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VIEWPOINTS
Whose Best Interest? Tell It To The Judge!
Guest Editorial
A Celebration of Life
PRIDE. Proper respect for one's own dignity and truth. June 18-26 is designated as Lesbian and Gay
Pride Week. This year's theme is "CELEBRATION OF LIFE" and will be celebrated in more ways, in
more places, and by more people than any other Pride Week in Atlanta's history. In this edition of
Southern Voice you will find a complete listing of the planned activities, culminating in a Celebration in
Piedmont Park on Sunday, June 26. Activities planned range from sporting events, an "extended family"
dinner, theatre, movies, religious services, manorial services, and parties galore. All of this brought to
On June 13th Leigh VanderEls returns to court as part of an ongoing battle to regain custody of
her eight-year old son, Chase. (See story on page 3). Judge William Ison ruled against Leigh and
for her ex-husband, Wallace VanderEls, in January, 1987 stating that Leigh's lesbianism could be
a negative influence on her son as he matures. No other grounds were given by Ison for separating
Leigh and Chase who had lived together as a family since Chase's birth. No evidence was brought
forth that Leigh was not a good parent to her child. The truth is that Ison saw Wallace VanderEls'
family (three kids, a wife who doesn't work and a station wagon) as best able to serve Chase's
"best interests". The truth is that Ison is a homophobe - a prejudiced homophobe. There is no other
kind. And if Ism had kept his mouth shut and his fingers off of the telephone, he may have gotten
away with it. Who would have cared or noticed that a lesbian mother lost her child to her "upright"
ex-husband? Who would have shouted, "Unfair!" or "Homophobe"? Not many, probably
none.Certainly not the Georgia Supreme Court.
Fortunately for Leigh, the judge's homophobia got the best of him Not content with taking
away her son, Ison took steps that also cost Leigh her job, and that move is what lands Ison in the
hot seat on June 13th.Even the Georgia Supreme Court could not look the other way when they
heard about Ison's actions. Ison told Leigh's employer the details of the custody hearing, including
the fact that Leigh is a lesbian, and suggested she be removed from her work with foster children.
The prejudice there is unmistakable and undeniable. It is not only prejudiced behavior, it is
unethical and illegal behavior.
What could possibly make a person in Judge Ison’s position take a chance like that? Why did
he risk a Georgia Supreme Court decision that his behavior was less than above board?
Homophobia. It makes people do the damdest things!
Ison's actions are a clear example that homophobia is not just some convenient word for
political activists to rally around. Homophobia is pervasive, entrenched - an ugly sore that will not
heal because its origin is systemic. Like other phobias, it is irrational and very difficult to cure.
And like other phobias, if left untreated, causes extreme pain for the sufferer and the people
around them Homophobia is a disease. And if you think you are immune to its effects, you're
wrong. Ask Leigh VanderEls.
Ison's opinion that Chase's "best interests" were served by removing him from his mother's
home is typical of Georgia's judicial system. And although sane take a more liberal view of
lesbian and gay parenting, most states function out of homophobia when making custody
decisions. And how else can we expect them to respond? We do not educate the courts.We do not
come out and let the world see us as parents, as the good parents most of us are. We're too scared -
still. And we will continue to lose our children until we can look people in the eye, say we are
lesbian and gay parents and not be ashamed or afraid.Only then will we have allies in court
proceedings, only then will judicial systems become sensitized to lesbian and gay parents.
We can start in our own back yard by supporting Leigh VanderEls in her fight to regain
custody of her son. Let the Clayton County Superior Court know you feel Leigh has a right to live
with her son. Write a letter to the Georgia Supreme Court and tell them how you feel. Write Leigh
and give her words of support and encouragement. Give a little money to her legal fund so she can
continue with her fight because it is far from over .Come to the hearing on June 13th at 9:00 AM in
Clayton County.Do something, anything. Let's send the Georgia judicial system a message that we
are good parents, proud parents. Let's start telling the truth.
Correspondence and donations for Leigh VanderEls should be addressed to: Leigh VanderEls
Legal Defense Fund, PO Box 8534, Atlanta, GA, 30306.
SOUTHERN
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Managing Editor
Christina Cash
Assistant Managimg Editor Advertising/Classifieds
Chris Duncan Joe Vindich
STAFF
Karen Barrie, Sharon Blalock, Mark duPont, Terry Francis, F.G. Andrea Getty, Dave
Hayward, John Kappers, Rhonda Mensen, Jeanine Quintana, Elena Rutter,
David Tucker, Leigh VanderEls
General Policy
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The views of Southern Voice are expressed only in the editorial columns or in the editor's
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you by the Metro Council of Gay and Lesbian Organizations (MACGLO). The March and Celebration
in Piedmont Park brought to you by the Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee.
These are the facts and the reasons the events are planned. We should be able to now just sit back and
watch Atlanta's 250,000 gay men and lesbians choose which evoits suit their particular tastes and enjoy
the successes of the events. We'll also see people bring their family members, their children and their
straight friends as we all feel the powerful bond of pride and love that exists. There will be fun, hugs,
tears and a deeper sense of community and purpose.
Am I dreaming? Maybe. But maybe not The calendar of evoits proves that interest in our
"CELEBRATION OF LIFE" is high. We are still outraged at the Supreme Injustice of Hardwick v.
Bowers. We successfully fought many battles on the Georgia AIDS Omnibus bill. We are sending
openly gay and lesbian Delegates to the Democratic National Convaition. We have openly gay
candidates running for the Georgia Legislature. We are being courted for dollars and votes by other state
and National candidates.
Okay, so these are "political activities" largely ignored by the non-involved (99.9% of the 250,000
figure above).
So what causes me to say the other 249,500 of you want to celebrate Lesbian and Gay Pride Week?
Because more of us have been personally affected. The words PRIDE and COMMUNITY finally have
meaning to many of us. Real deep feelings of 'We Are Everywhere" and I am a part of We. The
National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights revealed to us our strength in numbers, in
compassion, in love and in conviction. We were "Out and Outraged". We owned "our" nation's Capitol.
Restaurants, stores, hotels, the streets and parks, and even the subway saw us blatantly holding hands,
kissing, caring. Our voices joined together to say NO MORE to our oppression, NO LONGER will we
tolerate inadequate AIDS funding. Our hearts sang together in a joyful celebration of who we were. We
know our strength and vowed to recreate this passion in our own hometowns. Pride Week is our
National March.
The March not only uplifted us, it reminded us of the sober fact, "Silence=Death". The NAMES
Project to me is a "Celebration of Life" itself. It immortalizes the lives of very special men, women and
children. It represents lovers, friatds and family members caring otough not to let a disease be an
epitaph. The exponential fingers of AIDS has and is touching more people every day. After being
touched, you want to do Something, Anything.
From the very beginning of this battle, the gay and lesbian Community has been there. Taking care of
our sick, screaming at the inhumanity of each death until govonments were forced to listen, opoting our
hearts, our homes and our pockets to all affected. This country and the world owes us an otormous debt
for what we have done in this crisis for both gay and non-gay alike. What they didn't or wouldn't do for
us. We should be, and are, very proud of ourselves for our response to the epidemic. We are there for
grieving lovers and families, we are there for the abandoned, we are there joining in the Celebration of
Life for those living with the disease, we are there in the "war zones", the classrooms, the churches and
homes educating and helping others understand. We can be proud that we know how to love and are
teaching others to do the same.
Together we CAN make a difference. To ourselves and to each other. This is OUR week. Let's stand
up, be PROUD, claim this celebration and not let go. Eva.
-Jeffrey Laymon
Jeffrey Laymon is Executive Secretary of MACGLO, a member of the Board cfSAME, and a member of
theACLUandGAPAC.