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From the Pages of Southern Voice
The 1988 Mmmm* Awards
*Most Memorable Media Makers
1988 has been a fascinating year to watch the growth of personal involvement
by individual gays and lesbians in the events that shape our collective future. This
was the First year after the historic National March on Washington for Lesbian
and Gay Rights, and we have been amazed and pleased to see the strength of
conviction born there transplanted here so successfully.
1988 was also the first year of publication of Southern Voice. After looking
back over our First 22 issues, we realized that there are some people and groups
that deserve one last bow before we put 1988 away in storage.
These are the people and groups of people who have filled our pages and
affected our lives as gays and lesbians-for better or for worse.
The Roto Rooter Award is presented to
LEGAL (Legislate Equality for Gays and
Lesbians), for the cherry bomb they threw down
the Georgia Democratic Party's plumbing.
Using bloc voting and old-timey ward politics to
Buren Batson, winner of the Morton
Downey, Jr., Junior Award.
their advantage, LEGAL sent the first two
openly-gay delegates from Georgia to the
Democratic National Convention. For the coup
de grace, they captured 10 seats on the DeKalb
County Democratic Party Board. Way to go,
people!
The Clint Eastwood "Go Ahead, Make
My Day" Award is presented to Cathy
Woolard, president of the Lesbian and Gay
Rights Chapter of the Georgia ACLU (among
other things), who has made for more copy per
column-inch than any other individual.
Although some claim she has mounted a
campaign for Emperor, Woolard stands out
significantly for her composure when she
stopped a ludicrous plan by the Atlanta Gay
Center to subsume control of the Police
Advisory Committee. Known throughout
Atlanta for her work on the March Committee,
the Spring AIDS Action and her independent
production company Sister Sister, and as a board
member of NGLTF, Woolard's got the right
stuff.
The People Geraldo Rivera is Scared
to Interview Award belongs to ACT UP (the
AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power), for having
the bite of a Pit Bull, the mind of Ivan Boeski,
and the heart of Bambi. No other group has so
dramatically demanded justice and so terrified
politicians since the Black Panthers. They are
best known locally for their humbling of Mayor
Andrew Young, the reversal of Circle K's
"Lifestyle Insurance Policy" and the surprise
attack on Waldenbooks at Lenox Square.
The "I Am Not a Crook" Richard
Nixon Memorial Award is presented with
honor to out-going Georgia Representative Pat
Swindall. Who else but a Republican would
blame their involvement in an FBI sting
operation on their wife's ability to keep a
checkbook?
Moneybags Pat, who foams at the mouth
(literally) when talking about gays and lesbians,
was so desperate in his attempt to fight off
Democrat Ben Jones that he enlarged a pro-
Jones classified ad running in Southern Voice to
3 feet by 4 feet. Sounds like a penis thing to us.
The Morton Downey, Jr., Junior
Award can only be presented to Buren Batson,
the controversial executive director of AID
Atlanta. Placing his own territorial imperatives
over the needs of his staff, the agency, and AID
Atlanta clients, Batson has alienated almost
every reputable gay/lesbian or AIDS
organization with whom he has come in contact.
Known to be a competent financial
administrator, Batson’s staff has reportedly been
trying to keep his nose to the grindstone and out
of the public eye. Statements such as "I've been
through bureaucratic wars that make this look
like a day in the park," have frustrated the AID
Atlanta staff as Atlanta's attention has focused
on Batson rather than the virus that is eating
away at our city.
The Andy Warhol "Famous for 15
Minutes" Award is jointly presented to gay
political candidates Gil Robison and Dick
Rhodes. Although neither man made a big
splash during the August primary, they hastened
the slow process of gay/lesbian political
visibility in Atlanta.
Neither man has announced plans to run for
office in the near future, but rumors abound.
Their efforts have paved the way for future
politicians who "just happen to be gay". Nice try
fellas, and better luck next time.
The Better Late Than Never Award is
presented to COOR (Coalition Opposing
Operation Rescue) for their successful, albeit
last minute, painting of Operation Rescue as
sexist racist homophobes who's agenda is only
1% concern for unformed fetal material.
The fact that a group of individuals who place
no value on human life - after it is shunted
through the birth canal, that is - has gotten away
with calling themselves pro-life is astounding to
anyone possessing an ounce of logic.
The men and women of COOR who have
finally decided to stand up and fight back have
got a lot of lost ground to make up.
CHRIS CASH
Cathy Woolard, recipient of the Clint
Eastwood "Go Ahead, Make My
Day" Award
The Harvey Fierstein Award for
Chutzpah is proudly presented to Democratic
National Convention delegate Melinda Daniels
for asking old-line Georgia Democrat cum
homophobe Tom Murphy to support a
gay/lesbian civil rights plank at the National
Convention.
Although Murphy left the room "in disgust",
Daniels earned the respect and support of not a few
who were present in the state caucus meeting that
morning-including many folks from outside metro
Atlanta. Daniels did as much work in advancing
gay/lesbian causes that July morning as anyone did
during the Pride March three weeks earlier.
The Silk Purse out of a Sow's Ear
Award is presented to the members of the
Georgia AIDS Legislative Coalition for the
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amazing work they did in turning the 1988 AIDS
Omnibus Bill into something we can all live
with, if not be proud of.
Among all of the bills passed nationwide
since legislators realized that perverts weren't the
only ones contracting AIDS, Georgia's law is
among the fairest and the least hysterical.
Special thanks to lobbyist Gil Robison for the
work he did during the session.
The He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
Award goes to bar owner Deana Collins. Her
support of the gay/lesbian community and
particularly her financial contributions to direct
services for PWAs has destroyed every myth of
bar owners as greedy money-suckers, and has
quietly assured her a place in the Heaven she so
fervently believes in.
Her fundraising activities for PWAs and her
support of gays and lesbians in the political
arena have endeared her to all, and made Deana's
One Mo' Time the only politically correct joint
to grab a drink in the City of Atlanta. Cheers,
Deana!
The Scandal Sheet Award belongs to
MACGLO (the Metropolitan Atlanta Council
of Gay & Lesbian Organizations) for the
advertisement that sold more papers than the
discovery that Elvis has been reincarnated as
Madonna. The anxious and the curious alike
rushed out to buy up the copies of the October
13th Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The networking Council led the Atlanta
celebration of National Coming Out Day, albeit
2 days late, by placing a full page ad that
contained the names and descriptive phrases for
over 300 gay or lesbian individuals. Throngs of
people read the ad over each other's shoulders,
trying to find the names of acquaintances, and to
figure out who the "local TV Personality" is.
It was a momentary grab for the spotlight that
worked brilliantly, and will hopefully become an
annual tradition in Atlanta.
P.S. - We'll give $5 to anyone who can
identify the local TV personality.
The Early Bird Gets the Worm Award
is presented to Fulton County Commission
Chairman Michael Lomax, who's early and
tenacious attempt to bring gays and lesbians into
his recently announced campaign for Mayor
bodes well for the prospect of a 1989 Lomax
victory.
Realizing that he will have to fight off the
nostalgic memories of former Mayor (and
present candidate) Maynard Jackson's
endorsement of the Atlanta Gay Rights
PAM COLE
Melinda Daniels, winner of the
Harvey Fierstein Award for
Chutzpah, pictured with Andy
Warhol 'Famous for 15 Minutes'
Award co-winner Dick Rhodes at the
Democratic National Convention.
Ordinance, Lomax has hit the streets running.
Believing that City Hall needs a work horse
more than a show horse, Lomax has reminded
many of his previous support of gays and
lesbians, and presented the city's activists with a
deal they can't turn down. Work with me, he has
said, and I'll take you up to city hall with me.
And last, but certainly not least, we are proud
to present the " Can you say 'neighbor'?"
Award to the Atlanta Gay Center. Although
most of the Center leadership's foibles have
made good copy, the self-victimization they
spouted during their aborted move to the
Bedford Pine Neighborhood was truly
fascinating to watch.
While no one has ever denied that they ran
into some old-tirrte hard line homophobia, their
conduct throughout assured them of failure from
the very beginning, and has set back relations
with City politicians.
When even perennially pro-gay politicians
such as Bill Campbell and Nan Orrock come
down against you, it’s time to stop and re-think
your tactics boys.
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