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SOUTHERN I In This Issue vOCE GAP AC MEW’S See Centerspread Vol. 1, No. 9 Taking Pride in Our Culture . ' ■ . -f * June 23,1988 Lesbian and Gay Pride Week '88 The Pride Prom, hosted by the Atlanta March Committee, drew more than 300 people for the kickoff of Pride Week '88. Vying for the title of Prom Royalty were Myrna Jean Sims, Delta Dawn Davenport (winner), Maxine Lewis, and Magnolia Jackson. Rip Jackson and Amy Bernstein (pictured at left) split the prize with Ron Halstead and his partner in the dance contest Billed as a Celebration of Life, this year's events will continue through June 27th.Please see Page 6 for a full schedule of Pride Week '88 activities. Gay and Lesbian Groups Hard at Work in Atlanta: MACGLO Meeting Shows Results Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Find out how to stay informed and what to do if you're a victim. Page 3. Lesbian and Gay Pride Week '88-Pride Week concludes June26th with a sunrise interfaith service, the annual march beginning at 12:30p.m. at the Civic Center, and day-long festivities at Piedmont Park. See the centerspread Calendar and page 6 for complete Pride Week information. ALFA turns 16-and contributor Elizabeth Knowlton examines the life of what is conceivably the oldest lesbian center still in existence. Always a political organization, ALFA has changed in some ways, but stayed constant in its desire to build a better world for lesbians. Page 6. Counterculture takes you on a trip to WomonWrifes X and back in time to Christopher Street during the time of the Stonewall Inn riots. Writer Amanda Gable was a participant in the tenth annual WomonWrifes-one of the few lesbian writer's conferences in the country, aid perhaps the oldest-and she ensures that you won't want to miss the 11th. The Company We Keep, the first gay and lesbian production compaiy in Atlanta, will b e producing "Street Theater," A raucous comedy/drama that relives the first days of the gay and lesbian civil rights movement. Page 7. Experimental AIDS Drugs-are examined in this first of a two part series by Terry Francis. Drawing from scientific aid lay sources, as well as his own vast experience, Francis begins the series with a review of the role T-celis are thought to play in the immune system, as well as the drugs AZT (Retrovir), Ribavirin, and AL 721. Page 12. Keep Refrigerated-will keep on ticklin' your funny bone with the all too real exploits unveiled in Alison Bechdel's "Dykes to Watch Out For" and Charles Haver's "Bittersweet." If you wanna know what the July 4th weekend holds in store for you, check out "Star Gays." Lots of things going on up there you should know about. Page 14. Judging by the enthusiasm and devotion of gay and lesbian leaders in Atlanta and around the country, the community is ready to bring about change. But then, what else can you expect at a time when the front-runner in the race for the White House, Mike Dukakis, is a son of the Greek Island of Lesbos. Against the background of a possible - you can say it - lesbian president, organizers are working tirelessly on every' possible front. Representatives of Atlanta's gay and lesbian organizations displayed an intense level of activism in our city at the June 16th meeting of the Metropolitan Atlanta Council of Gay and Lesbian Organizations (MACGLO). The meeting had strong attcndcnce with representatives ranging from members of political action committees, civil rights organizations, and parents of gays and lesbians, to arts groups and several religious denominations. The mood showed a community determined to play a strong role in its own future, and one whose organization has brought it to the status of a political force of tremendous potential. The undeniable political power of gays and lesbians in the metropolitan area was evidenced not only by the presence of two openly gay candidates to the Georgia legislature, but by official requests for gay and lesbian support from mainstream candidates. Among those asking for help from the community are, most notably, the two openly gay candidates, Gil Robison and Dick Rhodes. Robison made a pilch for support "We're off and running a vigorous race," said the Atlanta attorney whose work on AIDS legislation has been widely praised. Even though more than 600,000 people live in House District 40, Robison's target the candidate said 40,000 votes would win the election. The election of Dick Rhodes' district in the DcKalb County area could also be decided by the gay vote. Among other candidates requesting support Dick Rubin, running for Superior Court of Fulton County spoke at the meeting. Ben Jones, running for Pat Swindall's seat Michael Lomax, vying for the Mayor's office and Leah Sears-Collins, also looking to reach the Superior Court bench, have all recognized the power of the gay and lesbian vote. With Lesbian and Gay Pride Week only days away, spirits soared at MACGLO’s . meeting. A proclamation signed by Andrew Young and the Atlanta City Council, declaring this the week of Gay Rights and Gay Pride, respectively, were read. In DeKalb County, Commissioner Sherry Shulman signed a similar document as did Brince Manning. A member reported the two commissioners received abuse by other DcKalb County Commissioners because they signed the proclamation. (Thank you calls for the commissioners at 371-2881.) In an emotional moment organizers of the Southeastern Conference for Lesbians and Gay Men said that April’s conference here in Atlanta was a huge success, turning a profit of $2,400. They presented MACGLO with a donation of $1,000 and announced a $600 donation for Pride Week 1989, and $250 gifts to National Association of People With AIDS, the Council on Batlcred Women and the Atlanta Feminist Women's Health Center. All is not peace and love among gay and lesbian groups in the city, though. The representative of Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance (ALFA) read a letter sent to the Atlanta Gay Center (AGC). ALFA, the longest continuously functioning lesbian group in the country, as a result of AGC's repeated attacks on women-only events, has asked to be removed from the AGC's directory and to no longer be listed in the AGC's publication, The News.. ALFA requested that other groups join in the protest until AGC ceases its attacks and apologizes. In another interesting discussion, the representative of P-FLAG brought up the subject of Tammy Lloyd's statements affecting the community, which have been covered by Southern Voice. Possible courses of action discussed included calling the station's advertisers to protest the blatant misrepresentations and inappropriate statements by the WGST talk-show host. Cont'd Page 3 PHOTOS BY PAMELA J. COLE