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Yes, Jean, There are Queers
Here - There - and Everywhere!
When DcKalb County Commissioner Jean
Williams refused to sign a proclamation
designating June 18-26 as "Lesbian and Gay
Rights Week," she reportedly said that there
were none of "those people" living in her
district anyway.
Had Williams attended the Pride March
and Rally on Sunday, June 26, she might have
been surprised at both the number and the
variety of "those people" w'ho participated.
Some were veteran marchers who compared
notes on their previous experiences. Others
were participating in their first march ever.
Lee Bomhoff, a first-time marcher,
admitted he was a little edgy when he arrived
PHOTO BY RH<
Looking over the throngs of people in the
park that afternoon, she said that a similar
event in Berlin or some other large German
city would have drawn many more people.
"It looks like nobody's coming here because
everyone's trying to hide."
Bill, who works for a large corporation
downtown and volunteers with the
Democratic group LEGAL, estimated that the
crowd in the park, large as it was, still only
represented" l/30th of the [gay and lesbian]
population," but said he understood the
problem.
"AIDS has really punched the gay pride
movement in the stomach," he said. "It was
DA MENSEN
From Germany to Gwinnett County; we are everybody, we are everywhere.
at the Civic Center on Sunday morning. As
organizers gave him a balloon on which he
could write a personal message, and the
crowd began to practice chants, he felt his
throat close up momentarily.
"It was like that old feeling you had the
first time you came out to someone," he said,
"and those words have to come out of your
mouth."
"J.P." is a young woman back in the closet
again after accepting a management-level job
in Macon. Previously, she had lived a very
open life in Atlanta, attending a number of
marches and other events in the earlv ’80’s.
All that is behind her now.
"I hate it," she said of her new way of
living, her reluctance to give her name or be
photographed. Even though she says her co
workers in Macon "would walk away, or run
me out," if she chose to be candid about her
sexual orientation, she decided to take the
small risk of participating in Sunday's march.
"Not enough of us take the risk," she sa*d.
And although her options are severely limited
now, "I'm willing to take the risk to be another
body here today."
Karen and Anja, two students from
Germany who came to Atlanta recently to
further their education, would probably
understand "J.P.'"s feelings. Although they
have only been in this country a short time,
they have already noticed one thing - "it's so
different to be gay in America."
"Here it feels like it's illegal," Karen
explained, "like you're not supposed to be
that."
Pride
Cont'dfrom Page 6
Among the speakers at the rally were Leigh
VanderEls who spoke of the fight for custody of
her son, and reminded everyone about the
struggles of an estimated three million gay and
lesbian parents in the U.S. Rebecca Ranson of
SAME brought cast members of her play "Higher
Ground: Voices of AIDS" to share some lines
from the play. And Tipton Bishop, out of the
hospital to perform in "Higher Ground," sang to a
standing ovation.
Performers from the community entertained
the audience, among them were Sam Baker,
Angela Motter, Tory Batey, Bev Cook, the
Atlanta Gay Men's Chaus and the Lambda
Chorale. When Lisa King brought her talent on
stage, the heterosexual visitors to the park
crowded along one side of the stage, and were
taken to task by Woolard fa leaving as soon as
King finished her three songs. "Yeah, that's right,
go at and leave now, the drag show is over."
so easy for straight people to believe all the
B.S. that was being thrown around."
His friend Kim, an actor and prospective
law student, agreed, but said the NAMES
Project was "a first cohesive step in the
community" that began to draw people
together again.
"A lot of my friends are in the process now
of making positive changes in their lives," he
said.
First-time marchers Gay Babin and
Melissa Wheaton came in from their home in
Gwinnett County to take part in the event
Relatively new to Atlanta, having moved here
from Louisiana last year, they have settled
comfortably into the suburbs with few
problems.
"We've never really had any trouble,"
Babin said, as she and her partner of three
years stretched out on a blanket in the park.
"People can tell that we have a good, stable
relationship."
She was annoyed, however, that the march
and rally received so little coverage in
Atlanta's mainstream media. "They're so
paranoid to advertise anything gay," she said,
explaining that she and Wheaton only found
out about the event because a friend
mentioned it
For most who did participate in the march,
it was an experience they will look back on
fondly, as did Lee Bomhoff.
"It was tough at first," he said. "But I'm
glad I did iL It fell good."
-David Tucker
Wooiaid also reminded straight onlookers that
they too are subject to harrasanent and arrest as
long as Georgia's sodomy law remains on the
books.
-F.G.
PHOTO BY PAMELA J. COLE
The Great American Piedmont Park Kiss-In.
Open 24- hours on
weekends
$1.50 well drinks all the time
See our ad in EXIT for exciting happenings
during the 1988 Democratic Convention
* -. - ■ ' • C ■ • -rr* - :
information
(4G4)-881-5353
• Sponsor: LEGAL
(Legislate Equality
for Gays and
Lesbians), the
voice of Lesbian
and Gay
Georgians in the
Democratic Party
* In cooperation
wfththe National
association of
Lesbian & Gay
Democratic Ciubs,
the Southeastern
Conference for
Lesbian & Gay
Men and other
Atlanta and
national
organizations.
COME HEAR^
U.S. Senators/Representativesl
Stage, Screen, & TV Stars!
Political & Civic Leaders!
AT THE
DEMOCRATIC
NATIONAL
CONVENTION
RALLY
FOR LESBIAN & GAY RIGHTS
5:00 PM
STOPJUDS
STOP VIOLENCE
STOP DISCRIMINATION...
this is AMERICA!
Take the 7 March On Washington
Demands for Lesbian & Gay Rights to j
the Democratic National Convention.
July 15th Welcome Dinner with
Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA)!
at 9PM. Cost is $35.00
• 7PM production of "Street
Theatre" Stonewall-The Night
The Gays Fought Back. Cost is
$10.00 per person.
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