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VIEWPOINTS
Tuesday’s Tough Choices
Since LEGAL's stunning victory in the
4th and 5th Congressional Districts in
January, we have the possibility of placing
up to four gay men and a lesbian on the floor
of the Democratic National Convention in
July. People from those districts are now
faced with the dilemma of either voting for a
candidate who fears our support but whose
delegates represent our
issues, or voting for a presidential candidate
who might be more sensitive to our concerns
Good arguments can be made for either
action.
Voters in the 4th and 5th Congressional
Districts who have strong feelings for a
SOUTHERN
VOICE
Managing Editor
Christina Cash
Art Director
Stebbo Hill
STAFF
Karl Boyce, Chris Duncan, Patricia
Jackson, John Kappers, Martin Keefer,
Michael McMillan, Elena Rutter, Leigh
VanderEls
General Policy
Southern Voice is published by SAME
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reproduced without the written consent of
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particular candidate should cast their ballots
in line with those feelings. The few
candidates who do support our issues will
need our votes on March 8th to keep them in
the race until July.
Voters in the 4th Congressional District, in
particular, who are undecided or
unimpressed, may consider casting their
votes for Senator Gore on Super Tuesday.
The number of votes a candidate gamers in
the primaries determines how many of that
candidate's delegates that will go to the
Convention. In spite of Senator Gore's
ambiguous position with regard to our issues,
we need as many lesbian/gay votes at the
Convention as possible. The California
delegation will be introducing a strong pro
lesbian/gay platform on the floor of the
Convention. We need Dick Rhodes,
Melinda Daniels, Paul Garrard, Gil Robison,
and Joe Williford to be there for important
votes. Their participation will directly
impact the platform of the Democratic Party
and consequently whomever emerges
victorious in July.
Whatever your choice, vote in Super
Tuesday. And if you’re not registered, do so
immediately and exercise that right whenever
possible. We can't possibly win if we're not
in the game.
From The Editor's Desk
I decided some weeks ago that it was appropriate to talk about information and
education as our most powerful tools against the evils that constantly lurk about us. After
ail, it would neatly explain the launching of Southern Voice and make me look good in
the process. But, somehow it didn't feel right, it was too perfect, too contrived. And it
didn't say anything about matters of the heart or the spirit - those things most vulnerable
to attack and those things which are the real reasons for this newspaper.
Today, with AIDS and everpresent fear of it, with increasing violence against us, with
a resurgence of homophobia that's so strong it sometimes makes us wonder if they're right
- we must use every tool we have. Information is good, education is good, but neither is
enough. They do not nurture us or heal us or prepare us for attacks on our spirit.
So, how do we protect ourselves? How do we live so we don't take the homophobia
into ourselves, where it can turn into hate, for "them" and for ourselves. I don't know the
answers yet. But, I read something the other day that gave me another way of looking at
things, a valuable "weapon" against attacks on the heart and spirit. Sean O'Casey, in
"The Power of Laughter: Weapon Against Evil" said, "We are always hopeful of, always
pushing towards better things, and to bring this about, a change must be made in the
actual way of life, so laughter is brought in to mock at things as they are so that they may
topple down and make room for better things to come."
I tend to agree with O'Casey. Laughter can change the world. If we can laugh at our
enemies, we may begin to see that they do not hold the power over us we had imagined -
their words aren't as sharp, their threats aren't so frightening.
We need to laugh more at ourselves and with ourselves, at our enemies and with our
enemies, and with those we love. Maybe then we can "make room for better things to
come."
-Christina Cash
Leap of Faith
Gary Kaupman
One of the truly annoying things about the
world in which we live is that saying "yes"
almost axiomaticaily means that we must
also say "no": if I am a Democrat, I cannot
be a Republican. I cannot be a vegetarian
and still eat meat. I am gay, therefore I
cannot have lovers of the opposite sex.
All true statements. And all false.
Oppression-personal and political--
thrives on yes/no thinking. Majorities
regularly use the ethic of exclusivity to keep
minorities in check. Radicals-vegetarians
who scarf steaks, lesbians who bed men, and
Demos who vote for Bush-scare us.
"Yes, but..." is just another variation on
the theme. Webster's number one definition
of "but"? "On the contrary." In other words,,
no.
Rhetoric?
Is all this just rhetorical indulgence? I
think not. Look at how saying "no" (or its
equivalent "I can't") affects our lives. "I can't
be out at work because they'll fire me." Or
"If I tell Bruce how much I care, he'll just
laugh at me."
Sure, you could lose your job. Or your
boss might come out to you or introduce you
to his lesbian sister.
And Bruce might reject your caring. Or
he might just say "thanks" and tell you the
feeling is mutual.
Three Examples
Several weeks ago, 170 gay men and
women said "yes, I can support Albert Gore
and still support Simon or Jackson or even
Bush." At the Fourth District Caucus, Gay
Center Administrator Richard Swanson and
former Gay Center Board Chairman George
Brenning-men who have been saying "no"
to each other for as long as I can remember-
actually agreed, in public, about something.
Powerful stuff.
Does the presence of Southern Voice
mean that you should stop reading etc or
Guide ? Noway. Three publications mean
three different takes on the same story.
And broader or more in-depth coverage on
other subjects. That variety of information is
important in helping us form opinions and
make choices.
Should a business owner decide to
advertise in just one publication and exclude
promoting his or her product in the others?
Absolutely not. Saying "yes" to all three
publications offer advertisers access to more
customers and valuable repeated exposure to
those who read all three.
If I write for one publication, does that
mean I can't write for the others?
I sure hope not. We need more chances
for gay writers, artists, and photographers to
work on subjects important to them. (In a
brilliant attack of yes/no logic, The Atlanta
Journal!Constitution and Creative Loafing
prohibit their regular contributors from
writing for other local publications. Sure
smells like oppression to me.)
Say "yes" to AIDS? No way! But
exclusive thinking leaves only "no" with
which to fight the battle. Compare that
stance to one that says "yes, we're living with
AIDS."
Where To Find It
The yes/no mindset is deeply rooted in the
western, Judeo-Christian and capitalist ethic
that is mother and father to most of us.
Exclusivity may be oppressive but it's
usually easy to accept because it's familiar.
Ditching an exclusive mindset isn't easy, but
it is possible. And it's well worth the effort.
Many eastern spiritual systems are based
on yes/yes thought-great stuff if you can
deal with their incessant lack of linearity and
cultural differences. Easier for most of us
are the new thought teachings that offer
inclusive thought in a linear, western format.
Psychotherapy provides the opportunity to
reconstruct belief systems in ways supportive
of our highest aspirations. For most, that will
include a yes/yes philosophy. The process
can take years and it costs money, but few
who complete it begrudge either. Atlantans
are lucky. The city sports a number of
competent, caring, gay psychotherapists.
We live in an era ripe with workshops.
The best ones offer a swift kick in the butt to
yes/no thinking. One of the most widely
publicized of these is The Experience
Weekend. The Weekend isn't a gay version
of the much maligns EST Training. And the
sometimes vehement style with which it has
sometimes been promoted have probably
scared folks away. Those fears are a perfect
example of "yes,but." Forget the "but" and
find out for yourself what it's all about.
Monkey Stuck?
Questioning our exclusive belief systems
is the first step. Actually enrolling in a
workshop or shopping for a therapist requires
a leap of faith. That's scary stuff. But then
imagine a monkey swinging from vine to
vine through the forest. There's no way he
can move forward till he takes the chance
and lets go of the vine that holds him back.