neighborhood of SoBo. Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends Community members discuss possible Center options. And while no single notion of location emerged from the meeting, a good picture of what people would like the building to do, did. see Center, p. 9 Hate Crimes Seem.on Increase Congress and BushAdministration Should Immediately Address this Problem, Says HRC WASHINGTON-TheHuman Rights Campaign today called on Congress and the Bush administration to use their bully pulpits to condemn recent outbreaks of alleged anti-Gay hate violence across the nation. "To remain disengaged in the face of these violent tragedies sends the wrong message and allows dangerous hate mongers to grossly misinterpret this silence," says HRC Executive Director Elizabeth Birch. "We urge Congress and the administration to publicly address this unconscionable rash of anti-Gay violence. They should use their bully pulpits to let people know this behavior is unacceptable and un’American." Last weekend, in what appears to be a crime caused in largepart by anti-Gay bias, Willie Houston, 38, was fatally shot in the chest in Nashville, Tenn., after the alleged gunman, Lewis Maynard Davidson III, 25, taunted him with anti-Gay epithets. Houston hadjust finished a midnight riverboat cruise with his fiancee, Nedra Jones, and friends when the trouble started. Houston escorted a blind male friend by the arm into a restroom while holding Jones’ purse. Inside the restroom, the gunman allegedly hurled anti-Gay insults at the friends. Hefollowed them out of the restroom, while continuing his verbal harassment. Davidson then allegedly returned to his car where he retrieved a gun and said, "Now what you got to say?" before firing the weapon at Houston. Police are searching for Davidson andhave yet to officially call it a hate crime, saying the investigation is "still very much open." While the victim is reportedly not Gay, Tennessee hate crime laws cover violence basedonreal or perceived sexual orientation. HRC is working with local law enforcement and actively following this ease with the help of its local leadership. On June 21, high school student Fred Martinez, Jr., 16,- who described himself as openly Gay, transgender and "two-spirit" - was found beaten to death in Cortez, Colo. Shaun Murphy, 18, has been charged with second-degree murder. see Hate, p. 7 ¯ Tulsa .Hate Crime: Gay ¯ Beaten by Straight Man TULSA (TFN) - It seemed an ordinary Thursday evening in July for one Tulsa man who had stopped ¯¯ for a couple beers at one of Tulsa’s Gay clubs. After all, who expects to be Tulsa s next hate crime v~ctlm. ¯ Certainly not"Joe Smith" minding his own business, ¯ going home fairly early - only a little after ten p.m. But it turned out not to be such a quiet night for ." Smith. Leaving the club, he was followed by a driver ¯ who quickly made his hostility obvious over a num- - ber of miles across the city. As Smith drove on, he became increasingly con- ’ cemed and stopped at a convenience store where he ¯ ran in, yelled at the clerk to call the police and ¯ barracaded himself in the restroom. ¯ However, a locked door hardly slowed Smith’s ¯ assaillant down. Described as over 6’-4" and likely ¯ 250 pounds or more, Smith said his attacker snapped off the door handle to the restroom and proceeded to pound him, cracking several ribs, and slamming ¯ Smith’s face into a towel dispenser. At one point, the ¯ attacker punched Smith in the chest near the heart, in ¯ a move described as an attempted "death punch.’" Finally Smith, himself a tall man, managed to grab ¯ his attacker’s hands and Smith succeeded in slam- " ruing his knee into his attacker’s genitals, once or ¯ twice. Then Smith took refuge behind the counter with the store clerk and his attacker ranfrom the store. ¯ Police soon arrived and Smith characterized their ¯ response as appropriate and supportive. While Smith ¯ and the police were discussing the attack, the phone in the store rang and they heard the clerk saying to the caller that the police had not shown up. After the call ¯ ended, the store clerk turned to the police, saying that ¯ the caller said he was the attacker and wasjust calling ¯ to see if the police had responded, see Attack, p. 3 ¯ Same-sex Domestic Violence Seems Higher SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Reports of domestic violence among Gay and Lesbian couples around the nation in2000 increased 29% from the previous year, according to a report released in July. There were 4,048 reports, of domestic violence among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender couples nationally, up from 3,120 in 1999, according to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. "With this fifth annual report, we are able to stop asking does same-sex domestic violence exist, and start answering what we’re going to do about it," said Shawna Virago, a program director at Community United Against Violence. Virago said not all reports filed with outreach programs get investigated by police. There were 691 cases of same-sex domestic violence reported in San Francisco last year, according to the group. Females represented 434 of the victims in those cases, 204 victims were male, while 52 involved transgender victims. The term transgender covers cross-dressers, transvestites, transsexuals and those born with characteristics of both sexes. The reports were compiled by the National Coalition ofAnti-Violenee Programs, an association of26 groups that advocate for victims of same-sex harassment and violence. Much of the increase in violence reports came from the domestic abuse program at the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center. That program receives funding for an outreach and education funding which elicited more reports than previous years, Virago said. In Tulsa, DVIS, Domestic Violence Intervention Services provides support to Lesbian and Gaycouples. Shelter services, however, are limited to female and children only. DVIS has no options for men in need. For the DVIS 24-hour crisis line, call 585-3143. Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants *Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine *CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial *Play-Mor, 424 S. Memorial Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square *Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st *Schatzi’s, 2619 S .’Memorial *The Star, 1565 Sheridan *TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial *Tool Box II, 1338 E. 3rd *Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan *The Ydlow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 832-1269 610-5323 838-9792 744-4280 585-3405 745-9998 280-1316 834-4234 660-0856 584-1308 835-2376 749-1563 Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034 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, 3807c S. Peoria *Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth 665-4580 712-1122 712-9955 494-2665 743-5272 746-0313 -295-5868 Cherry St. Psychoth.erapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117 Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700 Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468_ *Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620 Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556 *Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503 Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial 369-8555 Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379 Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 592-0460 Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. l~oria 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 Skelly 745-1111 *International Tours 341-6866 Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750 *Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018 , David Kauskey, 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, #210 747-5466 : *Living ArtSpace~ 308 South Kenosha 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 *The Pride Store 743-4297 ~ Rainbowz on theRiver B+B, POB 696, 74101 747-5932 [ Richard’s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617 ¯ Teri Schutt, Ellen & Co. 834-7921, 748-0224 " Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-7829 " *Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558 ," Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563 Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling 743-1733 *Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222 *Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767 www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays &Lesbians Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579-9593 All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston *Chapman Student Cir., University of Tulsa, 5th H. Church of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood *Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale *Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation Council Oak Men’s Chorale *Ddaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 743-2363 587-7314 583-7815 583-9780 585-1201 & Florence 587-1314 747=6300 749-0595 748-3888 712-1511 918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615 POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159, e-maih TulsaNews@earthlink.net Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom, Esther Rothblum, Ma~ Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw Member of The Associated Press Issued around the 1 st ofeach month, the entire contents of this publication are protected by US copyright 2001 by Tulsa Family News and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to befor publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes the sole property of Tulsa Family News. Each reader is entitled to 4 copier, of each edition at distribution points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248. *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 SpiritWomen’ s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669 Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827 Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438 *Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194 HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378 *HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstries,1517 S. Memorial 224-4754 *MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715 NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral PI. 748-3111 NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658 OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157 *OSU-Tulsa PFLAG, 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 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 Soulforce-OK, Rt.4,#3534, Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761 *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. for Human Rights, Gay Comm. Center 743-429/ TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvocacyCoalition,POB2687,Tulsa 74101 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, 21st &Memorial 743-4297 Unity Churchof Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833 BARTLESVILLE Barflesville Public Library, 600S. Johnstone 918-337-5353 TAHLEQUAH Stonewal[ League, call for information: 918-456-7900 Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900 Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360 EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734 Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main 501-253-7457 DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 501-253-6807 Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445 MCC of the Living Spring 501-253-9337 Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253-2776 Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332 Positive Idea Marketing Plans 501-624-6646 White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074 JOPLIN, MISSOURI Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696 * is whereyou can findTFN. Notall are Gay-owned butall are Gay.friendly. : Our House ison Fire AIDS at 20 Where were on you June 5, 1981 ? Unlike Pearl Harbor, Kennedy’s and King’ s assassinations, the Murrah Federal Building bombing, or the May 3 tornadoes, I doubt many of us can remember what we were doing the day the Centers for Disease Controlreported its first article about a rare parasiticlunginfection, pueumocystis carinii pneumonia, that had struck "5 young men, all active homosexuals." Three of the young men tested had an inexplicable depression of their immune function. Twenty years later, 36 million people worldwide are HIV positive. HIV/AIDS has claimed the rich and the famous, the poor and the homeless, our sisters and brothers. In a special report in the June 11 issue of Newsweek, reporter Sharon Begley writes, "the disease has changed the personal as well as the political -how we think and how we love, what we teach our children and what words we say in public.’"’ The emergence of the disease first within the gay community in the United States drew attention to gay relationships, courage a~d compassion. As HIV/AIDS ravages black America, Phill Wilson of Los Angeles speaks to a congregation and shares a story about the time his brother accidentally set the house on fire, and how he and his siblings were afraid to call the Fire Department because they did not want people to find out. "Our house is on fire! The fire truck arrives, but we won’t come out, because we are at’raid the folks from next door will see that we’re in that burning house. AIDS is a fire raging in our community and it’s out of control!" We’ve had hopeful moments when it appeared a vaccine was on the horizon or treatment s would be able to prevent the replication of the virus while the body’s immune system recovered and defeated {he virus. In reality, HIV continues to spread to about 40,000 in the US each year and millions worldwide. The positive news about improvedmedical treatments for HI,V/AIDS has softened the effect of early AIDS = DEATH" prevention messages. Yet no one has been cured of HIV/AIDS, the medications required to suppress the virus are ex- Iremely expensive and has short- and longterm effects that must be weighed along with their benefits, and the complexities of the illness can wear out those who are living with HIV/AIDS and those who care for ¯ In our eleven years as an organization, RAIN has served 663 HIV-infected indi- " viduals, their families and caregivers. One ¯ hundred and thirty four clients are being ¯ served currently - a greater number than at ¯ any time in the past. We see the numbers ¯ increase about 10% monthly as we add new ¯ types of services to meet the needs. Thank ~ you for helping us help others and educate : aboutHIV/AIDS as we wait and hope for an effective vaccine and treatment that is avail¯ able for everyone. - Pare Cross ¯ executive director Regional AIDS Interfaith Network by Tom Neal, publisher and editor " ¯ release faxes from the DNC, one welcoming their new Some days ago I attended a local Democratic party ~ openly Gay and Lesbian staff members and one from event at All Souls Unitarian Church. Nearly all the usual ." DNC chair, Terry McAuliffe talking about Democratic party players were there, from Sally Frasier, Doug Dodd, ¯ support for ENDA, the employment non-discrimination Gary Watts, LindaJordan, Wilbur Collins, Howard Plow- ~ act, just reintroduced again. man, Keith McArtor, Melani Hamilton ¯ But where are Oklahoma Democrats9 and more whose names you d recogmze.... The purpose of the event was to identify the RIetpsunbollteattnmstbIultlkaet TYoellroewadDthoeg Dstiastpeaptcahrt,"y ynoeuw’dspnaepveerr, k’qno’hwe issues thatimpact "economicdevelopment and quality of life in Tnlsa County and the surrounding, area." A page full of issues was presented from education, to parks to urban development and more. But what was strikingly absent was any reference to civil rights, fair employment issues or hate crimes. Of course, being the shy person I am about such "oversights," I asked. I expected that this was the usual obliviousness - that nobody thought of that - but I was shocked to be told that TulsaCounty Democratsjust don’twantto deal with any "negatives." They are tired of being beaten up about "God, guns and Gays." We, in contrast, are tired of being beaten up just for being. A few days before this meeting, a Tulsa Gay man leaving a local Gay business was targeted at random by an angry heterosexual man. He was followed and brutally assaulted and probably only survived being beaten to death because, onehew~paying attention and was able to get help, and two, he’.s a pretty big man himself. Any number of us go to that same business, leave alone and I know that I, at 5’-9" and 145 pounds, would have fared much worse at the hands of the assailant who was 6’-4" and probably 2~0 pounds. I’d probably be dead. Ourability to go through ordinary life with areasonable expectation of not being beaten senseless because we are Gay, or merely thought to be Gay, is what I call a"quality of life" issue. For that matter,.b~ing able to keep our j0bs based on our.performance rather than our identity is also a "’quality of life" issue. And workplace discrimination does happen inTnlsa as formerTOHRleader Kelly Kirby and others (including me at my other job - the one I do when I’m not newspapering) have experienced. SO where the hell are these Democrat yahoos coming from? Neither Tulsanor Oklahoma Democrats have ever done much for Gay Oklahomans (Don Ross, Maxine Homer and Bemest Cain ofOklahomaCity being the exceptions). No member of the Tulsa City Council nor the current and useless mayor have done anything to address the very real issues of Gay and Lesbian Tulsans. I don’t consider the appointment and approval of one or two Gay people, "enough." Contrast Oklahoma attitudes with those of the Democratic National Committee. I have inhand tworecent press .Valdez and the other man took Barron’s body and burned It. Valdez later confessed to friends and authorities. He testified that he killed Barron because Barron propositioned him. Mexican officials, including President Vicente Fox, said Valdez’s rights were denied when he was not given access to the Mexican consulate following his arrest. The Mexican government did not learn of Valdez’ s case until April 19 - 11 years after he was sentenced to death. Mexican officials said the outcome of Valdez’s trial would have been different had he been represented by Mexican consular officials. KeatJng conceded the Mexican national’s rights were violated under international law, but said that did not affect the trial’s outcome or Valdez’s death sentence. least we know where we stand with them. Democrats know what’s the right thinS to do - they just don’t want to do lt. Our money and votes may be welcome but otherwlse we’re just a "negative" for them . . ." that there were Gay Oklahomans or issues. And looking at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) website for co-sponsors of ENDA, there are, of course, no Oklahomans listed. Now none ofus expect that JC Watts, or Istook or Nickles, or Largent, or the anti- Christ himself, Jim Inhofe, will sponsoring a bill to treat their own Gay citizens fairly. We may not like it but we know where they stand. But where is Brad Carson? Brad’s supposed to be our friend; supposed to understand our issues - and he certainly took our money, Gay money (and is still asking for it) in campaign. According to his press boy, they couldn’t take apositiononENDA because it hadn’t been reintroduced. But ¯ now it has and as of July 31, Brad Carson remains missing from action. ¯ Now ourmanin Washington, Tulsa point person for the ¯ Human Rights Campaign, Marty Newman, says anything ¯ he takes to Carson, Brad signs. So this is where we see if ¯. Mr. Carson is a new Democrat, or more of the same old. I’ve both said and written it before but while Oklahoma " Republicans say awful things about us, and sometimes do : awful things to us, it’s been Democrat majorities in both Oklahomahonses whichpass anti-Gay bills. And it’s been " Democrat majorities and often a Democrat governor ¯ who’ve failed to do anything about the harassment and ¯ discrimination which Oklahoma Lesbians and Gay men ¯ experience. That is Democrats wlio’ve made it more a ¯ crime to topple inmfimate Jewish-headstones than to- " pound the ribs and bloody the faces of Gay men. ¯ It’s not that I like the Republicans but at least we know : where we stand with them. Democrats know what’s the ¯ right thing to do- theyjust don’t want to do it. Our money : and ~otes may be welcome but otherwise we’re just a o "negative’! for them. ¯ Democrats could show leadership and could educate, responding to prejudice by appealing to universal Ameri- ¯ can values of fair treatment for all (to the question, "are you for homosexual rights?" they could say, "no, I’m for ¯ fairness for all people.") but i"nstead they run fromus and from the issues. ¯ Call me overly optimistic but I believe that they and we can do better. I think that courage and honesty might just ¯ give them a better chance of being elected. " The clerk, according to Smith, showed thepolice thecaller ," i.d. which showed the name and number of the attacker. ¯ Tulsa Police proceeded to arrest the man with Smith ¯ confirming his identity. Allegedly the attacker told TPD ¯ that he had had some sort ofdifficulty with a Gay man with ¯ whom he works and that he wanted to beat up a "fag" in ¯ response. Smith just happened to be the one he chose. : Editor’s note: "Joe Smith" is, obviously, apseudonym ¯ for themanwho was attacked used at the requestofSmith ¯ and clearly TFN also is not naming the particular club ¯ from which Smith was followed. The particulars don’t : really change the nature ofthe attack and all clubpatrons ¯ and owners would do well to use caution. And as much as TFN li’kes "breaking" a news story, it " is also troubling that none of Tulsa’s "mainstream" media have reported this incident. Such coverage helps reinforce a climate in which anti-Gay hate is tolerated. Faith Based Discrimination By HRC Executive Director, Elizabeth Birch WASHINGTON - Since George W. Bush became president, HRC has been a vigilant watchdog to see how thenew administration will handle issues of concern to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community. The current battle over President Bnsh’s faith-based initiative -including the SalvationArmy-is a critical test and sadly appears to reveal the administration’s true colors. We were stunned when we learned the administration and the Salvation Army were using our lives as bargaining chips in a secret backroom deal. And we are gravely disappointed that President Bush and Vice President Cheney sanctioned discrimination against GLBT Americans. In a vote orchestrated by the GOP leadership in the House of Representatives, they pitted important faithbased services against important civil liberties. Their actions were unnecessary, divisive and created conflict where there could have easily been consensus. The White House-backed Community Solutions Act H.R. 7 offered by Reps. J.C. Watts, R-Okla., and Tony Hall, D-Ohio passed July 19 in the House. The bill would override state and local civil rights laws by allowing religious organizations to discriminate in employment decisions and in the provision of services. The measure would effectively allow our tax dollars to be used to discriminate against us in places where state and local !aws prohibit discrimination against GLBT Americans. If it becomes law, this bill would create a situation where many GLBT Americans would be publicly subsidizing their own discrimination. The Human Rights Campaign recognizes and supports the critical work performed by many faith-based organizations. We support the principle of religaous liberty. But the bottom line is ourcountry should notfunnel tax money to groups that actively discriminate. Religious freedom and freedom from discrimination must harmoniously coexist and thrive together in a democratic society. In letters, phone calls, appeals to the grassroots and countless hours of lobbying, HRC, coalition parmers and fair-minded members of Congress gave the administration and the House Republican leadership every opportunity to fix this bill. Rep. Mark Foley, a moderate Florida Republican, and Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., both prepared amendments to H.R. 7 to fix the bill. Both were rejected by the leadership. Whenthe bill reached theHouse floorJuly 18, it became crystal dear that we had succeeded in lining up enough votes to send it back to the Judiciary Committee to remove the offending language. It was then that the administration and the House Republican leadership temporarily pulled the bill in order to engage in a ferocious - and ultimately successful - effort to twist the arms of some two dozen moderate Republicans to oppose any change to the bill. The hypocrisy of the administration and the House lead- .ership on this issue is astounding. We are struck by the ~ncongruous position of"states rights" conservatives who have long trumpeted local control, only to mn roughshod overstate and-~&:al-civil rights laws. 2~eir mantra of-state and local control is thrown out the window when it comes to GLBT Americans. Moreover, it is clear the administration is attempting to accomplish through legislation what they were unable to accomplish through a regulatory deal with the Salvation Army. This battle now moves to the Senate. By ignoring pleas to fix the.bilF s shortcomings, the administration has made passage m the Senate demonstrably more difficult for itself. Because what happens in Washington does matter, we are calling on every GLBT American and those who care about us to challenge the White House to support a Senate version of this bill that does not discriminate against GLBT Americans. Call President Bush at 202- 456-1414 and tell him: "It is wrong to use federal funding - including my tax dollars - to support programs that exempt religious organizations from civil rights laws." And consider this: Thousands uponthousands ofAmericans received their notice of a tax.refund on July 19. Think about reinvesting that refund in the battle for GLBT equality. None of it happens without you. Partner of Woman Killed By Dogs Wins Ruling SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Lesbian partner of a woman mauled to death by dogs earlier this year scored a stunning court victory as ajudge allowed her wrongful death suit to proceed to trial. Judge A. James Robertson II agreed with the arguments of Sharon Smith’s attorney that California state law has created a barrier for her by not allowing same-sex couples to marry, thus precluding them-from seeking benefits available to married couples. However, the Equal Protection provision of the state Constitution prevents such exclusions, thejudgeruled. Smith’s attorney, Shannon Minter of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, was elated with the ruling. ’‘This is a remarkable day. This is the first decision of this kind, not just in California but anywhere in the country," Minter said. "It’s a tremendous victory for Lesbian ,and Gay people in the United States." Smith s civil Suit against the dogs owners is under legal scrutiny since the Lesbian couple could not legally marry inCalifornia. T~.at puts Smith’ s status as a surviving spouse in quesuon. Smith sued Robert Noel and Marjorie Knoller, the caretakers of.two large presa canario dogs that killed her partner, Diane Whipple, Jan. 26 as she stood in her apartment hallway. Minter argued that the Equal Protection provisionof the California Constitution does not permit Smith, or any large class of persons, to be excluded from rights or benefits afforded to others as shepursues her wrongful death claim. Judge Roberston agreed that the case was breaking new ground. "No case has been decided under these arguments," Robertson said. Malriage for heterosexual couples, Minter argued, is proof of a legal union. "But for same-sex couples it is no test at all," Minter said,,. "(Marriage) is not anything available to them in the first instance... There is literally nothing Sharon and Dianne could have done to formalize theirrelationship," Minter said. Smith choked back tears after the hearing and said it was an emotional moment for her. A bill addressing the issue of same-sex benefits is in motion at the state Capitol. Proposed bill AB25, sponsored by Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, passed through the Assembly with a 43-21 vote, and.is currently in Appropriations awaiting action. The bill would allow same-sex parmers to get the same health ¯ benefits, disability and unemployment coverage and retirement pensions as married men and women. No trial date has been set. Noel and Knoller did not appear and remain behind bars on charges related to the fatal attack. Knoller, who was present at the time of the attack, faces the more serious charge of seconddegree murder. _Womens Basketball Teams Seek Lesbian Fans DETROIT (AP) - Facing league-wide drops in attendance and television ratings, the Detroit Shock and other WNBA teams are hosting events with Gay and Lesbian groups in hopes of creating a loyal fan base. Detroit plays the Cleveland Rockers at The Palace on Saturday for pride night, an event coordinated with Ferndale’ s Affirmations Lesbian and Gay Community Center. As part of the arrangement, a portion of each ticket purchased in conjunction with Affirmations will be donated back to the center, and the Shock also are providing25free tickets formembers ofAffirmations’ youth group to attend the game. A post-game tailgate party will be heldat a nearby restaurant, which has promised to donate half the proceeds to the community center. "We’re doing it to raise awareness, with the Shock organization, that their Lesbian fan base is huge," said Juli Siagkris- Seymour, director of development at Affirmations. The event is notjust motivatedby the league’ s desire to reach out to specific groups. With attendance and television ratings heading downhill, teams are looking at different ways to attract and keep fans. Mary Rogers, director of Shock promotions, said the Affirmations event is just one of several promotions team officials are using to try and boost their attendance numbers. The Shock’s relationship with the Gay and Lesbian community isn’t ne~v. Since their inception in 1998, the Shock have worked with Between The Lines, a local Gay and Lesbian magazine, and players have made charity appearances to sign autographs at pride festivals. Other teams are getting involved as wall. In May, the Los Angeles Sparks made a promotional appearance with Girl Bar, a 12,000-member Lesbian dub and’Sparks sponsor. The Miami Sol alsohaveheld public appearances for Lesbians. The Sacramento Monarchs planned a Gay pride night last weekend - the first time the team has dedicated a night to the Gay community. A pre-game concert was part of the deal, along with a Gay pride Tshirt. "Just like we’re reaching out to the swim community and the military community, we’ re reaching out to the Gay and Lesbian community," said Monarchs spokeswoman Sonja Brown. ’:Whatever we can do to add value to the experience of that particular group." Along with Detroit, the Minnesota Lynx and Phoem.’ x Mercury are adverfising in Gay and Lesbian magazanes. WNBA president Val Ackerman said the league invites everyone to come be a fan. "We’ve tried very hard to be an inclusiveleague," Ackerman said. "That’ s the beauty of basketball and the WNBA. We’re really proud of the diversity of our fans, our players and our staff. But what unifies everybody is what goes on out there (on the basketball court)." Boston Minority FirefightersAllege Bias BOSTON (AP) - Gay and minority firefighters claim racist, sexist and homophobic treatment in the department is going unchecked, causing some to fear doing their jobs. Karen Miller, who is Gay and black, said harassment by both white and black male firefighters drove her to a desk job with the department. She said that when she rushed to emergency calls at her Bostonfire station, she found broken glass inside her boots. Other times, her, oxygen mask and gloves were missing. "The incidents of racism, sexism and homophobia have never been properly dealt with by the Boston Fire Department, and the individuals that are creating the problem are more than just a few bad apples," Miller said at a news. conference. The Coalition for Firefighters’ Civil Rights, which. includes civil fights and commtmity groups and a minority firefighters association, planned to seek the help of the City Council later. Thehead of the Boston firefighters’ union dismissed the group’s, complaints. "We’ve made tremendous Strides in bringing everybody back together again,". said Jack McKelma, president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 718, the Boston firefighters’ union. "I think this is a lot of hype." But critics say the number of complaints among the 1,600 city firefighters indicates otherwise. "If there’s this much smoke there’s got to’be fire somewhere," said Joseph Provanzano, atrattorney whosefirm represents firefighters, including Miller, in employment discrimination suits. The fire department has been without a commissioner since 1999 and has been embroiled in a bitter contract dispute with Mayor Thomas Menino for two years. The minority fights group also wants Menino to search for a new fire commissioner from outside the department, and to appointacommittee to deal with the department’ s shortcomings. The city did not intend to reply to the complaints in advance of the City Council Find out for yourself how goo.d the Lord is! - Ps. 34:8 Come s.hare the goodness of the Lord with our community Sunday Morning 11:00 AM 3hildren’s Worship During Service MCC United Rev. Cathy Elliott, Pastor 1623 N. Maplewood (918)838-1715 mcctulsa@aol.com Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community ofHope 2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595 A Welcoming Congregation HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754 The Open Arms Project Young Adult Support Group Outreach Program Thurs. Nights Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment Call for meeting times and place: 918-584-2325 Mingo Valley Flowers 9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145 918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-A, AA-5934 Family Owned & Operated Trinna L W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW Ghild, Family, Individual & Gouplo Psychothorapy (918) 743-9559 2121 South Columbia, Suite 420 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518 The Pride Store 21st Street & Memorial Tulsa Gay Community Services Center 743-GAYS (743-4297) 6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday 12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center TOM NEAL BUILDING & GARDEN DESIGN 583- 1248 Red Rock Tulsa Free Confidential HIV Testing Walk- in Clinics Tues. & Thurs., 5 -8 pm at the Center, 1307 East 38th Daytime appointments available. Call for more information: 918-584-2325 G American Red Cross American Red Cross Tulsa Area Chapter 10151 East Eleventh Tulsa 74128 Dannette McIntosh .Diversity Co-ordinator 838-1100 OPENARMS OPENMINDS OPENI-IFARFS Saint Aidan Saint Dunstan 4045 N. Cincinnati, 425-7882 5635 East 71st, 492-7140 Saint John Trinity 4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381 501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128 The Episcopal Church Welcomes You hearing, said Carole Brennan, the mayor’s spokeswoman. The complaints have drawn the attention of Justice Department investigators, who interviewed minority firefighters in March, said Dana Johnson, an associate of Provanzano. A city-commissioned report, released !n January 2000, found the department has fallen short in some administrative areas, including recruiting minotifies and women. ’Nightline’_Show Stirs Controversy NEW YORK (AP) - A planned "Nightline" series on homosexuals’ lives has caused a furorjnst from its title alone. Since the weeklong special,"A MatterofChoice? Gay Life in America," was announced, dozens ofGays have contacted the program to complain. It prompted "Nightline" executive producerTom Bettag to post an explanation on the ABC News Web site. But he’s not changing the title of the report, tentatively scheduled for late September. Most activists believe that their sexual orientationis at least partly a matter of biology, not something they choose as a result of cultural or psychological influences. " "A Matter of Choice?’ is an easy title that piques curiosity and stirs controversy, but it does so at the expense of the people it’s profiling," said Cathy Renna of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Bettag, in his posted response, said that although many Gays believe the question has been resolved~ scientific and religious arguments remain. "It is ourjob to ask the questions that make society examine itself," he said. ABC News has gotten anti-Gay e-mails, Bettag said, including one person who wrote that if ABC talks about homosexual life, "’we hope you will make it dear that this is evil." In the series, "Nightline" will examine teen-agers struggling with their sexual identity, the experiences of people in a homosexual retirement community and the aftermath of a Gay community’s uprising after ~ hate crime in Roanoke, Va. Renna said it’s just the sort of in-depth examinatioI of homosexual life that GLAAD supports, but she’s concerned many people won’t watch it because they don’t like the rifle. "It’s just really an unfortunate decision not to reconsider this rifle," she said. City of Houston Passes Anti-Bias Law HOUSTON (AP) -Anondiscrimination law to protect Gay city employees has been revived seventeen years after it was overturned by voters in referendum. Houston City Council members passed the law, which protects employees on the basis of sexual orientation, race, gender, age and other factors. About 20 people in the audience burst into applause alter the vote. "It is something that is long overdue and years m the making," said Councilwoman Annise Parker, a Lesbian who was instrumental in getting the law passed. Mayor Lee Brown voiced his approval of the vote. "The Constitution guarantees that we all have the same opportunities, the same rights," he said to the Houston Chronicle. "As mayor, I want to make sure that I do everything in.my power to make sure that that carries out as part of city government." Parker added, though, that she had mixed feelings. She said by arguing against the. proposal, council members sent a message that even in 2001 they question whether Gays should be treated equally. The City Council voted in 1984 for a similar nondiscrimination law, but voters overturned it in a 1985 referendum. Shortly after taking office in 1998, Brown issued an executive order banning discrimination against Gay city employees. Councilman Rob Todd filed an injunction against it, and it was held up in court for years. Last month, however, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that Todd did not have the legal right to stop the executive order, which allowed the order to stand. Earlier thi s year, Brown proposed extending benefits such as health insurance to the same-sex partners of Gay city employees. He later withdrew the propo. sal, saying the council should first adopt a nondiscnnnnatlon law to protect employees who want to make use of the same-sex benefits. Brown said that he still plans to have the council vote on same-sex benefits, but he does not know when. Boston Scout Council: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell BOSTON (AP) - Officials of one of Massachusetts" largest Boy Scout councils bdieve that its new bylaw allowing Gay scoutmasters under a "don’t ask-don’t tell" policy does not violate the national ban against homosexuals. "Discussions about sexual orientation do not have a place in Scouts," Brock Bigsby, Scout executive for the Massachusetts Minuteman Council, told The Boston Globe. "The Scouts will not inquire into a person’ s sexual history, and that person will not expose their sexual orientation one way or the other." The Minuteman Council, an umbrella organization of 330 Scout troops and 18,000 boys in Greater Boston, approved the bylaw July 19. The policy also prohibits the exclusion of anyone on the basis of race or religion. No Longer A Gay Place CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - Sixty years ago, residents changed the name of their street here to Gay Place to avoid confusion with a similarly named street nearbv. Now, people living on the thoroughfare near Charl~ston’s downtown want to change the name of the street because of a different type of confusion. "The word ~Gay’ isn’t like what it used to be. It’s not about being happy. It’s something different now," said Lavinia Dash, one offour residents petitioning the city to change Gay Place back to its original name of Moultrie Place. The city made the name change in 1939 because Moultrie Place intersected with Moultrie Street, causing confusion. A Mount Pleasant couple pushing to change the street’s name said they are doing it for historical, not 9olitical reasons. Daria Pyshe Smith and her husband, John, are renovating two homes on the street. She said she’s heard the chuckles when she talks about owning a home on Gay Place. "We’re grown-ups. We can handle that. It’s not a big deal," she said. "But the heritage is what we want to show. Moultrie - that’s a name that really has some meaning," Smith said. "It’s historical here. It has historic integrity to the area. Isn’t that what Charleston is based on?" The push to change Gay Place’s name saddens Warren Gress, who serves on the board of the Alliance For Full Equality, a group that supports Gay civil rights. "It really is tragic that they have to feel badly about someone presuming that because they live on Gay Hace they might be Gay," he said. "It’s sad that people have to change a name because of negative connotations that are given to a group in our society." Anti-Bias Conference Excludes Gays GENEVA (AP) - Under threat ofa U.S. boycott about an anti-Israel position, delegates from more than 100 nations began a final effort to salvage the World Conference Against Racism. Organizers had claimed to be inclusive, but one of the first acts was to exclude the International Gay and Lesbian Association from the list of accredited non-governmental organizations. The vote was 43-43 with 27 abstentions. Under conference rules ties equal no votes. Satcher Calls for Better HIV Effort LOS ANGELES (AP) - U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher told a forum Wednesday that there should be greater community and family involvement in the treatment and prevention of HIV. The event brought together scientists and community advocates to discuss ways for communities to address the impacts of HIV and AIDS. Satcher suggested the country take a more open view toward understanding human sexuality. "It’ s so difficult to get American people to talk about sex," he said. "Parents should be the primary sex educators." Satcher saidit is as importantnow as it everwasfor children to be educated about HIV and AIDS. "We feel it is important that young people be armed with information," he said. Satcher reiterated statements hemade in a report on sexual health released .last month, calling for increased sex education in schools and families and wider acceptance of Gays and Lesbians. The surgeon general’s report had engendered controversy whenitwas initially released because of its support for teaching children about condom use in addition to abstinence. President Bush has called for increased federal funding of "abstinence- ouly" sex education programs. But Satcher defended his report, saying the positions he advocated would help the country face the issues associated with HIV. "We as a nationhave not alio,.wed the best available public health science to affect our policy-making," he said. Other scientists and researchers at the forum said they were excited about the t)pportunity to discuss prevention ando~er issues with community members. After Sateher’ s keynote address, researchers and scientists took part in small-group sessions to discuss topics like "Disparities in HIV Prevention Programs for Families." "If we did our work only at universities ... wemight write some interesting papers but they would just sit on library shelves and not be of any use to people," said Dr. Steven Hyman, director of the National Institute of Mental Health. The UCLA AIDS Institute co-sponsoredthe eventwith Drew University of Medicine and NIMH. ’¢I’hose drugs and vaccines we hope for today are going to come too late, so the only weapon we have is prevention," said Dr. Irvin Chen, director of the UCLA AIDS Institute. Nigeria Using Generic HIV Drugs UNITED NATIONS (AP)- Nigeriaplans to launch the largest AIDS treatment program in Africa using cheap generic drugs on Sept. 1, a U.N. special envoy said. The 10,000 adults and 5,000 children who will receive a drug cocktail are just a tiny fraction of the more than 2.6 million Nigerians infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS. But the Nigerian government’s commitment demonstrates that within Africa efforts are under way to tackle the epidemic that has infected about 26.5 million people across the continent, said Stephen ¯ Lewis, special envoy of Secretary-Gen- ¯ eral Kofi Annan for HIV/AIDS in Africa. : "It’s a quite extraordinary intervention, ¯ ameasure ofthepresident’ s determination ¯ thatthey maintainthelevelofthepandemic ¯¯ where it is and try to turn it back," Lewis told a press conference. ’Whey recognize : that if Nigeria fails, then much of Mrica will fail." ¯ Nigeria, which is an unlikely country, : was patched together by British ¯ colonialists. The most populous nation in : Africa with 123 million people, Nigeria ¯ combines hundreds of ethnicities and lan- ¯ guages in West Africa. ~ Botswanain southern Africa, whichhas ¯ a population of only 1.6 million, has the ¯ world’s highest rate of AIDS infections. It ¯ will launch a treatment program using : anti=retroviral drugs in early 2002,.he said. ¯ At the first U.N. conference on AIDS ¯ last month, Nigerian President Olusegun ¯ Obasanjo warned that "the prospect of : extinction ofthe entire population of a ¯ continent looms larger and larger." He ¯ called for cancellation of Africa’s debts : and international help. But he also took ¯ action himself. ¯ ¯ Obasanjo sent his health minister to Indiaafew weeks ago tonegotiatewiththe ¯ pharmaceuticalcompanyCiplaLtd.,which ¯ makes generic AIDS drugs. ¯ In February, Ciplaoffered to sell a three- " drug AIDS cocktail to nonprofit agencies ¯ for $350 a year per African patient - pro- - vided the patients weren’t charged. The ¯ company said at the time that African ¯ governments could purchase the same drugs for $600 per patient. ¯ But the Nigerian health minister was ¯ able to negotiate a $350 a year per patient ¯ deal with Cipla, Lewis said. i : dizTeheabNouigt e8r0ia%n Ogof vtheerncmoestn,tbwutillpastuiebnstis- : who receive treatment will have to pay ¯ between $7 and $8 a month, Lewis said. Nigeria intends to use a six-drug regimen for 60% of the patients and a two- " drug regimen for the other 40%, he said. ¯ The drugs are expected to have similar ¯. results, but the government will monitor and evaluate how patients cope with the ¯ different programs, which will be administered by Nigeria’ s teaching hospitals, he ¯ said. ¯ "Itis the government’ s intention on Sept. ¯ 1 tobegin aprocess ofanti-retroviral treat- - ment in Nigeria which will be at least ¯ initially larger than anywhere else on the ¯ continent," he said. : Lewis, who just returned from visits to : Zambia, Kenya, Rwandaand Nigeria, said ¯ governments a~e anxiously awaiting help ¯ from the global AIDS fund which Annan ¯ proposed. It has received $1.4 billion, but ¯ the secretary-general says it needs $7 bil- ¯ lion to $9 billion annually. : Despite financial and other obstacles, ¯ Lewis said he was "even more confident" ¯ that Africa could turn the tide on A~DS ¯ than he was before the trip. He cited "the extraordinary" degree of public aware- ¯ hess of the disease and"the quite profound ¯ determination" of leaders to tackle it. : In Kenya, parliament unanimously ¯. passed a law last month allowing the gov¯ ernment to suspend patent rights in ames of emergency, which dears the way for -" cheaper, generic AIDS drugs. The East ¯ African nation, which has 2 million adults Power Connect. Public Service Company of Oklahoma Customer Service Is Now Available 24 Hours A Day, Seven Days A Week. These days, traditional 8-5 business hours aren’t always convenient. So PSO has made it easier than ever for you to contact us. Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7 - offering around-the-clock answers to your questions- and better access to service. Now it’s easier for you to inquire about your monthly electric bill. Or report a power outage. Or arrange to have your power turned on or off. Our professionally trained, friendly and knowledgeable customer semce representatives are standing by to serve you. All day, every day. To provide faster response to your needs, we have listed our toll-fre~ numbers below. , CALL 24 HOURS FOR ’ TOLL-FREE SERVICE I I Customer Services: 1-888-216-3523 I I Billing Inquiries: 1-888-216-3490 I Outage Reporting: 1-888-218-3919 I II Servici0 a Clientes: 1-888-216-3505 ! Preguntas S0bre su Cuenta: 1-888-216-3491 I, Falta De Suministr0:1-888-218-3924 I I ! !_ ! Public Serfiee C mpany d Old oma ! - living with the HIV virus, is expected to start importing or manufacturing antiretroviral drugs shortly, Lewis said. In Rwanda, only 500 people are receiving AIDS drugs because the $140 per month cost is half the average income for anentire year, Lewis said. ButtheRwandan government through testing, counseling and provision of some drugs to HIV-infected mothers appears to have significantly cut transmission ofthe virus to their children. The U.N. Children’s Program tested 33 children born to mothers who took part in the program and only two were HIV posifive, which is just 6%,"much, much lower than the anticipated rate," he said. Canadians Gripe About Bad Dope TORONTO (AP) - New regulations took effect in July expanding the number of Canadians allowed to use medic,at marijuana, but those eligible say the system resembles a bureaucratic maze likey to delay hundreds more from participating. The rules are part of the first system in the world that includes a governmentapproved and paid-for supply of marijuana for people suffering from terminal illnesses and chronic conditions such as multiple sclerosis or severe arthritis. Patients can grow their own pot, or designate someone to grow it for them. addition, the health department is paying a Saskatchewan company to grOW govemmen. t marijuana for eligible patients use rn research. While medical marijuana advocates in the United States look at the Canadian system with envy, some users north of the border complain hurdles remain in place. "I still have to fend for myself," said Jim Bridg.es: 37, who already has government pernnsslon to use marijuana for the pain and nausea of AIDS. He automatically comes under the new regulations, but is awaiting word on how to submit a photo for the identification card legal pot smokers will have to carry. Almost 300 Canadians such as Bridges previously were exempted from federal druglaws thatmakeitacriminal offense to grow and possess marijuana. Health departmentofficials sayhundreds morehave applied, and the figure could reach the thousands. Roslyn Tremblay, a Health Canada spokeswoman, said Monday that application forms traderthenew regulations would be available "very soon," but she was unable to provide a specific date. Tojoin up, applicants must submit verifiable medical records and have a doctor’ s endorsement. Cases except for critically terminal patients require further supporting documents from another doctor. The new rules permit drug possession for the terminally ill with a prognosis of death within one year; those with symptoms associated with specific serious medical conditions; and those with other medical conditions who have statements from two doctors saying conventional treatments have not worked. Eligible patients include those with severe arthritis, cancer, HIV/ AIDS and multiple sclerosis. The government regulations meet a court-ordered deadline for Canada to create a system for terminally ill patients previously exempted from criminal marijuanalaws to have alegal way to obtain the drug. The Canadian Medical Association, whichrepresents tens of thousands of doctors, opposes the new regulations because they make physicians responsible for prescribing a substance that lacks significant clinical research onits effects. Without the cooperation ofdoctors,patients cannot get medical marijuana exemptions. Medical marijuana advocates say the real reason for the doctors’ hesitation is prejudice. Bridges mentioned one physician who saidhe doesn’ t want to be known as a "’pot doctor." In Flin Hon, Manitoba, a mining town hundreds of miles (kilometers) north of the U.S. border, Prairie Plant Systems is growing marijuana in a former copper mine under a government contract worth more than $3.5 million. It expects the first harvest this fall of marijuana that will be supplied by the government to eligible patients andused forresearch on therapeutic effects. Company head Brent Zettl employs the same techniques that were used togrow berries androses inthe tappedout mine beneath Trout Lake. Medical marijuana advocates complain the government marijuana will only have a 6% content of THC, the primary active ingredient. They say cannabis with such a low THCpercentage would be virtually useless compared to the 15% to 18%THC street pot. South of the border, eight U.S. states have taken some kind of step toward permitring the medicinal use of marijuana: California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine,Nevadaand Colorado. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, ruled earlier this year that there is no exception in federal law for people to use marijuana, so even those with tolerant state laws could face arrest if they do. "We’re kind of envious of Canadians having the luxury of complaining about the minutiae of the program," said Chuck Thomas of the Washington-based Marijuana Policy Project. ¯ UgandanAppointed to Run AIDS Fund ¯ UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Secretary- " General Kofi Arman appointed a Ugandan ¯ minister on Monday to chair the group that ¯ will establish theglobal fund to fightAIDS and oi.her infectious diseases. ." Dr. Crispus Kiyonga,’currently a Cabi- ¯ net minister.and acting national political ~ adviser, will work between now and De- : cember to start up the fund that Aunan ¯ proposed to combat the AIDS epidemic, ¯ associate U.N. spokesman Marie Okabe ¯ said. She said the chairman of theworking ¯ group"will be crucial in bringing together ¯ the widestrange ofstakeholders in support ¯ of the fund." Kiyonga, a medical doctor, ¯ was Uganda’s health minister until last ¯ week and previously served as finance ¯ minister. ¯ Atman has called for a global fund of $7 ¯ billion to $10 billion annually to halt and ¯ start reversing the AIDS epidemic and ¯ fight malariaand tuberculosis. So far, $1.4 I ¯ billion has been pledged to the fund by ¯ ¯ governments, foundations and the private i sector. Catholic Bishops & Condoms ¯ PREFORIA, South Africa (AP) - Roman ." Catholic bishops in southern Africa denounced condoms on as an"’immoral and ¯ misguided weapon" in the fight against ¯ HIV infection but said married couples with the AIDS virus could use them in limited circumstances. The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference said "condoms may even ¯ be one of the main reasons for the spread ¯ of HIV/AIDS," according to a document ¯ released at the end of the bishops’ annual : meeting. "Apart from the possibility of condoms ¯ being faulty or wrongly used, they con- . tribute to the breaking down of self-control and mutual respect," according to the statement, readby Cardinal Wilfrid Napier ¯ at a news conference. ¯ Prevention programs should .replace ¯ condom distribution programs with ef- ¯ forts to promote abstention, Napier said. "This is God’s way. Choose life. Don’t ¯ choose the way of sin or destruction," he ¯ said. However, married couples could use ¯ condoms if one or both them was infected ¯ and they abstained from sex while the woman was ovulating, Napier said. This way, the condom would not prevent the creation of life. "This is one possibility during which the condom could be used in a morally responsible situation," Napier said ¯ The Vatican had no immediate eom- ¯ .ment. Thebishops’ views carrylittleweight without Vatican approval. ¯ In his 1968 encyclical "Humanae Vi- ¯ tae," "Of Human Life," Pope Paul VI ¯ reaffirmed the church’ s ban on contraception, a position that some governments ¯ and AIDS activists say has hindered efforts to contain the AIDS pandemic. The southern African bishops’ debate ¯ was provokedbyaproposal for the eonference to sanction condom use as part of a ¯ widerprogram to stop the spread ofHIVin Africa, where more than 25 million are infected with the virus that causes AIDS. However, the conference, which includes " bishops from South Africa, Botswana and ¯ Swaziland, rejected that measure. Bishop ¯ Kevin Dowling, who strongly backed the ¯ proposal, left the conference early. He did : not return a call from The Associated ¯ Press. ¯ Most HIV prevention programs preach ¯ abstinence and monogamy, but they pro- " .mote condoms -proven effective forhelp- ¯ mg stop HIV transmission - for those ~ unwilling to abstain from sex. ¯ The Treatment Action Campaign, an ¯ advocacy group working to get treatment ¯ for people infected with HIV, strongly ¯ condenmed the bishops’ comments as ¯ "highly irresponsible" and said condoms ¯ remained animportant coruerstone ofHIV ~ prevention. "The Catholic Church is con- ¯ fusing its religious morals with science," ¯ saidMarkHeywood, secretary ofthe group. ¯ The bishops argued condoms promoted ¯ promiscuity and hurt prevention efforts. Police had been told that Murphy had bragged to a friend that "he had beat up a HRC, along with the Four Comers Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual andTransgendercommunity, is dosdy monitoring the case to ensure justice, says HRC. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) sent a representative to Colorado to help work with local media on the intricacies of this case. ’q’his escalation in brutal attacks comes at a time when Congress can pass the LocalLaw Enforcement EnhancementAct and commit this nation to stopping hate violence," said HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg. The 33-year-old federal statute currently used to prosecute hate violence is in need of updating with the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act. The law now does not cover hate violence based on sexual orientation, gender or disability and has an overly re~triclive element that requires that .the victim be chosen because he or she was engaged in a federally protected activity. The bill now before Congress offers a sensible approach to help combat these violent crimes. It would extend basic hate crime protections to all Americans in all communities by adding real or perceived sexual orientation, genderanddisability to the categories covered and by removing the federally-protected activity requirement. The bill would also provide federal technical and financial assistance to state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute hate crimes. In addition to the recent upswing in hate violence, a new report of alleged anti-Gay police mi sconductinTexas was brought to the attention of federal authorities. Last week, FBI officials, at HRC’s request, began an investigation of San Antonio Park Rangers for allegedly harassing and physically abusing two Canadian tourists who they referred to as "faggots" while they were allegedly beaten. "When the cop saw the Ontario license, he looked to the other three officers present and said he had "two Canadian faggots,’ "one of the victims, Joey Abbruzzese, told the Texas Triangle. "The officer asked, ’What are you fags doing in our city?’ " The article reports that the Rangers then put the friends through atraumatic episode .of extreme physical and verbal abuse, using anti-Gay slurs during repeated beatings before hauling them off to jail. In 1999, the last year for which the FBI has statistics, there were more than 4,000 reported hate crimes based on race, more than 1,400 based on religion, 1,300 based on sexual orientation, 830 based on ethnicity and 19 based on disability. Eighteen states do not include sexual orientation inits hate crimes law, and 46 states do not include gender identity. Five states have no hate crimes law at all. by Jim Christjohn, entertainment dude Hey, kiddies, it is the height of summer, Lughnasa, and stiflingly hot. And yet, your intrepid columnist is going on a pilgrimage in the midst of this heat to Texas, to an outdoor venue, to experience a visitation of the Goddess, in the guise of Stevie Nicks. Talk about dedication! Who the hell decided she should play outdoor venues in the midst of this heat wave? I would like to make a sacrifice of them. Unfortunately, good pagans eschew such behavior. And in other Stevie related news, her dance single (available at Borders, CDNow.com, and amazon.com),"Planets of the Universe" is number 4 on the Billboard dance charts. Now, isn’t it odd that I can and would bet money that none of the DJs here even know that? Much less play it? If there is a DJ in town that is in touch with the rest of the world and playing it, please, let me know. There’s a free dinner in it for you ¯¯ upon my return from the holier than thou city. Oh, no, wait: that’s Tulsa. No city can ¯ beholierthanthouthanTulsa, andit’s even ¯ got the preying hands to prove it! At any rate, faithful readers (and I know ¯ of at least 2), please request it at your ¯ favorite dancing establishment and help ¯ get Tulsa caught up with the rest of the ¯ world. ¯ And now, since yours truly has been ¯ fighting battles, such as unauthorized ¯ charges on his bank account, bank charges ¯ resulting from same, and surly customer ¯ service (can you say oxymoron?) supervi- ¯ sors atTarget, not tomention preparing for ¯ the journey to the altar of the Goddess ¯ (OK, so it’s a stage - whatever. Religion ¯ got its start as Theatre); I will now turn ¯ what’ s left ofthecohmmover to the"staff’ ¯ writer at TFN. ¯ By the way, I won those various battles. ¯ I usually do... FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The crowd at the Mad Anthony Brewing Co. grgws quiet as Bernadette Gleeson continues her poem. Around her, there are microphone stands, stools and speakers. A bass, banjo and guitar are lined up. It is open-mike night, a forum usually reservedformusici.aas practicing their craft or testing out new songs. But Gleeson does not sing or play an instrument. Her music come from the words she speaks. The piece is called "Peep Through My Blues," apoem she wrote while in London as an exchange student two years ago. Unlike a steady reading for a poetry class, Gleeson performs herpoem with the gusto of rapper Eminem. But there is none of the controversy Eminem is notorious for in her words: Gleeson expressed her "inner truths" in a poetry form she "calls "flowetry." "Flow-etry is expressing truths, enlightening minds, awareness, understanding the tight, flight rhymes," Gleeson, 23, says. Some may call it spoken word; others may say it’s rapping. But Gleeson describes her art as a form of expression that just comes naturally. "It’ s almost like I can feelit in my soul," she says. "It’s almost like a sdf-revelation type Of thing. That’s how all my flows work." Words have always been a passion for her. At 6, she was writing Mother’s.and Father’ s daypoems inherfirst-grade class. At 11, Gleeson wrote poems of gratitude to the woman who inspired her to write poetry: her sixth-grade teacher. "She taught me that the English language is there to play with," she says. Despite her love for the English language, it was not her main concern growing up: Glceson wanted to be the next Michael Jordan. "’I wanted to be ~he first woman in the NBA," she says. "I played every day and every summer. It was everything for me." Gleeson pursued her hoop dreams duringjunior high and high school, playing so often she would keep a basketball in her car. But it didn’t stop her from writing poetry. During games, she would write rhymes on her shoes. And when it came_ time to say goodbye to the high school basketball coach, there was only one way she could express her emotions - with poetry. Still focusing on a basketball career, Gleeson moved to Fort Wayne in 1996 with a basketball scholarship to Indiana University-Purdue University. The transi- -tion was hard. She was homesick and. didn’t get along with the coach. When Gleeson was dismissed from the team and lost her scholarship, she sought solace in poetry. "I was looking for a way to escape from that reality. It was somewhere I had control in my life,"-she says. For a change of scenery, she traveled abroad to study in London. There she focused on her poetry, writing about her "inner truths." She realized she was a Lesbian."’I came to terms with my sexuality," she says. And then, Gleeson found the flow. She had never stopped writing poetry, but now her words had a different purpose. Her verses were inspiredby truths she found in people and in herself. She knew "poetry" couldn’t aptly describe her spoken-word form. As she wi~s falling asleep one night, a name for her art came to her: flow-etry. "It kind of flashed at me, almost like I can feel it in my soul," she says. Returning home, Gleeson started performing her art. She performed her favorite flow, "We Are One," for the first time at the Some Like It Black Cafe in Chicago. The flow describes the chain reaction of how one good deed does good to another person. The experience left a lasting mark on her. "It was an incredible feeling - I was speakingmy traths and they were listening to me," she says. "This is my purpose; this is what I really love to do." Timothy W. Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partnership Planning, Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma Weekend and evening appoinlments are available. THE GILDED AGE Treasuresfrom the Smitbsonian American Art Museum 9 SEPTEMBER -- 4 NOVEMBER 2OO1 THE PHILBROOK MUSEUM OF ART 2727 SOUTH ROCKFORD ROAD Rebel Yell: Stories by Contemporary Southern Gay Authors Edited by Jay Quinn reviewed by Barry Hensley Tulsa City-County Library The rural South is certainly not the easiest place to grow up Gay. Many people leave their small towns as soon as possible and move to whatever metropolis is close, buttheir stories remain. Rebel Yell is a wonderful compilation of short stories about school, church, race, love, murder, family dynamics and all of the other things that make the American South so unique. It reminds us of all of those "yard-fighting, teeth-gnashing, biscuiteating, ugly-dog-raising, towel-stealing, television pr,a,ying, neverforgiving, hard-headed people back home. Among the better entries: "Happy Birthday" by David Jaffe, is a heart wrenching letter written by a young man to himself, as if his estranged mother were writing him an birthday note. Recalling cherished childhood memories, "she" prggresses to the infamous day that the boy came out to his parents. "She" reminisces: "Your old room at home’s the same. We haven’t changed a thing. Still that royal blue carpet I always called ’Hideeeous!’ Remember? I exaggerated a bit, I know, to make my point. That’s me. You know not to take all my exaggerated reactions seriously, don’t you, son? And that bright blue burlap bulletin board I sewed for youstill hangs over your desk. And all those maps you used to sit and. draw and color, all those maps of all those foreign places- Rhodesia and C~ylon and "The rural South is certainly not the easiest place to ~row up Gay. Many people ¯ leave their small towns as soon as possl]~]e and move to whatever .metropolis is close, but their stories remain." Zanzibar and Manchukuo. I never under- ¯ stood why you couldn’t draw maps.of : America. Dad and I were always suspi- ~ cious of people from those sorts of foreign ¯ countries. How can you trust someone ¯ who’s so different? Lord knows what to _" expect." ¯¯ ’¢I’hePreacher’ s Son"byGeorge Singer, includes allofthedramaimaginable; young love, gossip, religion, drugs and murder. The handsome young scoundrel, Taylor, beds just about anyone in town and finally winds up in a deadly encounter with the preacher’s son. Weall remember a Taylor type in school, a sexy troublemaker who almost always manages to come out on top. "Entertainer of the Year"byJ. E. Robinson, recalls fun dinner conversation between a conservative ¯young ¯ black man and his blind date, who turns out to be a flamboyant drag queen. ." Perhaps the best is "465 Acres" by Jay ¯ Quilm. Acreage can become such an im- ." portant and emotional issue in the South! ¯ A matriarch and her reluctant son team up ¯ to buy the adjacent acreage fromlongtime ¯ neighbors. The sons of both families, who ¯ have a history together, become the nego- ¯ tlators. Full of grand Southern family ¯ squabbles, it has an unsetding, surprise ¯ ending. ¯ The stories in Rebel Yell remind me of ¯ the recent death of legendary Mississippi ¯ author Eudora Welty. When she spoke at ¯ Tulsa’s Central library a decade ago, I ¯ was mesmerizedby herreadings. She spoke ; ofSoutherntownsandtheirsteamy, some- " times romantic and often abusive settings. ; So it is with Rebel Yell. ¯ Check for Rebel Yell (and Eudora ¯ ¯ Welty’s works) at any Tulsa City:County Library, or call 596-7966. Among the attributes mentioned were a largemeeting space, maybeaperformance space, all the space 100% accessible to all regardesss ofability, acourtyard/protected outdoor space, kitchen, library, food bank, offices for community organizations, coffee house, gift shop, elder services, youth services, kids area, lounge, archives, commtmity museum, and maybe even emergency housing, perhaps for young adults who have been kicked outby their families because they came out or for victims of domestic violence. Organizers also discussed whether the center could!should be located so that it could anchor the creation of a Gay neighborhood as is found in many cities around the-US. Organizers said ultimately the goal is to create apermanentLesbian, Gay, Bisexual ¯ andTransgendered (andfamily andfriends) ¯ community center where, in the words of ¯ Kerry Lewis, TOHR (Tulsa Oklahomans ¯ for Human Rights) president, we can be ¯ "proud to be from Tulsa and to be Gay." ¯ To date, a fundraising campaign fund ¯ has over $65,000 and looks to raise more ¯ to purchase and renovate as needed, a ¯ building for the Center. ¯ Acurrent campaigneffort says let Presi- ¯ dent Bush contribute to a Tulsa Gay com- " muuity center; specifically people are en- : couraged to contribute part or all of the ¯¯ income tax refund (which Bush got the Congress topass) scheduled to bereceived this late summer to the building fund. For more information, call the LGBT Community Center at 743-4297. by LamontLindstrom ~ ability to ferret out fellow, suspected Gays Who hasn’t been in a bar, or a bus, or a " through use of coded terms - E.g., "Are supermarket and overheard someone ¯ there any family bars around here you whose voice immediately shouted out " could recommend?" - a sort of linguistic "Gay?"That voice. YOuknow, the swishy ¯ gaydar. But everyone does this to one Harvey Firestein accent extentoranother.AndGays that actors mimic when "... Is there a Gay and Straights alike work they want to play heavyspeech eommunlty that our identities into our handed and over-the-top speechforms,playfullyuse Gay. is solid enou~l~ to language, andcreativelyin- But does anyone actu- ventnew meanings that we ally speak like this? Nor- possess in common the attach to old words and really, I mean? I have play- same ways of speahln~? phrases. ful friends who can shift in A community the So just what in particuand out of Gay-talk to tell a lar is distinctive about Gay joke or to make a point, meml~ers of which share talk?Onelinguistfoundno The accent disappears, l~nowled~e and use of difference in the speech of however, if you ask them women motorcylists, be about something serious or certain speech forms they Hell’s Angel babes or mundane-fixing the back and their implleatlons.9 Dykes on Bikes. Another porch, maybe, or their trip survey similarly was unto the dentist. But on the Does Le~hlanlcs exlst.~ able to locate any formal other hand, there is my Or how about differences in the converbuddy Errol. Errol is a lo- sations of a group of Auscal Harvey. He seems to Gayese?... " tralian Lesbian and Straight have got his needle perma- friends. Scholar Arnold nently stuck in the Gay-talk groove. Zwicky has suggested that any deviation Sociolinguistics (the study of language ¯ from normal American masculine speakas behavior) has gone far to map out vari- . ing style-in whichever direction-may be ous "speech communities" the members " heard as "Gay." This presumes that.there of which share a number of language fea- ¯ is not; in fact, one standardized Gay accent tures and styles. Some of these communi- " - a common Gay way of talking. ties are ethnic (e.g., the speakers of Black " Yet, how about my bud Errol? He’s English,a.k.a. African-AmericanVemacu- latched onto something recognizable. Evlar English or Ebonics); some are geo- ery time he opens his mouth his speech graphic (regional dialects where " says Gay. Or so,moe telemarketer calls one California’ s"father"becomes New York’ s . day and you say qla~t boy is Gay !" There "fada"); some are vocational (lawyers’ ¯ must beafixedset ofphoneticfeatures and legalese); someareage-linked(youthstyles " intonational qualities out there that Gays such as the dearly-departed Valley Girl " and Straights alike recognize as homowhine). And sociolinguistic Deborah sexual, or at least gay-ish. Taunen has made aheap ofmoney writing ¯ No linguist, however, as far as I know books about ~’genderlect." She claims that ’. has provided an adequate phonetic and AmOrican men and women employ differ- " prosadic description of this style. Yet, we ent speech styles and, as a consequence, ¯ all know it when we hear it. The folk are often misunderstand one another. ¯ ahead-of linguists here: They describe the But how about Gays? Is there a Gay ° style as "lisping" or "sissy" or "you talk speech community that is solid enough to ¯ like a girl!" Here’s one folk description of .possess in common the same ways of " Gay-talk that I’ve lifted.off the Internet: speaking? A community the members of ¯ "It’s a certain melody or lilt to the voice.. which share knowledge and use of certain ¯ . some syllables are drawn out longer than speechformsandtheirimplications?Does " is usual. Wou could compare it (in its Lesbianics exist? Or how about Gayese? exaggerated form) to the Bette Davis ren- If there is such a Gay speech commu- " dition of the Word "Daaaahling!" I’d say nity,how does this include amix of the all- that about 75% of open gays show some the-way out, the halfway out, the closeted, " sign of "the accent." !’ve heard it all over men-who-have-sex-withmenbutdenyGay " thiscountryandinEurope-I’mbeginning identity, and so forth? Do Lesbians corn- . to think it’s genetic." pose a separate speech commumty? Do Of course"~t’ s n"ot geneti"c. My suspi" ci"on Bisexuals? How about transsexuals? Fur, " is that Gay-talk consists of a fairly small thermore, setting up a Gay speech corn- ° set of stereotypical, mostly intonational munityunav0idablyestablishesaStraight ¯ patterns.Actorsandjokestersshiftintothe one as well. If these two speech communi- style to cue Gayness, just as they shift into ties indeed exist, the boundaries separat- " similarly limited and convention styles to ing them would have to be exceedingly ° cue Chinese, orBostonBrahman, orTrailer porous. ¯ Trash Okie. A few of us (Errol) have A number of scholars hunting down " borrowed these linguistic conventions and Gay speech styles have published their " made them our own-it is a way of talking work in the collection Queerly Phrased: ¯ that definitely says Gay. Most of us, how- Language, Gender, and Sexuality (edited ¯ ever, either ignore this hackneyed style or byAnnaLiviaandKiraHalt). All presume ¯ merely shift into it occasionally when to have identified distinctly Gay ways of " messing about. speaking yet many of the conversational Daaaahling my Aaaahss! features they celebrate as Gay are, in fact, ¯ Lamont Lindstrom teaches anthropolintegral to human conversation no matter ¯ ogy at the University of Tulsa, and can be who is talking. One author notes our Gay " reached at lamontl0@yahoo.com Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC Certified Public Accountant a professional corporation Lesbians and Gay men face many special tax situations whether single or as couples. Electronic filing is available for faster refunds. 747-5466 4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135 |GTA member Call 341.6866 International Toursfor more information. TULSA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY Country Club Barbering Custom Styling for Men & Women David Kauskey 3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm College Hill Presbyterian Church In response to God’s Love, College Hill Presbyterian Church is a community of God’s people called to tell others the Gospel of Jesus Christ through worship, service, and evangelism. To nurture our faith, we gather for worship, prayer, study and fellowship. Trusting in a living, loving God, we seek to become a compassionate voice for peace and justice. Our congregation welcomes all persons who respond in trust and obedience to God’s grace in Jesus Christ, and desire to become part of the membership and ministry of Christ’s church. Membership is open to all people regardless of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition, marital status, or sexual orientation. Sunday Worship, 11am 712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800 (One block west of Delaware and the University of Tulsa Campus) by Tulsa’s only professional body-piercing Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR) invites individuals, businesses and organizations to attend a media seminar with GLAAD The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Saturday, August 25th. 10 - 3pm at the LGBT Community Center, 21st & Memorial Featuring Regan Rhine GLAAD Education & Outreach Director For info., call 743-GAYS (743-4297) ENDA Reintroduced; HRC, PFLAG and Log Cabin Repu.blicans Comment WASHINGTON, DC-Apacked hearing i the leadership of a growing group of Reroom was the setting for the reintroduction : publicanHouse and Senatemembers workof the Employment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA) on July 31. All eight lead cosponsors of ENDA - Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Arlen Specter (R-PA), Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), and Jim Jeffords (I-VT)and Representatives Christopher Shays (R-CT), Barney Frank (DMA), Mark Foley (R-FL) and Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) - were on hand to demonstrate their strong support for this legislation. Joining the congressional champions to discuss the importance of this measure for thebusiness community was GaryFaTzino, the Vice President of Hewlett-Paekard, one of the leaders of corporate America who have endorsed ENDA. Despite some hard fought gains on the local and state level, it remains perfectly legal to fire a person based on their real or perceived sexual orientation in 38 states. ENDA would enact a federal standard of non-discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation. Far too often, it is said incorrectly that discrimination does not exist in the workplace for Gays and Lesbians. To combat this misconception, HRC has published Documenting Discrimination, which outlines many cases from across the country of anti-Gay discrimination. Support for this legislation continues to grow with 181 cosponsors in the House and 42 cosponsors in the Senate - more than ever before. For a complete list of cosponsors, please click on http:// www.hrc.org/is sues/federal_leg/enda/ cosponsors 107.asp. This level of congressional support is due in part to the nearly 30,000 faxes that were sent by constituents from HRC’s Online Action Center. Kirsten Kingdon, PFLAG Executive Director, said, ’‘Today marks another year that we speak out on behalf of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender workers and ask Congress to pass ENDA. It also marks another year that GLBT workers have been threatened, harassed and fired because there arenofederal laws to protect them. This is common sense legislation - it’s about fairness, equal opportunity and the right to work without fear ofretaliation because of your sexual orientation." A Gallup Poll in June showed that85% of Americans support equal rights in terms of job opportunities. ThePFLAGBoardofDirectors recently passed a Public Policy Statement which supports ENDA, but advocates for the inclusion of Transgender protections in thelegislation. Thestatementreads, "Many employees are discriminated against because of their gender presentation in the workplace, not necessarily their sexual orientation. Any and all discrimination is immoral and unconscionable, andwelook to our elected officials to set the example and the law so all people are treated with dignity and opportunity. And the nation’s largest Gay Republican organization applauded the reintroduction ofthe EmploymentNon-Discrimination Act (ENDA) this week, and hailed : ing to ensure that sexual orientation is ." removed as a factor in employment in the ¯¯ United States. "We applaud the leadership of the Re- " publican sponsors of ENDA, especially ¯ thenew Republican sponsors, and welook : forward to working together toward the : important goal of ensuring that sexual : orientation is nolonger afactorin employ- . merit in our country," said Kevin Ivers, ¯ Director of Public Affairs of Log Cabin : Republicans. ¯ "Together, we share a common goal ¯ with avastmajority oftheAmericanpeople ’ - merit should be the sole criterion ofhow ¯ people arejudgedinthe workplace: Sexual ~ orientation should not be a factor in em- ¯ ployment." ¯" "For all of us who strongly support the ¯ importantand achievable goals thatENDA ¯ represents, it is more important than ever ; to work cooperatively across party lines ¯ with the Senate, House and the Bush Ad- : ministration to enact federal legislation," ¯ Ivers said." ¯ The original GOP sponsors ofE~DA in ¯ the 107thCongress are Senator Arlen Spec- ¯ ter (PA), Congressman Christopher Shays ." (CT), Senator Lincoln Chafee (RI), Con- : gressman Mark Foley (FL), Congressman ¯ JimKolbe (AZ), CongressmanSteve Horn : (CA), Congresswoman Deborah Pryce ~ (OH), Congresswoman Connie Morella ¯ (MD), Congresswoman Sue Kelly (NY), ¯ Congresswoman Judy Biggert (IL), Con- : gressman JimGreenwood (PA), Congress- ¯ man Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ), Con- : -gresswoman Nancy Johnson (Cq’), Con- " gressman Sherwood Boehlert (NY), Con- ¯" gressman Jim Leach (I.A), Congressman Ben Gilman (NY) and Congressman ¯ _Wayne G-ilchrest (MD). ¯ Joining as an original Senate sponsor is : Senator Gordon Smith (OR), who LCR ¯ endorsed in his 1996 Senate campaign. ¯ Joining as original House sponsors were ¯ threefreshmenGOPmembers-Congress- .- man Mark Kirk (IL), Congressman Mike ¯ Ferguson (NJ) and Congressman Rob : Simmons (CT), all of whom LCR en- : dorsed in 2000. ¯ ENDA would make it an unlawful era- ¯ ployment practice to discriminate on the : basis of sexual orientationinhiring, firing, ¯ training or providing employment oppor- ¯ tunity. It contains exemptions for reli- : gious organizations, themilitary, andbusi- ¯ nesses with fewer than 15 employees, and : prohibits affirmative action, preferential ¯ treatment, quotas, disparate impact claims ¯ and EEOC statistical collection on the _" basis of sexual orientation. The bill provides remedies largely in line with Title : VII 0f the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and ¯ also states that same-sex partner benefits ¯ are not mandated by ENDA. ¯ LCR has been involved with and has ¯ supported theENDAeffort, since the origi- ¯ nal drafting in 1994, and the legislation ¯ has steadily gained Republican support as ¯ modifications have been added. A previ- : ous version of ENDA failed in the Senate ¯ by one vote in 1996. September 4-9, 2001 Tulsa Country Club Call 1-877-583-9925 for tickets and information HOTt~" Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2001] Tulsa Family News, August 2001; Volume 8, Issue 8 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August 2001 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohn Karin Gregory Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Hughston Walkinshaw Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, July 2001; Volume 8, Issue 7 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/615 "Nightline" AIDS anti-bias conference anti-bias law Bishops Boston Boy Scouts businesses Canada Charleston churches Community Center condoms Council Oak Men's Chorale David Satcher domestic violence Employment Non Discrimination Act execution firefighters Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation gay bashing hate crime HIV testing HIV treatment Houston medical marijuana Openarms Youth Project PFLAG Poetry Red Cross Red Rock Tulsa religion Republican Party restaurants sex offenders South Africa Southern Literature Stevie Nicks Tulsa County Democratic Party Tulsa Family News Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Uganda women's basketball https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/ca740745b3399226fd6c8d7e770a44e2.jpg 119dfe938806a81283fc6659f7c47478 https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/2f021f5f242b922e87e885333e07d696.pdf 869c9f2511afb42525b63e33cc6dde50 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document :9th Annual Feast For Friends i Was Death Sentence : And Other Community Events i Based onAnti-Gay Bias? ¯ ¯ TULSA (TFN) - September is shaping up as a mostly quiet : OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A federal appeals court month with only The NAMES Project Tulsa Area Chapter’s ¯ upheld the death sentence of an Oklahoma death row ¯ annual Feast for Friends as amajor event on Saturday, the 29th. ¯ inmate convicted ofkilling four people during a 1984 ¯ The event features private dinners at homes as wall as larger " bank robbery. ¯ dinners sponsored by community organizations and churches " The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver ¯ where contributions are encouraged to support The NAMES ~ split 2-1 in upholding Jay Wesley Neill’s death sen- " Project Tulsa Area Chapter’s programs. ¯ tenceforthemurdersduringtherobberyofaGeronimo ¯ After each dinner, guests gather for dessert at theGreat Hall of " bank. Thedissentingjudge,Carlos LuceroofAlamosa, ¯ the Allan Chapman Activity Center at the University of Tulsa, " Colo., said the penalty phase of Neill’s trial was not ¯ 5th Street and Gary Avenue, from 8:30 till 10:30. There will be ¯ fair because Comanche County District Attorney : a silent auction, entertainment, information about The NAMES : Robert Schulte repeatedly toldjurors that Neill was a ¯ Project and portions of the Quilt as well. " homosexual. ¯ To register a dinner, call The NAMES Project Tulsa Area ¯ ’The prosecutor’s blatant homophobic hate mon- ¯ gering at sentencing has no pl~,,cein the courtrooms of ¯ a civilized society, and Neill s (original) appellate ¯ connsd’s failure to raise the issue.., constitutes clear ~ and plain prejudicial neglect," Lucero wrote. ¯ Schulte, of Lawton, said he presented evidence ¯ ¯ about Neill’s homo,sexuality because it was .relevant to how he and his co-defendant used some. of the : $17,000 they stole. ’‘i do not recall emphasizing or ¯ calling for _th~,,,t penalty because of his homosexual ¯ relationships, he said. "It was because of the grue- ~ some nature of the crime." His statements about efll s homosexuahty came m 1992 at a retrial. The ¯ first conviction was overturned because the two de- " fendants were not tried separately. ¯ The appellate judges who formed the majority, ~ Deanell R. Tacha of Lawrence, Kan. and Bobby ¯ Baldock of Roswell, N.M., concluded that none of The NAMES ProjectAIDS Memorial Quilt at the Fair Grounds. " Neill’s claims of misconduct by Schulte have merit. ¯ Chapter at 748-3111 or e-mail to info@TulsaQuilt.org Admis- : Tsahyeiynigsstuheadt aS2c7h-upl.ateg,es dceocmismioennftosr "thweesriex-rsetlaetveacnoturtto, sion to the dessert extravaganzais free for dinnerhosts and quests ¯ both the (prosecution’s) case and Neill’s defense and others are welcome see Feast, p. 8 " theory." ¯ Gay Tulsan In Military Exhibit " Agmn a Hope ForVaccine ." Poem of Kicked Out Sailor in Smithsonian Show " ATLANTA (AP) - The scientists trying to create a ." WASHINGTON (AP) - A Smithsonlan Institution exhibit on " vaccine to prevent AIDS suddenly seem optimistic, ¯ submarines includes apoemby asailorwhowas kicked out of the " even bullish, words that have not been heard much in ¯ Navy for being Gay. "It’s kind oflike a validation ofmy service," " this perennially gloomy field. For the first time, many ¯ said Tim Beauchamp, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who lives in ] researchers appear confident a vaccine is possible. ¯ Washington. ’’I was considering the Navy as a career." ¯ More than anything else, the monkeys are respon- : Beauchamp, a yeoman who served in the Navy for more than : sible for the change in attitude. Scientists have long ¯ four years, wrote "Sub Sailor’s Views on ’Glasnost’ "in Decem- " used monkeys to test theories about AIDS treatment ~¯ ber 1987 on board the USS Henry Clay, a nuclear submarine " and prevention. But in two decades of trying, they patrolling the North Atlantic. could not concoct a vaccine that would safely protect ¯ The poem is part of the exhibit "Fast Attacks & Boomers: : a monkey from dying of AIDS. Until now. ¯ Submarines in theColdWar" at theNational MuseumofAmeri- ¯ bloNnodw, 4t-hyeeraer-aorledmmoanckaeqyuselliikveinGgoidnotth,ealehvaenlds2obmioe-, can History. A copy of it is displayed.on a sailor’s bunk in a part : ." of the exhibit dealing with daily life on a submarine, hazard containment facility at the Yerkes Regional ." Harkeuing back to the days of the ColdWar, thepoemindudes " Primate Research Center on the leafy fringes of lines like, "Reagan and Gorbacliev back and forth volley while : Emory University. Just over a year ago, Godot got a Nancy and Ralsa put on their best. Capitalist!Commuuist - " big dose of SHIV, an especially nasty lab-made Political’folly! What does it matter? It’s East against West." amalgam of HIV and SIV, the human and monkey Eight months after writing the poem, Beauchamp, now 36, ~ versions of the AIDS virus. Ordinarily, he would be received an honorable discharge from the Navy after his superi- dead in six to eight months. ~,di’seovered,he’ was Gay. Before his discharge, Beauchamp " , A~.yone entering Godot’s living space must dress oeen awaraea a Good Conduct Medal, a Sea Service Ribbon n.eao to toe in protective clothing, because SHIV and a letter of commendation. ~ cxrculates in his bloodstream. But his curious, alert ’The fact that such a committed and rule-bound serviceman ~ .stare at visitors peeking through a window shows he was kicked out of the Navy for no other reason than being Gay ." ~s outwardly unscathed. Godot is infected but otberillustrates the stupidity and,wastefulness of our current policy wise healthy. toward Gays in the military, saidRep. BameyFrank, D-Massa_ " Sevenmonthsbeforehewasinfected, Godotgotan chusetts, an openly Gay member of Congress. 7 experimental new AIDS vaccine, see Vaccine, p. 2 When Beanchamp was in the military, homosexuals were " prohibited fromserving. Under the current "don’t ask, don’ t tell,, ¯ Ill DIRECTORY P. 2 policy, homosexuals can serve so long as they do not engage in : homosexual conduct or state their sexual preference. ~ EDITORIAL P. 3 : ~ US & WORLD NEWS P. 4 Beauchamp, whohas worked since his discharge as a computer -. systems analyst and a writer, said he’d forgotten about the poem : ~ HEALTH NEWS P. 6 until he came across it in an old notebook from his days as a ¯ submariner. It was included in the exhibit after Beauchamp’s ; Z ENTERTAINMENT + MORE P. 8 partner brought it to the attention of the curator. ¯ ~ GAY STUDIES/R. LESBIAN P. 10/11 OKC Sets Up Censorship : Because of Gay Banners ¯ OKLAHOMACITY (AP)- City officials willconsider : regulating advertising messages on bus-stop benches and .on. banners flying from city-owned light poles after " receiving numerous complaints about a Gay-pride flag. ¯ A new law that will be brought before the City ¯ Council would allow only messages that would "pro- " mote or celebrate the city, its civic institutions, orpublic " activities or events in the city of Oklahoma City." This ¯ could prohibit messages promoting prayer, voting or " drug-abuse prevention. Oklahoma City has 1,240 ban- " her locations that are available for use by community -." groups to promote activities. ¯ MayorKirkHumphreys and City ManagerJim Couch ° sought the new law after the city spar~ed controversy ." earlier this year when it took down, triton put back up, ¯ banners promoting Gay pride. The banners, paid for by the Cimarron Alliance Foundation, drew numerous ¯ complaints at City Hall. see Censor, p. 2 " Murderer Now Claims "Homosexual Panic’" OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A Mexican citizen on Oklahoma’s deathrow is seeking anew trial after a state psychiatrist recanted his testimony, saying new information shows Gerardo Valdez suffered from brain damage, paranoia and "homosexual panic" when he killed another man in 1989. Psychiatrist Cecil F: Mynatt said it is now his conclusion that Valdez was unable to control his ownbehavior or was "temporarily insane" when Valdez killed Juan Barron. "Mr. Valdez suffers fromparanoia, specifically triggeredin this instance by homosexual panic," Mynatt said. "Additionally, he is brain damaged and was under the influence of alcohol." Mynatthadpreviously testified that Valdez was competent to stand trial. He said he changed his mind after reviewing information provided by Valdez’s attorney, including opinions of two neurophsychologists and a medical report. Attorney Robert Nance is asking for anew trial based ~hn arecent deeisionby the International Court ofJustice at deplored the 1999 execution in Arizona ofGerman brothers Walter and Karl LaGrand. The court held that the brothers were denied their rights underinternational law to access thor consul after their arrest. Nance said the world court s decision prevents domestic procedural rules from interferin~ with judicial review of cases involving international law violations. The applicationwas filed with theOklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, on the same day Amnesty International officials and other death penalty foes renewed theirdemandthatGov. FrankKeating commute Valdez’s sentence. Keating has granted two stays, while rejecting Fox’~ request and a parole board recommendation of clemency for Valdez, 41. Keating granted a second 30-day stay for Valdez, see Valdez, p.2 ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ . . . Tulsa Clubs& Restaurants *Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine *CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial *Play-Mor, 424 S. Memorial Polo Grill, 2038 Utica SCluare *Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st *Schatzi’s, 2619 S: Memorial *The Star, 1565 Sheridan *TNT’s, 2114S. Memorial *Tool Box II, 1338 E. 3rd *Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan 832-1269 610-5323 838-9792 744-4280 585-3405 745-9998 280-1316 834-4234 660-0856 584-1308 835-2376 *The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 749-1563 Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals Assoc. in-Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 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, 3807c S. Peoria *Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 665-4580 712-1122 712-9955 494-2665 743-5272 746-0313 295-5868 58120902, 743-4117 Community Clearfing, Kerby Baker 622-0700 Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 " *Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620 " Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556 ." *Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503 ¯ Encompass .Travel, 13161H N..,~/I.emorial 369-8555 " Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379 " Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 592-0460," Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria 744-9595 Four S~ar 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. 21 st 742-1460 Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning 459-9349 " Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440 ~ *Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly 745-1111 ¯ *International Tours 341-6866 " Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750 " *Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018 " David Kauskey, 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, #210 747-5466 ¯ *Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha 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 *The Pride Store 743-4297 " Rainbowz on the River B+B, PUB 696,74101 747-5932 ¯ Richard’s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617 ~ Teri Schutt, Ellen & Co. 834-7921, 748-0224 ¯ *Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558 " Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563 ¯ Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling 743-1733 *Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222 *Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767 www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays &Lesbians Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & O niversities AIDS Walk Tulsa, PUB 4337, 74101 579-9593 All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363 Black & White, Inc..PUB 14001, Tulsa 74159 Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston *Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. Church of the Restoratio~ UU, 1314 N.Greenwood *Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale *Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation Council Oak Men’s Chorale *Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware *Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 587-7314 583-7815 583-9780 585-1201 & Florence 587-1314 747-6300 749-0595 748-3888 712-1511 742-2457 918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615 FOB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159, e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom, Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw Member of The Associated Press Issued around the 1st of each month, the entire contents of this publication are protected by US copyright 2001 by Tulsa Family News and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes the sole property of Tulsa Family News. Each reader is entitled to 4 copies of each edition at distribution points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248. Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa- Lesbian & Gay Catholics & Episcopalians, PUB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140 *Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777 *Free SpiritWomen’s Center, call for location&info: 587-4669 Friend For A Friend, PUB 52344, 74152 747-6827 Friends in Unity Social Org., PUB 8542, 74101 582-0438 *Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194 HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378 *HouseoftheHoly SpiritMingtries,1517S. Memorial 224-4754 *MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715 NAMES Project, 3507 E Admiral PI. 748-3111 NOW, Nat’I Org. for Women, PUB 14068, 74159 365-5658 OK Spokes Club (bicycling), PUB 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 627-2359 R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195 *Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325 St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882 St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140 *St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088 Soulforce-OK, Rt.4,#3534, Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761 *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 H_IV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, Gay Comm. Center 743-4297 TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvocacy Coalition, POB2687,Tulsa 74101 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, 21 st &Memorial 7434297 Unity ChurchofChristianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833 BARTLESVILLE Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-33%5353 TAHLEQUAH Stonewall League, call for information:. 918-456-7900 Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900 Green Country AIDS Coalition, PUB 1570 918-453-9360 EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS Autunm Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734 Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main 501-253-7457 DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 501-253-6807 Emerald RainbOw, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445 Heart of the Hills B&B, 5 Summit St. 501-363-9203 MCC of the Living Spring 501-253-9337 Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, PUB 429 501-253-2776 Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332 Positive Idea Marketing Plans 501-624-6646 White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074 JOPLIN, MISSOURI Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696 * is where you canfindTFN. Notall are Ga_y-ownedbutallare Gay-friendly. ¯ torch with a rainbow flame over the ¯¯ foundation’s name. The city’s staff granted a permit for ¯ Cimarron Alliance banners to be put on 44 : poles. City leaders decided to take the ban- . hers down after receiving complaints, but ¯ they had to put them backup after attorneys ¯ representing the alliance threatened to sue. : Bill Rogers, an attorney and a member of ", the Cimarron Alliance, said the banners ¯ were legally protected free speech. ’The ¯ city has provided a forum for speech and it ¯ must not prohibit speech unless there is a ~ compelling governmental interest in doing ’ ¯ so," he said "It would be very difficult to ¯ demonstrate such an interest in these cir- ,* cumstances." ’, Humphreys contends the banners go be- ¯ yond the concept of public speech because ¯ the city requires.groups who want to use the ¯ poles to provide the banners and to pay for ¯ their installation and removal. He said many advertisers choose not to carry certain rues- "- sages, and that Oklahoma City can, too. ¯ The city has notrespondedto the alliance’ s ¯ request to hang banners on city poles for Gay and Lesbian History Month, which takes places in October, Rogers said. The : group’s earlier banners finally came down ¯ in mid-July after the time the alliance had ¯ reserved for them ran out. Besides promoting pride, they featured a ¯ while saying he had not changed his mind ¯ that the execution should go forward. ¯ Keating has apologized for a violation of the article of the Vienna Convention that : guarantees foreign nationals, upon arrest, the right to contact their country’s consul. ~ Keating said that did not change Valdez’s ¯ guilt the slaying. ; An Amnesty International report said all ¯ 15 foreign nationals executed in the U:S. since 1993 were denied theright to consular ¯ access. ¯, Valdez admits killing Barron after Barron made advances toward him in abar. Valdez ~ took Barron home, forced him to strip, and ¯ shot him twice in the head before burning ¯ his body. ¯ one experts hopewill be themodel for a shot to control the worldwide epidemic. Two other variations of the same approach have been tested on monkeys at Harvard Medical School and Merck & Co. ," with similar results. The Merck vaccine is " already in first-stage human testing, and the -" Yerkes and Harvard versions should start : within six months. ¯ Vaccine discovery has been a notoriously ~ discouraging areaofAIDS research, clouded ~ by doubts that such a thing is even scientifi- ¯" cally thinkable. Butoverthepastyear, thanks ¯ to this impressive series of monkey experi- " ments, many researchers have grown up- :beat. An AIDS vaccine is still no sure bet, they ," say. But many believe they are at least on a ¯ rational path toward finding one. : The chances of success? "Ve~. _good," cells by the billions, taking over their machinery, forcing them tobuildnew copies ofthevirus and obliterating then~ - ~ in theprocess. Eventually, though, the killer cells awaken ." ’ and destroy most 6f the infected cells before they can " : release more virusl Virus levels fall and then level off. : by Tom Neal, publisher/editor !n~volving~eca Q.odor an,d _a__~t. 80..o.th.er, monkeys...Wl~.y? .: In the years that fsollotw,athelwear ismnearlyaa t.e.. : Well,maybe. You’ve got tofigure that The TulsaWorld . us~ ot me mo,nKey,s: she says. ~re are not all tlmt , The body produces new hel cells almost as mckl as " has to love The Dail Okl " " " dif~ __ . . . per . .. q . y . . y .ahoman, its sister rag in Olda- ~~erm.en~unk2~Yns; _ ~. ,., , : ~e-v.~..rams,~.em. ~ut ,g~.,,d.ually;, their levels slide too :homaC.ity. After all, anything The World does, nomatter m~, m,~l~w u ~.~ Lrom monkeys ls Key. anaa : Iar._ _A_t tl~s point, .vtr~.s kilh,n~..arugs can restore the : ho..w ~ss-.ix?or a~_d.pro.vm~al it might be, is going to be ~veOf~~.anlong sclen,ttsts. So,,me,wonder ft. these . bal,,~ance; butoth_e~wise theresultls AIDS and dentla.., betterthantimtot wlmthasbeendeelaredAmericaYsworst ~ .:~~gtvenmega~aoses oi lao-~’ownvlri~: , . lne new :¢aceines are desi~.,ned tostart .the .ot~min~ .... news~aoer-Tbatbein,,.~id it’l~tillru~ %unt Wns mc a.y, f we hel -7 .World f bl :. So ,here homdwesmin this our ...................au ;.,~a,,,~,~o~,~ _ t_ --___,_~~ ¯ muem:towerieveL.. -~y. oomg reaanvety su0tle,thmgs .’-- (besides TFNtn ourmodest way and Lordknows,..we’re ~S-’-~’s,":"~7:"~,’=~°~’ki~’g’,,mb°th_m_.°~,m,~eyan,.,um~n~ i du ", ~thefirstho.urs~ to w_ee.ks of infection, wethinkwe : certainly a David to their Goliath)? . ~emnv~ne~e~u~_~_s ~ts_~n_,m_s ce.,ns, aert~.~aat.oranea)~t,the . .can havea, dramatic pay~off m allowing the body’s own : ’ We’renotreallypickingon them- someone’sgot toffy ,_ mtvuut¢unt:s..mmonkeys, mevaccme seems to munt ¯ ~mmuneres nseoverthelonehanltocontalnthisv’rzl , tokeen tilt.s attack. M.a.yb.e.itwl!l in,,~,le. too-. ¯ mfecuon sa ......... " ¯ . - . , ,. , . y.s Le~twn. , , . .... , , . esO. and it ShOt as though The World doesnt criticize : ~Sudde~l.Ythere~sasensef°r.thefirst:ttmcthatperhaps : Instead~ofdyingfromAIDS, vac~nated peoplewhoget :. , everyone else in theireditorialpages. " ,, . ,, - s .bLt t : liv,o,w!th vi ,s for decades or even a :, , My’favorite waste of newsprint is our local "society, ¯~.mv,~.~.,.,_~.,,,~.~uymm~_" 0t mr:. r~tv epl~mmlc, says.., -menme. ires como atso slow ~€ svread of,the disease; . column the wo k¢~-l~ rmrvaro s L~r.Norman Letvm. ’~low there is an.absolute ¯ because when virus levels are low. ~ie are much les~ : but wonde~ ff M~V~i~o%~’~t ~’a’~’~’~r~e’~ ....v and all predicts Dr. Harriet Robinson, who oversaw experiments stampede to get these technologies into humans and ask : likely to pass .on HIV. ¯ ofthe rest of us, a whole lotof trouble ffinstead of listing the question: Can we-translate these monkey findings into : the human situation?" ¯ and Merck differ, but all involve the same strategy: First Researchers hope to know soon whether these experimental shots launch the same early immune system defenses seem in vaccinated monkeys. This would be an encouraging hint of the vaccine’s eventual power. Some answers could beoffered at an international AIDS vaccine conference in early September.. However, vaccine development is frustratingly slow. Even if all goes flawlessly, Robinson estimates it will be 2905before large-scale experiments begin with her vacone. Learning whether it truly prevents AIDS will take another two years. Many estimate these vaccines are still a decade or more away. So with clear answers so far off, is all’this optimism realistic? ’~I ask myself whether it is justified based on the science," says Dr.. Peggy Johnston, assistant director for AIDS vaccines at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "And my conclusion is yes." One reason is that scientists have lowered the bar. Until now, all useful vaccines prevented infections. However, the human immune system cannot mm back an HIV infection, and no one knows how to make a vaccine that accomplishes something the human body cannot do for itself. So thenew vaccines are designed to accomplish thenext best thing- train theimmune defenses to hold an infection in Check without preventing it entirely. "For a long time, people assumed that the only successfnl vaccine would completely prevent infection," says Dr. Robert Schooley of the University of Colorado. ’The new studies suggest that a vaccine might also have a moderab ing influence on the disease process itself." Scientists agree that blocking an infection requires the production, of powerful antibodies. This is how standard vaccines work: They show the immune system a protein that is unique to the germ. If the bug ever gets into the body, the defenses will blaze back with antibodies that latch onto the protein, blocking the germ and destroyingit. HIV, however, is amoving target. It mutates so fast that it constantly changes the proteins on its surface. So a vaccine that triggers an attack against one strain of HIV may be powerless against another. Furthermore, the virus covers its surface with sugar, whichhides its proteins from antibodies. When all of this became clear in the 1990s, scientists went back to basics. How is it, they asked, that people often live with HIV for eight or 10 years beforefalling sick with AIDS? And why do some never seem to get ill at all? " The answer turns out to be another line of defense ¯ against germs, the killer cells. Unlike antibodies, which " guard against free-floating microbes, the killer cells rec- " ognize infected cells and destroy them. ¯ HIV’s favorite target is a blood cell called the helper " cell. This complicates matters enormously, since one of the hel.per cells’ most important jobs is nourishing and : managing the killer cells. In the first days ofaninfection, HIV burrows into helper " Details of the vaccines developed by Yerkes, Harvard come injections of several HIV genes, which are taken in by muscle cells that use them as blueprints to make viral proteins. Next comes an immune system booster, such as a smallpox virus that has been rebuilt to carry some of the HIV genes. The ultimate goal is still a vaccine that will block HIV infection. But in the meantime, many believe wide use of the latest vaccines could reduce spread of th~ disease, especially in parts of the world where it is rampant. Experts believe a vaccine is the only thing tlmt will tame an epidemic that has already killed 20 million people and infects 15,000 more daily. Dr. Gary Nabel, director of the National Institutes of Health’s Vaccine Research Center, says that even if the first versions are only modestly effective, tinkering will probably make them better. ’"vVe’ll start with a Model T and hope to get to a Mercedes fast." While much of the attention is on novel strategies, a more traditional vaccine is already in final-stage testing. The AIDSVax, developed by VaxGen, has been given to 7,900 volunteers in North America, Europe and Thailand The vaccine is made from the outer wrapper ofthe AIDS virus and is intended to trigger antibodies to prevent infection. Many AIDS experts are skepti,c01, because the approach has been disappointing in monkeys, and some early volunteers contracted HIV after being vaccinated. However, VaxGen’s president, Dr. Donald Francis, says more promising data from chimp experiments suggest it has as good a chance as any other approach, Researchers will take their first look at the results in November, but unless it proves surprisingly effective, the experiment will condnue until at least the end ofnext year. Next in development is an Aventis Pasteur vaccine. It consists of a canarypox virus engineered to carry HIV genes, followed by a boost with AIDSVax. The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research plans to start testing on 16,000 volunteers in Thailand next summer. Even ifaaone of these works out, other ideas are in the development pipeline. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the biggest vaccine backer, is financing two dozen different possible vaccines. Still, a few dozen healthy monkeys like Godot do not prove anAIDS vaccine is on the horizon. Somein the field worry that the wishforonehas dissolved~bealthy scientific skepticism. "We tend to swing from momentous lows to momentous highs in the AIDS field," says Dr. Mark Mulligan of the University ofAlabama at Birmingham. ’’Wemaybe in an Alan Greenspan time ofirrational exuberance, because we need this so desperately." ~ all the people who attend Tulsa events, she would simply :. say that all the usual people were there - since it is the : same-cast of criminals in column after colunm That : would that reduce her column to a size .appropriate to its ¯ usual level of content, as well as saving someone the ¯ trouble of typing in all those names, over and over. ¯ Actually, as much as I hate to admit it, I find Ms. .. Walker’s colulnn somewhat useful, if vulgar. In a town as ¯ screwed up and elitist/racist/homophobic as Tulsa is, it never hurts to know who among Tnlsa’s "social elite" is ¯ in bed with each other, figuratively speaking. ¯ Top World editor JoeWorley took umbrage about TFN ¯ calling The Worm a country club newspaper some years " back. My response is just read Ms. Walker’s column, see ¯ how much space it regularly commands and try to argue ¯ with me. Imagine if The Worm devoted as much space to ¯ international news regularly as they do to Ms. Walker! Another interesting aspect of Tulsa Worm "reporting" is the flagrant disregard for professional ethics in some ~ cases. Recently The World published an article about a ¯ new image/fundraising campaign~oyq~ulsa~ s most pron~i- ¯ nent non-profit organization. The only problem was that the information in the article had/has yet to be released to ¯ the public. The "reporter" was privy to the information ¯ because s/he serves on an advisory committee for the non- " profit and took theinformation direcdy out ofanonpublic meeting without permission. Even first year journalism ¯ students would recognize that this was obtained and used ¯ improperly - and The World reporter who did this should ¯ know better. ¯ But part of the incestuous nature ofTulsais that the non- " profit will likely tolerate just about anything The World ¯ does because The World donates so very many dollars a ." year. Given this compromised financial relationship, it’s little surprise that this non-profit only gets promotional ¯ newscoverage from The WorM. And incompetence at the ¯ helm of this non-profit has been covered up for years by all ¯ of Tnlsa’s news outlets. ¯ But shoddy journalism should hardly be a surprise to ¯ thosewho’vebeenrcading The World’sreligioncoverage ¯ for some months. Thefirst clue that The WorMhas thrown ¯ journalistic balance out JoeWorley’s window onto Main ¯ Street is that World religion "reporter" Bill Sherman ¯ allegedly is a "Promise-Keeper". Being a member of this rightwing, misogyuistic and ¯ anti-Gay organizationwouldbe consideredradicallycorn_ ¯ promised as a journalist by most news organizations but ¯ not at The WorM, apparently. ¯ Since Sherman took over the religion post, stories about ¯ evangelical and fundamentalist groups have dominated ¯ Wormcoverage while newsworthy stories coming out of other moreprogressive traditions.have been ignored. And : Tulsa’s moderate and progressive religious leaders have ¯ given up hope for fair coverage from The World. ¯ But at TFN, we always hold out hope for redemption, ¯ and note that Shermanis asking for stories aboutmiracles. ¯ Here, we’re just hoping for fair and accurate reporting from The World. Now that would be a miracle, indeed. Newspaper, Chain Offers Partner Benefits ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - Gannett Co., the nation’s largest newspaper publisher, will soon offer full medical benefits to same-sex partners who live together, the company announced. The company also will offer benefits to unmarried domestic partners of the opposite sex. The benefits for partners will become available inJanua~ 2002. Tobeeligible, partners mustfirst havehad a 12-month relationship. They mustalso sign an affidavit that declares there is financial dependence between them. Gannett spokeswomanTara Connell said there have been several requests from empl,oyees for equal coverage for domestic partners. "We ve been looking at it for years," Connell said. She said the company’s rapid growth last year slowed the process of revamping the benefits. Gannett employs about 53,400 people at 98 newspapers in the United States. The company also owns about 23 television stations. Unlike married couples of the opposite sex, an employee claiming the benefits will still have to pay taxes on the amount used to insure his or her partner. The IRS does not extend tax exemptions for medical benefits to domestic partners. Gannett’s decision was hailed by Gay and Lesbian groups. ’q~o stay competitive youhave to provide good benefits," said Sherry Boschert, a board member of The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. "It just makes good business sense." Cincinnati Schools AddressAnti-Gay Attacks CINCINNATI (AP) - Public,school students who xntimidate others because of sexual orientation or disability can be suspended or expelled. The board of education voted 6-1 to add those two provisions to the Cincinnati Public Schools’ discipline policy. Board lawyer John Concannon said principals and assistant principals were trained to pr.operly enforce the new policy during in-service sessxons two weeks ago. Mindy Sandfort, a spokeswoman for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, urged the board to teach educators how to recognize, prevent and discipline harassment based on sexual identity, which is not explicitly mentioned in the new policy. ’q~eachers need to understand the difference between gender identity and sexual orientationandhow to deal withthe harassment that comes with both situations," she said. Concannon said he believes gender identity is covered under the current policy. The policy applies to serious incidents ofharassment, intimidation or threatening, he said. It does not apply to incidents that involve free speech rights. If a student says, "I’m opposed to homosexuality because God says homosexuality is a sin," it is not a violation of the policy, Concannon said. Australian Gay Partners . To Be Recognized . PERTH, Australia (AP) -De facto partnerships, including homosexual relationships, will be recognized in the same way as marriages under new propertyrights legislation to be introduced in a state parliament. Western Australia state Attorney General Jim McGinty said the legislatiqnwouldallow thoseheterosexual and same-sex couples whose relationships .are recognized by the state to have property disputes settled through the Family Court rather than having to go to the Supreme Court. Australia has a vibrant and vocal Gay community. Sydney each year plays host to the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, one of the largest international Gay pride - festivals. Under Australian law, when a de facto relationship ends there is no specific legQ, right allowing a person to claim a share of property. A significant and growing proportion of couples living together in Western Australia have no access to the Family Court if their relationship ends," McGinty said. "Instead, they must argue their case before the Supreme Court, resorting to principles of equity that can be expensive, time consuming, public and uncertain." McGinty said the legislation, which will be introduced in Parliament this week, would also ensure all de factor couples can ask for alimony, just as married couples can. The legislation comes after Prime Minister John Howard said that he would not support homosexual weddings and that same-sex couples should not have the same legal status as married couples. Teens Held in Gay Killing WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -Abeating and arson that killed a 58-year-old Wichita man began with him making sexual advances to two teen-agers now charged with killing him, witnesses said. The co-defendants - 18- year-old Zachary Steward and 17-year-old Brandon Boone - blamed each other for repeatedly striking Marcell Eads on his head, according to testimony presented at a preliminary hearing. District Court Judge Joseph Bribiesca ruled there was enough evidence to charge the two with firstdegree murder, aggravated arson, aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery. The judge also ruled that Boone, 16 when the crimes occurred, would be tried as an adult. Innocent pleas have been entered for both men. Trial was set for Oct. 8. Early the morning of June 29, firefighters found the body of Eads on the floor of his smoldering home. Although Eads was beaten severely, it was the fire that killed him, Deputy Coroner Jaime Oeberst said. Eads was burned over 60% to 70% of his body and inhaled smoke that left alethal level of carbon monoxide in his blood, he said. Testimony showed that sex and sexual orientation appeared to be key factors in the motive. Police Det~- tive Blake Mumma said Steward gave a statement m which he said that Eads had made sexual advances toward him and Boone - prompting Boone to start beating Eads with a broomstick, and later with the end of a table and a rock. Steward also admitted to striking Eads, Mumma said. According to Steward’s statement to police, the two teens returned to Eads’ house and Boone started the fire. Eads, a hairstylist, was openly Gay, said neighbor Zusan Livingston. She said Eads toldherhewas having an affair with Steward. Steward and his father had come to Eads for haircuts. Steward grew up in Riverside,, several blocks west of F_ads’ bungalow. Rachel Mroczkowsk, Boone’ s 15-year-old girlfriend, testified she heard Steward say the night of the killing that he was angry because he had gone to aman’s house andthe man,had grabbed the area around his genitals and propositioned him. She said Steward used a slur to .describe the man and said he wanted Boone to go with him to beatthe man and steal things from his home. Under Kansas law, if it can be shown that someone was a crime victim because of his sexual orientation, a judge can use that to justify a harsher sentence. US Women Wed In Netherlands PROVINCETOWN, Mass. (AP) - Two women from Provincetown were married last month in the Netherlands, but it is unclear whether their marriage will be legally recognized in Massachusetts. Heather Wishik and Susan Donegan said they will not fight for their overseas mamage to be legal in Massachusetts, but Gay civil fights advocates predict state courts may soon be forced to confront the issue of same-sex couples who marry or are joined in a civil union out of state or overseas. MCC United MetropolRan Coctmltardgy C~urch United is a cor-,gre~jaUon ofthe Univer~a~ Fellowship of Metropcdita~ Community ~hurcl~,s Sharing the ~oodness of the Lord with our community.= Sunday Morning Traditional 11:00 AM Wednesday EvenJn, Contemporary 7:00 PM Rev. Cathy Elliott, Pastor "1623 N. Maplewood (918) 838-1715 mcctulsa@aoLcotn Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community ofHope 2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595 A Welcoming Congregation HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, lnfo: 224-4754 The Open Arms Project Young Adult Support Group Outreach Program Thurs. Nights Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment Call for meeting times and place: 918-584-2325 Mingo Valley Flowers 9413 E. 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 Store 21st Street & Memorial Tulsa Gay Community Services Center 743-GAYS (743-4297) 6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday 12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center Heart of the Hills Bed & Breakfast 5 Summit, Eureka Springs, Arkansas 501 - 363 - 9203 Come Stay Us for the Next Diversi~. Celebration, Nov. 2 - 4 Red Rock Tulsa Free Confidential HIV Testing Walk-in Clinics Tues. & Thurs., 5 -8 pm at the Center; 1307 East 38th Daytime appointments available. Call for more information: 918-584-2325 e i I v r American Red Cross American Red Cross Tulsa Area Chapter~ 10151 East Eleventh Tulsa 74128 Dannette Mclntosh Diversity Co-ordinator 838-1100 OPENARMS OPEN MINDS OPEN I-IFAI~S Saint Aidan 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 A lawsuit recently filed in Suffolk Superior Court challenges the rights of same-sex couples to marry in Massachusetts. Five’months ago, the Netherlands became the first country to allow same-sex marriage. "For us, our Dutch marriage is simply that - it’s a Dutch marriage entered into for very personal reasons," Donegan said. "We did not get married as a political or legal challenge to Massachusetts or to the United States." Mary Bonauto, staff attorney for Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, said she had not yet seen couples married in the Nefherlands or joined in civil union in Vermont go to court in Massachusetts to extend the legal recognition. But Bonauto said she has seen same-sex couples who went to Vermont for a civil union return to Massachusetts and successfully negotiate employee benefits with employers or family rates with clubs. "It’s evolving in its own way," she said. European Scouts Do Accept Gays During the last European Conference of Scouts and [gift] Guides, at the initiative of the Belgian delegation a resolution was approved not to consider homosexuality as a discriminatory factor, neither inside nor outside scouting. This resolution was a reaction by Belgium to the recent troubles with the Boy Scouts of America regarding the exclusion of gay members, on account of which Steven Spielberg, among others, resigned from the organization. The European Conference of Scouts and Guides, which took place from 7 - 12 July in Prague, was attended by more than 400 representatives from throughout Europe. Belgian delegates represented the five Belgian scouts and guides organizations, which have around 150,000 members. Scouting and Guiding is active in 41 European countries, with approximately 3.5 million boys and gifts participating. Worldwide the organization counts around 35 million scouts and guides in 216 countries, and the Jamboree, to be held next year in Thailand, is its most eye-catching international initiative. The Belgian proposal to avoid discrimination based on sexual preference opened with the charter of fundamental rights of the child adopted by the European. Unionin Nice in December 2000. Further, the amendment pointed out evolutions in present day society and the fact that scouting and guiding always follow the tendencies of youth culture, put to the test of the principles of the movement. Following this it was stated that ’l~olebis" (the Belgian abbreviation for Gays, Lesbians, and Bisexuals) are to be universally accepted within European society and that this cannot be used as an exclusionary criterion by national (scouting) federations. The Belgian proposal was approved by a large majority of the conference representatives. Turkey, Greece, Romania, Portugal, Cyprus, and Malta voted against the initiative. The five Belgian "scouts and guides organizahons (VVKSM, FOS, FCS, GCB, and SGP) hope that the approval of this resolution will have an impact on other regions of the world. The American observer at the conference was "not really happy" with the result [of the vote on the initiative]. However, news is trickling out that the scouting movement in the United States is.coming under pressure from, among others, gigantic sponsors such as Levis and Coca Cola, to revise its policy against Gays. Washington State Court Upholds Partner Benefits OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The city of Vancouver can keep providing health benefits to domestic partners of Gay and Lesbian city employees, the Washington ¯ Supreme Court has ruled. The 8-1 decision will likely ¯ stretch beyond the city’s borders. Other cities, includ- ¯ ing Seattle, and the state have similar policies, along ¯ withlocal governmentsinatleastfourotherstates.The ¯ policy allows domestic partners, including same-sex : partners, to receive health insurance benefits. It also ¯ allows employees to use theii sick leave to care for ¯ partners or partners’ children. Vancouver resident Roni Heinsma challenged the ¯ policy soon after it was adopted in 1998, arguing that : the city was creating akind of mini-marriage in viola- . tion of the state law against same-sex marriage. But thejustices agreed with the city’s argument that ¯ regulation of employee benefits is alocal matter. ’’We ¯ conclude that the city’s recognition of domestic part- . nershipis limited and that the program does not uncon- ¯ stitutionally interfere with the Legislature’s ability to ¯ regulate familial relationships on a statewide level," ¯ Justice Susan Owens wrote for the majority. Heinsma’s challenge was argued by the Northstar ¯ Legal Center, a conservative nonprofit law firm m Fairfax, Va., which challenged the city’s argnment that the benefits were necessary to recruit and retain good workers. ’The city or county that enacts this is ¯ saying that we do not agree with the state Legislature’s decision to ban same-sex marriage," said Jordan Lorence, the Northstar attorney who argued the case. ¯ ’q-his isn’t based on need, it’s based on a political ¯ agenda." Similar polices in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver and Broward County, Fla., have been upheld by other state supreme courts, Lorence said. Policies in Minneapo- ¯ lis, Boston, and Arlington County, Va., were struck ¯ down. Courts are still considering cases in Philadel- ¯ phia and Montgomery County, Maryland. ¯ "Every time we get domestic partner benefits like ¯ this, the fight wing swoops in and raises some kind of challenge," said Pat Logue, senior counsel for the ¯ Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, a Gay civil fightsgroup. "I think the courts recognize that : domestic partnership is not marriage." ¯ In Washington, King County and the cities of Seattic, Olympia and Tumwater have similar policies. : The Public Employees Benefits Board approved a : similar policy for state workers last year at Gov. Gary Locke’s request. ¯ Since Vancouver’s policy was initiated in 1998, ¯ about 30 domestic partnerships have been registered and approved. The city paid more than $20,000 to ¯ cover the cost of the policy in 1998. "A lot of private ¯ businesses have similar policies," said Ted Gathe, ¯ Vancouver’s city attorney. "It was felt by the city that ¯. recruiting and retaining employees is important, and this was one of the benefits that should be included in : our package." ¯ Gay Friendly Governor i To Run for US Senate : NEWBURY, N.H. (AP) - Democratic Gov. Jeanne ¯ Shaheen, New Hampshire’s first female governor and ¯ the first to openly support abortionfights, took the first official step toward running for Senate. Shaheen, a ¯ social liberal and fiscal conservative, filed papers ." creating an exploratory committee for a run for the seat ¯ now held by conservative Republican incumbent Bob ¯ Smith. ¯ Shaheen has signed bills protecting Gay civil rights in housing, jobs and public accommodations and re- . pealing a ban on Gay adoptions. ¯ "Democrats, independents and Republicans all have told me that they want a U.S. senator who will be a ¯ champion for them in Washington and take action on the real problems they face," Shaheen said in a state- " merit. Democrats have held a 50-49-1 advantage in the ¯ Senate since Jim Jeffords of Vermont switched from ¯ the GOP to independent in June. Shaheen said she ¯ won’t officially decide whether to run until next year. _" She is serving her third two-year term as governor. So. Africato Provide Free AIDS Drug JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) - The governmentmade a verbal agreement with a German drug company to accept a key AIDS drug for free in pilot projects aimed at reducing the number of babies born withHIV,company officials released recently. The deal to provide free nevirapine for the prevention of motherto- child transmission of HIV at pilot projects in the country was tentatively accepted, said Kevin McKenna, technical director ofBoehringer-Ingelheimin South Africa. The.company made the offer of free Nevirapine to more than 100 developing countries last year, provided it was part of a properly managed, comprehensive mother-to-child Transmission prevention program. The government had been criticized for not taking up the offer. AIDS activists and doctors sued the government demanding the immediate administration of nevirapine nationwide. About 200 babies are born with HIV every day in South .africa and the drug could slash that number in half. By refusing to make nevirapine widely available to HIV-infected pregnant women, the government is denying women .and children ¯ their constitutional rights to health care, the suit filed in the Pretoria High Court claimed. The government, which is reviewing the suit, says it stands by its policy of first distributing nevirapine on a small scale ¯ through pilot programs to test its effects~ Young So. Africans Speak of AIDS CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) - In a steady voice, 16-year-old Jabu tells how her father raped her repeatedly, infecting her with the HIV virus. Once too scared to speak out, she encouraged others to fight anti-AIDS discrimination in South Africa at the first national meeting of children who are either infected or who have relatives with the virus. An estimated 4.7 million South Africans, about 11% of the population, are infected with HIV. The country has 700~000 AIDS orphans. Those infected are often stigmatized by a society who considers it a shameful illness, Infected children at the meeting spoke of being shunnedby theirpeers,abandonedby their own families and even blamed by health care workers for contracting the virus. Jabu, who asked to be identified only by her first name, encouraged the young people to speak out. ’%’ou don’t have to keep quiet," Jabu told the group of about 90 children. The children, aged seven to 18, gathered from across the country in this coastal city and read anonymous testimonials out loud. Participants told of having to leave school to care for their infected siblings. Rejected by their families, others spoke of having to support themselves by collectl’ ng fi¯ rewood and tendi"ng cattle. "My rdafives discriminate between me and their children," wrote one of the children in a testimonial. "It’s like I am a slave." Monene, 14, lost her mother to the disease. She said she frequently goes hungry and does not have proper clothes to wear. Monene, who asked to be identified only by her firstname, urged the government to build more orphanages. "If they don’t do that, what are we going to become in the future?" she asked. TheSouthAfrican governmenthasbeen ambasted for an inconsistent policy on combatting AIDS and for refusing to provide anti-retroviral drugs through the public health system. At the meeting, Dr. Nono Simelela, who heads the health department’s AIDS program, told the children the government was doing the best it could. "It’s dear that a~ore resources as going to be needed," Simelela said. "As far as humanly possible, we are responding to these challenges, (but) the processes are slow." Partners agree to joint ownership of patents for first AIDS vaccine specifically designed for Africa NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Three partners developing and testing thefirstHIV/AIDS vaccine specifically designed for an African strain of the disease have agreed to joint ownership of the drug’s patents. The three-year agreement settles one of the hurdles that had earlier threatened to delay testing the vaccine to combat the viral strain most common in eastern Africa: Kenyan trials of the vaccine started several months later than expected, partly because of wrangling over ownership and patent rights. ’q~nis was a delicate matter, requiring a lot of patience and compromise from all parties," said Francis Gichaga, vice chancellor of theUniversity ofNairobi. Gichaga and Seth Berkley, president of the New York-based International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, signed the agreementin Nairobi. Britain’ s Medical Research Council signed it in England earlier last month. ’q~he task force was guided by the principle of.fairness, equal partnership and need to equitably apportion credit and any revenues that may accrue from this project," Gichaga said. The groups have been working since November 1998 to develop a double vac, cine, basing much of their research on prostitutes from a Nairobi slum who appear to be immune to the HIV virus that causes AIDS. The first component is a simple_DNA vaccine that delivers the genetic information on HIV. The second component, known as MVA~ is a vaccine that delivers the same genetic information but uses a weakened smallpox virus to carry it to the cells. The DNA vaccine is in its first phase of testingonbothKenyans andBritons. Tests of the MVA vaccine are being conducted in England and are expected to begin in Kenya in September or October, said G_ilbert Camathan, project manager at the vaccine initiative, which is funding the research. Trials combining the components are expected to begin later this year in Britain and in early 2002 in Kenya, Camathan said. There is no HIV virus in the injections. The safety tests will determine whether they have any toxic effects. Once the combination vaccine has proven safe, it will be Power Connect. Public Service Company of Oklahoma Service Is Now Available 24 Hours A Day, Seven Days A Week. These days, traditional 8-5 business hours aren’t always convenient. So PSO has made it easier than ever for you to contact us. Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7 - offering around-the-clock answers to your questions - and better access to service. Now it’s easier for you to inquire about your monthly electric bill. Or report a power outage. Or arrange tohave your power turned on or off. Our professionally trained, friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives are standing by to serve you. All day, every day. To provide faster response to your needs, we have listed our toll-free numbers below. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I C .L HOU FOR i, TOLL-FREE SER CE Customer Services: 1-888-216-3523 Billing Inquiries: 1-888-216-3490 Ou~ge Repo~g: 1-888-218-3919 Servicio a Clientes: 1-888-216-3505 Preguntas Sobre su Cuenta: 1-888-216-3491 Falta De Suministro: 1-888-218-3924 Public Service Company of Oklahoma I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Timothy W. Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partnership Planning, Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-800-742-9468 or 918:352-9504 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma Weekend and evening appointments are available. tested to see if it actually wards off AIDS. The process is expected to take several years. Berkley will sign an agreement with the Uganda Vaccine Research Institute soon that will pave the way for testing there of an orally administered version of the vaccine, CamathantoldTheAssociated Press. Tests so far have "not only been safe, but also generated surprisingly good immune responses," Berkley said. Africa, the world’s poorest continent, is ground zero in the fightagainstHIV/AIDS. More than 24 million Africans live with the vires butmost cannot afford expensive drugs designed to slow its effects. Health officials estimate that more than 2.6 million Kenyans alOne have HIV/AIDS, and 700 more are infected each day. Other vaccines-target strains prevalent in Europe and North America. AIDS Activist Sees Less Harassment SHANGHAI, China (AP) - The threatening phone calls and summons by angry officials areover. Governmentleaders who once shunned her now smile and say hello inpublic. Thereversal represents a victory ofsorts forGao Yaojie, aretired gynecologist who publicized the spread of AIDS through illegal blood buying in rural villages in the central Chinese province of I-Ienan. After years of official attempts to conceal the deadly outbreak, the government is acknowledging that hundreds of villagers are infected and that dozens have already died. Gao said a deputy governor of Henan even went out ofhis way last week to greet her at an art exhibition. The government still hasn’t broken down and told Gao she was right. Butithas stopped treating her as if she were trying to reveal state secrets, Gao, 74, told The Associated Press by telephone. ’‘itrs so quiet now," she said. "A couple of months ago, I was getting phone calls from government officials almost every day." Gao stumbled onto the hidden epidemic in 1996, when one of her patients tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS. Gao was able to link the infection to an illegal blood-buying industry in rural Henan. Since the 1980s, collectors had been paying villagers for their blood, extracting the valuable plasmaand then reinjecting what was left back into donors’ veins. Donated blood was often pooled together, facilitating Transmission ofHIV. Gao printed more than 300,000 flyers and 100,000 booklets to warn the villagers about the danger. She also paid for the treatment of infected children. She said she has spent more than $25,000 of her ownmoney over thelastfive years. Health officials at first ignored her and then grew hostile as her efforts drew Chinese and foreign media attention, she said. In May, officials at the hospital where she had worked in Zhengzhou, Henan’s capital, blocked her application for a passport to visit the United States to accept an award for anti-AIDS activism. Officials accused her of collaborating with "anti- Chinese foreign organizations," she said. Butthis month:the governmentabruptly reversed itselfand announced it was sending a team of health officials to open a clinic in the worst-hit village, Wenlou. More recently, a vice minister of health said an April survey of 1,645 Wenlou villagers found that 318 - or 19% - were HIV-positive. Among villagers who sold blood, an even larger proportion were infected - 244 out of 568, or 43% Officials are now examining blood supplies in all hospitals and donor centers in Henan, the Health Ministry’s newspaper- Health News - said Friday. Police also are searching for illegal blood-buyers, known as "bloodheads," and government officials who helped them, it said. "It’s a good start that the government is beginning to acknowledge this problem and take action against it," Gao said. ’’I am not sure how effective the crackdown will be or if theproblem will just reappear after the campaign is over, but at least it’s much better than before when the officials did nothing at all." Brazil Strips Patent On AIDS Drug ¯ RIO DEJANEIRO, Brazil (AP)-Brazil’s : decision to disregard patent protections ¯ and begin manufacturing a genetic ver- ¯’ sion of a powerful anti-AIDS drug could ¯ open the way for other developing coun- ." tries to follow suit, experts said in August. ¯¯ Brazil has become the first country to strip the patent on an anti-AIDS medica- ¯ tion. Health Minister Jose Serra said gov- ¯ ernment laboratories would begin manu- ¯ facturing Nelf’mavir, an anti-AIDS drug ¯ made by the Roche group and sold under ¯ the trade name Viracept. Serra justified ¯ the move, saying six months of negotia- ¯ tions with Roche failed to lower the drug’s ¯ price sufficiently for Brazil to be able to ~ distribute the drug free of charge to all in ¯ need. Brazil, has the highest number of : AIDS victimsin Latin America, with about ¯ 203,000 people with the disease. ¯ Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Cen- ¯ ter for Economic Policy and Research, a : Washington-based think tank, hailed ¯ Brazil’s decision and said it could prompt ¯ other countries to do the same. "I think ¯ you’regoing to seemoredeveloping coun- ¯ tries resisting these attempts to enforce the ¯ U.S. patent law all over the world. Very ." often, this is the ease: When one country ¯ challenges these laws, the U.S. backs ¯ down," he said. Weisbrot points to U.S. ¯ decisions to back away from attempts at ¯ stricterpatent enforcementonAIDS drugs ¯ in South Africa and Brazil. ¯ The law also contains clauses that allow ¯ patents to be stripped in cases of national ¯ emergency or when the company has been ~ judged to employ abusive pricing. Serra ~ used the abusive pricing clause in justify- ." ing this move. Roche spokesman Daniel Piller said the : company was not expecting Brazil’s latest _" move. "We were surprised to hear the ¯° news from the Brazilian government. We really think the government of Brazil ~s ~ really committed to combatting this dread- ." ful disease, andin ourpoint ofview, we are ¯ stillinnegotiations withthe Health Minis- ." try," Piller said by telephone from the ¯ company’s headquarters in Switzerland. This year’s New Genre Festival, Octo~ ¯ her 3-7,-2001, will present a diverse range " of artists, many of whom cross disciplin- " ary lines to create exciting new art works.. ¯ These works push the limits of traditional " media while incorporating the new media " madepossiblebytoday’s technology. New ¯ Genre Festival is a program ofLiving Arts of Tulsa. This year the following art venues have ¯ chosen to collaborate on promoting corn ¯ temporary art in Tulsa: Living ArtSpace, Nightingale Theatre, Philbrook Museum " of Art, SoBo 2, TulsaModem Art Center, ¯ Tulsa Performing Arts CenterTrust, Tulsa Pror~e~ ¯ le, University of Tulsa School of " Art, Utica Square " Since 1969, Living Arts of Tulsa has been steadfast inits mission of"presenting ¯ and devdoping contemporary artforms in " Tulsa." Living Arts is interested in newly " evolving ideas and concepts, and in sharingits interests withthe communitythrough " creative workshops, performances, exhi- " bitions, films/videos, demonstrations of ", current art, lectures, related educational activxties and research. Living Arts has two principal goals: 1) ¯ to bring Outside artists and works to Tulsa who are pushing their media to its limit and, 2) to present opportunities and. challenges for local artists to develop and present new, exploratory works,which are not normally seen in Tulsa. ’~3rrrl Power" Elizabeth.Whitney is one of this year’s emcees and she will be making several appearances throughout the festival: Thursday at the Performance Open; Friday at Die Audio Gruppe - 8pro andatA.K.A. - 10pro; and Saturday atJos4 Torres Tama - 8pm. Grrrls: Subversive Performances of Femininity Utilizing multiple perso_~,ae (Rizzo - tough girl, Barbie, Miss Flizabeth, Bridesmaid, and Ethyl), Elizabeth Whitney leads us through many aspects of stereo typed women today - only with a twist! ncSis theotherof this year’ s emcees and they will be making several appearances/ performances throughout the festival: Thursday at the Performance Open - 8pm; Friday at Jos4 Torres Tama- 10pro Saturday at Die Audio Gruppe - 8pro he5 had its .begin~,~,n,gs as a band. Always "very theatrical for a rock group, it wasn’t until the dialmmer quit that the remaining band members decided to ditch the gigs and dive into theatrical experimentaion. Utilizing various disciplines, technology and whatever else they can find, nc5 strives to incorporate the energy of a rock concert into their performances. On Wednesday, Oct. 3, 5-Spin will feature ’q’he Culture of Breath," an interactive computer projection insthllation by Chicago Art Institute Professor of New MediaTiffany Holmes whichinvestigates the physiological, the biological, and the ~psychological aspects of breathing. It opens at Living ArtSpace, 308 S Kenosha. The installation continues on display through October 25. The act of breathing is presented as a series of visual layers: physical, biotic, and psychological. On the physical level, the artist reminds us that we can consciously hold our breath and halt the automatic process of breathing for a short period of time until the body revolts and reasserts control. The act of breathing creates a dynamic interface between our exterior and interior environments. OnThursday, Oct. 4, Willy Le Maitre& Eric Rosenzveig will present "The Appearance Machine"- a live video installation which begins in New York City with the collection of trashfrom the streets. The garbage starring in the drama is manipulated, analyzed, videotaped and then streamed in realtime over the internet directly to the Alexandre Hogue Gallery, Phillips Hall, University of Tulsa, 2935 E 5th St. It opens from 5-Tpm and continues through October 25. Eric Rosenzveig also will give a talk at TU about the work and other artworks using new technologies at 6pro. Chris Wildrick of ’~2funBasTards" from Madison, Wisconsin will perform Local Reality Test: Temporal Continuity Test, an out-of-theater performance by walking around Tulsa from 9-5pm asking people what timeitis. He will then check this time against his watch, marking down the difference in minutes and his location. He will also check times fOund on public docks. Throughout the day he will accumulate avast amount of data regarding the discrepancies between time and space m Tulsa. A ground-breaking new program of the New Genre Festival this year, the Performance Open allows for several short performance artworks by artists from Tulsa and around the country to be seen at one venue, The Nightingale Theatre, 1416 E 4th St8:00pm $8. ($6. students) onThursday, Oct. 4. The amazing Berlin-based multimedia artgroup, DieAudioGruppe,buildelectroacoustic clothing and then perform using them. Studio Performances at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, Doenges Theater, 2rid. & Cincinnati, 8:00pm.$12. ($6. students) Friday/Saturday, Oct. 5/6. Reservations are required through the PAC at 596-7111 or www.tnlsapac.com. A workshop will be offered, "Making Electro-acoustic Clothing" with inventor Ben0it Manbrey on Monday, Oct. 1, 7:00pro at Living ArtSpaee. Also on "Oct. 5/6, Living Arts will feature ’qm Exile Close to the Equator - Personal Stories of Universal Truths in a Search for the "American Dream." In this autobiographical verbal and visual coil lage, performance artist Jos~ Tortes Tama : returns to Tulsawith awork that combines : personal stories and incantations withdra- ~ matic movement and visual tableaus. ¯ Moving rapidly from poetic drama to the hilariously absurd, he creates a dynamic ¯ piece that explores the immigrant experience and rites-of-passage in urban Ameri- ] can culture. ¯ The New Genre Festival also will offer : anumber more events. For moreinforma- ¯¯ tion, call 918-585-1234 or check out: www.livingarts.org. Living Arts of Tulsa ¯ is located at 308 S Kenosha. It’s too expensive." You can subscribe to Tulsa Opera’s entire season for as little as $13 per opera. That’s cheaper than a ballgame and at that price you can even bring a date. ]’re sure to score. Herland Fall Retreat September 14-16 Roman Nose State Park Featuring entertainers Mary N Bright Mary Catherine Reynolds, -Kristall Bright and Nancy Nesser Herland, 2312 NW 39th Oklahoma City, www.herlandsister.org THE GILDED AGE Treasuresfrom the Smitbsonian American Art Museum 9 SEPTEMBER -- 4 NOVEMBER 2OO1 THE PHILBROOK MUSEUM OF ART 2727 SOUTH ROCKFORD ROAD Hungry for Atlantic Herring or A Prince in a Shetland? by Deborah J. Hunter If you like Stephen McCauley (Object ofMyAffection, Easy Way Out, Man ofthe Houseand TrueEnough) you’ll love Louis Bayard. I read Bayard’s two novels, En- "dangered Species (2001) and Fool’s Errand (1999) back to back. I get hungry for good writing with peculiar characters that happen to be Gay. Bayard gives us both in a feast of storytelling about thirty-something Nick Broome who hasurges toward parenthoodandPatrick Beaton who is in search of - "PrinceCharming"orin this case "Prince Shetland." Like McCauley, Bayard gently bashes stereotypes in favor of people "like you and me" (and some not so like anyone I have ever met) that are trying to make alife that on most daysdoesn’t seen the least bit-"altemative." Nick Broome’s experience with sperm banks and finding out his own motility rates are hilarious. Thephysiclan s assistant.., leads me down along hallway with shell-colored carpet...She hands me three medium-size glass vials, abox ofKleenex and a back issue of Pro Wrestling magazine." He evolves from wanting to propagate to wanting to parent. His search for a ¯Lesbian co-parem, or finally, a surrogate but are asked to donate $10 at the door. Earlierin September,TulsaOklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR) will kick off theplanningfor Diversity Celebration2002 from 5:30 to7pmonThursday, Sept. 6th at Renegades in the Rainbow Room. The public is welcome and for more information, call 743-4297, or e-mail to community@tohr.org Looking forward to the end of October, TOHR will be hosting a Rocky Horror Masquerade Ball featuring Helga’s Horribles to benefit the Pyramid Project (the-ftm.draising effort for a permanent commumty center) at the Downtown Doubletree on the 27th. More details will be available in October. HRC Announces Grant to Oklahoma Group WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) madeannounced decisions about its first round of Equality Fund grants to Gay state lobbying groups in 10 states. Amoung these grants (totaling $47,000) is one to Oklahoma’s Cimarron Alliance Foundation of $4,000 to conduct the first poll in Oklahoma to guidedevelopment of public outreach messages, with special emphasis on hate crimes, discrimination "... Like MeCauley, Bayard gently bashes stereotypes in favor of people ’like you and me’ "(and some not so like anyone I have ever met)..." ¯ mother, takes him on a journey that in- : eludes a cast of ordinary but uncommon ¯ people. His thoughts turn from Atlantic ¯ herring, "These are fish that travel inlarge " schools and reproduce as casually as I untangle phone cords," to other species, " "Cowbirds have beenonmindlately. They ¯ are brown-headed creatures that decline : the honor of building nests and instead lay" ¯ eggs in thenests of other birds. Some birds pick up on the ruse, but most will happily incubate the new eggs as one of their own." In Fool’s Errand, Patrick Beaton learns to hate naps and learns to love Seth. He thinks Seth is helping him find themaninthe cranberry Shetland sweater. He thinks their days spent in the parking lots of discount stores and their nights spent in bars are in search of a "Scottish Prince" who Patrick barely met on~ sleepy ¯ afternoon in someone’s den. ¯" That Seth is the ex-boyfriendofPatrick’ s ¯ ex-boyfriend, Alex only adds to the flavor ¯¯ of the stew, as does the long visit from Patrick’ s bi-polar father who ends up mar~ ¯ rying his best friend Marianne. : Fool’s Errand is a long book and the ¯ yearning for love is there under the esca- ¯ pades and in every day. Like Endangered ¯ Species, the search is what gives life its ¯ substance, the finding is what helps bring ¯ life’s meaning. : and other equality issues such as domestic ¯ partnership. ¯ Prior, HRC had issued $114,000 in ¯ Equality Fundgrants and also gave $5,000 ¯ to the Federation of Statewide Political ¯ Advocacy Organizations. These grants ." helped to fund essential state house lobby ¯ work, such as Maryland’s non-discrimi- ¯ nation and Texas’ hate crimes bills. ¯ Others receiving grants include: ." Texas’ Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby ¯ which got a $5,000 grant to support their ¯ lobby program, including to continue to ." defeat attempted bans on same-sex mar- .¯ riage and civil unions and to advance their safe schools initiative. ¯ Unity Utah will receive $4,000 to lobby ." the Salt Lake City Council to codify an ¯ existing mayoral executive order which ¯ prohibits discrimination in city employ- " ment based on sexual orientation. This ¯ local project is an important first poliltical ...step for this organization, and also is an ¯ important first step towards state level : advocacy. ¯ Vermonters for Civil Unions Legisla- : tive Defense Fund is getting $5,000 for ¯ lobbying and polling efforts to keep the ¯ legislature from denigrating the legal stares of civil unions as a marriage-equiva- ¯ lent. : A number of other organizations also ¯ received grants or are still under consider- ¯ ation for aid. ¯ Creator of the universe has sown a very Well, kind of. I was a Boy Scout. The : important fluid. This fluid is the most years, 1965 - 1970; the place, Martinez, : wonderful material in all the physical CA,Troopl81.And,nowadays, I amGay. ¯ world. Some parts of it f’md their way into ButwhenI was a ldd; I had yet to hear any : theblood, andthroughthebloodgivetone oftheearlynotesbftoday’s - ~ -~ : to the muscles, power-to~ elaborated language of -":-. ~;~outs havealways~- thebrain, and : strength to . Gayness and;eve~ii,~-Ihad, - ]md ~ex and aender ~ " the nerves:. This fluid"isthe : I probably ,wouldn thave - ........¯ ~’~ -sex fluid ’Am habit ldentifiedmyselfwlth.lt.A ¯ mind; An explleit~l ....whichaboyhas thatcauses . GayBoyScout,backthen,.. o[ the o~,anJ=atloi~ is to this fluid robe discharged wasanthinkable.Wenever .. ~ .’ . ,. " ’ ¯ from the body tends-to . once "sniggered at.: the turn boys into men ~.~ :’weaken his $[rength,"to " double entendre, so obvi- men-o[ a imrt-leu]ar tTl~, makehimlessabletoresist by Lamont Lindstrom ~ous today, in thefinal.lin,~e dmt I~. I w~’t alone of theBoy Scout oath: ’I-- promise .... to keepmyself my Troop. Several physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight." The Boy Scouts of America, backed by five U.S. Supreme Court Justices, have recently affirmed their legal right to scout mates a|so ~rew into Gayness. Many parents, I’m sure, prayed tlmt scouting would toughen up their worrisome sons.... " disease :. ~to yield:means to Sacrifice strengthS,and power and m~liness. Jeez,we~ought. Could we even survive our teens.’? Scoutmasterly duties,~ given Boy Scout dogma, included the regulation of boyish sexuality and this task could be approached withall shades ofinterest. I discharge Gay Scoutmasters and perhaps also (although this is less clear) boys who affirm ahomosexual identity. The Gay community andbeyondhave condemned this invidious policy as harmful, But theScouts, clearly, are in a dicey position. We might try to understand, although not necessarily sympathetically, the orgardzati0n’s problems in ha,vigating the dangerous American cultural ~hoals of childhood and sex. The Boy Scouts have always had sex and gender in mind. An explicit goal of the organization is to turn boys into men - men of a particular type, that is. I wasn’t alone in my Troop. Several of my scout mates also ~ew into Gayness. Many pareats, I’m sure, prayed that scouting would toughen up their worrisome sons. The Boy Scouts, !ike the Marines, Little League sports, and certain small fundamentalist Christian colleges, are a last resort of desperate parents hoping to make a man out of one. My fellow Scouts ranged from the ambitiously normal to hopeless twinks (although we didn’t have that word back then either): The proto-gangbangers at my school, who wouldn’t be caught dead in the Boy Scouts, weren’t fooled by our organized protestations of masculinity. All those silly (if sometimes still surprisingly useful) ropes and knots. AlthoughTroop 181 hadno language of Gayness, this does not mean that there were no sexual frissons - a sexuality that, in an all-male organization, is at least by default homosexual. Such currents surely feed the organization’s recent touchiness about Gayness. I remember friends giggling over the Boy Scout Handbook’s warnings against masturbation. When I got my first HandbookIeagerly soughtoutthoseparagraphs. The Handbook, subsequently, wo~tld be somewhat liberalized. My 1960’ s edition, however, hadn’t progressed much beyond these 1927 admonitions published under the subtitle ’~onservation" (which, in the 1970’s, would acquire a more ecological, less Taoist gignificance): "In the body of every boy who has reached his teens; the .... spent part of four s||mmers ¯¯ atWolfboro, a camp in the Sierra Nevada. Oar leaders trooped us up river to "Bare- " Ass Slide" and ordered to take off our ,. clothes and slide down shallow, mossy ¯ river rapids. On one 50-mile hike, buck- " naked Scoutmaster Bob chased five of us ¯ boys, equally buck-naked, squealing ¯ through the woods because we refused to ¯ hop into the icy aver. ¯ Innocent male hi-jinks, of course. But ¯ some of this past must inform the Boy ¯ Scouts’ present sexual bad conscious. Itis ¯ sweet irony,’as many have noted (e.g., see ¯ Tim Neal’s biography The Boy-Man), that ¯ -the founder of the Boy Scouts, Lord Rob- . eft Baden-Powell, was obsessed with ¯ "boyology," had a 30 year relation with a ¯ younger man, K~uneth McLaren- whom ¯ he called The Boy - and adored watching his lithesome Scouts swim nude. ¯ Postmodem theorists warn that the past (life-long male friend) is often misunder- " stood in contemporary terms (Gay). Still, Baden-Powell and some of his Scoutmaster successors clearly appreciated boys in ¯ complicated ways. ¯ Pricking this Boy Scout bad conscious, ¯ Americais currently onthe warpath against any sort of child sexuality; When I was a ¯ kid, we had never heard of the term sexual harassment let alone sexual abuse. These ¯ notions, like Gay, had yet to hit Martiuez. ¯ In that heyday of the miniskirt, my 7th ¯ grade Algebra teacher used to force those ¯ 12-year old gifts who wore the shortest ¯ minis to sit in the front row of his class so ¯ he could gawk up their skirts. (He also ¯ used to hang troublesome boys out his ¯ second-story window by the scruffs of their neck.) Today? Run, don’t walk, to your nearest hungry lawyer. ¯ Thereasons for America’s recent child- * sex pamc are complex, reflecting, prob- " ably, parental guilt about working morns ¯ and about divorce. Nowadays, with suspi- ¯ cious parents and enterprising lawyers all ¯o around, theBOy Scouts have their backs to the wall. You can see why they mightnot ¯ want to get in bed with us Gays. We ¯ remindthemoftoomuch, seeScout,p.11 KellyKirby, CPA, PC Certified Public Accountant a professional corporation Lesbians and Gay men face many special tax situations whether single or as couples. Electronic filing is available for faster refunds. 747-5466 4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135 IGTA member ~~ Call 341.6866 International TOH~formoreinformation. TULSA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY Country Club Barbering Custom Styling for Men & Women David Kauskey 3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pro College Hill Presbyterian Church In response to God’s Love, College Hill Presbyterian Church is a community of God’s people called to tell others the Gospel of Jesus Christ through worship, service, and evangdism. To nurture our faith, we gather for worship~ prayer, study and fellowship. ¯ Trusting in a living, loving God, we seek to become a compassionate voice for peace and justice. Our congregation welcomes all persons who respond in trust and obedience to God’s grace in Jesus Christ, and desire to become part of the membership and ministry of Christ’s church. Membership is open to all people regardless of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition, marital status, or sexual orientation. Sunday Worship, 11am 712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800 (One block west of Delaware and the University of Tulsa Campus) Tulsa’s only professional body-piercing On September 3oth, something brand new is hitting the Tulsa scene! Soulful Sundown is an alternative worship experience that celebrates the mystery and wonder of life, within a non-dogmatic context. Soulful Sundown combines live music, inspirational readings., video, and audience participation to create an experience that moves, challenges, transforms and connects people to e~tch other and the ~¢orld. Soulful Sundo.wn happens at All Souls Unitarian Church at 5:3oPM on Sundays starting September 3oth and continuing through the rest of the year. All people are welcome! All Souls Unitarian Church 2952 S. Peoria, 743-2363. Karmajust bitmein the ass! Here I was, pining for something I thought I’d never have, when lo and behold, a woman told me she was in love with me. Ofcourse this was three hours after meeting he_r, so you can imagine how frightened I was, thinking I’druninto Psycho LesbianFrom Hell. RememberMiss No-Longer-Interested- In-Me? Well, she stir isn’t. But that’s not the point. Miss No-Longer-Interested-In- Me and I reached an agreement and have done what many Lesbian couples do (or non-couples, in this case) and become friends. I know what you’re saying. ’Raging Lesbian, this is just a way to get to see her!" I could tell you how much we click on a friendship level; how much we value that friendship; how much werespect each other, etc. OK- it’s a way to get to see her! I never knew how she felt because no one’s ever said those three little words to me. I found out how she felt the other weekend when I heard them whispered into my ear. Youneed toknow rightnow thatinternet acquaintances should be a slow process. No need to rush into meeting her after writing to her once or twice. She might turn into a Karin, and you might become a Miss No-Longer-Interested-In-Me. The other weekend was my first date since Miss No-Longer-Interested-In-Me told me that, well, she was no longer interested in me. It was the first time sinceMay that I even thought of trying to move on. I didn’t realize I’d meet Miss U-Haul Lesbian. My experiences since coming out have been with users until I met Miss No-Longer- Interested-In-Me. This explains why she’s making yet another starring role in the column. Her honesty disarmed me and made me realize I hadn’t been honest with the most important person in my life--me¯ How could I be honest with her, or anyone else,.for that matter? Timing tndy sucks sometimes. Had I met Miss U-Haul,. fallen for her, learned my lesson, then met Miss No-Longer- Interested-In-Me, perhaps... No, I won’t go there. We fill our lives with so many ’~vhat-ifs" and "if onlys" that we don’t see the people in front of us. The person in front of me now is a woman who would do anything for me. Scary, huh? But don’t we look for this all our lives? Here is it, staringmein the face, and I’m feeling very different than I did in April¯ I feel like Miss No-Longer-Interested- In-Me. I let my new-found "friend" in on what was happening. She told me never to say anything to Miss U-Haul I didn’t mean. Wise advice which I learned from her through first-hand experience. I’ve told Miss U-Haul aboutmy recent history, and I also let her know that I don’t think I can realm her feelings. She says I will. Umm, no, I don’t think so. What’ s she like? Besides living in outer Dallas anddressinginmen’ s clothing (well, somewhat), she’s kind, caring, and listens to my every word¯ Where I was almost a non-entity with Miss No-Longer-Interested- In-Me, Iama"Diamond" to Miss UHaul. In fact, that’s her name for me. So what is myproblem? I didn’tfeel that "something"; that immediate feeling that Miss No-Longer-Interested-In-Me was looking for with "us". I always thought you grew into it. But she’s right. The spark, if you will, just isn’t there. I can wish for it all I want, but Miss U-Haul doesn’t do itfor me. Yes, I HAVEbecome Miss No-Longer-Interested-In-Me, with a vengeance! And yet I still see Miss U-Haul. Why? My immediate response? No one’s cared for me this much, or treated me this wall since.... ever. Certainly not since I’ve become active in this life. I shouldn’t let that sway me, or confuse Miss U-Haul. Above all, I don’t want to hurt her. I don’t want anyone to feel what I have the past few months - hurt, lonely, confused, desperate, despairing, you get the drill. And yet, I don’t see.any other way. As I perceive it, Miss No-Longer-Interested- In-Me had three choices: A. Hurt me; B. Hurt me; C. Hurt me; D. All of the above. That she chose D for a triple shot of hurt annoys me, but whatcan you do? Try NOT to repeat her pattern. It really doesn’t help that the townspeople where Miss U-Haul lives dre telling her that I may be "I’he One." I’ve already let her in on my Love-OMeter ¯ You know, the thing that lets you comprehend, unequivocally, that you’re in love? A friend asked me about a month ago, what I would have told my mother if Miss No-Longer-Interested-In-Me and I had a different experience: in other words, if she returned my feelings. "I would say, ’Mother, this is Miss Interested- In-Me. We’reinlove.’"Myfriend asked what I would do after my mother fainted. Oh please. She knows. Even MY mother can’t be THAT naive! I guess what I’m trying to say is that until that woman comes along again (IF she ever comes along again) who makes me want to come out to my family, then it ain’t love. Sure, I may love being with her, talking to her, and heating how wonderful I am. The sex may be great (yes, Horny Lesbian strikes again!), but the feding’s not there. Does that make me a terrible person? I think not. I certainly hope not. I told Gay Felix one night, after Miss UHaul letmeknow (as have so many others) that Miss No-Longer-Interested-In-Me used me, that only the two people in that relationship truly understand what went on between them. Miss No-Longer-Interested- in-Me didn’t use me. Being in her shoes now, I honestly believe that. Only She and I comprehend the feelings and the loss¯ I’m sure Miss U-Haul’s neighbors and friends will one day say that I used her. I hope she understands a simple truth - I met a wonderful woman whose feelings I can’t return. As Miss No-Longer-Interested-In-Me said recently, ’q’here are a billion reasons why someone wouldfall inlove withyou." Unfortunately, I’m afraid I’ll be saying the same thing soon to Miss U-Haul. Love, no matter which side you’re on, is often the most difficult and most agonizing feeling in the world. - by Karin Gregory Gregory is a Ft. Worth based writer. The NAMES Project Tulsa Area Chapter 3507 East Admiral Place Tulsa, OK. 74115-8211 (918) 748-3111 www.TulsaQuilt.org MEMORIAL Feast with Friends® in TVLand Saturday, September 29, 2001 Following the individual Dinner Parties, join us for the Dessert Extravaganza 8:30 to 10:30 PM Allan Chapman Activity Center, University of Tulsa, 5th and Gary, Admission js free for Dinner Hosts and their guests; others may attend for a $10.00 donation at the door Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2001] Tulsa Family News, September 2001; Volume 8, Issue 9 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 2001 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Chrsitjohn Karin Gregory Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Hughston Walkinshaw Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, August 2001; Volume 8, Issue 9 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/616 AIDS AIDS treatment AIDS vaccine Australia Boy Scouts Brazil bullying businesses censorship churches Cincinnati death penalty discrimination Domestic Partnership European Conference of Scouts and Guides Feast for Friends Feast with Friends Gannet Co. gay bashing gay panic HIV testing homosexual panic Human Rights Campaign Jeanne Shaheen Louis Bayard military Murder NAMES Project Netherlands New Genre Festival Oklahoma City Openarms Youth Project Partner Benefits Raging Lesbian Red Cross Red Rock Tulsa restaurants Shanghai South Africa the AIDS Quilt Tulsa Family News Washington https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/5b3ec3af4a36fc21000b89d0f9966a3b.jpg 028d77afa9ecb28698e13d3d0a4bb33a https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/1f0650f00365da9e19c5717761490826.pdf 8aff83534c77c1b4740f4abdbee6f703 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Bin Laden Joins Anti-Gay Terrorist on Wanted List WASHINGTON, D.C. - Osama bin Laden isn’ t the only terrorist bombing suspect on the FBI’ s Ten Most Wanted list. Right here at home, the bureau is still hunting for Eric Robert Rudolph in connection with the 1996 Olympics bombing and other crimes. And some of the parallels are striking: both are trained soldiers and survivalists, accused of killing to further extreme religious and political beliefs. Both have eluded capture for years among sympathetic souls in mountainous terrain, despite a huge price on their heads. For nearly four years, agents have combed the sawtooth ridges ofwestern North Carolinafor Rudolph, an Army veteran and sometime carpenter charged with four bombings, including fatal blasts at the Atlanta Games and at an Alabama abortion clinic. Rudolph was last seen in the area in July 1998 after stealing supplies from a health store.owner. His truck had been spotted there early that year. see Terror, p. 2 Iowa Rights Group Says Add Sexual Orientation DES MOINES, IOWA (AP) "The Iowa Civil Rights Commission is recommending that the state’s civil rights law specifically prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. The commission voted 6-1 in September to recommend that the Legislature add sexual orientation to the wording of the law, marking the first time it has gone on record backing that step. Commission member Alicia Claypool said the move makes sense, because there’s strong evidence of discrimination. Republican legislative leaders have opposed the step, saying the inclusion of Gays in the law gives them special treatment. A commission subcommittee that studied the proposal said the state is facing a looming shortage of workers and diversity is one way tO attract new people to the state. "If we are to grow and remain a vital and productive state, we must create a current and future workforce that is stable, wall-educated and sees Iowa as a viable place in which to grow up, live and work," said a subcommittee memo. The commission’ s recommendation likely will spark a renewed round of debate over an issue that’ s been around for years. The state’s civil rights law protects people from discrimination in employment, housing and lending based on age, color, creed, national origin, race, religion, marital status, sex, physical disability, or familial status: Backers long have said that Gays and Lesbians face discrimination as well andthat sexual orientation should be added to the list. The Legislature specifically rejected that step because Republicans did not want to approve a measure they said gave special protection to Gays. Gov. Tom Vilsack issued an executive order in 1999 that also would have banned discrimination based Serving:Lesbian, .Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Out’Families.+ Friends i Male on Male Rape at Webster i Some Speculate Whether Anti-Gay Bias at Issue ¯¯ TULSA, Okla. (AP)-Two 14:year-old football players accused of raping a teammate with a broom handle won’t be tried as : adults, prosecutors said. The Tulsa County District Attorney’s ." Office filed rape by instrumentation charges in juvenile court ¯ against theWebster High School students. ¯ The boys are accused of forcing a 14-year-old freshman : football player to a school locker room floor and raping him with ¯. a broom handle Sept. 21. An hour later, the students allegedly _. spanked the same boy with a weight belt and pelted his genitals with traffic cones. Students said no affults were in the locker room ¯ when the alleged rape occurred. ~ Tulsa Police spokesman Lucky Lamons responded that police ¯ detectives claimtherewas no anti-Gay verbal abusewhich could indicate that this assault had aspects of a hate crime. However, ¯ several longtime community activists from TOHR and PFLAG i speculated that the assault may have ties to issues of actual or ¯ perceived sexual orientation. Officer Lamons noted that detec- ¯ tives feel one ofthe motives may have been that victim was small. ¯: The accused have been releasedfrom ajuvenile shelter on bail. ¯ Their case will remain in thejuvenile system, where the focus is : on rehabilitation rather than punishment, said Assistant District : Attorney Rebecca Nightingale. She said the district attorney’s ¯ office will not seek adult certification for the teens. Prosecutors ¯ considered the boys’ sophistication and maturity, their record : and history, the likelihood of rehabilitation in the juvenile sys- ¯ tern, and the prospects for protection of the public, she said. : Fourteen student-athletes were suspended after the incident, : and Webster’ s ninth-grade football season has been canceled. : Five students received the maximum penalty allowed under ¯ the school district’ s code of conduct - suspension for the rest of ¯ the academic year. They also were banned from ever participati ing in school sports in the district. The other nine students got ¯ five-day or 10,day suspensions. ¯" Superintendent David Sawyer warned coaches and school district employees this week not to tolerate or ignore hazing and : bullying; i TOHR Drops State Bank i overAnti-Bias Policy : TULSA (TFN)-TulsaOklahomaus forHumanRights ." (TOHR) recently transfered its business from State Bank and BancOne to Bank of Oklahoma because of : BOk has an dear non-discrimination policy which ¯ includes "sexual orientation." ." Under the direction of the organization’ s treasurer, AngelaBruce, letters were written toTOHR’ s former i bank, informing them of the reason for the change. ¯ According to TOHR spokesman, Greg Gatewood, ¯ the move was really about doing business with those : who support thecommunity_ and not doing business ¯ with those who do not. Gatewoodnoted that the funds : were not an enormous amount but should have been ¯. enough to get the institution’ s attention. ¯ Bank ofOklahoma instituted a non-discrimination ¯ policy which includes "sexual orientation" a couple i of years ago, and is the only bank in Tulsa which has ¯ included the Lesbian and Gay community in’ its : marketing outreach. State Bank’s president Don ¯ Walker was not available for comment at press time. ¯ Candidate for US Congress at TOHR ¯ On Tuesday, NOvember 13, Democratic candidate : for Oklahoma’s First Congressional District, Dong : Dodd will speak at the Community Center at 21st and ¯ Memorial at 7pro. TOHR organizers note that Cathy : Keating, one of three Republican candidates has also : been invited to meet withTOHRand the community. : Keating, unlike many Oklahoma Republicans, has ¯ stated that her campaign will exclude no one and : while announcing her candidacy at the Tulsa Press ¯ Club, Mrs. Keating noted that she was not very ¯ familiarwiththeconcemsofLesbianandGayTulsans, ~ but she is willing to educate herself. And Dodd has ¯ stated publicly his opposition to a constitutional ¯ amendment to ban same gender marriages. : Slow Come, Quick Go i KS County Gives, Now May Drop Benefits ¯ WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Sedgwick County’s new ¯ insurance benefits for unmarried domestic partners ¯ may not last more than a week. ¯ County commissioners appear to have the votes to overturn County Manager William Buchanan’ s deci- " sion to offer employees the option of extending their ; health coverage to gay or straight partners. Employ- " ees were told of their option to cover domestic part- "¯ hers in apacket ofmaterials outlininginsuranceplans ¯ for 2002. Commissioners put the item on their agenda after ¯: receiving numerous phone calls and e-mails from .. constituents who say the policy gives official sane- . tion to "sinful" unions. ¯ Commissioner Tim Norton said he originally was ¯ willing to defer to Buchanan and the county’ s human ¯ resources staff. But now, he said, he would probably ¯ vote to rescind the policy because that’s what resi- : dents have toldhim they want. "I don’ t know that this : is the right time, or the right place, for us to be ¯ stepping out and taking a leadership role on a social ¯ issue like this," he said. ¯ Commissioners Carolyn McGiunandBen Sciortino : said last week that they oppose the policy because ¯ they think the county’s health benefits should be : reserved for employees and their immediate families ¯ only. see-Wichita, p.]O DIRECTORY EDITORIAL US & WORLD NEWS Z ENTERTAINMENT+ MORE ¯ Rocky Horror Benefit, Oct. 27 ¯ TULSA (TFN) - Tulsa’ s downtown Doubletree Hotel will host : a new Halloween gala event which will benefit Tulsa Oklaho- ¯ mans for Human Rights (TOHR) and the Pyramid Project - the ¯ capital campaign to purchase a permanent community center. ¯ Helga’ s Horfibles will perform live their version of the Rocky ¯ Horror Picture Show beginning at 8:15, featuringHelga,Animal, ¯ Peaches Lennox, Anita Richards, Shirley Nott, Scott, Brenda ¯ Lynn Stewart, Patti, Crystal Meth and Johnny Cronin, all di- ¯ rected by Timothy Snapp. : After the show, the Time Warp Masquerade Ball will go till ¯ midnight. Costumes are en,co.uraged, ID is required and tickets : are $25 in advance (at Ken s Flowers, Salon 41, the Pride Store ¯" at the Center and on line at www.Pyramidproject.org) or $30 at ¯° the door. VIP tickets and tables are available. The event will offer ¯" a cash bar, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, party pies, valet parking and a dj. : Mr. Oklahoma Leather to Aid TOHRKulsa CARES ¯ The Mr. Oklahoma Leather contest which will be held atCW" s : on Oct. 19-21 will benefit TOHR/the Community Center and ¯ Tulsa C.ARES. For more information, call CW" s at 610-5323. ¯ Other Community News ¯ On Saturday, Oct. 13, PFLAG is having a Come Out and Fly ¯ Your Kite event in honor of National Coming Out Day (NCOD) ¯ at a local park. Call PFLAG at 749-4901 for more information: ¯ . Annual AIDS Walk, Oct. 6, 9:00am ¯ Saturday, Oct. 6, TulsaAIDSWalk 2001 will begin and end at ¯ Veterans Park at 21st and Boulder (site of the annual Diversity ." Festival). Funds raised at the event help TCAP, the Tulsa Com- ¯" munityAIDS Partnership (TCAP). All funds will be increasedby ¯ 50% withmatching dollars from the Elton John AIDS Foundation. TCAP helps to fund the following groups: RAIN, the ¯ Regional AIDS Interfaith Network, Tulsa CARES, theAmerican ¯ Red Cross, Red Rock Behavioral Health Services and HOPE Testing Clinic. The Walk is now eight years old and has raised : thousands of dollars for direct care and education/prevention for HEALTH NEWS on sexual orientation in state hiring, but legislative : HIV/AIDS. It is an all volunteer effort which has no administra_ : ~ GAYSTUDIES P. 10/~1 leaders successfully argued see Iowa, p.2 ¯ tive costs For more information, call 585-5551 ¯ --- ---- ~ Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants *Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine *CW’ s, 1737 S. Memorial *Play-Mor, 424 S. Memorial Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square *Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main *St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st *Schatzi’ s, 2619 S. Memorial *The Star, 1565 Sheridan *TNT’ s, 2114 S. Memorial *Tool Box I!, 1338 E. 3rd *Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan *The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 832-1269 610-5323 838-9792 744-4280 585-3405 745-9998 280-1316 834-4234 660-0856 584-1308 835-2376 749-1563 Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 523 1 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 *Cheap Thrills, 2640 E 1 lth 295-5868 Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117 Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700 Tim Danid, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 *Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria *Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial 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, 308 South Kenosha *Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd Mingo Valley ~Flowers, 9720c E. 31 *Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo *The Pride Store Rainbowz on the River B+B, PUB 696, 74101 Richard’s Carpet Cleaning Teri Schutt, Ellen & Co. *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 www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays & Lesbians 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. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780 Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201 *Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th PI. & Florence Church of the Restoration UU, 1314N.Greenwood 587-1314 *Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300 *Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595 Coundl Oak Men’ s Chorale 748-3888 *Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511 *Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457 749-3620 744-5556 838-8503 369-8555 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 834-7921,748-0224 481-0558 835-5563 743-1733 665-2222 592-0767 ¯ 918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615 ." PUB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159, e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net ; Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal ¯ Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry ." Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom, Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw ." Member o! The Associated Press ¯ Issued around the 1 st ofeach month, the entire contents of this ¯ publication are protected by US copyright 2001 by Tulsa ¯ Family News andmay not be reproduced either in whole or in ¯ part without written permission from the publisher. Publica- .- lion 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 Tulsa Family News. Each reader is entitled to 4 ¯ copies of each edition at distribution points. ¯ Additional copies are available by Calling 583-1248. : Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa- Lesbian & Gay Catholics & : Episcopalians, PUB 701475, 74170-1475 ¯ 355-3140 *Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777 ." *Free SpiritWomen’ s Center,call forlocation &info: 587-4669 ¯ Friend For A Friend, PUB 52344, 74152 747-6827 ¯ Friends inUnity Social Org., PUB 8542, 74101 582-0438 ¯ *Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E..Admiral 834-4194 ." HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378 ¯ *HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstries,1517 S.Memorial 224-4754 ¯ *MCC United,-1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715 ¯ NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral P1. 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 627-2359 ¯ R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195 ¯ *Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325 ¯ St. Aidan’ s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882 ¯ St. Dlmstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140 ¯ *St. Jerome’ s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088 ; Soulforce-OK, Rt.4,#3534,Stigler74462 587-3248,452-2761 ¯ *TulsaArea 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 ¯ ¯ TulsaOkla. for Human Rights, Gay Comm. Center 743-4297 TUL-PAC, PositiveAdvocacy Coalition, POB2687,Tulsa 74101 ¯ 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, 21st & Memorial 743-4297 ¯ Unity Churchof Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833 : BARTLESVILLE ¯" Bardesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353 TAHLEQUAH ¯. Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900 ¯ Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church - 918-456-7900 ¯ Green Country AIDS Coalition, PUB 1570 918-453-9360 ¯ EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS ¯ Autunm Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734 ¯ Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main 501-253-7457 ¯ DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. 501-253-6807 ¯ Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445 ¯ Heart of the Hills B&B, 5 Summit St. 501-363-9203 ." MCC of the Living Spring 501-253-9337 : Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, PUB 429 501-253-2776 .- Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332 ¯ Positive Idea Marketing Hans 501-624-6646 : White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074 ¯ JOPLIN, MISSOURI ¯ Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696 : * is whereyou canfindTFN. NotallareGay-owned butallare Gay.friendly. Authorities say they also ran across some of his camping sites and found garbage or buried debris connected to him. Now,a taskforce coordinating the Rudolph search has dwindled from 200 agents to just afew. "No question that the focus rightnow for the immediate need of agents for time and resources" is to investigate last week’ s terror attacks, said Patrick Crosby, a spokes~ man for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta. But Crosby added: "Nobody’ s dropping anything on Rudolph or the investigation." Rudolph, for whose capture an award of $1 million has been offered, is believed to adhere to Christian Identity, a white supremacist religion that is rabidly anti-Gay, anti- Semitic and anti-foreigner. Sdme of the four bombs Rudolph was charged with planting included messages from the shadowy"Army of God." Western North Carolina has long had a reputation as ahavenforright-wing extremists. Many there mocked the government’ s inability to find Rudolph with bloodhounds, infrared-equippedhelicopters and space-age motion detectors- and some said they would hide him if asked. Bin Laden, a wealthy Saudi who helped push the Soviets out of Afghanistan, has likewise become an almost mythic figure in Islamic militant circles. His protectors have not been swayed by a $5 million bounty. "These are both men who are pursuing their personally received messages, supposedly from God, and who are ruthless as a result," said Mark Potok, who tracks domestic terrorists for the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala. "presumably, there’s a litde more national will involved in the bin Laden case," he says. ’¢Fhis is a sdckin the eye ofAmerica inaway that the Rudolph attacks really were not." i Cummins Ends ¯ Support for Scouts in court that he had exceeded his authority. Vilsack challenged lawmakers to take that step on their own, but the issue hash’ t been debated since the legal battle. Republican legislative leaders have refused to bring the measure up for debate. Subcommittee members said the numbers alone argue for protecting Gays and Lesbians, because estimates are that up to 4% of the state’ s population is Gay, roughly 114,500 people. That’ s a larger population than the 2.8% of the state that is Hispanic and2.1% African-Americanpopulation, they said. ¯ COLUMBUS, Ind. - Heavy engine manu- ¯ facturer Cummins Inc. almonnced Sept. 18 ¯ it plans to stop sponsoring an event that ¯ raises money for the Boy Scouts ofAmerica ¯ because of the organization’ s ban on Gays ¯ serving as troop leaders, according to The ¯ Associated Press. ¯ Cnmmins has beenamajor donor to scout- ¯ ing programs, in Indiana’s Bartholomew ¯" County. seeScouts,p.11 by Rich Tafel Everything in America has changed since the attacks of September 11,2001. While.Americans return to work and theirdaily lives, Washington-based special interest groups are struggling to figureout where to go from here. The Sierra Club, which earlier this year saw an increase infundraising fromils attacks onnewly-inaugurated President George W. Bush, has sent a memo to their leading members instructing them to stop bashing the president. Other groups preparing to spend millions onad campaigns to fight the "lfckbox" budget wars have gone silent. Democrats and Republicans are working together. Gay organizations are not sure how to respond. The debate in Washington. now revolves around a central question - do Gay groups move ahead with the "old" agenda items? Dothey put Gay-specific issues on hold? Or, do they rise to meet the new challenges fa,c.ing Gay Americans in this new period, even ifthey don t fit what -these groups have long argued was "the Gay agenda"? Tome whathas ehangedmost since September 11 is the rubric for debate. Throughout the years, Gay activists have relied on a paradigm of "victimization" to formulate their agenda for advancing our community’ sinterests. A divergence of reality began to take place, where our political leaders argued our lives were getting worse and worse while, in reality, we were gaining greater acceptance. In the end, Gay.politics became dominated by a "virtual victimization, with our own sogiety full of enemies oppressing us. Obscured by this paradigm was the reality that, while we still have barriers to dear, life for Gay Americans has never been better. The "virtual victimization" paradigm may have fit the time. But there was a cost. Gay Americans who bought into this paradigm were left to believe that the power to live life on their own terms 4s outside their control. "Virtual victims’" become increasingly alienated from society, moreinward-driven, and less connected to a sense of personal responsibility about how their lives tnm out. We’ 11 look back on the 1990’ s with an almost embarrassing realization of just how self-absorbed we were. The same Gay community whose political leaders demanded employment anti-discrimination laws and hate crime protections was travding on RSVP cruises, packing warehouse circuit parties, and filling black-tie dinner halls to hear keynote addresses from Hollywood celebrities. If the attack on September 11 shocked our nation back to reality, it might do the same for the Gay movement. At LEF’s July leadership conference, entitled "Redefining the Gay Agenda," syndicated columnist Hasting Wyman made an observation about why Vice President AI Gore, the 2000 Democratic nominee for President, didn’t do better among Gay voters even though he supported what was knows as the Gay agenda: "... I think this raises an interesting question and I say a question, not a conclusion. ...A lot of the Gay agenda, while it may be right or it may be wrong, it’s not terribly relevant to the average Gay person." Hastings is right, and as we examine what is real and relevant in our lives after September 11. Now is the time to reject the "virtual victim" paradigm and, maybe for the first lime ever, think of ourselves as fellow Americans, united with the rest of the nation, confronting a common enemy. I think Gays and Lesbians get this, even if our leadership doesn’ t. One thing is clear as I walk through the Gay neighborhoods of Washington, where the American flag is draped from hundreds of windows, and as I read of a conservative Republican Senator eulogizing Mark Bingham as an American hero who save the U.S. Capitol, Gays and Lesbians are part of the greatness of America and they know it. What unique role can Gays and Lesbians play as we unite against the terrorists? First, Gay and Lesbian leaders can stop the incessant negative backbiting against President Bushand his administration. Like every other American, we need him to succeed in this mission. Throw away those "He’ s Not My President" t-shirts. Gay organization leaders need to stop referring to him as the "enemy" - we ¯ have a clear enemy today, that is absolutely bent on our ¯¯ collective destruction, who brutalizes women, murders Gays and sees a free society as the world’ s greatest evil. : Now is not the time to attack the President. This will be ¯ the hardest for groups whosefundraising has depended on ¯ demonizing him, butnext time they doit,weall~eed to ask ¯ them to refrain. That doesn’t mean we cannot disagree ¯ with President Bush or abrogate the freedoms we are truly ¯ fighting to defend, but as fellow Americans we have a : common moral duty to rekindle-a tone of respect for the ¯ office of the presidency, and for the burden on the man ¯ who sits there today. "Gay organizations are not sure how to respond. The debate in Washington now revolves around a central question - do Gay groups move ahead with the old" aCenda items? Do they put Gay-speciflc issues on hold? Or, do they rise to meet the new challenges facing Gay Americans in this new period, even ff they don’t fit what these groups have long argued was "the Gay agenda’S." New, more pressing issues have come to the forefront and need our attention. Gay couples and families have been ripped apart in the attacks. We must be vigilant in ensuring that those left behind are not cut off from survivor benefits and legal rights that they deserve. We as a community should take notice of the vital importance of partner benefits andresponsibilities in light of this tragedy and ensure we have provided for our loved ones should anything happen to us. Donating blood surfaced as an issuein the days after the ¯ attacks. The RedCross policy on donating bloodis dearly ¯ out of date and harmful in how absolute its exclusion of ¯ Gay men has been since the 1980’s. The only response ¯ from Gay leaders thus far is still ringing of victimization, ¯ or has just been silence for fear of raising an issue that : makes us all sound selfish. ¯ However, there is a "united we stand" approach to ¯ giving blood. Again, sad as it is, there will likely be need ¯ for more blood before this war is over. We should respect- " fully, without fanfare and action alerts, approach the Red ~ Cross and explain that Gay men would like to hdp the ¯ effort. While we do understand that Gay men are more ¯ likely to be HIV positive then the general public, we ¯ should not confuse sexual orientation with health status, : and the policy should be consistent in its approach to ¯ sexual behavior. For instance, heterosexuals with mul- ¯ . tiple partners are not screened outin thesame way as aGay ¯ man who has had sex once since 1977. ; During times of war, scapegoats are often sought out in ¯ every society. Will Gays and Lesbians become targets of ¯ greater hate crime activity? I doubt it. But I do believe that : Arab Americans or anyonelooking like them will be. The ¯ greatest weapon against intolerance is educating our- " selves, so we should be role models. ¯ In the "unitedwe stand" paradigm,we can explain to the ¯ public that we know what it is like to bejudged, discrimihated against and even physically beaten because of who : weare. Thoughweknow many Islamicleaders inAmerica : have shown little tolerance for Gays and Lesbians, we as ¯ acommunitylove andrespect ourfellow Americaus under ¯ attack. We support them and their civil rights, so that we : never again make the mistake of how we treated Japanese ¯ Americans in World War II. ¯ The overall paradigm of the Gay civil rights movement ¯ must change, see Change, p.ll " Welcome to Our Reality : by Tom Neal, editor &publisher ¯ Hate crimes have beenmuch onmymind in theseweeks ¯ since the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. This : horror has brought out the best in so many Americans but it has also brought out the worst in a few. Some of those few have used this mad event as an ¯" excuse to express their prejudices, theirracism, their anti- " immigrant bigotry, and their homophobia, around the : country as well as here in Tulsa. ¯ In Tulsa, we’ ve seen the beating of a Pakistani man and : apparently, according to Barbara Moore of the Asian- " American Society, others who are perceived as "foreign" ¯ have been harassed. No one in th.e Gay communities has missed the shameless opportunism of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, perhaps the greatest disgraces to contemporary Christendom, at trying to incite violence against Lesbians and Gay Americans and others in the wake of the terrorist ¯ attack. : My comment to our Muslim and Asian sisters and ¯ brothers is welcome to our reality of violence, prejudice ¯ and hatredin Tulsa. What you’re experiencing as,new has : been our ongoing reality. What you’re experiencing as a : new sensation of lack of safety has long been our experi- ¯ But while attacks on you are decried by Tulsa’ s pro- : foundly hypocritical "do-good" organizations: NCCJ, ¯ Jewish Federation, Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry, Tulsa ¯ Interfaith Alliance, those same groups have been shame- : fully silent when Gay men were brutally beaten like the ¯ Tulsa Pakistani man. ¯ It’ s not that they didn’ t know that the attacks happened. ¯ Tim Beauchamp and Tony Orr’ s beating on Brookside a few years ago was well reportedin this newspaper as well ¯ as in The World. Beauchamp and Orrlater testified before ¯ the US House of Representatives about their beating, a ¯ fact also reported by The WorM. ¯ I personally told Nancy Day ofNCCJ of themost recent ¯ beating ofaGay man which this newspaper reportedin our ¯ August issue. But neither Ms. Day nor NCCJ, nor any ¯ other of these organizations has felt it incumbent to ¯ express for Gay Tulsans what they fall over themselves to ¯ do for Muslim Tulsans. ¯ Clearly themessage here is that NCCJ, Jewish Federa- ¯ tion, and possibly TMM and Tulsa Interfaith Alliance do ¯ not consider the attacks on Gay Tulsans to rise to the same level of concern as the attacks on other minorities. Or if ¯ perhaps their values are slightly more humane, then they ¯ are cynically utterly unwilling to expend any oftheir effort ¯ or "capital" in acting upon them. ¯ As horrible as it to contemplate, for some time I have been convinced that the only thing that would get these : groups off dead center would be for Tlffsa to have our own ¯ Matthew Shepard murdered- as much as I pray that such will never happen. ¯ What is it about this city that it is so profoundly morally ¯ bankrupt that only the veritible cruxcifiction of an iuno- ¯ cent might, and only_ might, move them to acknowledge ¯ the right of Lesbian and Gay Tulsans to live unassaulted ¯ and with even a fractiOi~ of the civil rights and other legal : protections other residents, including other minorities, : take for granted? ¯ Indeed I am glad to see that attacks against Muslim and ¯ others are condemned. I also am glad to see new networks ¯ formed to address hate crimes but I am deeply troubled : that this new effort, again, starts by excluding Gay and ¯ Lesbian Tulsans and describes hate crimes only as race, ¯ religion and ethnicity when those who hate, attack race, ¯ ethnicity, rdigion and sexual orientation equally, and ¯ sometimes us first. ¯ ¯ The latest Tulsa anti-hate crime network did invite our Nancy McDonald, PFLAGfounder, butit’ s not at all dear ¯ that she was invitedinher role as a more acceptable proxy ¯ for Gay folk but rather in her role as new co-convertor of ¯ the Say No to Hate Coalition. ¯ see Hate, p. 10 Czechs Seek Partners Recognition PRAGUE, .Czech Republic (AP) - Czech Gays and Lesbians soon could become the first in a former communist country to be allowed to register their partnerships. Prime Minister Milts Zeman’ s Cabinet has thrown its supportbehind a draftlaw grantingGays equal rights with the rest of the population. And backers ofthelegislation say they’ ve neverhada better chance for passage of the measure. The bill gives Gay and Lesbian couples the same fights as those of heterosexual ones in areas such as inheritance and health insurance. Couples would be ¯ allowed to seal their partnerships at local government offices, and severing a union would require a courtapproved divorce. The draft, approved by the Cabinet, however; bars couples from adopting children. Legislation that would allow homosexual unions already has been turned down twice by the Czech parliament, in 1997 and 1999. But this time will be different, Gay activists say. "Public opinion has changed," said Jiri Hromada, an activist. "Any deputy should listen to that." A May survey by the state-sponsored CVVM polling agency said only33%of those polled opposed such a law, compared to 42% in 1999. The margin of error was 3%, To pass, supporters of the law need only a simple majority in the 200-seat chamber. Since the ruling party holds 74 seats, supporters say they only need just over two dozen votes to make the measure pass. Several other European nations already extend legal fights to same-sex partners. Denmark granted legal rights in 1989, a move followed later by other countries, including Swedenand the Netherlands. Germany recently began to allow Gay couples to register their unions, and in the United States, Vermont became the first state to recognize same-sex unions last year. The Czech Republic wouldbe the firstpost-communist country, however, to approve such a measure. Most post-communist societies, burdened with massive economic troubles, have largely neglected such social questions. Opponents arebracing for afight. TheRomanCatholic Church, which has long opposed such unions, sponsored a petition to pressure the parliament to reject the measure. Petition organizer Josef Zeman of the Brat-based group National Center for Family says 72,000 have already signed. Some 2.7 million people in theCzechRepublic say they are Roman Catholic: "It will have an irreversible impact on those young people who still are not clear about their sexual orientation,’" Zeman warned. The draft law should be discussed in the lower ch~amber, the House of Deputies, by the end of this year. Cleveland United Way Drops-Boy Scouts CLEVELAND (AP) - The Clevdand chapter of the United Way has decided to stop funding traditional Boy Scouts programs that discriminate against Gays. The money will instead go to Boy-Scout-affiliated programs such as Learning for Life, a program that does not prohibit Gay menfrom being leaders. -. Earlier this month, United Way Services of Greater Cleveland shifted $268,000 in Boy Scout donations to the Learning for Life program, said Mike Benz, president Of the local United Way organization. The program will be taught in Cleveland, Bedford and Lakewood public schools and teaches children to apply classroom lessons in their everyday life. Last year, the United Way Services gave about $90,000 ofits Boy Scout donation to Learning for Life. This year, the group considered cutting support to the Boy Scouts entirely but decided instead to shift all of its donation to~ngfor Life. ." Susan Lewis, spokeswoman for the Greater Cleve- ." land Council for the Boy Scouts of America, said ¯ shifting the money to a Boy Scout-affiliated program : was a good compromise. She said her chapter will try : to shiftaround other donormoney tomake upforlosing ¯¯ the United Way funding, which accounts for about 14% of t!~ir budget. Nearly 50 United Ways across the ¯ country and a dozen corporations have quit giving ¯ money to Boy Scouts of America since ihe U.S. Su- ¯ preme Court last year upheld the Scouts’ right to reject ¯ homosexual leaders. _" Jan Cline, an Eagle Scout and associate director of ¯ the Lesbian Gay Community ServiceCenter in Cleve- ¯ land, said he wanted United Ways to stop funding the : Boy Scouts altogether until they stop discriminating. : "If I give to United Way, I don’ t want one cent to go ¯ to Boy Scouts," Cline said. "There’ s no betterplace for ¯ boys tolearn citizenship, personal fitness and camping ¯ skills. But by enforcing a membership standard that : teaches young Gaymentheirfeelings are second-class, ¯ they’re teaching bigotry and discrimination." ¯ None of the Northeast Ohio United Way organiza- ¯ tions,including UuitedWay Services ofGreaterCleve- ¯ land, has employment policies that prohibit discrimi- ¯ nation against Gays. Finland Recognizes Same Gender Partners HELSINKI, Finland (AP) - Lawmakers passed a goveminent proposal recently that makes Gay partnerships legally binding but stops short of letting Gay couples adopt children or use the same surname. The bill, which comes into force next year, was approved 99 to 84, with 17 abstentions or absentees. The new law says Finns who are at least 18 can register a same-sex union in a civil ceremony comparable to matrimony. It also give~ Gay couples the same rights as married heterosexual couples when inheriting each other’ s property and in cases of divorce. TheFinnish Lesbian andGay AsSociationwelcomed the law but said it wished it went further. ’q’his at long last gives Gay couples the rights they deserve," said Rainer Hiltunen, the association’s secretary-general. "But it’ s a compromise, and we are disappointed that it doesn’ t secure the rights of chil&en in a Gay marriage because they can only be registered to one parent." The Finnish Evangdical Lutheran Church, to which 85% of the 5.2 million population belongs, has opposed giving Gay partners the same rights as married couples. However, Archbishop Jukka Paarma has said that the legal position of homosexual and Lesbian couples should be improved. The new law is in line with similar legislation in the other Nordic countries of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, where Gay partnerships have been legalized. Denmark and Iceland permit adoptions by Gay couples in certain circumstances. Houston Partner ¯ Benefits Up for Vote ¯" HOUSTON (AP) - Houston, voters in November will ¯ consider whether the city should offer health and other ~ benefits to same-sex parmers of its employees. The : Houston City Council approved for the Nov. 6 ballot a ¯ referendum that, ifpassed,-wouldprohibit the cityfrom ¯ providing same-sex benefits. The city doesn’t offer : thosebenefits now, but had been considering changing ¯ its benefits policy to include them. ¯ The council approved the ballot addition by a 9-5 vote after City Secretary AnnaRnssell validatedenough ¯ signatures on petitions to call for a vote. Petitioner ¯ Dave Wilson, who,opposes offering same-sex ben- . efits, led an effort to gather 21,028 signatures on those ¯ petitions. City law requires 20~000 valid signatures ." from registered voters in Houston to force a vote on a ¯ change to the city charter. "1623 N. Maplewood (918) 838-1715 mcctu/saOaoLcom Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Community ofHope 2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595 A Welcoming Congregation HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6prn 1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754 The Open Arms Project Young Adult Support Group Outreach Program Thurs. Nights Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment Call for meeting times and place: 918-584-2325 Mingo Valley Flowers 9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145 918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-44d-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 Store 21st Street & Memorial Tulsa Gay Community Services Center 743-GAYS (743-4297) 6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday 12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center Heart of the Hills Bed & Breakfast 5 Summit, Eurel~a Springs, Arkansas 501 - 363 - 9203 Come Stay Us for the Next Diversity Celebration, Nov. 2 - 4 Red Rock Tulsa Free Confidential HIV Testing Walk-in Cgtnics Tues. & Thurs., 5 -8 pm at the Center, 1307 East 38th Daytime appointments available. Call for more information: 918-584-2325 d i Ame.rlcan Red Cross American Red Cross Tulsa Area Chapter 10151 East Eleventh Tulsa 74128 Dannette Mclntosh Diversity Co-ordinator 838-1100 OPENARMS OPEN MINDS OPEN HEARTS Saint Aidan Saint Dunstan 4045 N. Cincinnati, 425-7882 5635 East 71st, 492-7140 Saint John Trinity 4200 S. Atlanta Place, 742-7381 501 S. Cincinnati, 582-4128 The Episcopal Church Welcomes You CouncilwrmanAnniseP~rker, thecity"srnly openly Gay elected official, voted against adding the referendum to the ballot, claiming that Russell missed errors orirregularities on !, 101 signatures. MayorLee Brown said he intends to oppose the referendum and that authorities should investigate any possible fraud. Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal said his office would investigate if a complaint is fried. Wilson said he knew of no problems with the petitions or signatures. Houston voters in 1985 nullified a nondiscrimination ordinance approved by the council. Earlier this year, the council approved.a similar ordinance protecting Gays and Lesbians from discrimination, and the Nov. 6 referendum does not address the ordinance. Gay Adoption Considered In Nebraska LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - As the state Supreme Court prepares to hear a case that could decide ifGay couples have the right to adopt children, groups on both sides are weighing in on the dispute. Thehigh court is to hear the case next week of a Lincoln Lesbian who wants her lover to be able to adopt her 3-year-old boy. The case already has generated so-called "friend of the court" briefs from scores of organizations, including: theAmerican Psychological Association; the Family Research Institute; the Alliance for Children’s Rights; The National Organization for Women; the National Adoption Center; and the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. The Nebraska Catholic Conference, the Family Research Council, the Nonpartisan Family Coalition and Family First also have weighed in. The boy, called "Luke" in court papers, was born to "B.P," in 1997 through artificial inseminataon. The boy has lived with his mother and her lover, "A.E.," since birth. The two women were joined in a commitment ceremony in 1995, according to court records. Such ceremonies are not recognized as marriages in Nebraska, where voters last year approved a measure to keep same-sex marriages from being legally recog- B.P. already has custody of her 9-year-old son from a previous marriage. While Nebraska law contains no specific provision prohibiting adoptions by Gay couples, Deputy Attorney General Steve Grasz said does not mean it is legal. He also said A.E. has no legal rights to adopt the child, even though she has helped raise him. "Such caregivers, unlike parents, possess no substantive liberty interest in the child," he said in briefs filed in the case. "No fundamental constitutional right has been accorded in the law to individuals such as foster parents, grandparents, caregivers or ’partners’ of parents even though they have a deep emotional attachment to the child." Amy Miller, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, dismissed those arguments. "The state’ s bias is based on its discomfort with A.E. and B.P.’ s relationship, but is irrelevant asthe real issue is Luke’ s interests," she said. "The law only inquires into the best interests of the child to be adopted. Court Rejects Gag on Play FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) - A federal appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to block a controversial student play, ruling that the issue is moot since the play has already been performed. The 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago last week rejected the complaint filed by opponents of the play "Corpus Christi" who accused Indiana University-Purdue University ofusing taxpayermoney to support an attackon Christianity. Theplayfeatured aGay, Christ-like characternamed Joshua and 12 other male characters, most of whom had the names of Christ’s disciples. In a one-page orderissued Sept. 19, the court said the ;" issues raised on appeal do not merit’fotther consider: ¯¯ ation because theplay has already been performed. Six sold-out performances took place Aug. 10 to 18 in a ¯ theater on the university’ s Fort Wayne campus. ¯ Opponents led by former Republican gubernatorial : candidate John Price had argued that staging the play ¯ on the grounds of a state university_violated the consti- : tutional separation of church and state. ¯ Attorney Stephen R. Pennell represented the univer- ¯ sity in thelawsuit. He said school leaders were pleased ¯ by the court’ s action. "The play has been performed, so ¯ there is no longer any relief the court could grant that ¯ would be effective in any way, so the point is moot," ¯ Pennell told The Journal Gazette. The same appeals court ruled Aug. 7 in favor of ¯ allowing "Corpus Christi" to be performed while the ¯ appeal was pending. The decision upheld a July ruling ¯ by U.S. District Judge William C. Lee, who said : issuing a preliminary inJunction against theproduction ¯ would cause more harm than allowing the play to : proceed. ¯ Patricia Corbat of Fort Wayne, one of the three ¯ plaintiffs participating in the appeal, was not sure ¯ whether there are any other ways to pursue the com- . plaint. ¯° She said the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks put the churchstate relationship in a new perspective. "We don’t ¯ allow prayer in government at all, but all of a sudden ¯ everyone in government is praying," Corbat told the ¯ newspaper. "I just think that, all of a sudden, we’re : trying to get back in God’ s graces.’" Maine City OKs Civil Rights Bill BANGOR, Maine (AP) - Bangor became the 1 lth ¯ Maine city to enact a Gay civil rights ordinance when ¯ the city council approved the law by a lopsided vote. ¯ The law, approved by an 8-1 vote, bars discrimination ¯ based on sexual orientation in housing, public accom- ¯ modations, credit, education and employment. It is ." similar to measures that have been enacted by the ¯ Legislature, but overturned by Maine voters. ¯ The Bangor council’s passage came a week after a ¯ three-hour public hearing on the measure. Supporters ¯ said such a law is long overdue 17 years after a Gay i youth named Charlie Howard died after being thrown off a downtown Bangor bridge by three local teen- " agers. ¯ But opponents cited religious objections, and said it ¯ is an unneeded extension of the Maine Human Rights ¯ Act that_ should be decided by voters. Some asserted ¯ that the-law confers special rights on a specific group. ¯ Maine voters last November turned down a law that would have outlawed discrimination based on sexual ¯ orientation. Similar bills had been rejected by the : Legislature for two decades until 1997, when a mea- ¯ sure was enacted and signed by Gov. Angus King. ¯ Voters repealed it in 1998, and lawmakers responded ¯ by sending a new bill back to referendum. ~ While the state’ s voters repealed the Gay civil rights ¯ question in 2000, a majority of voters in Bangor ¯ favored the state law. After Monday night’s council ¯ vote, about two dozen spectators broke into applause. ¯ "Equal rights and equal dignity are not special rights," ¯ said Councilor Joe Baldacci, who sponsored the pro- " posal with Councilor Judy Vardamis. : An opponent, Bangor Baptist Church Pastor Jerry ¯ Mick, said he believed a planned effort to repeal the ¯ ordinance could be successful. ¯ Challenges to Gay civil rights laws in other Maine : cities have had mixed results. In 1992, Portland voters ¯ rejected a proposal to overturn the city’s Gay civil ", rights ordinance. But Lewiston voters repealed their : city’ s ordinance a year later. Los kn0olos May ment would prevent the city from provid- Host 2006 Games LOS ANGELES (AP) -Anonprofitgroup will send a delegation to SouthAfricanext month to lobby forthe city to host the2006 Gay Games, an Olympics-styl_e~l. event~that draws Gay and Lesbian athletes trom around the world. Los Angeles faces three other finalists - Chicago, Atlanta and Montreal - in its bid to host the games, which have been held every four years since 1982: As many as 15,000 competitors take part in the games, drawing upward of 250,000 spectators. The Federation of Gay Games will begin the selection process in Johannesburg, South Africa on Oct. 21, with the winning city announced four days later. The Gay Games include more than 30 sports, from aerobics to sailing to wrestling. The event was founded by Olympic decathlete Tom Waddell after enduring jokes and harassment on the sports circuit. The two-weekGay Games VII wouldbe the largest single event inLos Angeles in the next five years, according to the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau. The games could generate as much as $400 million for the city. San Francisco has played host to two previous games. Los Angeles has bid on the games, but has never been selected. LOs Angeles als0 is seeking to host the 2012 summer Olympic Games. Tt{~’summer Olympiad previously was held in the city in 1932 and 1984. Members of the nonprofit Los Angeles 2006 Inc. group that is seeking to draw the Gay Games said many Olympic venues would be used during the event. Michigan City to Vote Against Gays paign is under way here in the campaign over an anti-Gay civil rights proposal on the Nov. 6 city ballot. Both sides pledge to keep debate civil. But city voters could face an onslaught of door-to-door campaigns, yard signs, telephone polls, radio talk show forums and church debate. "We feel there is a great deal of discrimination in the impetus to getting this ballot initiative. It just r’eally stinks," said Robert Dempsey, campaign manager for the group fighting the proposal. It has been more than a year since City Manager Pat DiGiovatmi enacted a policy allowing Gay city employees to cover their parmers under health insurance. Opponents immediately moved to put before voters a broadly worded charter amendment that bans the city from adopting any ordinances or policies that give special preference based on sexual orientation. "We plan to explain to people why this is a bad amendment," said Dempsey, of Kalamazoo Against Discrimination. " The Michigan branch of the Tupelo, Miss.-based American Family Association is aiding the group seeking the Kalamazoo Gays-rights b~a. The group’ s Michigan president said he is hopeful for its passage because the public is returning to spirituality. "Churches are full. People are returning to a faith in.God," said Gary It is unclear whether the charter amending employee benefits to Gay couples. City attorneys say the policy does not mention sexual orientation and therefore maynotbevoidediftheamendmentpasses. So far, "very few" of about 900 city employees have applied for same-sex benefits, said City Attorney Robert Cinabro. Kalamazoo is among three cities in Michigan and 17 communities nationwide that will vote on Gay civil rights measures in November. Huntington Woods and Traverse City also are voting on human rights measures. "The whole country will be watching the three communities in Michigan," said ;can Kosofsky, director of policy and victim services for the Triangle Foundation, a Detroit-based Gay civil rights organization. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in Washington, D.C., last week announcedit will give $10,000 to Kalamazoo Against Discrimination. Meanwhile, American Family Association is supporting Kalamazoo Citizens Voting Yes For Equal Rights Not Special Rights, which is promoting the proposal. That group has about 50 volunteers, about half of whom live outside the city, the Kalamazoo Gazette said Sunday. Among themis the group’ s spokesman, Kalamazoo County Commissioner Jack Hoogendyk Jr. of Portage. "I have interest because I work in the city," Hoogendyk said. "Most people rig,h,t now have no clue what the issues are. Massachusetts May Add Benefits BOSTON (AP) - Gay, Lesbian and unmarried state workers would be able to get health insurance for their domestic partners under a bill approved by a key state Senate committee late in September. The bill, approved by the Senate Ways and MeansCommittee, would also let cities and towns decide to offer domestic parmer benefits as a local option. ¯ A domestic partner is defined by .the bill ¯ as someone of the same or opposite sex ¯ who shares financialresponsibilities and a ¯ home with a state employee. They must ¯ also say that they are in a relationship of ¯ "mutual support, care and commitment" and plan to live together indefinitely. : The Senate has approved two similar : bills in recent yb,ars. None became law. "I ¯ approach it as a matter of basic fairness," ¯ said Senate President Thomas Birming- ¯ ham, D-Chelsea. ¯ The full Senate is scheduled to vote on ¯ the bill soon. It is also expected to vote on ¯" bills that would allow Cambridge and ¯ Brookline to extend domesticpartner ben- " efits to their employees. Opponents of domestic partner benefits ¯ say they places homosexual relationships : on the same level as heterosexual mar- " riages. They also say that giving nnmar- ¯ ried heterosexual couples the same ben- " efits as married couples weakens theinsti- ¯ tution of marriage. ¯ In 1998, the Legislature passed a bill "- allowing Boston to provide the benefits - ¯ known as a"home rule petition" - but the ¯ bill was vetoed by former Gov. Paul Cdlucci. Conne . Kelly Kirb.y, CPA, Certified Public Accountant a professional corPoration Lesbians and Gay men face many special tax situations whether single or as. couples¯ Electronic filing is available for faster refunds. 747-5466 SOuth Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135 :¯ HIV ACtiViStS Educate Online ¯ ~AMI (AP) - Lighted by the blue glow ¯" of a portable computer, Marc Cohen is ¯ blazing a new trail in AIDS awareness. He : logs on to the Intemet, surfs into a busy chat room and uses his screen name - ¯ hivoutreachmiami@aol.com- to answer ¯ questions aboutAIDS, hepatitis and other ¯ sexually transmitted diseases. "Awareness Alert," he types in bold ¯ letters. "Miami is now secondinthenation ¯ for syphilis infection. Wilton Manors has ¯ hadan outbreak, too. STDand HIV screen- , ings can be done free of charge." "We are not the sex police," said Cohen, ¯ president of the United Foundation for- ¯ AIDS, a South Beach-based group-that offers counseling; HIV screening and ¯ therapy to people with the AIDS virus that ¯ causes AIDS. ¯ With the AIDS epidemic in its third ¯ decade, Cohen and a cadre of national ¯ AIDS prevention advocates are invading : chat rooms to get the attention of those ¯ most at risk of HIV infection. It’ s an ap- : proach that counselors and health Officials ¯ from San Francisco to South Beach be¯ lieve is working. Finding new ways to reach the (principal) at-risk groups - de- " fined as young Gay and Bisexual men, ¯ especially blacks - has been a focus of ¯ AIDS awarenes~ conferences. ¯ As chat-room counselors, they answer- " questions about HIV, hepatitis and syphi- ¯ lis that many would feel uncomfortable ¯ asking in person or on the phone. The ¯ Internet provides anonymity. "We treat it ~ as an opportunity for in-depth individual education," said Joseph Interrante, execu¯ tive director of Tennessee’ s Nashville CARES, an AIDS organization with staff ¯ members dispensing information in chat ¯ rooms. "The education actually becomes ¯ an online counseling session." ¯ Increasingly, warnings andAIDS statis- ¯ tics have fallen on the deaf ears of a ¯ younger, more reckless generation, health officials say. This summer, the U.S. Cen- ¯ ters for Disease Control and Prevention ¯ reported that among young men who have ¯ sex with other men, 4.4% - about 1 in 25 ¯ - get HIV. That’ s the same infection rate : asin the 1980s, before AIDS prevention ¯ methods andresearchtookroot. In Florida, ¯ blacks accounted for almost six of every : 10 new cases of HIV infection in the past ¯ four years. : Another trend: syphilis outbreaks in ¯ Wilton Manors, South Beach and Liberty -" City. Health officials say thegrowing num- ," bers are a signal mean thatGay and Bi- : sexual men are encouraged by news of ¯ powerfully effective drug cocktails and longerlife spans and are less worried about ", HIV infection. ¯ "The oldmodds do notwork," said Jeff ¯ Wilkinson of the South Beach AIDS ¯ Project, where staff members cruise chat : rooms as sobequest @aol.com. They an- ¯ swer questions and ask others to share ¯ what they learn. "The more the pebble hits ¯ the pond, the more it ripples out." ¯ Cohen says he spends at least 25 hours a ¯ week online as hivoutreachmiami on : America Online. His online profile gives ¯ information about syphilis, how itis trans- " mitted sexually., symptoms and telephone numbers to call for testing. He logs on in the afternoon and during peak chatting times, after 7 p.m. till until as late as 2 a.m. Since Cohen started the online campaign in June, he has seen the number of people who ask for HIV tests grow from a handful to a dozen or more a night. He takes their phone numbers, calls them and walks them through explains the process. He is training two volunteers to help. "So much that went on in bathhouses and publicparks now takes place in chatrooms, where people meet to engage in unsafe sex from the comfort of their living room,’" Cohen said. "It’s opening a tremendous dialogue in this town." Some Blood Donors Get Surprise RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Shocked by the terrorist attacks in Washington and New York, thousands havelinedupthepast two weeks to give blood. Now, some of those donors are the ones asking for help. Because many people are donating blood for the first time, more people have learned that they have viral diseases such as hepatitis, syphilis and even AIDS. Since the mid-1980S, blood has been tested for viral diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis, andprospective donors have been screened for risky behavior such as intravenous drug use. Now, with so many more people learning they are infected, disease hoflines have experienced an increase in calls from donors seeking help. "They’re really panic-stricken. They have no idea what it means," said Thelma King Thiel, chairman of Hepatitis Foundation International. More than 22,000 units of blood have been donated in the Carolinas blood services region of the American Red Cross since Sept. 11, spokeswoman Debbie Estes said. The organization collected twice as much blood as normal the week of the attacks and donations are running about 20% to 30% more than usual every day, Estes said. Offices are staffed 24 hours a day and donors have been asked to make appointments for later this fall. Since the attacks, more than 330,000 people nationally have donated blood to the American Red Cross, said Dr. Peter Page, senior medical officer for the Red Cross. The Red Cross, which supplies about half the blood in the country, was collecting two to three times more blood than normal the week after the attack and about 11/2 times more last week. Just over 1% of donors test positive for infections, Pagesaid. Onein20,000 wholeblood donors to the American Association of Blood Banks will test positive for antibodies to HIV, said Sara Foer, spokeswoman for the American Association of Blood Banks in Maryland. One in 2,500 will test positive for hepatitis B and one in 500 for hepatitis C, she said. ButThiel says itmay be goodfor donors to find out they are infected. ’’The tests and screens in tiff s blood drive are a good thing for them," Thiel said. "Otherwise they may go blissfully on their way not knowing ~ey are infected, spreading the disease. by TFN entertainment editor Tulsa’ s Theatre Arts will present Lionel Bart’ s"Oliver!" outin the country atTulsa Community College’ s PACE Theatre at 81st Street and Highway 169 from December 14th - 22nd. The production will be directed by Jon Grodeski of NYC and will star as "Fagin," Jamie Farr wall known for playing "Klinger"intelevision’ s M.A.S.H. series. Tulsa Family News is delighted to note that TFN writer and former entertainment editor, James Christjotm, has been cast in the characterof" Mr. Sowerberry," the undertaker that Oliver is sold to before he ends up in London as Fagin’s prot~g6 pickpocket. And on December 6th, Theatre Arts will host "An Evening With ~Iamie Farr," at the PACE at 7pm, where the actor will speak about his life and career, and take audience questions. Please call 595-777 for ticket information. Charles Dickens’ novel,"OliverTwist," is the basis forLionel Bart’ s musical Oliver! Dickens began the novel as a magazine serial that ran in a London.monthly for more thantwo years beginning in 1837. Its popularitywas so greatthatDickensrushed it to completion for publication - in three volumes ~-in 1838. Still, the serial continued to run for more than six months after the publication of the book. Some wellknown songs from the show include "Where Is Love," "Consider Yourself," "Who Will Buy," "As Long as He Needs Me," and many others. The story of Oliver Twist begins in. a seedy workhouse where he and the other orphans are kept by Mr. Bumble and Widow Comey. When Oliver asks for morefood, Bumbleis enraged and decides to sdl the boy. Mr. Sowerberry, the undertaker, buys him, but Oliver is terrified of the man and his coffins and runs away. TheArtful Dodgerandhis gangofyoung street thieves find Oliver woandering the "...Tulsa Family News is delighted to note that TFN writer and former entertainment editor, James Christjohn, has been east in the character.., of the undertaker..." ." streets of London and take him to the ¯ master pickpocket, Fagin. That training ~ quickly lands Oliver in jail, where he is " rescuedby Mr. Brownlow,arichold gentle- [ man who takes the boy into his home. ¯ Meanwhile, Fagin and his cohorts - Bill ¯ Sikes and Nancy - fearful of being in- [ criminated by thelad, plot his kidnapping. Nancy abducts him but then is overcome with guilt and attempts his return to Brownlow. Suspecting her kind (and traitorous) intentions, Sikes kills Nancy. He grabs Oliver but is foiled by the amval of the police Finally, Oliver is safely returned to the arms of his benefactor, who proves to be his own grandfather. Oliver! (the name shortened for Broadway) became a partof themusical stage ¯ repertoire in 1960, written in total by the ¯¯ multitalented Lionel Bart, who crafted the book, the music and the lyrics. With Ron ¯ Moody. as Fagin and Georgia Brown as ¯ Nancy, Oliver! opened in London on June : 30, 1960,and ran until September 9, 1966, ¯ foratotal of2,618 performances - making ¯ it the longest-running musical in British ¯ theatre. ¯ This production marks Christjohn’ s re- " turn to the stage after a long absence. ¯ "Therewas apoint that I thought the talent, ¯ the gift, the ability hadleft me. SoI shut. the ¯ dooronthatdream."Ironically,thatdream ¯ began as a young boy, when he was taken ¯ to his first liveproduction- aperformance ¯ of "Oliver!" at Theatre Under The Stars ; (TUTS), in Houston, Texas. Christjoha ¯ notes, "I remember seeing the little boy ¯ singing "Where Is Love," and identifying ; completdy. I also was filled with wonder ¯ at’the ’magic’ of seeing London appear ; when they sang ’Who Will Buy?’, and ¯ seeing the city literally fly in from left, ¯ right, andabove. Andlknew then I wanted ¯ to be a l~art of that, to help make the magic ¯ happen. And I wanted the applause that kid was getting!" Info: 595-7777. Tulsa’ s Performing .Mas Center Trust celebrates its 25thznniversary season with a number of great performers. At the end of October, on the 30th, the usually staid and fairly stodgy Chapman Music Hall will host nothing less than a circus! Quebec’ s Cirque Eloize (that’ s said,"elwas") and the Tulsa Philharmonic will combine classical music with circus spectacular: aerials, haru~s work,and feats of strength (and I’m sure men and women in fights,, could Lesbians and Gay men want anything more.’?). Cirque Eloize began in 1993 as part of the "Cirque Nouveau" movement that sprung from Quebec. Seven then recent graduates of Montreal’ s National Circus School began thecompany which drew on ¯ the Eurotx~tn, animal-free style of circus ¯ combining theater, music and dance. ¯ Cirque Eloize quickly gained acclaim ¯ forits acrobatics, and choreography. After ." touring Canada and the US, then in the ." United Kingdom, France and Ireland, Cir- - que Eloize garnered rave reviews from ¯ London’ s Sunday Times, "... hauntingly ¯ heart-catching.., conjur[ing] up the spirit ¯ of a medieval fair..." and from The ." Scotsman in Edinburgh, "pure dead bill- " liant.., this is circus with atmosphere, ¯ poetry, humor and above all, hear~..." ¯ The music ranges from Rimski- : Korsakov, Sibelius, Grieg, Saint-Sachs, ¯ Rachmaninov and more. This is a don’ t : miss performance. Call 596-7111 or800- ¯ 364-7111 for information or tickets. The Twilight of the Golds What happens when a young couple finds thru’ genetic testing that their unborn child might be Gay and how their conflict about whether to keep the child affects the young mother’s Gay brother¯ Oct. 26th- Nov. 4th Broken Arrow Community Playhouse Only 1,487 miles offBroadway In the Main Place, 1800 South Main 258-0077 for tickets and info. THE GILDED AGE Treasuresfrom the Smitbsonian American Art.MuSeum SEPTEMBER -- 4 .NOVEMBER 200I THE PHILBROOK MUSEUM OF ART 2727 SOUTH ROCKFORD ROAD SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - For a while, entertainer Ha Ri-soo seemed to be everywhere: in a film, in a music video, in ads for makeup and wedding gowns. Television talk shows couldn’ t get enough of the sex symbol and her sensual dances. People gabbed abouther athome andonthestreet, in offices and coffee shops. No wonder. Ha, 26, is a transsexual. While sex change operations are old news from the United States to Thailand, they’re a novelty in South Korea, where Confucian ideals of illial piety and a maledominatedhierarchyare strong. So it was starfling when Ha surged to thetopofSouth Korea’ s entertainment industry this year. "I think the society and cnlture is changing in Korea and it should change," Ha said in an interview at a beauty salon, her hair in curlers as makeup artists dabbedherface with lipstick, eyeliner andpowoperations are old news from the United States to Thailand, they’re a novelty in South Korea, where Confucian ideals of filial piety and a mah-domlnated hierarchy are strong°. 2 character is a transsexual woman who works as an express delivery worker by day and moonlights as a singer. The movie title alludes to the bleached blond look that some young South Koreans adopt to be rebellious. "I chose the fi~m because I went through a lot and I wa~ed to look back on those days," Ha s~d. "I wanted to break the stereotype of transsexuals - the demureness and extreme weakness with which they are often portrayed." Ha’s autobiography, ~’From Adam to Eve," also failed to make the best sdler list. She got her sexchange operation several years ago in Japan, where she studied hairstyling. While in high school, she had taken female hormone injections and was exempted frommill tary service on grounds of "mental illness." South Korean men must serve 26 der. "Transsexuals haven’t killed or cheated anyone. Why should they be mistreated when they haven’ t done anything wrong to others?" She said. Many South Koreans agree, but their fascination with Ha reflects .as much prurience as tolerance for the maverick. In a country where women flock to clinics for cosmetic surgery, Ha fits right in. "I think she is popular because of her charm and looks,, said Jeon Dong-ki, a male university student. "It doesn’ t.mean that people’ s prejudices against Gays and transsexuals have changed as wall." Ha’ s overheated presence inpop culture has cooled some recently, and she’s had mixed success. She appeared in "Ydlow Hair 2," a movieabout people on society’ s fringes that failed at the box office. Her ¯ months in the armed forces, a precau- ¯¯ tion in the event of conflict with communist North Korea. ’¢Fhink about it: What ¯ would happen to the. military’ s discipline ¯ if a man with breasts went into the mili- ~ tary?" Ha said, laughing. ¯ Her sex changewas toughonherfamily, ¯ particularly in a society that covets male ¯ offspring. Ha said she played with dolls as ¯ a child, and her frustrated father eventu- ¯ ally accepted her femininity. ¯ Ha’ s career took off in January with a television ad for cosmetics, but it’s un- ." dearhowlong she’ 11 stay in thepubliceye. ¯ Some religious leaders have denounced ¯ her. "It makes me angry that the media is -." trying to make something ’abnormal’ ap- ¯ pear normal," said Lee I-Iee-ja, a 58-yearold housewife. Saturday, October 20, the historic town of Medicine Park will host the first annual DrumFest. Organizers hope to attractmore than 800 drummers to this eventinhope of breaking the current Guirmess Book of World Records. Medicine Park is located at the main entry to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, the second most visited wildlife refuge in the country - hosting almost 2 million annual visitors. The community has a rich and colorful history. Originally founded on July 4th, 1908- Medicine Park was Oklahoma’s first planned tourism resort, Medicine Park was once the "playground" of the state’s rich, famous and notorious. Folks would come to town for the weekend and leave their "work-a-day" world, troubles and reputations behind them. Outlaws and horsethieves mixed with noted politicians and businessmen, families and socialites. The pages of the ¯ town’s colorful history are filled with the ¯ -likes of Teddy Roosevelt, Will Rogers, ¯ Wiley Post, Frank Phillips, Bob Wills, A1 ¯ Capone, Col. Jack Abernathy, Lil Hardin, Bonny & Clyde, Pretty Boy Floyd, Les ¯ Brown, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and ¯ countless others. : Ok Spoke Bike Rides ¯ All these rides begin at Ziegler Recre- ¯ ation Park, 3903West Fourth Street, at the ¯ parking lot. All rides are open to GLBT ¯ people and those who are Gayffriendly. ¯ OnOct. 6andOct. 13,there will bea20- ¯ 25mile rides beginning at 7:30am, helmet ¯ and water bottle required. Lateron the 6th, ¯ there is also 5 mile ride along the Sand ¯ Springs Trail beginning at 2pro. And on ¯ Oct. 13, therewillbea5mileridealongthe ¯ Arkansas River Trail starting at 2pro. For more information, contact ¯ Okiebicycle@prodigy.net, orwrite to POB 9165, Tulsa 7~157. by LamontLindstrom : the not-unhappy looking bin Laden. The Internet slowed to a crawl on Sep- ¯ Whether F.rnpire State Building as phaltember 1 lth. People crowded the system ¯ lus, or middle finger as phallus, these folk with messages and postings about that : imagesconceivemale-on-maleintercourse day’ s death and destruction. We turned to ¯ as appropriate revenge. Osama-"screws" email,chatrooms,lists,dis- ,, America; we screw him cussion groups and clubs to discuss, mourn, be angry or be reflective about the attacks: The older media - newspapers, telephones, radio, television - still carry the bulk of our words andimagery. Butthe Internet further speeds and spreads national (and international) conversation, intensifying this exchange. .. And exchange still continues. Since September 1 lth, I have been collecting folk-produced images that respond to the attacks. These, like the Interuet’ s bothersome chain letters and bad jokes, are still bouncing from site to site, person toperson. Computer imaging software (Photoshop and the like) and the WWW facilitate this outburst of creative reaction. Years ago, one of my anthropology professors, U.C. Berkeley folklorist ¯ . . equations d sex and vlolenee are so familiar, so embedded in our language and culture, as to be unremarkable. But we should remark them, at least occasionally. First, if we can think it we can do it - this is anthropology’s message about the power of cultural understandings to shape behavior..." Alan Dundes, along with Carl Pagter published a collection of Urban Folklore from the Paperwork Empire (1975). Such "paper folklore" consisted of joke letters, memos, cartoons, drawings, and the like that people produced and circulated using an earlier technology -the office copy machine: As soon as photocopiers became a standard business appliance, people copied and recopiedjoke memos and cartoons that spread from office to office, and cubicle to cubicle. Today, the Internet, like the photocopy machine, spreads our responses to the everyday world, and to tragic national events. Much of the attack-related folklore flooding the Internet is patriotic, affirming the goodness and the spirit of Ainerica. Images of U.S. flags, pictures of candles andribbons, upliftingpoems, and recycled Canadian newspaper columns lauding American generosity probably filled your email boxes, as they did mine. Other imagery, less warm-hearted, portrays anger and revenge. Two of the folk images that ended up in my email box particularly caught my eye. Both strum American cultural chords that blur violence with sex. The first depicts a reconstructed World Trade Center. Instead of the Twin Towers, however, this features five towers in a row, like fingers. The middle tower sticks up highest into the air. This folk image rebuilds the WTC as "the bird," flipping off m~icious Osama bin Laden and his terrorists. The secondimageis ruder. In this "jpg," Osama’ s turbaned head is superimposed on a nude, muscular body that bends forward. Coming in behind is the Fxnpire State Building. Its pointy tower sodomizes right back. Theserepresentations of skyscraper as phallus (or dildo) are no metaphorical accident. Beyond the deaths of 6500 innocents, some of ,amaerica’s rage certainly stems from this symbolism. Osama’s hijackedplanes ftrst appeared to circumcise both the mighty shafts of the WTC, slicing into theirheads. But then, ~brribly, the towers collapsed completely and New York, and America, suffered an awful castration. Actually, the WTC had already lost its Big Man claims. Since 1998,the tallest buildings in the world are the twin Petronas Towers in KualaLumpur, Malaysia. Their edifice is bigger than our edifice. But luckily, New York has in hand a backup tool - the Empire State Building ¯ (once again the tallest in the city) - that, symbolically, can stick it to Osama. ¯ Mass murderers need be brought to jus- ¯ tice, but what does it mean when werepresentjustice (or perhaps revenge) as homo- " sexual anal intercourse? The penis, more ¯ than a tool , becomes awcapon. Andsexual ". intercourse, .rather than an act of love, ¯ becomes one of rape or war. I penetrate ¯ you, and thereby I dominate you. ~ These equations of sex and violence are ¯ so familiar, so embedded in our language ¯ and culture, as to be unremarkable. But we ¯ should remark them, at least occasionally. ¯ First, if we can think it we can do it - this ¯" is anthropology’ s messageaboutthepower ¯ of cultural understandings to shape behav- ¯ lOt. ¯¯ Currently, two 14-year-old boys are in custody here in Tulsa. They, along with ". other members of their freshman football " : team, anally raped one of their young ¯ teammates with a broom handle in their high ~chool locker room. This is Tulsa’s : teenaged version of the Abner Louima : case. New York cops likewise wielded ¯ broom as dildo to prove their manliness. ¯ (The Empire State Building, presumably, - ¯ was unavailable.) Our folk fantasies of ¯ homosexual rape are far more likely to be ¯ realized here in America than in Afghani- ¯ start. ¯ Second, all those "sex = war," and "pe- ¯ uis = weapon," metaphors are danger- . ously slippery. What, exactly, are we say- " ing when we admit a desire to sodomize : Osama? Where does violent hatred end ¯ and erotic desire begin? Dildos also are : toys, and sex (of whatever sort) is play ¯ more often than it is aggression. Are we : then to pleasure Osama to death? Timothy W. Daniel Attorney at Law An Attorney who will fight for justice & equality for Gays & Lesbians Domestic Partnership Planning, Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy 1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma Weekend and evening appointments are available: IOTA member Call341. 6866 International TourSio,mo,e nio on. TULSA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY Country Club Barbering Custom Styling for Men & Women David Kauskey 3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8:5:30, Sat. 8-5pm College Hill Presbyterian Church In response to God’ s Love, College Hill Presbyterian Church is a community of God’ s people called to tell others the Gospel of Jesus Christ through worship, service, and evangelism. To nurture our faith, we gather for w.orship~ prayer, study and fellowship. Trusting in a living, loving God, we seek to become a compassionate voice for peace andjustice. Our congregation welcomes all persons who respond in trust and obedience to God’ s grace in Jesus Christ, and desire to become part of the membership and ministry of Christ’ s church. Membership is open to all people regardless of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition, marital status, or sexual orientation. Sunday Worship, 1 lam 712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800 (One block west of Delaware and the University of Tulsa Campus) Tulsa’s only professional body-piercing is an alternative worship experience that celebrates the mystery and wonder of life, without telling you what to believe. Soulful Sundown combines live music, inspirational readings, video, and audience ~articipation to create a rand new experience. Soulful Sundown happens at All Souls Unitarian Church at 5:3oPM on Sundays. Join us. on Oct. 7, 14, 21 and 3oth. All people are welcome! All Souls Unitarian Church z95z S. Peoria, 743-z363 And it’s only 20 years now that our oldest community organization, indeed Oklahoma’ s oldest non-religious community non-profit, Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights, TOHR, has been around. Any one want to bethow many more years it will be until these groups figure out that we exist? It is in the end this: you are either part of the solution, or you are part of the problem. AndTulsais filled with those who are not part of the solution. ~Ihey are our mayor and most of our city councilors: certainly they are Tulsa’ s business elite: the ChamberofCommerce staffand board and especially some of Tulsa Area United Way’ s board and staff for whom I have little doubt that Dante notes a special place in hell; and they are TU’s unrepentent bigot president and those prominent Tulsans who selectedhim despitehis documented prejudice. And it will take all these individuals deciding that they are going to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem for Tulsa ever to be that which it hopes to be. In the meantime, I hope that Muslim Tulsans will be safe and if God really moves their hearts that Tulsa Muslims might actually take their horrible experience as being this moment’s America’s hated "other" and will try to be do for Gay and Lesbian Americans that what they would have done for themselves. Average Gays and Lesbians feel much more in me with the American people in the spirit of "united we stand." For those weaned on identity politics, it will be hard to verbalize or imagine an America where they can speak from a "united we stand" perspective, but this new period will require it. We still have challenges as Gay Americans, but the terrorist agenda of America’ s enemies is far more dangerous to Gay Americans than anything we face within our own society. These terrorists have come to our country to murder us, and hope to eradicate our way of life in all its forms. The Taliban of Afghanistan, who is harboring these terrorists, believe that homosexuality is a crimepunishablebya sadisticdeath, which is meted out with pride in their society. More than ever, we should welcome the chance to serve in defense of liberty. We should document carefully the success of Gay soldiers. This act of patriotism, of the willingness to die for our country, is precisely why the current military policy is wrong. Our determination will be hugely educational to an American public who views our motives on this issue with suspicion. We will demonstrate with action the moral absurdity of the old policy and it will cave-in under that moral weight. Steve May, the hero who fought the "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy and won, is on message now. He said recently that it is an obligation ofevery Gay servicemember to acceptthe country’ s call to serve. United we stand today, and the military’ s policy on Gays has divided us as Americans. We now can look at new, real heroes. I’m g!ad Mark Bingham was such a strong man m body and soul. He took brave action with a small group of men and womenwho answered the call ofservice in that moment of crisis, sacrificing their lives to save maybe thousands of others to thwart the murderous actions of those who want to destroy our country. Can we find a maturity and resolve inside ourselves that we have neglected for so long, and defiaonstrate that unity means equality? Surely, as we look squarely at ourenemies, and see the face of brutality and hatred that stares back at all of us, that hates freedom and liberty in any form and would annihilate Gays and Lesbians at the first opportunity, the answers to these questions become dear. Buchanan has said that he approved the domestic partner policy in order to keep the county competitive in recruiting and retaining the best employees possible. He was not required to get the commissioners’ approval beforehand, although he did discuss it with them. Domestic partner benefits are common among many of Wichita’ s major employers, such as Boeing Co. Such benefits also are routinely offered by government agencies on both coasts. However, in a stretch of the country from the Mississippi River to Arizona, domestic partner benefits are offered by local governments in only four metropolitan areas: Denver; Albuquerque; Austin, Texas; and Iowa City, Iowa. "Nationwide, it’ s been going on for a good while," Norton said. "But in the Midwest, we’re probably a little far up on the curve. Whether you call it Midwest values or Moral Majority or whatever you call it, I think that’ s what you have to deal with in the Midwest." Commissioner Tom Winters said last week that he would back Buchanan’ s action because it was within the manager’s area ofresponsibility tomake suchchanges. Commissioner Betsy Gwin said Monday that she initially saw the policy as a business decision to make the county a more attractive employer and to "show some sort of compassionate understanding for all people." Now, she said She is undecided after receiving about 50 phone calls and e-mails, all but one in opposition to the policy. One event raises about 4.4% of the annual budget for the Hoosier Trails Council. A Boy Scouts spokesman told The Republic that scouting programs in the county may have to be scaled back if they cannot find a replacement for Cummins’ funding. But a company statement said that the en.gine, manufacturer’s executives were revzewmg their contributions to reflect the corporation’ s values. This was not the first time the company has confronted criticism regarding its policies. Last year, Cummins’ decision to extend partner benefits to employees’ same- and oppositesex partners was met with anger by some employees and shareholders. Helga’ Horribles present the Rocky Horror Pictu re Show followed by the Time Warp Ball Saturday, October 27 8pm midnight Doubletree Hotel Downtown 616 West Seventh Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data newspaper periodical Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2001] Tulsa Family News, October 2001; Volume 8, Issue 10 Subject The topic of the resource Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities. Description An account of the resource 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. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa Family News Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tom Neal Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource October 2001 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource James Christjohn Karin Gregory Barry Hensley J.P. Legrandbouche Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum Mary Schepers Hughston Walkinshaw Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News Relation A related resource Tulsa Family News, September 2001; Volume 8, Issue 9 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image PDF Online text Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource newspaper periodical Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper Tulsa---Oklahoma Oklahoma---Tulsa United States Oklahoma Tulsa United States of America (50 states) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://history.okeq.org/items/show/617 "Oliver!" 9/11 adoption AIDS AIDs Walk American Red Cross Bank of Oklahoma Blood Donation Boy Scouts businesses churches Cirque Eloize Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation Cummins Czech Republic Domestic Partnership Doug Dodd Finland gay-friendly businesses hate crime Helga's Horribles HIV HIV Education HIV testing House of the Holy Spirit Houston Iowa Civil Rights Commission Kelly Kirby Korea Los Angeles Maine Massachusetts Medicine Park Drum Fest Metropolitan Community Church United Michigan Mr. Oklahoma Leather Nebraska OK Spoke Openarms Youth Project Osama Bin Laden Partner Benefits Pride Store rape Red Cross Red Rock Tulsa restaurants Rigoleto Rocky Horror The Twilight of the Golds Tom Neal Transgender Tulsa Family News Tulsa Performing Arts Center Tulsa Theater Arts Webster High School https://www.history-okeq-org-red5.dev.unicomm.me/files/original/bb674346b0d51028c6b38cde9bd889c3.jpg 42ae1bb89369817a0acf55873dc0dde9 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Tulsa Is Having the Pride Parade and Festival Saturday; June 11, 2005 Come Help Make It Happen! Saturday, February 26 @ 10:00 AM Tulsa GLBT Community Center, 5545 E 41st Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Flyer Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [2005] Come to the Center for Volunteer Training Subject The topic of the resource Come to the Center Feb 26, 2005 for Pride Parade and Festival Volunteer Training Description An account of the resource Flyer advertising the need for volunteers for the 2005 pride parade and festival. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tulsa GLBT Community Center Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Tulsa GLBT Community Center Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tulsa GLBT Community Center Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 26, 2005 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Flyer, advertisement Language A language of the resource English Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource OpenArms Youth Project, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR) 2005 GLBT Community Center Open Arms Project Open Arms Youth Project Open Arms Youth Project (OYP) OpenArms Openarms Youth Project Openarms Youth Project (OYP) OYP Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Parents Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays Parents Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) PFLAG Pride 2005 pride festival pride Parade Pride Parade and festival TOHR Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR)