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South Needs to Sing
A New Song
July 15,1988
Atlanta Gay Men's Chorus
P.O. Box 77114
Atlanta, Ga 30357
Dear Gentlemen,
One of my first memories of a gay bar
occurred during happy hour at an old
established bar in Kansas City. Having just
turned twenty-one, I thought that in a gay bar
everyone would be welcomed from our
community. More quickly titan I had
expected, that bit of naivete was smashed to
hell when a middle-aged man proceeded to
tell racist bad joke after racist bad joke. This
man's humor was intentionally racist It was a
painful lesson, but one I am glad I learned
early on in my attempt at a gay life.
I am writing the following letter to address
another form of racism that I feel occurred,
not intentionally, but due to a lack of
understanding and a certain amount of
insensitivity. Be assured that it is with respect
for Atlanta's only openly gay male choral
group that I am submitting this letter. I will
be up front about my motives lest some
perceive this as an act of separatism. It is my
hope dial our fragmented community come
together, if only occasionally. Our coming
together will happen much sooner if we
become aware of some painful historical
truths and try not to gloss over dicir effects.
I am quesdoning the choice of a particular
set of music performed by the AGMC in
hopes that at some future point, consideration
and sensitivity for our community's diversity
will be made a factor when selccdng music. I
am questioning the medley of Southern songs
performed at the Southeastern Conference of
Lesbians and Gay Men and also this year at
Pride '88 during the celebration at Piedmont
Park. My question is simply why was that
music chosen?
The songs are peppy, familiar and
somewhat entertaining. The trouble I have
with the songs is they romanucize the "ole
South" during its pre-Civil War days. For
members of my paternal family, that reminds
them of a time when my grandfather's
grandfather was considered another man's
property.
Nationally, the same period of history is
shamefully characterized as a time when the
South engaged in, promoted and endorsed the
practice of human slavery. Historically, this is
also a period when the South those songs
glorify chose secession over unity and human
liberty, and chose to grasp to an outdated
feudal society rather than integrating with the
progress of the nation.
I will not critique the quality of the
performance. I will, however, say that
Atlanta is nationally known among minority
lesbians and gays as a southeastern haven for
our culture. I am sure you are aware of the
huge African-American lesbian and gay
community here.
It is then very noticeable that there arc no
Black men in a chorus singing songs which
praise the South during one of the most
oppressive times in African-American history.
It is a struggle to bring Atlanta's people of
color out and involved in such activities as
Pride '88 and the Southeastern Conference. I
make this comment based on the terrible
percentages of people from my side of the
tracks seen at any function. And I don't
believe we will ever come in proportionate
numbers to hear songs like "Dixie".
In the "Land of Cotton” many American
families were severed, destroyed, and
massacred. As a society, we all still suffer
from racism and its ill effects even in the
attitudes and practices of our lesbian and gay
community.
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My last point is a rather simple fact Not
only is the South of the past (and often
present) illustrated with ignorance, insolence
and racism but homophobia as well. Our
very Chorus singing those songs would be as
oppressed for being openly gay as the
millions of people of color were for being
bom some race other than Caucasian.
As a fellow vocalist and performing artist,
I encourage the AGMC to sing, but to sing a
new song.
cc: Southern Voice
Voter Mobilization
A Key Task
To the Editor
I am writing in response to the article
entitled "Lesbian and Gay Pride Week ’88:
Images to Remember" which appeared in the
July 7th edition of Southern Voice. Among
the variety of activities at Piedmont Park
which were reported, your paper listed a voter
registration drive sponsored by GAP AC.
The voter registration activity actually was
sponsored by the "Pride Committee". In
particular, Dale Biggers and Gary Cox were
instrumental in the organization of that drive.
Mr. Biggers donated the canopy which was
used for the drive, and deputy registrars
volunteered to staff the voter registration
table.
In addition, it is important to note that
regulations in the State of Georgia prohibit
sponsorship of voter registration drives by
any organization with direct political
affiliations (either bipartisan or otherwise).
Mobilization of potential gay and lesbian
voters is an important task. I would
encourage interested individuals in Fulton,
DeKalb and other counties to contact the
office of Voter Registration, become
deputized and help register people to vote.
Our votes do make a difference!
Sincerely,
Linda Meredith
Deputy Registrar
Editor's Note: Our apologies to all those
involved with the voter registration drive
and GAP AC for the mistake. The work
involved in registering voters is hard and
thankless, but it is perhaps the most patriotic
and "American" job around. If you are not
registered to vote, then do so. Your vote
does count!
There's More to Pride Than
Beer and Wet T-Shirts
To the Editor:
I would like to congratulate you on
Southern Voice. It is informative and
enjoyable to read. I feel that you make an
excellent attempt to cover the issues that
are important to our diverse community.
However, I was very disturbed by the
picture you ran on your last front page of
a woman holding a beer bottle as
representative of the Lesbian and Gay
Pride Celebration. I do not feel that it wa
an accurate indicator of the day’s events.
There was no alcohol sold that day and
there was a true sense of family.
The overwhelming number of people
there were not drinking alcohol, and
many brought along their children and
other family members. It was a
wonderful and peaceful day. I was
touched by our ability to enjoy each
other's company - despite the heat and
the absence of alcohol and drugs. People
danced and laughed all day, hugged
each other and mourned together at
times.
I would have liked to see a picture that
reflected that spirit instead.
Unfortunately, our community has
always been closely associated with
alcohol and bars. You lose some of what
is good about us when you show a wet t-
shirt and a bottle of beer.
Alcoholism has devastated our
community. Many of us arc working
very hard to rid alcohol and other
dependencies from our lives. This is
made especially difficult in a society
where alcohol and drugs are so accepted
as a way of life. Your picture adds to the
difficulty as it equates "Pride" with a
bottle of beer. Why not show us
celebrating the loving, sharing and
politically aware people we are? Full of
pride... and alcohol-free.
Sincerely,
Sharon Cooper
Editor's Note: I must admit that when
we chose the photo that I did not even
see the bottle of beer in the woman's
hand. I think that is a strong example of
what you mentioned in your letter... it is
such an accepted way of life in our
society that we don't even see it on most
occasions. We apologize and will be
more conscious in the future.
Grizzard Is An
Embarrassment to City
Atlanta Joumal/Constitution
P.O. Box 4689
Atlanta, GA 30302
The Editors:
In regards to the comment by Lewis
Grizzard in the Friday July 8th Atlanta
Journal Constitution, "Feeling sorry for
IRAN is like feeling sorry for AIDS."
Rhetoric of this nature serves no purpose
other than to propagate unsubstantiated fear,
intolerance, and ignorance.
L along with an extremely large cross
section of this planet, have been cut and
scarred too deeply by this indiscriminate and
unconstrained killer.
In a city struggling to emerge as an
international city, and who will be in the
limelight of America during the Democratic
National Convention, the voice of the
community should not be that of a
backwoods, derogitorial bigot
So until that time, in which Lewis
Grizzard is served with his long overdue pink
slip, I will neither patronize nor advertise in
your publication. I also call on all others who
feel as I do, to use alternative media.
Clay Miller
Atlanta, GA
cc: Southern Voice
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 necessarily
represent the views of Southern Voice. Submissions should be typed, double
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Southern Voice/Viewpoints
PO Box 54719
Atlanta, Georgia
30308