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Is Randy Miller
less manly?
To the Editor:
Enclosed please find my letter to
WZGC-FM (Z-93) regarding the on-air
antics of Randy Miller. It is my
understanding that, in addition to the
incident covered in my letter, he has a
frequent character by the name of Les
Manley (sic).
Since that initial letter to the
management of the station (to which I have
yet to receive a reply ...apparently the
station is lacking in business etiquette as
well as acumen) I was confronted with the
on-air character Monday, April 19th at
approximately 8:15 a.m. The gist of the
sketch centered around the loss of his
poodle, FROU-FROU. Les said that he
had been attending the Southeastern
Conference for Lesbians & Gay Men
(SECLGM) and in all of the parties and
excitement, his doggie had been lost. The
situation degenerated from that point. I
hope that many of the participants in the
Conference are made aware of this slur, as
the seriousness of the Conference and the
issues it addressed are not a laughing
matter.
It is distressing that any venue of mass
media should be allowed to maintain such
a blatant and high-profile disregard for any
organization whose efforts are towards the
betterment of our community. To
underscore it with demeaning humor is an
affront not only to the many professionals
in attendance at the Conference, but to all
of us in the gay community.
I certainly hope that others shall take it
upon themselves to not see this as an
isolated incident, but as a dangerous crack
in the fragile world of acceptance and
respectability that we in the gay/lesbian
community labor daily to construct in our
personal and professional lives.
In closing, I would urge others who
share my anger and frustration to call or
write the station management and echo the
feeling. The station number is (404) 851
9393.
Sincerely,
Jim Warren
March 15,1988
Community Relations Department
WZGC-FM Radio
1100 Johnson Ferry Road, Room 593
Atlanta, Georgia 30342
Management:
This morning at approximately 9:25
a.m., the Randy Miller morning show
contacted the Marlin Beach Hotel in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, while on the air. This
was precursed by a reference to an article
which appeared in the Atlanta morning
paper on this same date about an effort to
establish an organized area for a gay resort.
While Mr. Miller lisped about, waiting
for his call to be answered, the young
lady(?) on the air with him chuckled in the
background, obviously a cohort to the
adolescent slant of the whole "bit".
Mr. Miller then spoke with an owner of
the hotel, whom-and I kid you not-was
asked DIRECTLY by Mr. Miller on the air
if he was gay. The gentleman stated that
he was not, but most of the management
was, indeed, homosexual. Mr. Miller then
asked if "the guys frolic” around there.
Other than being an inane question, what
did Mr. Miller expect as an answer? It is a
resort, people are on vacation, they are
drinking....I would imagine that at the very
least that they are indeed frolicking.
It would be interesting to see what the
public reaction would be to a phone call
from Mr. Miller to a black person in the
news while Mr. Miller did a poor imitation
of Mammy from Gone With the Wind.
Incidentally, if Mr. Miller has a
subconcious need for gay jokes, perhaps he
would like to know that the Marlin Beach
Hotel is the same hotel that was used in the
film Where the Boys Are. Unfortunately,
we in the gay community have just about
exhausted that knee-slapper.
Sincerely,
Jim Warren
cc: ETC. Magazine
Atlanta Gay Center
FCC
NAP Pops Up,
Again!
To the Editor
I strongly object to allowing Patricia
Jackson or anyone in the New Allicance
Party (NAP) to use Southern Voice as a
vehicle to publicize NAP's view or promote
Fulani's campaign. There were surely
enough issues brought up in my article in
the third issue of Southern Voice to raise
questions about this "independent" party
with ties to LaRouche. The article "AHA
Defends Lack of Accessible Housing"
(Vol. 1, #4, p.2) was informative and it's
great if NAP members help with this issue
(with no strings attached!), but building
independent parties has nothing to do with
the fight for accessible housing. The
quotes from Weinstein had no place in the
article. Given NAP's history of
manipulation and infultration (see article,
page of Vol. 1 #3), I hope that Southern
Voice publishes nothing else that tries to
give credibility to NAP.
Sincerely,
Beth D. Coonan
Lesbian-raised
Babies Can
"Carry Vision"
To the Editor
I was very upset by the editorial on "Why
Are Lesbians Having Babies?" by Deignen
in your last issue, and would like to address
her personally on this question.
First of all, for a lesbian to choose
motherhood takes much contemplation and
self-questioning. We are not used to the
idea for a variety of reasons:
1. The society we've all been raised in says
"lesbian" means never having children.
2. Until recently it would've meant having
sex (oh god!) with a man.
3. We are only now beginning to feel like
we have something to offer instead of
hiding.
So when you write that we want to have
children "because of a sadly misdirected
urge toward self assertion", I say that
assertion is long over due! As for finding a
reason to reproduce, let us not
underestimate the as -yet unknown
consequence of AIDS. You may feel it is
premature to be concerned about
humankind being wiped off this earth, and
although I don't feel it will come to that, I
do have concerns about our future in
regards to building a society with
sympathies toward lesbians, gay men and
other oppressed peoples. Although having
children is not the only answer to teaching
& informing the public, what better way to
insure proper knowledge that to raise a
child (or children) in a lesbian home?
"Having vision" you say, "not babies".
Babies are our vision. They are our
future. And it's high time there are children
bom into this crazy world who will carry
our vision without having to fight off
straight-world attitudes from the word go.
Seeing a lesbian with a child, whether
conceived by artificial insemenation or in
the parent's "straight days” makes me feel
hope, gratitude, and admiration.
Sincerely,
M. Lutz,
Mother
l Don't KNouit /7-^£.e.ms
UKC TAXAT/o/V Nir/iOUT
fiEPReSEmTAT/as] To T
"Four years
ago I learned my
three children
are gay"
As parents we tend to make definite
plans for our children at birth. Certainly , I
was not different in my attitude. Their
future would entail the usual, marriage,
children and careers. As their mother I saw
them through the usual adventures which
take place, bumps, bruises, school days,
teen years and all that accompanies the
process indicative of learning
responsibility, thus qualifying you to
graduate into and participate in adulthood.
This state of adulthood would be the
realization of my original purpose, to see
them educated, married and eventually
parents. Their state of parenthood would
perpetuate the generation and make me a
grandmother, my right as a now seasoned
parent. Being very conscious of my plans,
I attempted to dictate each phase of growth.
Four years ago, I learned my three
children are gay. Shock, anger, guilt and
grief took control of my life. As I worked
through each painful phase I was forced to
reassess my expectations. Gradually, the
realization of who they are rather than what
they are took priority. They had failed to
adhere to my plans, but as individuals they
were very successful at achieving
adulthood, possessing the qualities I find
most important Acceptance made me
aware I had not failed at all. The support
and love I receive from them creates a far
more valuable relationship between us than
most parents are every lucky enough to ’
share. They are not different, their needs
are exactly the same as mine or yours. We
each need love and emotional support.
What makes them so special is the ability
to give this as well as receive it.
Proud is the way I feel about them.
Each of them developed their own path of
life which is their privilege, not mine. As
adults they contribute to their careers, they
respect the blderly, the sick and the young
and most important they love and trust me.
I feel very fortunate to be the mother of
these nice people.
-Loretta Rouse
Loretta Rouse is the President of P-FLAG
(Parents and Friends of Lesbians and
Gays), Atlanta chapter.
Viewpoints is part of a continuing effort to provide a forum for our community.
We invite your ideas, comments and feelings and your responses to ideas expressed
in this space.
The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not neccesarily'
represent the views of Southern Voice. Submissions should be typed, double
spaced and no longer than four pages. Mail to:
Southern Voice/Viewpoints
PO Box 54719
Atlanta, Georgia
30308
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