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GAPAC News
Ga-pac (n): How It Sounds Is What We Are — Atlanta's Local Gay Political Action Committee
P.O. Box 8420 Atlanta, Geogia 30306 » 868-0510
Volume I • Number 3 Summer 1988
ADVENT CE LESBIAN PARTICIPATION WILL IMPACT
GAY POLITICS
Lomax Leads . . .
Catholic Task Force
Comes Out . . .
Omnibus Summary . . .
And More . . .
UNSPEAKABLE QUOTES
¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥
. ... in Twin Falls, Idaho, [Vice
President Bush] said of the
President to a Republican rally:
"For seven and a half years, 1 have
worked alongside him, and I am
proud to be his partner. We have
had triumphs, we have made
mistakes, we have had sex ..."
There was a stunned
moment of silence in the audience,
and Mr Bush hastened to add: "We
have had setbacks." After a roar of
laughter, the Vice President
observed: "I feel like a javelin
thrower who won the coin toss and
elected to receive."
The New York Times.
May 12,1988, p 10
*****************
"We must put as our priority the
protection of the majority not the
alleged rights of the minority."
[Dr Julian "Hutch" Hutchins
comments on the need to redirect
the federal government's efforts to
combat AIDS. Hutchins is seeking
the Republican nomination to run
against Rep Ed Jenkins, Georgia's
9th district congressional
representative.]
The Atlanta Constitution.
May 24,1988, p B10
*****************
The audio tape, played last week
in at least two classes [ in Gwinnett
County's Shiloh High School] by
varsity head football coach Mel
Hulme and assistant basketball
coach Michael McCoy, referred to
homosexuals as "perverts" and said
acquired immune deficiency
syndrome can be transmitted by
kissing and by public toilet seats. It
was released by radio minister
James Dobson. June 7, 1988, p B2
The Atlanta Constitution.
It showed at the March on
Washington. It showed at the
HRCF dinner. It's showing in
LEGAL's and GAP AC's new Boards
and volunteer participation. Long
awaited, the name of the game is:
parity, sweet parity.
As critical a reception as
artificially-inspired "quotas"
generally receive, they seem to
persist in effectiveness. Whether
the March Committee was the first
to insist upon gender parity or not,
they became the template for such
on gay/lesbian boards and
committees across the country.
Aside from the more obvious
benefits of diverse perspectives
applied to the work at hand, the
parity trend has had perhaps a
more forceful impact: the
increasingly visible participation
of lesbians working with gay men in
the political process.
Traditionally, "men always
seemed to be the main players,"
said Diana Refsland of the HRCF
Dinner Committee, "and women the
cheerleaders. Women operated in a
different sphere, with the larger
arena being the man's domain. But
as women emerged nationally
through the women's movement,
local participation increased."
★
By MJ Murray
As the campaigns get under way,
bits of information filter into the
GAPAC shpere, and alternately
float around or get carefully filed
away for future reference. Rather
like the way particles of dust and
innocuous hairs seemingly suddenly
congeal into the monster dustball
that threatens to obliterate your
living room, these little pieces of
information start coming together
as the day of electoral reckoning
comes closer. Loof for our "gay
slate" in the Southern Voice.
One giant piece of consideration
was published in a recent Southern
Voice: a rather disturbing
interview with Ben Jones, who
seems to feel that obfuscation (or at
least, lack of commitment) will
suffice with the gay community.
Jones left the distressing impression
that gay voters are not
sophisticated enough to separate
the wheat from the chaff, or that
we believe that dumping Swindall
is sufficient rew'ard, winning
candidate regardless. (It's
The equal representation on the
HRCF Board did make a
difference, agreed Co-Chair Jackie
Johnson. "The balanced distribution
of power brought a real working
together. Women spoke up loudly
and clearly; each voice was heard
within limits. It was a good
experience."
Back in the dark old pre-March
days, there were rumblings and
grumblings. From the women there
was criticism about lack of
attention to women's issues by
gay/lesbian groups. From the men,
there was distress that the
"/lesbian" was more the expression
of a wish than a reality, because
there were no lesbians involved, or
precious few. The Great Pursuit of
the Lesbian began. Some lesbians,
identified as alternately cynical or
realistic, muttered that this was
more in the pursuit of political
correctness than a genuine wish for
the women's involvement.
Aside from the real sense of defeat
or rage that many women and
lesbians feel in a patriarchal
society, at least part of the
foregoing absence of popular
involvement can be chalked up to
early and fervent separatism, (still
alive and well in the wombin's or
womyn's separatist communities).
★
tempting, I admit.)
On the other hand, Nick
Moriatakis is courting the
community heavily, leaving good
impressions and winning support. It
will be interesting to see how the
chips fall.
Sherry Schulman appeared at the
MACGLO Open House a few
months ago and announced her
intention to sponsor a Hate Crimes
Ordinance in DeKalb County; a
response to the outrage/frustration
voiced by the gay community over
increased violence against us.
Pretty nice, especially for someone
who's not looking at an immediate
election campaign.
Everyone not residing under a rock
has probably heard by now of the
candidacy of Gil Robison and Dick
Rhodes, members of our community
running for office. Attorney Robison
may be the better known, having
lobbied on our behalf at the State
capitol for several years. Real-
estate man and activist Rhodes is
also one of the gay delegates to the
Democratic National Convention.
It's a logical conclusion that a
segment of society traditionally
closed out of the process will decide
that the process is a boys' game,
with little relevance to the girls’
reality. So why play? Whatever
argument anyone may have with
this perspective does not negate its
validity.
And there was, and still is to some
extent, a real sense of defensiveness
at a perceived male contempt for
factors important in the
"traditional" lesbian process: an
attention to the process itself, a
regard for the well-being of each
one involved, an effort to have
each one heard, and perhaps most
important, an amazing patience to
be sure all aspects are covered.
It's hard to imagine anything more
directly opposite to the
"traditional" male manner of
addressing and resolving an issue.
Get to the root of it. Forget the
perimeter issues. Discuss as much
as needed, not to death. Seek a
solution as quickly as possible. Act
on said solution. Done. Move on.
The issue's the thing; the people
involved in its resolution are
incidental. There is little room for
feelings, and less for "instinct". It's
a very "left-brain", rational
process.
(continued on page 4)
★
Voting is a personal thing, to be
sure; but whatever our inclinations,
they both deserve our support for
their courage in taking the
(financial and personal) risk to run.
The 1989 Mayoral race is already
piqueing interest as Maynard
Jackson maintains a low profile
(choosing not to attend the HRCF
fundraising dinner) and Michael
Lomax vigorously courts the city's
various minority communities (he
did attend).
The June 13th issue of the Atlanta
Business Chronicle had an
interesting column speculating that
Wyche Fowler is on Dukakis' very-
likely list of VP candidates. After
the shock wears off, the writer
paints us an intriguing scenario of
Fowler picking up Jackson
supporters, and riding to the second
seat based on his record and
regional attractiveness, nominated
by Sam Nunn and seconded by
Teddy Kennedy. Interesting
scenario. And the great thing about
politics is that anything can
happen... maybe even this.
MARCH
JUNE 26th
Civic Center to Piedmont Park.
Look for the GAPAC
banner and join us!
ELECTION ODD AND ENDS START ADDING DR